Insights to Help Your Business

How to Protect Perishable Shipments: Real-World Scenarios and Smarter Coverage

Shipping perishables isn’t just about logistics. It’s about trust.

Whether you're shipping handcrafted chocolate, meal kits, a rare bottle of wine, or life-saving clinical samples, one thing is certain: if it doesn’t arrive fresh, you risk more than a refund, you risk your reputation.

And yet, many merchants still rely on carrier liability, which excludes perishables altogether. Even most shipping insurance providers won’t cover spoilage, corkage, or temperature-related damage.

Below, explore four real-world perishable shipping failures and how InsureShield® Shipping Insurance helped merchants protect their product, customer experience, and bottom line.

What Sets Us Apart

 
InsureShield
 
Carrier Liability
 
Route

 

Shipsurance

InsureShield® Complete 
Wine shipment delayed, cork pushed

Covered – Includes corkage due to heat

Not Covered – Delay/spoilage excluded

Not Covered – Damage due to delay

Excluded
Frozen food thawed during 3-day delay

Covered – Spoilage from transit delays

Not Covered - Temperature/spoilage not included

At Discretion – Only if item is unsellable

Not Covered
Same-day order failed to deliver in 90°F heat

Covered – Includes reshipping or payout

Not covered – Heat/delay not included

Not Covered – No coverage for delays

Not Covered
Flowers wilted due to late delivery

Covered – Includes damage from temperature/delay

Not covered – Flowers typically excluded from liability

At Discretion – Flowers may be unsellable

Not Covered

What Happens When You Rely on Carrier Liability?

Let’s be blunt: Carrier liability is not insurance. It’s limited, slow, and typically caps at $100 per shipment, if it pays at all.

  • Spoilage? Not covered.
  • Delays? Not covered.
  • Flowers or food? Not covered.
  • Frozen or refrigerated goods? Definitely not covered.

InsureShield Coverage fills the gap and adds speed, flexibility and branding that keeps your customer experience intact.

Before You Ship Another Box, Ask Yourself:

  • Can you afford to replace spoiled shipments out-of-pocket?
  • Are you risking damage to your brand when deliveries go wrong?
  • Do you want to ensure refunds and reshipping are fast and seamless?

If the answer to any is no, it’s time to consider smarter protection.

InsureShield isn’t a one size fits all, it’s custom built. We’ll work with you to tailor your coverage by product, shipping mode, risk and more.