Abgesehen davon, dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist, steigen Versandkosten.

Abgesehen davon, dass is a set phrase meaning apart from the fact that, aside from the fact that, or leaving aside that.

It is built from:

• abgesehen von = apart from / aside from
• davon = from that / of that
• dass = that

In practice, learners usually treat abgesehen davon, dass as one fixed expression that introduces a comment or exception before the main clause.

Because dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist is a subordinate clause, and German normally separates subordinate clauses with commas.

So the structure is:

• Abgesehen davon, dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist,
• steigen Versandkosten.

The first comma introduces the dass-clause, and the second comma closes it before the main clause begins.

Because dass introduces a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses the finite verb usually goes to the end.

So:

• die Originalverpackung = the original packaging
• beschädigt = damaged
• ist = is

This gives:

• dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist

That is a very common German pattern:

• Ich weiß, dass er kommt.
• Sie sagt, dass das teuer ist.

English speakers often expect the verb earlier, but German pushes it to the end in this kind of clause.

Because German main clauses follow the verb-second rule.

Here, the entire opening phrase

Abgesehen davon, dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist

counts as the first element of the sentence. That means the finite verb of the main clause must come immediately after it, in second position:

• Abgesehen davon, dass ..., steigen Versandkosten.

So the subject Versandkosten comes after the verb.

If the sentence started directly with the subject, then you could say:

• Versandkosten steigen.

But once the introductory clause is placed first, the verb must come next.

German often leaves out the article with plural nouns when speaking in a general or indefinite way.

So:

• Versandkosten steigen = shipping costs are increasing / shipping costs increase

This is grammatical. However, in many contexts, especially in everyday usage, die Versandkosten steigen may sound more natural if you mean specific shipping costs already known from context.

So both can work, but the version without the article is more general or headline-like.

It is plural.

You can tell because the verb is steigen, which is the plural form here.

• singular: die Versandkosten does not exist as singular
• plural: die Versandkosten = shipping costs

German often uses Kosten in the plural when talking about costs or charges. A more singular-style alternative would be something like das Porto in some contexts, but that is not exactly the same in every situation.

Originalverpackung is a compound noun:

• Original = original
• Verpackung = packaging

German very often combines nouns into one word. So instead of writing something like original packaging as two words, German usually makes one compound noun:

• die Originalverpackung

This is extremely common in German:

• Versandkosten
• Hausnummer
• Sommerurlaub
• Kreditkarte

The grammatical gender comes from the final part of the compound. Since die Verpackung is feminine, die Originalverpackung is also feminine.

Because beschädigt here is being used as part of the predicate after ist:

• Die Originalverpackung ist beschädigt.
• The original packaging is damaged.

In this use, the adjective does not take adjective endings.

Compare:

• die beschädigte Originalverpackung = the damaged original packaging
  Here the adjective is directly before the noun, so it gets an ending: beschädigte

But after sein, it stays in the basic form:

• Die Originalverpackung ist beschädigt.

Yes, it is fairly common, especially in more formal or written German.

It is useful when you want to say apart from the fact that... and then add the main point.

It can sound a bit more formal than simpler alternatives such as:

• Außerdem ... = besides / additionally
• Davon abgesehen ... = aside from that
• Unabhängig davon, dass ... = regardless of the fact that ...

So a learner should recognize it as a normal and useful expression, especially in written German.

Yes. That would also be grammatical:

• Abgesehen davon, dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist, steigen die Versandkosten.

Adding die makes Versandkosten more specific. Without die, the wording can sound a bit more general, neutral, or compressed.

Both versions are possible, and the better choice depends on context and style.

A helpful breakdown is:

1. Abgesehen davon = apart from that
2. dass die Originalverpackung beschädigt ist = that the original packaging is damaged
3. steigen Versandkosten = shipping costs are increasing

So the pattern is:

• introductory expression
• dass subordinate clause
• main clause with verb-second order

This makes the sentence a good example of two important German ideas at once:

• verb-final in subordinate clauses
• verb-second in main clauses