Royal Express Logistics: Comprehensive Terms & Conditions of Service

Effective Date: June 16, 2026

1. Scope of Agreement and Acceptance

By tendering your shipment to Royal Express Logistics (hereafter referred to as “the Carrier”), you (the “Shipper,” “Consignor,” or “Customer”) agree to all terms, conditions, and rate schedules outlined herein. No agent or employee of the Carrier is authorized to alter or waive these terms.

2. Returns Rights and Undeliverable Shipments

If a shipment cannot be delivered due to an incorrect address, recipient refusal, or failure to clear customs, the Carrier will notify the Shipper for instructions.

• Right of Return: The Shipper retains the right to order the return of the package. All return transport costs, duties, taxes, and administrative fees incurred during the return leg are the sole responsibility of the Shipper.

• Refusal by Shipper: If the Shipper refuses to pay return freight or abandons the package, the Carrier reserves the right to dispose of, destroy, or sell the contents at public or private auction to recover outstanding costs, without liability to the Shipper.

3. Refund Rights and Service Guarantees

The Carrier operates on a non-refundable basis for successfully executed transport and ancillary services.

• Service Failures: Refunds or service credits for transport fees are only granted if the Carrier fails to meet a guaranteed premium delivery service tier explicitly stipulated in writing at booking, except where delays are caused by forces outside the Carrier’s control (e.g., weather, customs clearance, or force majeure).

• Ancillary and Insurance Fees: Fees paid for premium handling, specialized routing, and insurance policies are fully earned upon dispatch and are strictly non-refundable, even if the shipment is delayed or returned.

4. Liability Limit & Insurance Policy Fee Structures

The Carrier’s standard liability for any lost or damaged package is strictly capped at $100 USD unless a premium insurance policy is declared and paid for at the time of booking.

Depending on the type of insurance policy selected, a package may incur supplementary processing, inspection, or handling fees. This tiered system outlines how insurance choices affect your final invoice:

Why do these extra fees occur? High-value, fragile, and temperature-sensitive items require specialized containment, dedicated tracking sensors, and manual oversight. For example, if a Temperature-Controlled package is delayed at a border crossing, the Carrier incurs physical costs to maintain cold-chain integrity (re-icing, power hookups), which are billed directly to the account holder under the policy parameters.

5. Storage, Temporary Reservation, and Safe-Keeping Rights

The Carrier acts as a bailee for hire during transit, but transit officially terminates once a delivery attempt is made or a package is held at a terminal for pickup.

• Carrier’s Safe-Keeping Right: The Carrier reserves the right to place any package into a temporary reservation or secure storage facility if delivery cannot be completed, or if the shipment is held pending customs clearance, regulatory inspection, or payment of outstanding fees.

• Daily Safe-Keeping Charges: Free storage is limited to 48 hours from the initial delivery attempt or arrival notification. Beginning on day 3, the customer accepts and will be billed a daily safe-keeping charge based on the physical size or insurance status of the package:

  • Standard Packages: $5.00 USD per day.

  • High-Value / Fragile Tiers: $20.00 USD per day (invoiced due to specialized vault security).

  • Temperature-Controlled Tiers: $45.00 USD per day (invoiced due to continuous power grid or cold-room usage).

6. General Warehouseman’s Lien

In accordance with standard transport and maritime laws, the Carrier has a General Lien on any and all cargo currently in its possession, custody, or control. This lien covers all unpaid freight charges, duties, taxes, returns fees, and accumulated daily safe-keeping/storage charges owed by the Shipper or Consignee. The Carrier may legally withhold delivery or release of any package until all outstanding balances on any of the customer’s accounts are paid in full.

7. Claims Process

All claims for loss, structural damage, or visible shortage must be filed in writing within 14 calendar days from the date of delivery (or scheduled delivery in the case of total loss).

• Claims must include the original shipping receipt, proof of declared value, and photographic evidence of external and internal packaging.

• Salvage must be held for the Carrier’s inspection until the claim is legally resolved.

8. 10 Additional Global Legal Provisions

I. Right to Inspect Cargo

The Carrier reserves the right, but is not obligated, to open and inspect any shipment tendered to it for transport at any time. This may be executed to verify the contents, ensure compliance with safety regulations, check structural integrity of packaging, or fulfill requests by customs or civil authorities.

II. Carrier’s Right of Routing and Substitution

The Carrier retains absolute operational discretion regarding the routing, means, and modes of transportation. The paths, transit hubs, and intermediate stopovers utilized may be altered without notice to the Shipper. The Carrier reserves the right to substitute alternative sub-contractors, air carriers, or surface transport fleets to fulfill delivery obligations.

III. Customs Clearance, Duties, and Power of Attorney

The Shipper appoints the Carrier as its lawful agent for the sole purpose of clearing cargo through customs authorities. The Shipper guarantees that all documentation, commercial invoices, and harmonized tariff codes provided are completely accurate.

• All duties, tariffs, customs penalties, or storage fees levied by state authorities are the joint and several liabilities of the Shipper and the Consignee.

• If the Carrier advances funds to clear customs on behalf of the customer, an administrative disbursement fee of 12% of the advanced amount will be added to the final invoice.

IV. Force Majeure and Liability Exclusions

The Carrier shall not be liable for any loss, damage, misdelivery, or delay caused by events outside its reasonable control. These events include, but are not limited to: acts of God, war, acts of public enemies, cyber-attacks on critical logistics infrastructure, global pandemics, strikes, local lockouts, structural failures of public transport networks, or the acts or omissions of customs officials.

V. Exclusion of Consequential and Indirect Damages

In no event shall the Carrier be liable for any consequential, special, incidental, or indirect damages, including but not limited to loss of business profit, revenue, market share, interest, utility, or commercial opportunity, regardless of whether the Carrier had knowledge that such damages might be incurred.

VI. Indemnification and Hold Harmless

The Shipper agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Carrier, its officers, employees, and regional agents from any and all liabilities, legal claims, financial fines, losses, or legal defense costs arising out of:

• The Shipper’s failure to comply with local, national, or international transit laws.

• Dangerous, defective, or hazardous packing of the cargo.

• Inaccurate or fraudulent cargo valuation declarations.

VII. Sanctions, Export Controls, and Anti-Bribery Compliance

The Shipper warrants and represents that neither they, nor the Consignee, nor the cargo itself are subject to trade sanctions or export restrictions enforced by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, or the host nation of operations. The Carrier reserves the right to immediately terminate transport and hand cargo over to federal authorities if an embargo or sanction violation is detected.

VIII. Fuel Surcharge and Rate Adjustments

All quoted transport rates are bound to market fluctuations. The Carrier reserves the right to assess a variable monthly Fuel Surcharge based on national retail diesel and jet fuel price indexes. Additionally, rates may be structurally adjusted without prior notice to reflect unexpected changes in regional road tolls, rail tariffs, or airport security fees.

IX. Time Limitation for Legal Action

Any legal proceedings against the Carrier regarding a shipment must be formally brought within one (1) year from the date the delivery was completed, or from the date the cargo should have reasonably arrived. Failure to initiate legal action within this timeframe acts as an absolute waiver and bars any future right to recovery.

X. Mandatory Arbitration and Class-Action Waiver

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to this shipping contract shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the jurisdiction housing the Carrier’s headquarters.

• Both parties agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted solely on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

9. Governing Law and Severability

This agreement shall be governed, interpreted, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Carrier’s corporate headquarters are registered. If any provision is found to be legally unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining clauses shall stand in full effect.