MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
Inside our operation

What happens after we collect your luggage?

A transparent walk-through, from your door to the aircraft — through our own warehouse.

Most luggage shipping companies are booking websites — they arrange a courier and you never see what happens next. We’re different: your belongings come into our own warehouse near Heathrow, and here’s exactly what happens to them once we’ve collected from your door.

1. Into our warehouse near Heathrow

Your shipment is brought to our own premises, about two miles from Heathrow. This is a genuine difference from the online brands — there’s a physical place, with our staff, where your belongings are handled rather than passed straight into a courier network you can’t see.

2. Received and checked against your inventory

We check what’s arrived against the details you gave us — the number of items and the valued inventory. This is where any query gets caught early (a prohibited item, a battery that can’t fly, a discrepancy) rather than at customs later.

3. Wrapped and protected
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Machine-wrapped Bags and boxes are wrapped on our own wrapping machines — protecting them and making them tamper-evident for the journey.
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Crated when needed Fragile or awkward items can be crated in timber cases we build in-house, so they travel safely as freight.
4. Documented for export

We prepare your UK export documentation and the shipping paperwork — the air waybill for air freight, or the bill of lading and consolidation paperwork for sea. This is what makes your shipment accountable to the carrier and to customs.

5. UK export customs

Your shipment is entered for UK export. We handle this — it’s part of what we do, and it’s why owner-packed personal effects need proper documentation (more on why that matters).

6. Onto the aircraft, or into a container

For air freight, your shipment goes to Heathrow cargo and onto a flight — a matter of days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. For sea, it’s consolidated into a container with other shipments and sails when the container is full and the vessel departs — which is why sea takes weeks and why the timing is approximate (see what really causes delays).

7. Arrival, customs and delivery

At the destination, your shipment clears import customs (the importer’s responsibility, which we guide you through) and is then delivered to your address or held for airport collection, depending on the destination. We tell you which applies before you book.

None of this is a black box. If you want to know where your shipment is at any stage, you call us and a real person tells you.

Get a quote Call 0800 096 38 39

Common questions
Do you really handle my luggage yourselves? +
Yes — it comes into our own warehouse near Heathrow where our staff check, wrap, crate and document it. We’re not a booking-only service.
Can I see or track progress? +
We keep you updated at the key stages and you can call for an update at any time; for air freight you’ll have your air waybill reference.
What if something can’t be shipped? +
We catch it at the check stage and tell you — far better than it being stopped at customs or security later.
Related

Why documentation matters  ·  What causes delays  ·  Is Excess Luggage a real company?