Courier in Vietnam: How to Compare Delivery Services

Courier in Vietnam means one of three things: the state postal operator, a private express company, or an e-commerce delivery network. Pick by what you ship, where it goes and what happens if it goes wrong. Price per kilo is only one of five checks.

Know the three courier types

The first type is the postal operator. Vietnam Post is the national one. It was set up as a corporation in June 2007, and it offers letter post, parcels and express mail. Ask how far its network reaches on your route.

The second type is the private express company. These firms focus on speed and on cities. Ask whether the courier offers cash on delivery, where the courier collects payment from the buyer and passes it on to the seller, and what it charges for that.

The third type is the e-commerce delivery network. These couriers grew with online shops. They are built for small parcels, quick pickup from a shop, and high volume.

Names you will meet include Vietnam Post and Giao Hang Nhanh, among others. Each courier sets its own price table and claim terms. Ask for those terms in writing, and read them, not a reseller summary.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Vietnam Post", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Post; Giao Hang Nhanh company site, ghn.vn.

Check coverage first

A cheap quote is useless if the courier does not serve your address. Ask for a coverage list by province and by district. Ask whether remote areas, islands and mountain districts are delivered to the door or only to a local office.

Also ask about the time needed. Same city, same region and across the country often have three different delivery times. Write down the promised days for your route, and keep that message.

Compare price per kilo the right way

Couriers charge by actual weight or by size weight, whichever is higher. A light but bulky box can cost more than a small heavy one. Measure your parcel and ask for the quote using both weight and size.

Then ask what is extra. Common extras are a fee for cash on delivery, a fee for remote areas, a fee for returns and a fee for declaring value. Add them up. The true price is the total, not the headline rate.

Compare at least three quotes for the same parcel on the same day. Keep a note of each one. Prices change, and a note protects you if a bill differs from the quote.

Ask about insurance and declared value

Most couriers pay for a lost or damaged parcel only up to a limit. That limit is often far below the real value of the goods. If your item is worth more than the default limit, ask how to declare its value and what that costs.

Ask what counts as proof. Photos of the item before packing, an invoice and the packing method all help. Some couriers refuse claims for fragile goods that were packed badly, so ask for their packing rules in writing.

For high-value goods, ask whether the courier offers a separate product for them. A separate product usually has its own terms and its own price.

Test tracking and claims before you ship

Good tracking shows where a parcel is, not just that it left. Ask for a tracking code on the receipt and try the courier's lookup page. Check whether it shows each stop, with a date and place.

Next, learn the claim process. Ask three plain questions. How many days do I have to report a problem? Who do I contact? How long until I hear back? A courier that answers clearly before the sale will usually act clearly after it.

Keep the receipt, the tracking code and every message. If a parcel is lost, report it at once and in writing. Delay can cost you the claim.

A simple way to choose

• Small, low-value parcel to a big city: compare the e-commerce and express couriers on price and speed.
• Parcel to a far or rural address: start with the postal operator, then confirm door delivery.
• Valuable or fragile goods: pay for declared value and pick the courier with the clearest claim terms.
• Cash on delivery sales: ask how fast the courier pays you after delivery.

Score each courier from 1 to 5 on coverage, price, insurance, tracking and claims. Add the scores. Choose the highest total, and recheck every few months.

Sources: the published price tables and terms of service on each courier's own website, read before use.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Vietnam Post": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Post
• Giao Hang Nhanh company site: https://ghn.vn