Shipping policy
Shipping policies cover many crucial aspects of logistics operations. The shipping policies of different entities (such as e-commerce platforms, express delivery companies, and enterprise-owned logistics) have their own characteristics. Here is a relatively general introduction:

  • Delivery Lead Time
    • Regular Commodities: After customers place an order and complete the payment, merchants will promise a time range for delivery. For example, in-stock items are usually shipped within 1 - 3 days; for customized products, depending on the complexity of production, the approximate production cycle needs to be informed to the customers before arranging shipment, and the time may be extended to a week or even longer.
    • Pre-sale Commodities: Merchants must clearly mark the start and end times of the pre-sale, as well as the expected delivery time. For example, for pre-sales of popular electronic products or limited-edition trendy clothes, it may take several months from placing the order to delivery.
  • Delivery Methods and Costs
    • Courier Selection: Multiple courier options are provided. Commonly seen ones include SF Express, STO Express, YTO Express, ZTO Express, and Yunda Express. Customers can choose according to their needs. Some may have price differences due to differences in delivery speed and service quality. For intra-city orders, instant delivery services like FlashEx or same-city urgent delivery may also be available.
    • Free Shipping Policy: Merchants often set a condition for free shipping, such as free shipping nationwide for orders over 99 yuan, or free shipping for specific regions or specific product categories. For example, fresh food e-commerce platforms often offer free shipping discounts for orders of vegetables and meat that reach a certain weight.
  • Shipping Routes and Delivery Time
    • Domestic Shipping: Express delivery companies classify different levels of stations, such as first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier cities. The delivery between first-tier cities is relatively fast, usually taking about 1 - 3 days; for remote fourth-tier, fifth-tier cities and rural areas, due to fewer transfer stations, the delivery time may be extended to 3 - 7 days. E-commerce platforms also cooperate with logistics enterprises to optimize routes. For example, Cainiao Network integrates multiple resources to plan the flow of parcels intelligently.
    • International Shipping: It involves customs clearance processes, and different countries have different policies and tax rates. According to the speed of transportation methods, it can be divided into express delivery (taking 3 - 7 days, such as DHL, FedEx, etc.), air freight (taking 5 - 15 days), and sea freight (taking 1 - 3 months), and the freight cost also follows the order of express delivery > air freight > sea freight.
  • Goods Packaging and Insurance
    • Packaging Requirements: Merchants are responsible for properly packaging the goods to prevent damage during transportation. Fragile items should be wrapped with multiple layers of cushioning materials such as bubble wrap and pearl cotton, and then put into sturdy cardboard boxes.
    • Shipping Insurance: For some high-value goods, customers can purchase additional shipping insurance. In case of loss or damage of the goods, compensation can be obtained according to the insured amount. The premium rate is usually 1% - 5% of the value of the goods.
  • Return and Exchange Shipping
    • Return Policy: A time limit for returns is stipulated. Generally, returns are allowed within 7 - 30 days after receiving the goods. The party responsible for the return shipping cost should be clearly defined. Sometimes the merchant bears it, and sometimes, if it is due to the consumer's personal reasons, the consumer has to bear the shipping cost themselves.
    • Exchange Policy: The exchange process is similar to the return process, except that the exchanged goods will be sent back to the consumer again, involving two transportation processes, and the handling of shipping costs also needs to be clearly stated.
  • Special Goods Transportation
    • Fresh Food Cold Chain: The whole process requires low-temperature cold chain transportation, with the temperature controlled at 0 - 10 °C or even lower. The transportation equipment includes refrigerated trucks and insulated containers, and high requirements are placed on the delivery time limit to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.
    • Flammable and Explosive Goods: Strictly follow relevant national regulations, adopt professional packaging, labeling, and transportation channels. For example, the transportation of fireworks and alcohol products has to go through special approval procedures.

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