posted on November 25, 2000 07:18:25 PM
Post Turkey Greetings to All:
I have heard that USPS insurance is not worth buying as they generally don't pay and when they do it takes months. I've never had to make a claim, but this bothers me greatly since I ship expensive digital cameras and camcorders. Does anyone have actual claim experience with any of the new NON-USPS third party shipping insurance providers? Are the rates lower? Are they for real? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!
I've had exactly 3 claims paid to date by USPS for one broken item received by me, one broken item sent by me and one undelivered item.
Since you're dealing with high priced things, it does take a bit longer to get a refund if something breaks as they have to send the claim and the merchandise to St. Louis for investigation. However, if you packaged it properly, had the right amount of padding, have your EOA showing the value paid, and both you and the bidder work together, and hound the heck out of your postmaster, it shouldn't take very long.
I've heard where it takes 3-6 months to collect, but I've never had that problem. It only took 2 weeks for me to get a refund on one item, the rest were under $50, so it took as long as sitting in front of my postmaster with my hand out.
I know of no third party insurers though. There may be some, but I've not heard anything.
posted on November 25, 2000 07:39:41 PM
Mtnmama;
Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, there is at least one third party insurance co. - if you click the "insure package" button on AW's post-sale mgmt. system, it takes you to their site.
The damaged item claims don't worry me as much as the lost item claims. Thats where I've heard of people having trouble. There is another active thread on this board where a buyer never received an expensive item, the seller applied to USPS for insurance payout. Claim was denied - USPS said they delivered the package. Naturally Seller wanted proof, so USPS charged Seller $7 for a copy of the proof of delivery(POD) The POD had a giant "X" where the signature should be! I realize this is only one story, but it does concern me.
posted on November 25, 2000 07:59:20 PM
I've used U-Pic for awhile. They've always paid on my claims, but most of my stuff has been in the $20 - $30 range. They are much cheaper than USPS, and I don't have to stand in line at the PO...
Lisa
posted on November 25, 2000 10:24:53 PM
I now use USPS insurance. I have only had one claim and they paid at the counter.
I will never use U-pic because I could not get them to answer even the most basic questions such as how do I document what I am sending. They kept referring to a log provided, yet they could not furnish me with any log. I figured it would be a nightmare to file any claims since they had such poor customer service.
posted on November 25, 2000 11:04:55 PM
I've only had one claim paid through USPS, and it was easy. I was paid immediately at the postmaster's window.
However, I signed up for UPIC recently because they are so much less expensive and will pay the FULL price of the item, including shipping.
CASIESCLOSET, they sent me a blank log page set up the way they want it, that I could either reproduce and fill in by hand, or could use with Excel or any other similar program. All they require is the item number, date shipped, and total price (including shipping). You email a copy of your log once a week, and mail a hard copy once a month, and that's it. So far their customer service has been excellent, including returned phone calls and very fast emails when I had a question. You might try them again.
posted on November 27, 2000 11:41:03 AM
JTLand and Sonsie,
Thank you for your testimonials.
Bigshack,
Thank you for your interest in U-PIC as a source for alternate insurance. Following is a recent thread that has many customer testimonials as well as full account progam information that you may find of value.
Cassiescloset,
I am sorry that our many attempts to reach you were unsuccessful. If you can provide us with a date and time that you would be available we would be happy to get you set up as your application is still on file.
If anyone has any specific questions or concerns I would be happy to answer them here or please feel free to e-mail or telephone me.
posted on November 27, 2000 11:51:53 AM
I've signed up for U-Pic based on the largely positive experiences of other users, and the willingness of U-Pic representatives to answer questions quickly and fully (how refreshing!).
Rates sound very good, and it sounds simple enough.
After I signed up, I had a pleasant chat with Candi, who explained everything to me. My only complaint is that I'm still waiting for the materials to be sent to me, some 3 weeks after I signed up. Some foul up on their end, I gather- Candi says they are on the way.
posted on December 19, 2000 11:56:31 AM
Here's another site you may want to check out. It promises 65% savings on insurance costs compared to USPS. It's PIP--Parcel Insurance Plan. Their website is at www.pipinsure.com. I can't vouch for them as I've taken a hiatus from selling, but they look promising.
posted on December 19, 2000 04:36:51 PM
I asked my husband to look into u-pic, on their web site, and he wasn't happy with what he understood as each insurance transaction asks for the recipient's telephone number. Does anyone know if this is accurate??
My husband feel it's not fair to require your winning bidder's phone number after they've bid, when they didn't know they would have to do that prior to bidding.
posted on December 19, 2000 05:50:16 PM
I've never had trouble with U-PIC. However, I would like some assistance from anyone who has filed a claim with them. I need to know if an email "letter" will suffice when filing a claim, or does it have to be a written, hand signed letter? Thanks, Jean
El
"The customer may not always be right, but she is always the customer."
posted on December 19, 2000 07:15:59 PM
Is U-PICs program really less expensive? I checked them out the other day using the demo and did some playing around and found that while they are somewhat cheaper than USPS, they pass their credit card transaction fees onto you..I think it was .50 cents...and in my examples, that fee seemed to make their insurance more expensive. To be honest, I do not like the idea of them passing on the CC transaction fee. I use Stamps.com to print my postage and pay a monthly fee. I would use U-Pic under that type of structure.
posted on December 19, 2000 07:29:35 PM
All those extra hoops and charges are for U-PIC's "one-off" insurance... for people who want to insure one package via the online form and may never be seen or heard from again.
If you sign up for one of U-PIC's programs, there is no extra fee for each package.
I simply keep a log of my shipments and send it to U-PIC once a month, along with the premium due. Depending on the program you sign up/qualify for, payment is made by check or some of the special stamps you purchase ahead of time from U-PIC.
