So are you a packaging company or what exactly?

• We're a kit assembly and shipping company. In addition, we offer packaging options (eg, standard or custom corrugated packaging) as a convenience to our clients.

• You can work with us à la carte, with you providing packaging and filler materials, or as an end-to-end resource, so you only have to issue one PO.

Do you source branded items to go in the kits?

• No. We rely on our Distributor clients to do what they do best and source the highest quality branded merchandise for their clients, within their budget, from their most trusted vendors.

• The only things we source with your client’s logo / design are packaging materials: corrugated shipper boxes, corrugated tuck boxes, polymailers, tissue paper, and tape. If you’re ordering a custom-printed box or mailer through PackKits, once the size is finalized, we will provide a dieline and your team will be able to design artwork to that template.

Can you quote my project if I don’t know exactly what items will be included?

• Yes, with a caveat — we will need to know how many items we are picking that are variable and how many are non-variable.

• Variable items are things like shirts that need to be size-matched to each recipient, or a notecard that is addressed to the individual. Non-variable items (for example) might be tumblers or stress toys, where each kit gets the exact same thing.

What are your turn-around times?

• Quotes for projects are generally provided within 1 business day.

• Corrugated box quotes can take a few extra days depending on the materials being used and the quantity.

• For kit production, each project is quoted individually, and estimated production times are included. MOST of our projects are completed in 3-5 business days. Of course, we understand that clients usually equate “estimated” with “firm” 😉. With that in mind…

  • Please remember that kitting will not start until (at the earliest) the 1st business day after we receive the last of the kit’s components.

  • Production may not start that day either, depending on our current project load and production schedule. We are very fortunate to have repeat clients who send many projects our way. Your project will be placed in line immediately upon receiving the last of your kit’s components, but there may also be 5 other projects in front of yours, in line for being assembled.

Can I provide my own packaging?

• Yes. You can use PackKits just for kit assembly and shipping if you would like.

• Alternatively, you can use us for end-to-end service and we can provide a plain or kraft regular shipping container (RSC), a plain or kraft tuck box, or a custom printed corrugated (tuck or RSC) box. We have vendor partners that are very competitive, and we would be happy to provide a quote.

  • We can also source other packaging options like polymailers, mailing tubes, etc.

  • We can refer you to fantastic resources for higher end (Converd or Rigid) boxes, or boxes with custom insert trays.

Do you require my shipping list to be in a particular format?

• No. Our order processing software needs addresses to be in a specific format, but we are happy to manipulate your address file into our format.

• Once moved to our file format, we will send the reworked file to you for final approval prior to processing. The one thing we do require is for Name, Address, City, State, and Zip Code to be in separate fields. International shipments also require a LOCAL email address and phone number.

Do you ship internationally?

• Yes we can ship anywhere you need!

• Note that there are some country-specific restrictions on what can be shipped. For instance, Lithium-ion batteries (e.g. power banks) are restricted in many places, and can only be shipped by Ground in the US and Canada. Food items are a no-go in many countries as well, for example.

• We will provide all necessary documentation (commercial invoice, etc.) for international shipments, but to do so, international shipments REQUIRE some additional data from you. For each kit component:

  • HTS Code — This is used by the receiving country to assess duties and taxes on the shipment. Luckily, the HTS code to ship out is the same code used to ship in to the US, so in the vast majority of cases, you can get the HTS code from your manufacturer very easily.

  • Replacement Value — Not the retail value but what you paid the vendor.

  • Country of Manufacture — Where each kit item was originally produced.

  • Local phone number and email address of the intended recipient.

    • If your client does not provide LOCAL recipient information, the package may not even leave the US. If it does leave and the recipient cannot be contacted, the package could be abandoned at the recipient country.

  • Commercial shipments (and some residential ones) to the European Union now require a recipient’s EORI number. This must be provided before we process any commercial shipments.

Can you help us with importing?

• No, PackKits is not a solution for importing. For that, you will need an experienced customs broker/freight forwarder. If you need a recommendation, please reach out to Fred Hall & Associates.

What do you do with Returns and Leftover kits / components?

• You can specify the return address on the shipping label so that non-deliverable / refused kits go to any US address you specify. Please let us know at the outset of the project; otherwise, by default, returns will come to PackKits.

• If you choose PackKits as the return location, our quote will include the labor costs to receive returns as well as materials and labor costs (not shipping) to bundle returns / non-deliverables / leftover kit components to a location specified by you. We will ship these materials no more than 30 days after the last kit shipped from PackKits.

Will you provide tracking information?

• Yes. All of our shipments (except USPS First Class) will have tracking numbers.

• A full tracking report will be provided once the kits are tendered to the carrier.

What shipping carriers do you use?

• For small packages, we have daily pickups from four carriers: FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS.

• If shipping on our accounts, we find UPS and DHL to be the most competitive options in most cases.

• For freight shipments, we can ship on more than 40 carriers. We use a consolidator that ships more than 1 million pallets a month, so we get excellent LTL rates.

Can you ship on our accounts / our client’s accounts?

• In most cases yes, we are happy to ship on your or your client’s account if you want. Please note the following about shipping on 3rd party accounts:

  • UPS and FedEx Residential Ground services do NOT deliver to PO Boxes. If we are shipping on your preferred account via those services, and there are PO Boxes on the recipient list, we will ship those PO Box orders on our accounts via other services.

  • PackKits will charge a 3rd party processing fee (included in the quote) when shipping on your account / your client’s account.

Can you ship freight/LTL?

• You bet! We work with a consolidator that ships more than 1 million pallets a month, so we get excellent rates across 40+ freight carriers.

Can you assemble all my kits then fulfill them over time?

• PackKits is not really set up for storage. If you need us to hold kits for a short period of time (eg, a month or two) we can probably accommodate you. But if you need us to hold the kits for a year, that might not work out (yet… we’re working on a solution for this).

Do you have in-house printing capabilities?

• No. But we do have partnerships with local printers who do high quality work for us.

I don’t want the extra materials and shipping cost to place my kit inside an outer shipping carton. What options do you have to protect the printed carton?

• PackKits offers optional in-house shrink-wrapping capabilities. Our heat tunnel will fit boxes up to 16” wide and 8” tall.

Can you legally ship alcohol with my kits?

• Yes. We have a partnership with a service provider that has all the necessary licensing to ship beer, wine (including champagne), and liquor.

• Note: Because an adult signature will be required to receive these kits, we cannot ship kits containing alcohol to PO Boxes.

Receiving information

• We require a delivery appointment for 8 or more pallets in a single day (including full containers). Deliveries of this size without a confirmed appointment will be turned away. Small package deliveries (UPS / FedEx) do not require any appointments.

• Deliveries appointments MUST be requested via email at Receiving@PackKits.com.