Inbound Shipments to an IBX

Note: To open an Inbound Shipment order in the Customer Portal, you need the permission for Ordering > Shipments. To see your current permissions, refer to View Your Shipment Permissions.

• Create an Inbound Shipment order in the Customer Portal. (From the Orders and Tickets menu, choose Inbound Shipments.) In your order, provide the following information to Equinix:

  • Carrier name (or Customer Carry)

  • Shipment tracking number (you can enter up to 10 tracking numbers, separated by commas)

  • Expected date of arrival at the IBX

  • Company name of the party receiving the shipment

  • Shipment description (size, weight, number of boxes / number of pallets)

  • Special handling instructions (for example, identify any oversized items, such as a cabinet or large crate)

  • Cage number

  • Correct address label

  Tip: You can use the option to add related services to your Inbound Shipment order. For example, if you're shipping equipment to the IBX and you want an IBX technician to install it in your colocation space, add the Install Equipment service to your Inbound Shipment order.

• A shipment must be moved from the shipping/receiving area to your space within five days of delivery to the IBX. On your Inbound Shipment order, specify one of the following options:

  • Equinix delivers your package(s) to your cage or suite and unpacks boxes – indicates you want Equinix to move the shipment to your space and unpack it (for an additional fee).

  • Customer picks up package(s) from IBX shipping/receiving area – indicates you will move the shipment to your space within 5 days of arrival.

• If you select Dispose remaining packages/cardboard boxes, IBX staff will dispose of small amounts of packing materials for you. However, disposal of large amounts of waste is a billable service.

• If you select Equinix to Scan and Send Shipment Manifest/Bill of Materials, the manifest/BOM is scanned and sent to you electronically when the shipment is received.

  Important: By choosing this option, if the manifest/BOM is not on the outside of the package, you authorize Equinix to open the shipment to access it.

• If your inbound shipment is part of a Return Material Authorization (RMA) activity and requires reuse of the box it arrives in, include that information in the notes of the Inbound Shipment order. This ensures that your box is saved and reused during the associated Outbound Shipment. The IBX will hold boxes for this purpose for up to 5 business days before disposal. For more details, see Return Material Authorizations (RMA).

• To assist the IBX, label the package with:

  • “c/o Equinix”

  • Your company name

  • Your cage number

  • Your Shipment order number from the Customer Portal

• Notify the carrier that all packages should be delivered to the IBX loading dock area. Equinix IBX personnel are not permitted to load shipments to or from a delivery vehicle. The carrier must move shipments between their vehicle and the loading dock. To avoid shipment delays, be sure to communicate this requirement to your carrier.

• Do not have equipment delivered to an IBX prior to your service start date. Equinix will refuse shipments related to uninstalled customers.

• If a shipment arrives without a Shipment order, you must submit an order within five (5) days of its arrival at the IBX.

• Large unannounced shipments (i.e., shipments without an Inbound Shipment order) will be rejected if they don't meet all the following conditions:

  • The shipment is defined as a single air bill.

  • The shipment includes no more than 5 packages.

  • The shipment weight does not exceed 60 pounds or 27.2 kilograms.

  • The shipment can be hand-carried by one person without the use of heavy material-handling equipment (such as a pallet jack).

  • The shipped-from address is displayed.

  Important: Open an Inbound Shipment order and wait for approval before shipping these types of large shipments.

  Note: For more details, see Unannounced Shipments to an IBX.

• Shipments can be rejected for any of the following conditions:

  • Shipment does not display a “shipped from” address.

  • Shipments sent as Cash On Delivery (COD) or Bill-to-Recipient. Do not use the IBX address as the billing address for your shipment.

  • Unidentified packages.

  • Shipments containing hazardous materials.

  • Customer does not have space at the IBX.

• An Inbound Shipment order will remain active until the number of packages specified in the order has been received, OR for a period of 14 days from the expected delivery date (whichever occurs first).

• Expired Inbound Shipment orders are cancelled or closed, and an email notification is sent to the original requester of the order.

• Visibly damaged shipments are accepted. IBX staff will photograph the damaged shipment, and Service Desk staff will notify your shipping contact of the damage.

• Equinix is not liable for any missing equipment or damage that may occur during packaging and shipping. Photos can be provided upon request.

• USPS standard mail is delivered ONLY to Flex Space users.

• USPS package deliveries are accepted at IBX data centers with a valid Inbound Shipment order that includes a tracking number, and a shipping label that includes: “Deliver to Loading Dock”. When all details are complete, the shipment is delivered to the loading dock.

• For hand-carried items that cannot fit through the front door and mantrap, open an Inbound Shipment order to bring the items in through the loading dock.

After your Inbound Shipment order is submitted, you can check the status at any time by viewing the order's Activity Timeline. To view the Activity Timeline, simply select your order from the Orders and Tickets History screen.

Order Processing

When your shipment arrives at the loading dock, a Shipment Received message is added to the Activity Timeline. Your order then remains open with a status of In Progress until the shipment is moved out of the loading dock.

Important: If you specified that you’ll pick up your packages from the shipping/receiving area, the Activity Timeline instructs you to move your shipment from the loading dock within 5 days. (Or, to have the shipment delivered to your cage, you can submit a Move Equipment order in Smart Hands. In this case, a Pending Smart Hands message is added to the Activity Timeline.)

Once the shipment has been moved, the status of your order changes to Completed.

Inbound Shipments Containing Multiple Packages

As your packages arrive at the IBX, the Activity Timeline is updated to show the number of packages received so far (green=received, red=not received yet):

Once all parts of the shipment have been received, the colored dial is solid green.

• When your shipment arrives at the IBX, you'll receive an automated notification via email.

• Unless you selected the option for Equinix delivers your package to your cage or suite and unpacks boxes on your Shipment order, you're responsible for moving your shipment from the shipping/receiving area to your cage. Flatbed carts and flat wooden dollies are available on-site to move your equipment.

• Unpack your equipment in the deboxing room (or other designated unpacking area). Up to two empty boxes can be left in the unpacking area for removal by Equinix.

• Do not take boxes, paper, or cardboard into your colocation space. Paper and other combustible materials cannot be stored in the colocation area. Leave these materials within the designated unpacking area or place them in waste receptacles. For details about our Flammable Material policy, refer to section D.2 of our Global IBX Policies.

• For help with the disposal of large amounts of cardboard, other packing materials, or pallets, submit a Smart Hands order for Cage Cleanup. For more information, see IBX Cleaning and Waste Removal Services.

• Do not leave items unattended at loading docks or areas outside the IBX data center. Equinix reserves the right to remove unattended items.

• At a non-24/7 IBX, after-hours usage of loading docks/freight elevators is billed to your account as an extra fee.

• Equinix will store your delivered shipment for a maximum of five (5) days after arrival. If you have not moved your shipment after the fifth business day (and have not arranged for Equinix to move it), it will be considered an aging shipment. See Aging Shipments and Abandoned Equipment below.

To see your current permissions in the Customer Portal:

1. Click your user name (at the upper-right corner of the portal screen) and select User Settings:

   

2. Click the Permissions tab.

3. Verify that the Ordering tile says "Permissions Granted".

4. Click the Ordering tile.

   The Shipments column shows your permissions for each IBX:

Icon	Meaning
	You have permission to order shipments.
	You don't have permission to order shipments.

If you don't have the permissions you need, contact your company's portal administrator, or refer to Permissions.

Aging Shipment Policy

When your shipment arrives at the IBX, Equinix will store it in the secured storage area of the warehouse for up to five business days, awaiting pickup. You can retrieve your shipment, or you can have it delivered to your cage via Smart Hands.

A shipment held in an Equinix warehouse longer than five business days becomes an aging shipment. You will be notified that the shipment must be picked up within the following five days (ten days total), or else it will incur a Smart Hands fee for delivery to your space.

A final notification will be sent ten days after the shipment’s arrival. The shipment will be unpacked and delivered to your cage under the associated Inbound Shipment order, and a delivery fee will be billed to you.

For undeliverable shipments, due to space issues, cage restrictions, etc., the shipment will be considered abandoned equipment.

Abandoned Equipment Policy

This policy applies to any property intentionally left behind or not retrieved from the shipping/receiving area within 10 days of delivery. Abandoned property remains on-site for 40 days, after which time the property will be liquidated. If you want to retrieve the property during this time, you must submit a billable Smart Hands order.