Insuring Items

Danegeld · June 24, 2005 5:18AM

How many of you offer or have items insured before selling or purchasing? And what do you do if you receive an item which you've paid for insurance and it's not insured. I personally ask for a refund since it's a service I requested and didn't receive. What say you?

Take Care
Ben

291fifth · June 24, 2005 5:21AM

Some sellers self-insure packages of low value. It's actually quite a good profit center since the loss rate on packages is very, very low and USPS insurance is very overpriced.

CardsFan · June 24, 2005 5:22AM

I insure everything I sell just as a precaution and get on everything I buy. I don't ask for a refund if I got an uninsured item when I paid for insurance because many people are self insured or insured by a third party, if I don't think that is the case I will avoid the seller in the future.

LALASD4 · June 24, 2005 5:44AM

Good luck trying to ask Heritage for a refund.

relayer · June 24, 2005 5:58AM

Actually betting the post office $1.30 that they are going to lose your $25 coin only makes sense if they lost every 1 out of 20 packages.

Wekar · June 24, 2005 6:17AM

Some people do use third party insurers, there are 2 benefits to this, 1. it's cheaper than USPS, and 2. There's no big "Insurance" sticker on the box that some people read as "Steal Me". If you paid for insurance, but don't see it on the box, that's not enough reason to ask for a refund - don't be hasty and neg someone on eBay for this either before you find out.

BAJJERFAN · June 24, 2005 8:24AM

If you self insure thru a 3rd party carrier how do you document your mailings for them? Do you notify them every time you send a package? Or do you notify them on a periodic basis? Or is the postal receipt for the missing package sufficient proof that you mailed the item in question? Are you generally required to purchase special services such as delivery conf or signature conf from the shipper?

lordmarcovan · June 24, 2005 8:34AM

I don't bother with it if the item is worth less than fifty bucks (green postal form rather than blue and white). It's a waste of money.

LindeDad · June 24, 2005 8:53AM

Have any of you tried to do a claim on a package insured for less than $50.00. It's not worth the hassel.
I use delivery confirmatin on packages of less than $50.00. And if the buyer want insurance I self insure it.
Coffee can on my deck gets what ever his bid was until he neither gives feed back or I check that it is delivered. Only had to go into the can once in the last three years I've been doing it.
Higher value packages get insurance required in most cases put it in my auctions that way.

Coinhusker1 · June 24, 2005 8:55AM

The postal rates are much higher than expected losses. However, I buy insurance to "insure" the seller sends me the item.

lordmarcovan · June 24, 2005 9:17AM

<< <i>Have any of you tried to do a claim on a package insured for less than $50.00. It's not worth the hassel. >>

Basically the point I was tryin' to make.

I have periodically offered self-insurance for 75 cents or a buck when selling on eBay, for items under $50 value.

Danegeld · June 24, 2005 9:54AM

Right after I started trading on eBay in 1996 you didn't have to register to trade. Once I didn't offer insurance and quickly learned the hard way when a buyer said he didn't receive his item (Grey Vest Darth Maul) valued at $200+ dollars. I mailed it priority in one of those little Priority Mail box's. Damn, that was stupid of me. Ever since then I stress insurance and if it's not taken I emphasize the fact I'm not responsible and keep it (all e-mails associated with the transaction) in my e-mail archives incase they file a dispute thru Paypal for a real or fradulent lost item. I was then sent to Saudi for a year and eBay changed/toughened up their policies concerning all sorts of stuff like bid and retract, dual ID's, etc.

If I sell a pricey item over lets say $150 or more I purchase the works delivery conformation, tracking, and insurance. On the other side of the coin I think if anyone or I purchase insurance at $2.50 on a $35 dollar coin and the envelope arrives slick with no mention or prior notification of self insurance I sure will be asking questions. I'm not going to neg someone over it, but then may get a nothing. I've only left one Negative and less than five Neutrals in all this time.

I've only had one item lost and in that case they delivered a damaged empty Priority Mail Box? I immediately filed one of those lost/damaged mail forms in town and they questioned my delivery lady and asked her why she delivered an obviously empty box. It took 30 days for me to get the refund after I FINALLY got the paperwork from the seller, he was cool about it and everything worked out. I just didn't get a silver cup or something like that.

Take Care
Ben

Insuring Items

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