Article 1 - Application

1.1 As carrier-forwarding agent, GLS Belgium is entrusted by its customers, hereinafter also called shipper, with the regular transportation of parcels and documents in accordance with the General Terms and Conditions mentioned below as well as all special conditions expressly approved by both parties.

1.2 Baring contradictory imperative legal stipulations, these General Terms and Conditions apply to all activities performed by GLS Belgium, in particular, the dispatch, handling, transhipment, storage and all arrangements for the carriage of parcels within Belgium and internationally.

1.3 The current General Terms and Conditions, as well as the special conditions of GLS Belgium, are assumed to be accepted by the shippers, even when these are in conflict with their own general or special conditions.

All deviations from the current General Terms and Conditions must be agreed to in writing by the general manager or managing director of GLS Belgium. The carriers appointed by GLS Belgium or the GLS Belgium drivers are not authorised to act on behalf of GLS Belgium.

In the case that a special condition deviates from one of the stipulations in the current General Terms and Conditions, this does not exclude the application of the other stipulations.

1.4 The invalidity of a stipulation in the present Terms and Conditions cannot influence the validity of the other stipulations. All invalid stipulations will be replaced by a stipulation with similar commercial aims.

Article 2 - Acceptance of transportation - exclusions

2.1 The shipments entrusted to GLS Belgium, must:

2.1.1 be recognizable per parcel and regarding the length of each parcel, the sum of its three dimensions may be no larger than 3 metres (calculated as follows: twice the height, twice the width and once the length) and it should not exceed the unity weight of 40 kg;

2.1.2 not exceed a value of € 5,000 per parcel;

2.1.3 be supplied with a label, with the names and addresses of the shipper and the consignee clearly legible;

2.1.4 be packed in accordance with the commercial customs and the applicable rules, thus offering the transported goods sufficient protection for the conditions that commonly apply to retail shipments.

2.2 GLS Belgium is free to refuse every parcel that is not in accordance with the regulations mentioned in paragraph 2.1; all deviations permitted by GLS Belgium may not be seen in any way as waiving the strict application of these stipulations.

The following parcels will be refused for transportation: goods packed insufficiently and/or non-standard forms of packing, perishable or temperature-controlled goods, corpses, living animals, highly valuable goods (e.g. money, pre-paid cards for mobile phones, precious metals and stones, objects of art, valuable documents such as securities, firearms and essential weapon parts, hazardous goods of all kinds).

Counterfeit money is forbidden.

Personal goods, alcoholic goods or ATA booklets are also excluded from international transportation.

2.3 GLS Belgium cannot be held responsible for damage or loss to received parcels that are in violation of the above-mentioned exclusions, unless GLS Belgium explicitly agreed to the transportation of these goods beforehand in writing.

Article 3 - Scope of service

3.1 As carrier-forwarding agent, GLS Belgium has the obligation to provide the following transportation services that will be carried out by independent carriers:

3.1.1 Pick up and delivery of parcels and delivery to the offices of the consignees;

3.1.2 The delivery of parcels in Belgium within 24 hours after their receipt at the GLS Belgium depots (standard delivery time). The standard delivery time for the delivery of parcels outside Belgium varies from 24 to 96 hours. Compliance with the standard delivery time is neither assured nor guaranteed;

3.1.3 The delivery will be made to the normal address where the correspondence of the consignee is received or to the goods receiving department;

3.1.4 GLS Belgium will make two delivery attempts.

3.2 The delivery of parcels is confirmed by the signature of the consignee or by another person who depending on the circumstances could be considered or assumed to be authorised to receive the parcels. Persons in the offices of the consignee and all neighbours in particular are considered such persons.

3.3 The proof of delivery can only be offered free of charge within reasonable limits (5% of the average daily number of parcels offered by the shipper). GLS Belgium is free to charge reasonable costs for issuing a proof of delivery above these limits. Acceptance by the consignee (in the broadest sense) of the article concerned on the shipping list or an electronic receipt will be considered proof of delivery.

In some cases, GLS Belgium makes use of electronic methods for proof of delivery. The shipper hereby expressly declares to accept the validity of a numerical signature and a copy of this as proof of delivery.

3.4 Without prejudice to the stipulations mentioned in article 3.1.2, paragraph 2, GLS Belgium commits itself to deliver the parcels to the consignee within the periods mentioned in the commercial proposals. However, GLS Belgium may not be held responsible for the consequences resulting from the impossibility to deliver or refusal of receipt by the consignee. Saturdays, Sundays, national and local Bank Holidays are not included in the delivery period.

Article 4 - Sender’s obligations

4.1 Each parcel must bear and/or be accompanied by the duly completed documents filled out by the shipper and approved by GLS Belgium. The shipper shall be liable for the consequences of any errors in their completion.

4.2 The shipper must ensure that the parcels are properly packed.

Article 5 - Cash Service/COD

5.1 GLS Belgium provides COD service, which makes possible the delivery of parcels subject to payment in cash or cheque on delivery (subject to the stipulations of paragraph 5.5). The COD amount may not exceed the value of the individual parcel and is limited per individual parcel to a maximum of € 2,500 within the European Union, with GLS Belgium free to use other maximum amounts in other countries.

5.2 GLS Belgium shall only undertake COD consignments subject to a written request with clear and unambiguous instructions by the customer at least one working day prior to shipment, in accordance with the instructions of GLS Belgium as well as with all other special conditions mentioned in offers by GLS Belgium, including the costs of these shipments.

GLS Belgium may not be held liable for the non-execution or poor execution of this consignment when these instructions are missing.

The shipper accepts responsibility for the correct registration and packing of the COD shipments in accordance with the instructions given by GLS Belgium, to whom the benefit of the doubt will be given.

In case of several parcels being shipped, each parcel
must be declared separately as a COD parcel.

5.3 The COD amount must be entered on the appropriate designated GLS Belgium form. When the information with regard to the parcel is transmitted electronically, the COD amount mentioned is valid and takes higher priority over all others. When the COD amount is indicated in digits and in words, the digits are valid in the case of doubt. The indicated COD amount is considered to be the declaration of value.

The exchange rate used by GLS Belgium will apply to parcels delivered outside the European Union.

5.4 An additional fee will be charged for each COD parcel. Unless agreed upon otherwise, the additional fee will be that mentioned in the latest GLS Belgium proposal.

5.5 The shipper explicitly grants GLS Belgium permission to accept cheques and bills of exchange for COD payments. It explicitly discharges GLS Belgium of liability for any loss or inconvenience resulting from this mode of payment including cheques not covered by sufficient funds.

Article 6 - Prices and conditions

6.1 The nature of the services rendered by GLS Belgium assumes a previous offer in which the price per parcel or per additional service is set.

The offer accepted by the shipper binds both parties for a period established in the offer, subject to indexations / additional costs that GLS Belgium has given notice of in execution of the present contract conditions.

The delivery price never includes other services such as handling of goods or costs (e.g. taxes, customs), which must be paid separately by the shipper.

6.2 In addition to the normal transport price, the shipper will receive invoices based on the most recent applicable tariffs listed for COD, warehousing, reoriented parcels and the transport of goods that cannot be sorted automatically.

6.3 The shipper/customer agrees to reimburse the transport costs, costs and other expenses paid by GLS Belgium or owed by a foreign consignee if these are not paid on first request.

6.4 The rates included in the offers of GLS Belgium may only be seen in the framework of planned and already existing transport of goods.

Article 7 - Payments

7.1 Services performed by GLS Belgium are payable by bank transfer without discount.

Payments later than 15 days after the invoice date are subject to collection charges at the interest rates valid in the market.

7.2 Overdue payments are subject to a loan compensation of 15% with a € 25.00 minimum, as well as interest of 12% per year on the outstanding amounts, all this without prior notice of default and without prejudice to the collection costs established by the Act of 02.08.2002.

7.3 In the case of the customer not executing any of its obligations, including failure to respect the payment terms for any reason, GLS Belgium is free to stop its services and to demand immediate payment of all invoices, even those not yet overdue, as well as all other services rendered, without prior notification or legal proceedings, without prejudice to the compensation and interest due to GLS Belgium.

7.4 In any case, the shipper is not entitled to reduce amounts owed to GLS Belgium by damage claims or COD amounts.

Article 8 - Execution of the order

8.1 Unless stipulated in writing, GLS Belgium is free to choose the travel route, the manner of shipping and the means of transport.

Article 9 - Liability - deadline for disputes

9.1 No claim will be accepted if, upon receiving the goods, the consignee did not enter a qualification to GLS Belgium in the usual way, if it did not have the facts verified contradictorily by an authorized person and did not submit a complaint to GLS by registered letter within 3 days.

9.2 GLS is obliged to deploy all reasonable means, whatever may be the obligation of the agreement itself.

9.3 GLS Belgium is not liable for loss or damage to the parcels that are in its custody when this is not the result of its own fraud or fault or the fault of a party appointed by it. GLS Belgium is not liable for the acts of third parties.

GLS Belgium shall never be liable for damage caused by force majeur or other unforeseen events, in the broadest sense.

Article 10 - Guarantee - damage compensation

10.1 Only in the case that GLS Belgium’s liability can be appealed to in accordance with the General Terms and Conditions, specifically in the case of absolute necessity, flaws in the item itself, insufficient packing, fault on the part of the shipper or the consignee…, which work dischargingly, the compensation for which GLS Belgium can be held liable for the reimbursement of all damages resulting from loss, damage, flaw or looting for which it would be responsible, is generally appraised at € 18.00 per kilogram, limited to € 750.00 per parcel, within the limits of the actual value of the goods.

10.2 GLS Belgium shall not be liable for any immaterial damage, nor for consequential damage or loss (such as purely commercial loss, loss of sales or loss of profit, missed profit, replacement compensation, costs related to delayed clearance…).

10.3 Liability for any other loss or damage than that suffered by the goods themselves is limited per event to three times of the amount of the transport costs payable for the relevant consignment.

10.4 When GLS Belgium appeals to subcontractors, to insurance companies or other third parties, it only takes responsibility for the choices made and the delivery of the necessary and correct instructions.

10.5 GLS Belgium has a preferential property right on the parcels transported as a safeguard for all transport costs and additional transport-related costs during the whole period the parcels are in the custody of GLS Belgium and during the 24 hours following the delivery to the consignee or owner.

10.6 In case invoices are not paid, the shipper acknowledges that GLS Belgium has a lien on the parcels.

Article 11 - Insurances

11.1 The insurance agreements signed by the shipper can not be opposed to GLS Belgium.

11.2 The shipper is not entitled to request compensation from the subcontractors of GLS Belgium without the prior written consent of the latter.

Article 12 - Procedure for reimbursement in case of disputes

12.1 The reimbursement of damage claims that have been reported to GLS Belgium are subject to the procedure below.

12.2 At the request of GLS Belgium, the customer must submit, enclosed with the invoice in the name of GLS Belgium :

12.2.1 either a copy of the invoice, stating the original value of the goods that are the subject of the claim;

12.2.2 or a copy of the invoice that was sent to its own customer, stating the original value of the goods less its profit margin.

12.3 The customer has 20 days to submit one of these documents to GLS Belgium. After a first reminder by GLS Belgium and without response within the 10 following days, the claim file will automatically be closed.

All later claims concerning this damage will be dismissed.

Article 13 - Products which require special transport

13.1 Without prejudice to article 13.2, GLS Belgium is not authorized to arrange for the transport of hazardous goods, money and valuable documents, and in general goods for which transport is regulated and which require specific transport conditions on the road or in the air.

The shipper commits itself to taking the above-mentioned conditions into account and not to submit such goods to GLS Belgium.


If this is not the case, GLS Belgium cannot be held liable for any reason, e.g. loss, theft or damage to the transported goods, nor for damages caused in any way by the transported goods to anyone, e.g. in the case of explosions, fire or other causes.

13.2 If such parcels are handed over to GLS Belgium and are identified as such by the latter, GLS Belgium is entitled to return these products at any moment to the shipper by means of an authorized carrier, at the expense of and payable by the shipper, which is the only party that will be held liable for damages caused by such a product to GLS Belgium or third parties.

Article 14 - Legal jurisdiction

14.1 All disputes will be submitted to the exclusively competent court of the judicial district of Brussels, even in the case of a claim in safeguarding or in case of multiple defendants. However, GLS Belgium reserves the right to summon before the court of the city of the seat of defendant or one of them.

14.2 No manner of payment or execution will result in novation or deviation to current clauses in relation to the explicit and exclusive competence.