Every fall we see a rush of electronics come through the door in Broomfield, Colorado. Laptops going to kids at CU Boulder, CSU, and out-of-state schools. Old phones headed to trade-in programs or buyers on eBay. Work laptops going back to an employer after a job change.

Electronics are also the item we see damaged most often, and almost always because of one of two mistakes: bad packing, or shipping an expensive laptop with the carrier’s bare-minimum coverage. Here’s how to avoid both.

Before it goes in the box

  • Back it up and sign out. Back up your files, sign out of your accounts, and if you’re selling it, do a factory reset. Turn off Find My or activation lock, or the buyer can’t use it.
  • Shut it all the way down. Not sleep mode. Off.
  • Pull the loose parts. SD cards, SIM cards, styluses, dongles. Ship the charger in the same box but not touching the device.
  • Photograph the serial number and condition. If you ever need to file a claim, this is what saves you.

Double-box it. This is the part that matters.

Carriers and insurers expect electronics to be double-boxed, and claims get denied when they’re not. Here’s the way we do it at AIM Mail Center in Broomfield:

  • Wrap the device in anti-static bubble wrap, bubbles facing in, at least two full layers. For a laptop, close the lid and put a piece of foam or cardboard on each side of the screen.
  • Put it in a snug inner box with about an inch of padding on all six sides. The original retail box is perfect if you still have it.
  • Put that box inside a bigger box with 2–3 inches of room on every side. Fill the gap with paper, foam, or air pillows.
  • Shake it. Nothing should move.
  • Tape the middle seam and both edges and mark it FRAGILE. The sticker helps a little. The packing is what actually protects it.

We keep anti-static bubble wrap, foam, and every box size in our packing supplies area. Or hand it to us and we’ll pack it ourselves. When we pack it, we stand behind it.

Which carrier to use

For most laptops and tablets going anywhere in the U.S., UPS Ground or FedEx Ground is the sweet spot. Good tracking, fair price, and both handle declared-value coverage well. USPS Priority Mail is often cheapest for phones and small tablets.

Since we ship with USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL from one counter, we pull up all four and pick the best one. On a laptop going out of state, the gap between carriers is often bigger than you’d expect.

About lithium batteries: a laptop or phone with the battery installed ships fine by ground with any major carrier. Spare or loose batteries have stricter rules and can’t go by air in the same box. Shipping overseas? Tell us up front. Some countries restrict lithium batteries, and DHL and FedEx need specific labeling that we’ll take care of.

Insure it for what it’s actually worth

This is the mistake we see the most. Every carrier includes only a small amount of coverage by default, nowhere near the value of a laptop. Ship a MacBook on default coverage and you’re carrying almost all of the risk yourself.

  • Declare the full replacement value at the counter.
  • Keep a receipt or a screenshot of the current price. That’s what a claim gets paid on.
  • Make sure it’s double-boxed. “Insufficient packaging” is the number one reason electronics claims get denied.

We’ll add the coverage when you ship and tell you exactly what it does and doesn’t cover.

Shipping a phone? Read this part.

  • Small rigid box, never a padded envelope. Phones in bubble mailers get bent in the sorting machines.
  • Trade-in programs usually send you a prepaid label and box. Bring the label to us. We’ll pack it right and scan it in so you have proof it shipped.
  • Signature confirmation is worth adding on anything valuable.

Sending it to a student?

Use the school’s official mailroom address, not the dorm. Then have them watch our tracking page so they grab it the day it lands.

Questions we hear a lot

Can I ship a laptop with the battery in it? Yes, by ground inside the U.S. Power it off completely.

How much does it cost to ship a laptop from Broomfield? It depends on distance, box size, and how much coverage you add. We’ll compare all four carriers and quote it while you wait.

Will you pack my laptop for me? Yes, and it’s the safest option. We double-box with anti-static materials and guarantee our packing.

Can you ship electronics internationally? Yes. DHL, FedEx, and UPS, and we’ll do the customs paperwork with you.

Visit Us in Broomfield, Colorado

Laptop to a dorm, phone to a buyer, monitor back to your employer, we’ll pack it, insure it, and ship it right. We’re AIM Mail Center, 2205 W 136th Ave Ste 106, Broomfield, CO 80023, at the corner of 136th Ave and Zuni in Broomfield, right by Legacy High School. Quick drive from Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Erie, Anthem, and the Broadlands.

Open Monday–Friday 8am–6pm, Saturday 9am–5pm. Call (303) 280-6245 or just come in.