Courier Delivery, Claims and Compensation Policy

 

1. Introduction

Ace Apostille UK Ltd arranges courier and postal services to help customers send documents to us and receive documents following completion of our services.

We take reasonable care when selecting couriers, preparing shipments and providing delivery information. However, courier services are operated by independent third parties and are not directly controlled by Ace Apostille UK Ltd.

This policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions.

2. Couriers and Delivery Services

We normally use:

  • Royal Mail tracked services for deliveries within the United Kingdom
  • DHL Express for UK and international deliveries
  • Other reputable postal or courier providers where reasonably necessary

We may substitute the selected courier or service with a reasonably equivalent service where operationally necessary, provided this does not materially reduce the service purchased.

All shipments are also subject to the relevant courier’s current terms, restrictions, exclusions and conditions of carriage.

3. Documents Sent to Ace Apostille

Unless Ace Apostille has supplied and sold the customer a prepaid shipping label, the customer is responsible for arranging the safe delivery of documents to our office.

Ace Apostille is not responsible for documents that are lost, delayed, misdirected or damaged before they are physically received and recorded by our team.

Where the customer purchases postage directly from a courier, postal operator, marketplace or other delivery provider, the delivery contract is between the customer and that provider. The customer must raise any inbound claim directly with the provider from whom the shipping service was purchased.

Providing tracking information showing that an item has entered the courier’s network does not establish that Ace Apostille has received it. An item will be treated as received only after it has been delivered to the correct Ace Apostille address and accepted or recorded by our team.

Customers should use an appropriately tracked service when sending original, valuable, time-sensitive or difficult-to-replace documents.

4. Return Delivery Arranged by Ace Apostille

Where a customer purchases return delivery from Ace Apostille, we will arrange shipment through an independent courier or postal provider.

We will take reasonable care to:

  • Use the delivery address supplied or confirmed by the customer
  • Package documents appropriately for normal document transportation
  • Select the agreed delivery service or a reasonably equivalent service
  • Provide tracking details
  • Hand the shipment to the courier in a timely manner after completion of the service

Once a shipment enters the courier’s network, its movement, routing and delivery are managed by the courier. Ace Apostille cannot directly control delivery scans, depot processing, customs clearance, delivery attempts, collection-point redirections or the actions of individual courier personnel.

5. Delivery Estimates

All delivery dates and transit times are estimates unless a specific delivery guarantee is expressly confirmed in writing.

Descriptions such as “Tracked 24”, “Next Day” or “Express” identify the courier service selected. They do not constitute a guarantee by Ace Apostille that delivery will occur on a particular date or by a particular time.

Courier delivery estimates are separate from our apostille or legalisation processing times.

Ace Apostille is not responsible for delivery delays caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including:

  • Courier network disruption
  • Severe weather
  • Industrial action
  • Transport disruption
  • Customs inspections or border controls
  • Security checks
  • Incorrect or incomplete delivery information supplied by the customer
  • The recipient being unavailable
  • Public holidays
  • Government action
  • Civil disturbance, war or terrorism
  • Natural disasters
  • Technology or tracking-system failures

Customers must allow sufficient time for delivery and should not arrange travel, appointments, visa submissions, legal deadlines or other commitments on the assumption that a courier estimate is guaranteed.

6. Customer Responsibilities

The customer is responsible for:

  • Providing a complete and accurate delivery address
  • Providing the correct postcode, country and recipient name
  • Providing a working telephone number and email address
  • Checking delivery details before submitting the order
  • Monitoring tracking information and courier notifications
  • Ensuring someone is available to receive the shipment
  • Responding promptly to courier, customs or delivery enquiries
  • Collecting shipments redirected to a courier depot, parcel shop or collection point
  • Paying applicable customs duties, taxes, storage fees or import charges
  • Informing Ace Apostille immediately if the delivery information changes

Ace Apostille is not responsible for loss, delay, non-delivery or additional charges resulting from inaccurate, incomplete or outdated information supplied by the customer.

Address changes requested after a shipment has been booked or dispatched cannot be guaranteed. Any address-correction, redirection or re-delivery charges may be passed to the customer.

7. Delivery Attempts, Safe Places and Collection Points

Depending on the courier, destination and recipient preferences, a shipment may be:

  • Delivered to the stated address
  • Accepted by another person at the address
  • Delivered to reception, concierge or building management
  • Left in a safe place authorised by the recipient
  • Delivered to a neighbour
  • Redirected to a courier depot, parcel shop or collection point

Ace Apostille cannot guarantee that a courier will hand the shipment personally to the named recipient.

A courier’s tracking record, delivery scan, photograph, GPS record or recorded signature will normally be treated as evidence of delivery, subject to any subsequent courier investigation.

Where the recipient uses a courier portal to authorise a safe place, neighbour delivery, redirection, alternative address or collection point, that instruction is provided directly to the courier. Ace Apostille will not be responsible for consequences resulting from an instruction or delivery preference authorised by the customer or recipient.

8. Failed, Refused or Uncollected Deliveries

If delivery fails because the recipient is unavailable, refuses the shipment, provides an incorrect address, fails to respond to the courier or does not collect the shipment within the permitted period, the courier may return it to Ace Apostille or dispose of it in accordance with its terms.

The customer will be responsible for:

  • Return-to-sender charges
  • Storage charges
  • Address-correction charges
  • Customs or import charges
  • The cost of arranging another delivery

Any outstanding courier charges must be paid before documents are dispatched again.

Ace Apostille cannot guarantee how quickly a returned shipment will arrive back at our office.

9. International Shipments and Customs

International deliveries may be inspected, delayed, held or returned by customs, border authorities or other government agencies.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that documents can lawfully be imported into the destination country and for paying any applicable taxes, duties, clearance charges or storage fees.

Ace Apostille is not responsible for customs delays, local import restrictions, seizure by a competent authority or a customer’s failure to pay applicable charges, except where the problem was directly caused by incorrect information supplied by Ace Apostille.

10. Reporting Loss or Damage

Customers must notify Ace Apostille as soon as reasonably possible if a shipment appears to be lost or arrives damaged.

To preserve the possibility of a courier claim, customers should report:

  • Visible damage within 48 hours of delivery including photographic evidence
  • A shipment marked as delivered but not received within 24 hours
  • A shipment with no tracking movement or which has passed its estimated delivery date within five calendar days

These notification periods are intended to protect courier claim eligibility and preserve evidence. They do not remove any statutory rights the customer may have.

Claims should be emailed to info@aceapostille.com and must include:

  • Ace Apostille order number
  • Courier tracking number
  • Full delivery address
  • Description of the issue
  • Photographs of any damage
  • Photographs of the packaging and shipping label
  • Copies of courier correspondence
  • Details of any delivery instructions or redirections
  • Any other evidence reasonably requested

For damage claims, the customer must retain the documents, envelope, packaging and shipping label until the investigation is complete. Disposing of packaging or failing to provide evidence may prevent the courier from accepting the claim.

11. When a Shipment Is Considered Lost

A delayed shipment is not automatically considered lost.

A shipment will be treated as lost only when:

  • The courier confirms that it is lost; or
  • The courier’s investigation has concluded and the applicable investigation period has expired without the shipment being located

Courier investigations can take several weeks, particularly for international deliveries. Ace Apostille cannot force a courier to conclude an investigation within a particular period.

12. Courier Claims

Where Ace Apostille purchased the shipping service, we may submit a claim to the courier after receiving the required information and evidence from the customer.

Ace Apostille acts as a facilitator in relation to the courier’s claims process. We cannot:

  • Guarantee that a claim will be accepted
  • Determine the amount of compensation
  • Override courier exclusions
  • Shorten the courier’s investigation period
  • Pay compensation before the courier has approved and paid a claim

Every claim is assessed under the courier’s terms and compensation rules in force at the time of shipment.

Where the customer purchased the shipping service directly, the customer is responsible for submitting the claim to the relevant courier or postal provider.

13. Nature and Value of Documents

Courier companies commonly treat certificates, legal papers and other documents as paper items with little or no intrinsic commercial value.

The importance of a document to the customer, the cost of obtaining the document, the cost of legalising it and any deadline connected with it do not necessarily represent its compensable value under a courier’s terms.

Courier compensation may therefore exclude or substantially limit:

  • Document replacement fees
  • Apostille and legalisation fees
  • Solicitor or notary fees
  • Translation fees
  • Visa or immigration expenses
  • Travel or accommodation costs
  • Appointment fees
  • Loss of earnings
  • Lost business or profit
  • Penalties or missed deadlines
  • Emotional distress, inconvenience or loss of opportunity

Customers sending rare, irreplaceable, high-value or particularly time-sensitive documents should contact us before ordering return delivery. Where appropriate, customers should consider personal collection, arranging their own specialist courier or obtaining suitable independent insurance.

14. Compensation

Where Ace Apostille is not legally responsible for the underlying loss or damage, any payment offered to the customer will be limited to the compensation actually approved and received from the courier.

Courier compensation is not guaranteed and may be limited to:

  • A refund of the delivery charge
  • Nominal compensation
  • Weight-based compensation
  • The documented replacement value accepted by the courier
  • The amount of additional cover purchased before dispatch

Legalisation, apostille, certification, translation or handling fees relate to services already performed and are not automatically refundable because a courier subsequently delays, loses or damages a shipment.

No repeat service, replacement-document payment or refund will be provided unless required by law, accepted by the courier as part of its claim or expressly agreed by Ace Apostille in writing.

Nothing in this section restricts any remedy the customer is legally entitled to where loss or damage was caused by Ace Apostille’s breach of contract or failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

15. Claims Administration Fee

Where Ace Apostille successfully recovers compensation from a courier in circumstances where Ace Apostille is not legally responsible for the loss, a claims administration fee of £5.00 plus VAT will be deducted from the amount recovered.

The fee covers preparing the claim, communicating with the courier, providing evidence, monitoring the investigation and processing the payment.

No administration fee will be charged where:

  • The courier claim is unsuccessful
  • No compensation is recovered
  • The claim concerns a legal remedy arising from Ace Apostille’s own breach of contract or failure to exercise reasonable care and skill

16. Payment of Compensation

Compensation will only be issued after:

  • The courier has completed its investigation
  • The courier has approved the claim
  • Ace Apostille has received the funds
  • Any applicable administration fee has been deducted

Payment will normally be made to the original payment method or by another reasonably agreed method. Processing may take 10 to 20 working days after Ace Apostille receives the courier’s payment.

Accepting a courier compensation payment does not affect any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be restricted.

17. Customer-Arranged Couriers and Collections

Where the customer appoints their own courier or representative to collect documents from Ace Apostille, that courier or representative acts on the customer’s behalf.

Our responsibility for physical custody will end when the documents are handed to the customer’s nominated courier or authorised representative, except for loss or damage caused by Ace Apostille before or during that handover.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that their chosen provider offers suitable tracking, insurance and document cover.

18. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ace Apostille will not be liable for losses that:

  • Were not reasonably foreseeable when the contract was made
  • Result from incorrect information or instructions supplied by the customer
  • Result from the customer’s failure to monitor tracking or respond to the courier
  • Arise from safe-place, neighbour, redirection or collection-point instructions authorised by the recipient
  • Relate to the customer’s business, including loss of profit, revenue, opportunity or business interruption
  • Are caused solely by events outside Ace Apostille’s reasonable control and not by any failure on our part to exercise reasonable care and skill

Ace Apostille does not exclude or restrict liability where doing so would be unlawful. This includes liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or breach of statutory consumer rights.

19. Additional Courier Charges

The customer is responsible for additional charges imposed because of the shipment, delivery address, destination or recipient instructions, including:

  • Address-correction fees
  • Remote-area surcharges
  • Elevated-risk surcharges
  • Restricted-destination surcharges
  • Storage fees
  • Return-to-sender charges
  • Customs duties and taxes
  • Re-delivery charges
  • Environmental or emergency surcharges

Where possible, we will notify the customer before charging these amounts. However, some fees are applied by the courier after dispatch. Ace Apostille reserves the right to recover any properly incurred third-party charge from the customer.

20. Personal Data and Lost Documents

Documents may contain confidential or personal information. If a shipment containing personal data is confirmed lost, Ace Apostille will assess the incident and take any steps required under applicable data-protection law.

Customers must notify us promptly if a lost shipment contains particularly sensitive information or creates a specific risk of identity theft, fraud or harm.

Our handling of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy.