Sending a sealed peptide vial to intake: courier guide

Much of what can go wrong with a test happens before the vial reaches the partner laboratory. A cracked vial cannot be analysed, a parcel left in a hot vehicle can change what is inside, and a vial without a matching photo cannot be tied to the batch you bought.

What kinds of courier can reach intake?

Tested.ph does not recommend any particular company. Choose one you trust that will accept a small, sealed glass vial.

Whichever route you use, describe the contents truthfully if the courier asks: a small sealed vial of powder sent for analysis.

What should I do before packing?

1. Check the vial is sealed: cap and crimp in place, stopper not pierced.
2. Photograph the label and the batch code in good light, plus the box if the batch code is printed there. Keep the original photo files.
3. Write down where and when you bought it. You will be asked where it came from when you order; the vendor name stays private unless you choose a public record.
4. Keep the vial in the dark and away from heat until you pack it.

The photo is part of the evidence, not a formality. The WHO model certificate of analysis notes that a certificate may include photographs of the packaging or product tested, and that a certificate used in trade may state the shipping and storage conditions, deviation from which would invalidate it. Your label photo plays the same role for a buyer: it shows what was sent.

How should a sealed vial be packed?

1. Do not open, loosen or peel anything. Leave the cap, crimp and label exactly as they arrived.
2. Put the vial in a small sealable plastic bag so any breakage stays contained.
3. Wrap the bag in bubble wrap or soft padding until the vial cannot move when you shake it gently.
4. Pack it upright in a small rigid box, not a soft envelope. Fill empty space so nothing rattles.
5. Put a note inside with the order details you were given, so intake can match the parcel to your order without opening the vial bag.
6. Seal the box and mark it fragile. Keep the waybill, booking record or receipt until your record is published.

At intake the sealed vial is photographed, its label is covered and it is given a sample code, as described in how it works. The partner laboratory sees only that code. Your packing only has to get the vial there in one piece and still sealed.

Does heat during delivery matter?

It can. The stability guideline ICH Q1A(R2) explains that the quality of a substance varies with time under the influence of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and light. A parcel that sits in a parked vehicle or on a sunny loading bay is exposed to all three.

• Send early in the week, so the parcel is less likely to wait over a weekend at a hub.
• Hand it over close to the time of collection rather than leaving it outside.
• Pack it in an inner box away from the outer wall of a larger parcel.
• Do not add loose ice or wet cold packs that can leak onto the label. Follow any packing instructions given when you order.

A test describes the vial as it arrives at intake. If a vial spent days in heat on the way, a low result may reflect the journey as well as the product, one reason a single result is not a verdict on a seller. See what a peptide test can and cannot tell you.

What should I not send?

• Opened vials. Anything with a pierced stopper or removed cap cannot be tested.
• Needles, syringes or any sharps. They are a hazard to everyone who handles the parcel and are never needed.
• Liquids or mixed solutions. Send the vial only as sold, sealed and unaltered.
• Several vials loose together. If a group test or several orders apply, bag and label each vial separately with its own order details.
• Cash, cards or payment details. Payment is never sent in a parcel.
• Identity documents, prescriptions or personal papers. Intake needs your order details, nothing more.
• Anything you would not want photographed. Every vial is photographed at intake.

What about my name on the waybill?

Couriers need a sender name and contact number on the waybill, and that is between you and the courier. Tested.ph uses your details only to match the parcel to your order. Your name and contact details are never published on a record, and the partner laboratory never receives them. The privacy notice at /privacy sets out what is kept and for how long.

Can I drop the vial off in person?

Where an in-person drop-off point exists, it will be listed for that city with its hours once confirmed. Until then, that city's page stays out of search results. If you are in a group, one person can send a single vial for everyone through a group test, which also means only one parcel to pack.