FOrtunately, my customers do not know what they are paying for "postage" vs. the rest of shipping and handling. I charge a flat rate shipping and handling fee to the US for each item. How I choose to ship it is completely up to me. There is no discussion of shipping methods, etc.
If they choose to add insurance, I quote them a fee. I either use UPIC or self-insure the item. Neither way will the customer see an insurance amount on the package -- nor should they. I also state clearly that we are not responsible for shipping damage once we leave it with the carrier -- insurance is their option.
posted on March 7, 2002 09:26:58 PM
Peiklk, your customers know exactly what they paid for postage when the USPS package arrives, yes? Obviously, the "rest" is handling. If they "choose" insurance and you charge for it, you are either self-insuring or using your u-pic policy. If you use u-pic you have proof of paid insurance should you be questioned. If you self-insure and charge for it, you have no proof of insurance and have commited a crime by selling insurance without a license. BTW, you ARE responsible for items EVEN if the customer declines insurance. Credit card charge backs and ebay's Loydd's of London policy will show you the light.
posted on March 7, 2002 09:49:09 PM
I don't use Lloyd's of London, so they have nothing to show me. If the package arrives safely, the customer has no reason to question insurance. If they do, they are informed that insurance was not through the USPS and that usually satisfies them -- especially if the item arrives intact.
However, we have not determined officially that a surcharge for self-insurance is a crime -- we just have your guesses.
posted on March 8, 2002 12:44:43 AM
Self Insuring would be fine if all bidders were honest.
Say I receive a $50 item that I paid $6 S&H&I on with only $4 postage and no Delivery Confirmation.
What prevents me from denying I ever received it?
If it has Delivery Confirmation, What prevents me from having buyers remorse saying it was broken demanding refund then breaking it and shipping it back?
I prefer using real insurance.\
BTW In 2 years and 200+ items a month I've only had 12 go lost or damaged. 8 which were insured. USPS paid with no problem.
posted on March 8, 2002 05:56:48 AM
Honesty would prevent you from claiming nondelivery. I recently had a buyer that claimed nondelivery, refused to write the nondelivery letter that I needed for PIC and instead did a credit card chargeback. The buyer got their money back, PIC denied my claim because I didn't have the required letter. Not sure but I think I was screwed twice.
dendude
posted on March 10, 2002 07:09:27 AM
I would not trust PIC with 2 cents worth of insurance. They are completely worthless when it comes to customer service. They do not answer emails or return phone calls and I am speaking in particular of Candi. I used U-PIC for more than a year until they became PIC. Once they changeg to PIC I asked for some clarification and had also wanted to make a change to my account. For 2 months I tried to get answers politely. Candi never returned calls or answered emails. I would not want to trust the insurance of any item with them.
posted on March 10, 2002 07:48:19 AM
Thats a Bunch of BS!you may self insure without license,You may Not however insure for a 3rd party without an license.Also You are not responsible for a item insured or not once sent,Only for proof of shippping,without,you are then Libel.
[ edited by ijusthaveit on Mar 10, 2002 07:50 AM ]
posted on March 11, 2002 07:46:23 AM
ijusthaveit, maybe you mean liable. Libel is a word that has to do with ruining someone's character in journalism.
posted on March 11, 2002 09:17:34 AMWhat prevents me from denying I ever received it?
Last year I saw a big increase in packages "lost" in the mail. As a result, my auctions now state, "Insurance is optional but recommended. Seller not responsible for lost uninsured items."
Since then, not a single package has been lost. From this, I draw two possible conclusions: (1) Some customers are dishonest, and (2) scammers don't bid in auctions where insurance is required.
I would also guess that while some customers will lie to a seller, most draw the line at defrauding the post office.
posted on March 11, 2002 09:57:50 AM
IMHO insuring inexpensive items is a complete waste of time when shipping and in the event of claim. Items over say $50 are a different story. If you pack your items well and they are not fragile, delivery confirmation is about the best thing to do for items over $25 and under $50.
If you figure what two to three hours of your time in handling a postal insurance claim might be, you might opt for guaranteeing delivery most of the time. You can either absorb the loss or just add a tiny amount to a flat shipping charge to cover the hopefully rare lost or damaged item. If someone doesn't get a package, a quick refund makes for happy bidders and fewer headaches.
