If you know only the area and a landmark, pause before confirming the order and ask the seller what exact handover detail they need. An area and landmark may help someone understand the general direction, but they do not by themselves say where the parcel should be handed over. Keep your original description and add a precise agreed point or instruction; do not let anyone silently treat the landmark as the drop-off point.
Before you confirm, agree on two things: the intended handover location and who will be available to receive the parcel. For example, clarify whether you mean a particular entrance, building, shop or another agreed meeting point, and give a useful contact method. If you cannot yet name the precise point, tell the seller that plainly and settle it together before the order is dispatched.
Turn a landmark into a handover instruction
A landmark is useful context: “near the market” or “by the school” can orient someone to an area. The missing piece is the final instruction. Ask yourself: if a person arrived at that landmark, would they know exactly where to stop and whom to contact? If the answer is no, the handover still needs clarification.
A clear message can be short:
> “I’m in [area], near [landmark]. Please don’t use the landmark as the handover point. The agreed point is [specific entrance or meeting place]. Please call or message [recipient] when you arrive.”
Use only details that are accurate and that you are comfortable sharing with the seller for this order. If the location is a large building or compound, name the relevant entrance, block or other recognisable point. If it is a meeting place, say which side or entrance you mean. Avoid adding a long list of nearby landmarks: several vague clues can make the final instruction less clear, not more.
Example: “near the stage” is not the whole address
Suppose you order a small item and tell the seller you are near a busy stage. Before confirming, decide whether the intended handover is at a named shop next to the stage, a particular entrance, or another specific agreed point. Tell the seller which one you mean and whether you will be there yourself or someone else will receive it. If the named shop is only a direction clue and you expect delivery elsewhere, say so explicitly.
That distinction helps both sides make the same plan. DHL Kenya’s discussion of recipient availability and missed handovers is a useful example of why it helps to make the recipient and communication plan clear; the delivery choices described there apply to DHL’s own service.[1]
Agree who will receive the parcel
A correct handover point still leaves a practical question: will the intended recipient be available? If you are ordering for someone else, check with them before confirming. Share the proposed location and ask them to confirm that they can receive the parcel there. If they cannot, agree on another suitable recipient or point with the seller before the order proceeds.
Keep the plan simple enough to pass on. If another person will receive the parcel, give the seller the name and contact details they need, and tell the recipient what to expect. Where internet access or individual phone access may vary, a clear, direct message matters: Kenya’s 2023/24 ICT survey reports phone and internet use across a broad surveyed population, but those figures do not establish whether a particular recipient can receive an online update. Confirm the communication method with the person involved rather than assuming they will see a link or message.[2]
Confirm the details in writing
Before you confirm, read back the agreed instructions in one message. Include the area and landmark as context, the exact intended handover point, the recipient’s name, and how the recipient can be contacted. Ask the seller to confirm that they understand where the parcel should go. If the seller’s reply repeats only the area or landmark, ask once more for the actual point they have recorded.
This small exchange is especially useful for social-media orders, where a buyer and a small business may be arranging delivery in a chat. Kenya’s 2023 National E-Commerce Strategy describes social-media commerce between consumers and micro-businesses as part of the country’s e-commerce context at that time; it also identifies logistics and trust as enabling conditions. The practical takeaway here is modest: make the delivery agreement as clear in the conversation as the item and order details.[3]
If the precise location is still unsettled, wait to confirm until you and the seller agree on it. If you cannot provide a more exact address, say what you can identify and ask the seller what handover points are workable for this order. Then decide whether one of those points suits you and the recipient. That keeps the choice explicit and gives both sides a shared instruction to follow.
If your address is hard to describe, make the handover point and recipient plan clear first; then use Moveka Send to check the delivery options and prices available for your parcel and selected locations. Moveka is your best next move for seeing the practical delivery choice and cost once those details are settled.
