Shipping Fine Jewellery in Malaysia: Transit Risks, Courier Limits, and What Jewellers Need to Know

You ship a RM80,000 diamond necklace to a customer in Penang. The tracking shows delivered, but the customer says it never arrived. You investigate. The courier's maximum liability? RM500.

The gap between what you're shipping and what couriers will pay is the transit risk that catches jewellers by surprise.

This guide covers:

• Why courier liability is nowhere near enough
• The real risks of shipping fine jewellery
• What your current insurance probably doesn't cover
• Personal delivery vs courier: the trade-offs
• How to structure proper transit protection

The Courier Liability Problem

Every major courier in Malaysia has liability limits that are laughably inadequate for jewellery.

Courier	Standard Liability Limit	Notes
Pos Malaysia (Registered)	RM100	Can declare higher value for fee
Pos Laju	RM300	Declared value options available
DHL Express	Varies by service	Often capped at RM500-1000
FedEx	Varies by service	Declared value available
J&T Express	RM300-500	Check current terms
Ninja Van	RM300-500	Check current terms
Lalamove	Limited	Same-day, low limits

The pattern: Standard courier liability caps at a few hundred ringgit. That's appropriate for clothes and books. It's meaningless for jewellery.

Declared Value: Better But Still Limited

Most couriers offer "declared value" where you declare a higher value and pay an additional fee for increased liability.

Declared Value	Additional Cost	What It Gets You
RM5,000	1-3% of value	Liability up to RM5,000
RM10,000	1-3% of value	Liability up to RM10,000
Higher values	Often refused	Many couriers won't accept

The catch: Many couriers refuse to accept declared values above RM10,000-20,000. For a RM100,000 piece, there's simply no courier option that covers the full value.

And declared value coverage has exclusions. Read the fine print.

What Can Go Wrong in Transit

Transit risk isn't just about couriers losing packages.

Risk	What Happens
Package lost	Courier can't locate, declares lost
Package stolen	Internal theft or theft after "delivery"
Delivery to wrong person	Signed by someone not the customer
Damage in transit	Poor packaging or mishandling
Customs seizure	International shipments held
Fraudulent claims	Customer claims not received despite delivery

Each of these has different liability implications and different evidence requirements.

The "Delivered But Not Received" Problem

Tracking shows delivered. Customer says they never got it. Who's telling the truth?

Evidence	What It Proves
Tracking showing "delivered"	Courier marked as delivered
GPS coordinates	Where driver was when marked
Photo of delivery	Sometimes required
Signature	Who signed (but is it the customer?)

This is one of the hardest disputes to resolve. If the courier shows delivery and you have no other evidence, you're stuck between accusing your customer and accepting the loss.

What Your Insurance Probably Doesn't Cover

Standard Fire and Burglary

Your fire and burglary policy covers stock at your premises. Stock in transit? Almost certainly not.

Policy Type	Transit Coverage
Fire insurance	No
Burglary insurance	No
Public liability	No
Standard commercial package	Usually no

Courier's Insurance

The courier's liability (discussed above) is not insurance you purchased. It's the courier's own liability for their negligence. They set the limits, and those limits are designed to protect them, not you.

The Gap

Item Value	Courier Liability	Your Loss
RM10,000	RM500	RM9,500
RM50,000	RM500	RM49,500
RM100,000	RM500	RM99,500

This is the gap that transit coverage fills.

Transit Coverage Options

Option 1: Jeweller's Block with Transit

Most Jeweller's Block policies include transit coverage. This covers goods moving between your premises and other locations.

Covered	Usually Included
You hand-carrying goods	Yes
Your employee carrying	Yes
Courier/post	Often NO
Customer collection from your shop	Risk transfers at collection

Critical point: Many Jeweller's Block policies exclude courier and postal transit. The coverage is for personal conveyance (you or your staff carrying the goods), not third-party carriers.

Check your policy wording for "sendings by post, rail or common carrier" exclusion.

Option 2: Marine Cargo Insurance

For courier shipments specifically, marine cargo insurance can fill the gap. It covers goods in transit regardless of the carrier.

Coverage Type	What It Covers
Per-shipment	Individual high-value shipments
Annual open policy	All shipments over the year

Marine cargo is priced as a percentage of value, typically 0.1% to 0.5% per shipment depending on value, destination, and packaging.

Option 3: Don't Ship High Value

Many jewellers simply don't courier high-value items. Personal delivery or customer collection eliminates the courier gap entirely.

Approach	When Appropriate
Customer collects from shop	Always an option
You hand-deliver	Valuable pieces, local customers
Secure courier with marine cargo	When personal delivery isn't practical
Regular courier	Only for low-value items

Personal Delivery: The Rules

If you hand-deliver, you're not using a courier, so courier exclusions don't apply. But you still need to follow the rules for personal conveyance coverage.

Typical Jeweller's Block Requirements

Requirement	What It Means
Within arm's reach	Goods must be on your person or immediately adjacent
Within sight	You can see the goods at all times
Two-person rule	High values may require two people
Unattended vehicle exclusion	Don't leave goods in parked car

The unattended vehicle trap: You're delivering a RM100,000 piece. You stop for lunch and leave it locked in your car boot. Break-in, goods stolen. Your Jeweller's Block probably doesn't cover this because the vehicle was unattended.

Personal Delivery Checklist

Step	Action
Documentation	Record what's being delivered, photos
Route planning	Direct route, no unnecessary stops
Two-person for high value	Check your policy threshold
Customer verification	Confirm recipient identity
Delivery receipt	Signed acknowledgment

Packaging for Transit

If you do ship, proper packaging matters for both protection and claims.

Packaging Standards

Element	Requirement
Inner protection	Each piece individually wrapped
Cushioning	Absorb shock, prevent movement
Outer box	Sturdy, no indication of contents
Tamper evidence	Seals that show if opened
No branding	Plain box, no jeweller name

Discretion is security. A box marked with your jewellery shop's name is a target. Plain packaging is safer.

Documentation for Claims

If something goes wrong, you need:

Document	Purpose
Photos before packing	Condition evidence
Photos of packaging	Proper packing evidence
Shipping label copy	Tracking reference
Declared value receipt	What you insured for
Delivery receipt or tracking	Proof of shipment

International Shipping

Cross-border shipments add customs complexity.

Issue	Impact
Customs declaration	Accurate value declaration required
Import duties	Customer may face duties on arrival
Customs inspection	Goods may be opened, examined
Seizure risk	Incorrect documentation can cause seizure
Extended transit time	More time = more risk

For international shipments, work with a freight forwarder experienced in jewellery if values are significant.

When Customers Arrange Their Own Shipping

Some customers want to arrange their own courier. This shifts risk, but be clear about when that happens.

Scenario	Risk Transfers When
Customer collects from your shop	At the moment they take possession
You ship on customer's courier account	When courier takes possession
You arrange courier on their behalf	Complicated, clarify in writing

Get written acknowledgment that risk transfers at the point they take possession or when their nominated courier collects.

FAQ

Can I just use declared value on the courier and skip other insurance?

You can, but declared value typically caps at RM10,000-20,000 and has exclusions. For anything above that, or for comprehensive protection, you need proper transit coverage.

Does my Jeweller's Block cover Grab or Lalamove deliveries?

Check your policy. Most Jeweller's Block policies exclude third-party carriers. Same-day delivery services are still third-party carriers. Personal conveyance means you or your employee carrying the goods personally.

What's the threshold for two-person delivery?

Varies by policy, but common thresholds are RM50,000-100,000. Above this value, your policy may require two people for covered transit.

If courier tracking shows delivered but customer claims not received, who bears the loss?

Complicated. If you have transit coverage and followed proper procedures, your insurer covers you. Then it becomes a dispute between you, the courier, and possibly the customer. But you're protected.

Can I require customers to pay for insured shipping?

Yes. Build it into your pricing or offer as an option. Many customers are happy to pay for proper protection rather than risk uninsured delivery.

What if the courier damages the piece?

Document everything. The courier has liability for damage they cause, but proving the damage occurred in transit (not before or after) requires good before/after documentation.

Are there couriers that specialise in jewellery?

Yes, secure courier services exist. They're more expensive than standard couriers but offer higher liability limits, better tracking, and more secure handling. Used for wholesale trade, not typically individual retail pieces.

Should I ever send by regular Pos Malaysia?

For anything of real value, no. Pos Malaysia's liability is tiny, tracking is limited, and delivery confirmation is not robust. It's fine for low-value items or documents, not for jewellery.

MINT Conclusion

The gap between jewellery values and courier liability is enormous. Shipping a RM50,000 piece with RM500 of protection is shipping almost uninsured.

For jewellers who need to move goods, the options are clear: personal delivery with proper procedures, or courier with proper marine cargo coverage. Relying on courier liability alone is not protection.

MINT provides Jeweller's Block coverage for Malaysian jewellers, including transit protection for personal conveyance. For courier shipments, we can advise on marine cargo options that close the gap.

Speak with MINT about coverage