I'm feeling guilty. Your thoughts please ...
UncleJoe
Posts: 2,536 ✭✭✭
I recently put several early non-key circulated washingtons up for auction as an experiment.
I charge $1.65 for shipping and handling (all coins are shipped in a bubble mailer regardless of price) with optional insurance for $1.30.
Three of the auctions closed at $1.99, $2.25 and $2.99. When I received payment the buyers included $1.30 for insurance.
I just could not see going to the post office to insure the above dollar amounts (I walk about fifty feet out my front door to my multi-billion dollar delivery system (the outgoing mail slot in the mailbox kiosk)).
I included $1.30 in cash
with the coins and sent the bubble mailers on their way (though the Ike dollar and six nickels required me to add more postage
).
Now I am having second thoughts. My first thought was that the buyer is not harmed and can only gain. ie. He/she doesn't receive the coin, I send them a full refund or they receive the coin and an extra $1.30.
But my second thought is that I did not do what the buyer requested.
Your thoughts please.
Joe.
I charge $1.65 for shipping and handling (all coins are shipped in a bubble mailer regardless of price) with optional insurance for $1.30.
Three of the auctions closed at $1.99, $2.25 and $2.99. When I received payment the buyers included $1.30 for insurance.
I just could not see going to the post office to insure the above dollar amounts (I walk about fifty feet out my front door to my multi-billion dollar delivery system (the outgoing mail slot in the mailbox kiosk)).
I included $1.30 in cash
with the coins and sent the bubble mailers on their way (though the Ike dollar and six nickels required me to add more postage ).Now I am having second thoughts. My first thought was that the buyer is not harmed and can only gain. ie. He/she doesn't receive the coin, I send them a full refund or they receive the coin and an extra $1.30.
But my second thought is that I did not do what the buyer requested.
Your thoughts please.
Joe.
0
Comments
I would have insured them as requested and sent them on. In this case, if they get to their respective owners without a hitch, and they open the envelopes they will be pleasantly surprised. But, I always do what the customer asks.
Cheers,
Bob
Actually, I had a similar situation a while back. One of my buyers responded to my post auction email wanting to know how much extra to add for insurance. This was on a $4 item. I emailed them back that there was no need for them to waste their money, if it got lost in the mail, I would send them another one at no charge.
In your case, maybe an email to them when you received the extra payment would have been better, but I don't see anything wrong with what you did. I'm sure the buyer will appreciate the money you saved them when they get their coins.
I have to agree with the buyer's desire for some assurance in receiving the coin to satisfy one's
own thirst as a numismatic hobbyist. This outweighs spending another $1.30. From experience,
I would rather lose the $1.30 over a coin I wanted, in the mail.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
Bill
Sleep well tonight for the 82nd Airborne Division is on point for the nation.
AIRBORNE!
The only difference is that the package has a little oval insured stamp on it. The buyer can still claim he didn't receive it and there would be no way to prove it one way or the other.
Of course, if it was insured then the Post Office would have to pony up the cost of the goods, but frankly if I did insure the items I doubt I would go through the time and effort required to get the funds back from the Post Office, I would just send the refund out of my own pocket.
Insurance for items of such little value is not worth the cost or effort IMHO.
However, there may be some reasons that I am not thinking of as to why someone would want insurance at this low level. That's why I posted this thread and I appreciate all the responses.
Joe.
<< <i>Of course, if it was insured then the Post Office would have to pony up the cost of the goods >>
Yep.
You are taking the entire risk now, not only the item but now $1.30 each item.
(I guess it's then too late to say, "Ok then- my coin package didn't arrive!")
peacockcoins
And as mentioned, insurance does not make it more likely the coin will get there... if anything, probably the opposite, until you get into signature required or, better, Registered Mail.
But if the buyer specifically requests it, especially if they send extra money to cover it, then I do as they wish, even if it makes no sense to me.
For example, maybe in UncleJoe's case the buyer thinks they cherry-picked a valuable variety, and they want it insured for $50 even though they only paid $1.99 for the coin. If you don't insure it, and it gets lost, you're in a bad situation -- they want their $50 coin and you want to refund their $1.99 bid price.
<< <i>For example, maybe in UncleJoe's case the buyer thinks they cherry-picked a valuable variety, and they want it insured for $50 even though they only paid $1.99 for the coin. If you don't insure it, and it gets lost, you're in a bad situation -- they want their $50 coin and you want to refund their $1.99 bid price. >>
If they took it up with the USPS, they would still only get their $1.99 buy price, not the $50 it may hold.
Jeremy
You could get a neg saying "Paid for insurance but never got coins" "Paid insurance refund in foreign currency" or some foolishness like that.
Myself never would have asked you to insure a $2 coin but if I paid for the insurance I would expect you to send the coin insured no matter what you thought was best.