FAQs
Frequently asked questions and answers
Shipping
How long does parcel delivery take?
Delivery times vary depending on the product, the location of the sender and the destination country.
For delivery times of the Euro BusinessParcel please follow the link below. GLS delivers Monday to Friday during normal business hours.
What does GLS offer for international shipment?
GLS offers reliable European and worldwide parcel delivery to its customers, as well as worldwide express delivery.
More information can be found in the product descriptions in the section “
Ship with GLS ”.
How large may a parcel be?
A parcel may not exceed the following dimensions:
- Length: 200 cm
- Width: 80 cm
- Height: 60 cm
- Combined length and girth: 300 cm
How much may a parcel weigh?
The maximum weight is 35 kg. Exceptions apply to some pickup areas and a small number of countries for worldwide shipping.
Contact us for more information.
Which goods are excluded from delivery?
Guidelines and regulations of IATA as well as ADR prevent GLS from shipping, among others, the following products:
- dangerous goods
- firearms or parts of firearms
- live plants and animals
- fresh or perishable food
- currencies and valuable documents
- jewels
- works of art
- ATA carnet shipments
- alcohol and alcoholic products
Additional restrictions may apply to certain destination countries and areas. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure that the shipment complies with the laws and regulations of the destination country.
For further information please contact our customer service.
Can I track parcels in real time?
Real time delivery information is available in many countries thanks to mobile data transfer from vehicles. This way, senders and recipients can follow the delivery status of their consignments at any time using the international shipment tracking tool. Simply enter the shipment number on the GLS website.
What is the standard insurance sum of a parcel? Is an additional insurance possible?
GLS is liable for loss or damage of parcels in its custody up to a defined value defined in the General Terms and Conditions. Liability does not include consequential damages like loss of profit. You can find further information in the General Conditions of the Nordic Association of Freight Forwarders (NSAB 2000) applied by GLS Finland. On request, a higher insurance limit can be agreed. Simply contact GLS for more information.
I need information about GLS Finland based on the requirements set by the Finnish Contractor’s Liability Act. Where can I get this?
GLS Finland is part of the Luotettava Kumppani program. All information you need concerning the Finnish Contractor’s Liability act can be found on the program’s website (http://www.tilaajavastuu.fi/) free of charge (registration required). Currently, the service is only available in Finnish. If you need the information in English, please contact our customer service.
My question isn’t listed here. Where can I get more information?
The customer service team will be happy to help you. You can contact us by phone or email.
What does GLS do for the environment?
GLS is committed to the responsible use of resources, the reduction of emissions and the optimisation of waste disposal. All GLS subsidiaries have obtained the ISO 14001 certification for their environmental management systems. GLS coordinates and promotes all activities to protect the environment across the Group within the framework of the ThinkGreen initiative.
Receiving
When will my parcel arrive?
The delivery times vary depending on the product, the location of the sender and the destination. You can check the current status of your parcel at any time using the international shipment tracking tool.
How do I find out where my parcel is right now?
With the online shipment tracking function you can track your parcel at any time. Please note that parcels are handled in different distribution centres, so the dispatch route may not always seem direct to you. To see where your parcel is right now, simply enter the parcel number.
Track & Trace displays that my parcel has arrived in Denmark. Since then, there has not been any update. Why not?
Most parcel shipments to Finland first arrive at the GLS hub in Kolding, Denmark. The Finnish parcels then are transported directly to the GLS hub in Turku. Therefore, there are no additional scans before the parcels arrive to Finland.
The transport takes up to two business days depending on the time the parcel was handled in the GLS hub in Kolding. During this period, Track & Trace does not display any additional tracking event.
I am often not at home. How will I receive my parcel?
As many private recipients are not home during business hours, GLS Finland delivers the parcels of private recipients directly to a convenient pickup location and sends a notification by mail, e-mail or SMS to the recipient. If you have not selected the pickup location yourself, it is the closest Matkahuolto pick-up location based on the address and/or zipcode of the parcel, depending on the available details.
Track & Trace displays the parcel status “Delivered to GLS ParcelShop”. What does this mean?
This status means that your parcel has been delivered to a collection point. If you have not selected the pickup point yourself, it is the nearest Matkahuolto pickup point based on the address and/or zip code, depending on the available data. You will receive a notification with the parcelshop details viamail, e-mail or SMS.
The parcelshop can also be found on the Matkahuolto tracking with the “Finland parcel number” displayed in the tracking.
My parcel is damaged. What can I do?
If your parcel is externally damaged, you can refuse to accept it. GLS will then return the parcel to the depot and inform the sender. If the contents are damaged, please contact the sender. GLS cannot and must not check the contents of sent parcels.
My parcel hasn’t arrived. What should I do?
First of all check the status of your parcel using the international shipment tracking function of GLS. To do this, enter the shipment number the sender has given you – if not, ask the sender for the number. Secondly, look whether or not the delivery driver has left a notification card for you after the first delivery attempt. The notification card will tell you where your shipment is. Please also check your e-mails and SMS messages, as the notification may be sent to you electronically. If shipment tracking does not help you, get in touch by email or call our customer service. The shipment number helps us, so please have it ready.
I want to return my parcel. What do I do?
The return policies and practises vary depending on the sender. Please contact the sender of your parcel for more details. All returns through GLS have to be agreed with the sender before sending goods back.
If you are returning a parcel and paying for the return yourself, please see:
What happens if nobody is present at the delivery address?
If nobody can accept your parcel at the delivery address, the delivery driver will leave a notification card or contact you via phone if a phone number was provided with the parcel data. A redelivery attempt may also be made unannounced if e.g. a business is closed during the first attempt.
My question isn’t listed here. Where can I get more information?
The customer service team will be happy to help you. You can contact us by phone or email.