How We Pack Cameras and What to Do If Yours Arrives Damaged

A camera that costs €1,500 shouldn’t arrive at your door in a box with crumpled paper. Here we explain the exact packing protocol we use at Camera Market and what to do if — despite everything — you receive a camera with a dent.

The Warehouse Packing Protocol

Every order goes through five layers of protection before leaving the warehouse:

1. Body cap and mount cap on. If the camera came with those caps in the original lot, we put them on. If not, we use new generic ones.
2. Anti-static bag sealed around the camera body and each lens separately. This prevents static damage during transport.
3. 2 cm polyethylene foam wrapping the camera — the same material manufacturers use for their original boxes. If we have the original box (Grade A), it goes inside that.
4. Inner corrugated cardboard box sized to the camera + 4 cm margin on each side.
5. Outer box larger, with filler foam between the two boxes. This absorbs impacts to the maximum.

For orders with multiple lenses, each optic is packed as steps 1-4 individually before going into the outer box together.

Impact Indicators

Since 2024, all Camera Market boxes carry a ShockWatch impact indicator sticker (the one with the glass ball and red liquid). If the sticker has been activated upon arrival — it means the box suffered an impact greater than 50G during transport.

This does not affect your warranty: the claim goes against the courier company with shipping insurance. You assume no cost.

What to Do If the Camera Arrives Damaged

Case 1: The outer box is broken or the ShockWatch sticker is active

Immediate photo before opening anything:

• Photo of the box condition (showing breakage or active sticker)
• Photo of the shipping receipt

Do not open the box yet. Call or WhatsApp support (number in the footer of cameramarket.es). We’ll tell you whether to:

• Open and verify — in most cases, the camera is fine thanks to the double packaging.
• Refuse delivery — the courier returns it and we handle the direct claim.

Case 2: The box is intact but the camera has a new dent

Full condition photos:

• Photo of the camera clearly showing the damage
• Photo of the inner box opened (showing the packaging was properly placed)
• Photo of the outer box on all 6 sides

Send the photos by email to support within the first 24 hours of delivery. This is important due to the shipping insurance claim deadline.

We handle the claim against the transport company. Your immediate options:

• Full refund: we refund you without waiting for the courier to pay. We take on the fight with the courier.
• Replacement with an equivalent unit: if we have another unit of the same model in stock, we send it to you at no cost.
• Covered repair: if the damage is repairable and you prefer to keep the unit, we cover the repair.

Case 3: The camera works but I notice a defect not declared in the listing

This falls under the 12-month warranty, not a transport claim. Read our warranty article — the process is different and the deadlines are longer (you don’t need to report within 24h).

Why We Cover the Transport Risk Ourselves

A €1,500 camera shouldn’t turn into a fight between the customer and the courier if it arrives damaged. The uncomfortable truth is that shipping insurance claims take 2-6 weeks to resolve and the customer is left in the middle without a camera and without money.

That’s why we decided to take on the temporary loss ourselves: we refund you before the courier pays us. Then we handle the claim in our name. That solves your problem in days instead of months.

Packaging Cost and Weight

For photographers who want to resell, here’s a useful fact: the complete packaging adds ~400-600 g to the gross weight of the order and ~30-50 € in material costs for a large order. It’s not trivial, but the difference between the transport damage rate (0.3% at Camera Market) and that of soft boxes (3-5% typical in P2P) more than makes up for it.

Common Question: Can I Ask for Shipping Without the Original Box?

Yes. If you request “reduced shipping” (no original manufacturer box, everything in our own box), we deduct €5 from the final price. We maintain all the packaging protection because the camera’s integrity is what matters.

Read also: how the 12-month warranty works → Or the reviews from those who already bought →