Have any of y'all had experience with the USPS insurance claim system?

airjoedan

I recently completed a transaction with a board member here and the package arrived to them with significant damage. There were two items in the package and the frame on the framed item was apparently destroyed. I'm filling out the paper work now and will go to the post office Thursday or Friday......my question is, how is the insurance claims system in your experience. In over 7 years of eBay and countless transactions, I have never actually had to use the insurance claims system at all. The item was insured for $300. Any feedback? It was packed with corner protectors and bubble wrap like every other frame I've mailed in the past several years.


Thanks,


Joe

goose3

make sure the other member saves the package in it's entirety.

jfkheat

I've never had a claim for a damaged item but I have for a lost item. It took over 30 days to get my refund. The thing that upset me the most is that you pay for the insurance then they charge you to submit a claim.
James

nearmint

I've made one claim with the PO, and it wasn't worth the time it took to recover the $50. I don't recall how long it took to get the check. I'm sure they didn't charge me to make the claim, though.

sagard

Typically they will deny your claim immediately with the reason of "insufficient packaging." Then the seller will have to get involved and things will get unpleasant. The USPS claims payout to claim rate is the lowest of any insurance offering.

Estil

All the more reason UPS is the better choice.

samsgirl214

I bought the montana auto from Joe. smooth transaction. only took two days to get here. He had it packaged very well. I took it to post office to see what could be done. They wanted to keep the item. No way was I going to leave it there. From what I understand if they do pay the claim I have to turn the picture over to them..I don't think so, they can keep the money. It really is not that big of a deal, I can get it reframed.

Here is the picture Joe had in a post selling item
and a pic of just one of the corners and edge. 3 of the four corners have damage, and the glass now moves. The last picture is of silver things found in the bubble wrap. I assume it is those thingys that hold picture/matt in place. Must be more under matt. when you tip the picture you can hear something moving around in there. Joe didn't want to see a pic of it. Like I said Joe, it is not your fault and I"M NOT GIVING IT TO THE PO.

airjoedan

Those are definitely painful to see, I know it was packaged well but I still feel bad that the item arrived damaged to you. I will file the claims and we will see how this whole thing works out.

Thanks again,


Joe

DeutscherGeist

The PO does inspect the entire packaging. Since you had the corner protection, the PO should not hassle too much. They will want to keep all packaging material and the framed picture. I know you don't like that idea, but tell them you want a reciept that you are leaving this here and take some pictures of it right there at the post office and tell the clerk that they are responsible as long as they have possession of it. Write down the clerk's name too so that they see you mean business. When I filed for a claim, I had to go through the whole thing and they understand about giving a reciept when taking possession of item.

In the end, you will get money back minus the postage and they get to keep the picture. The PO may pay for the repair if it is cheaper than the replacement cost. So ask about that too.

mj23kg21

<< <i>Typically they will deny your claim immediately with the reason of "insufficient packaging." Then the seller will have to get involved and things will get unpleasant. The USPS claims payout to claim rate is the lowest of any insurance offering. >>




I couldn't agree more. The USPS always claims "insufficient packaging". I have had nothing but bad luck trying to get paid from USPS even when the packaging could not have been done any better. It has been very frustrating and the time it takes is crazy.

cardbender

<< <i>Typically they will deny your claim immediately with the reason of "insufficient packaging." Then the seller will have to get involved and things will get unpleasant. The USPS claims payout to claim rate is the lowest of any insurance offering. >>



I've filed three damage claims w/USPS for cracked/damaged PSA holders on some fairly expensive cards ($500, $470) and there was never a problem getting a full refund for the insured value. Like a previous poster said, save all the packing materials in case the post office wants to see them.

On one of my claims the seller packaged the card so stupidly, they put thin styrofoam on one side of the PSA holder inside a graded card sleeve but left the other side exposed with no protection inside a padded mailer. Needless to say the PSA holder got crushed, cracked, and warped. The card inside was bent, creased, and warped in the holder. Even though I showed this packaging to the postal agents, they did not deny my claim.

Maybe my post office personnel are just nicer that the rest of you guys who say they'll deny your claim or have problems collecting the insurance money.

My last claim took about 45 days to complete and I was issued a full refund of my purchase price.

jimq112

On my route I pick up 4-5 boxes of reloads every saturday, each box is a flat rate box and is about 8x8x8 and weighs 68 pounds.

That box goes in the same cage as a box with a glass vase and a box with 20 psa cards.

They all go in the same parcel sorter and they get separated according to where they are being shipped. They all go down a conveyor and they're all dropped into the same hampers.

It's genuinely luck as to whether your box of psa cards gets off the conveyor first or the 68# box of reloads gets off first. One is going to have a chance to land on the other. If your box of psa cards gets off after the box of reloads and another box of reloads lands on it, your psa cards might get damaged unless they're packed well.


No matter whether you use usps, ups, fedex, or airborne, make sure you pack the box as if it's coming to you, and package it like it's going to be the one under the box of reloads.

USPS does pay if it's packed well and insured right. If they pay, they get to keep the item. Items insured for less than $50 can be settled at the local post office, above $50 it goes somewhere else. I've only seen 3 claims in my years at usps for damaged items, 2 were paid at my office and one was denied at my office for improper packing.

We're supposed to be careful if we see "fragile" or "glass" - large stickers work much better than writing on the box. The clerks usually treat it better if it's clearly marked fragile or glass. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have to be packed well. The sorting machines can't read and they treat them all the same, except of course "registered" which never sees a machine.

Edited to add - I'm not saying this item wasn't packed well, it probably was. Just when I see these threads I like to remind people that the packaging is so important, especially when you're shipping something not easily replaced. They can give you money, but money doesn't always do the job.

jlzinck

Bend over and grab your ankles.

You will need detailed receipts and every e-mail you have you should print out.

You need to get the item, with packaging back and go to the PO when the insurance was issued.

They then send it off to the local hub.

After 30 days of being in process you need to call them EVERY DAY.

I had to claim 1 insurance item back about 8 years ago when items under $50 could be setteled at the local PO.

This was for $130ish and after 30 days I nad to keep calling them in St Louis. They have no desire to pay you must be persistent.

It was 6 months and 3 days before I had my check from my ordeal.

samsgirl214

Yes Joe did a great Job on the package and he also had cardboard corners on the frame, I also bought the bart starr autographed jersey from him which he has well packaged and in front of the glass/bubble wrap on the picture. It was tight in the box and the outside of the box didn't appear to have any damage at all. I do not want the insurance money if I have to turn the picture over to them.. If they won't at least pay for damages, I will have it reframed myself...it is not that big of a deal to reframe.

I'm at the PO every day mailing ebay stuff and when I showed the clerk what happen she told me I could leave the picture there and they would take pics of it...I said "oh no" i'm not leaving it..she said I don't blame ya. (I do have all package material)

we will see if they offer anything without turning it over.
Thanks Joe for checking into things on your end too. I know you didn't want to see the pics of it but I just wanted to show it had to of hit hard to make those silver clip thingys come out of the frame too which made the glass separate from the frame.