posted on April 12, 2001 01:47:40 AM new
I am so sick and tired of sellers (and I am one) pushing insurance on everybody!!!! It is a constant battle to fend off these mandated cash disposals!
I mainly deal in old books and magazines and KNOW FOR A FACT that if you just pack in plastic and sturdy backing, PRETTY MUCH NOTHING will happen to it. I have bought and sold many hundreds of items---nearly 1,000---and I have NEVER had an incident.
And to be honest, MY best insurance is NO INSURANCE!!
Do you know why?
Because resisting insurance has probably saved me well over $1,000 in unpaid premiums. So, even if an item is damaged or disappears once in a blue moon, it will probably represent a tiny fraction of what I saved by NOT following the lemmings to the cash disposal known as Ebay tem Insurance!!!
I am so tired of the insurance routine with sellers. So tired of it. On rare occasions I just pay it so as not to have to do the e-mail tango over it. It's realllllly annoying.
posted on April 12, 2001 02:37:27 AM new
I insist on insurance for higher priced items -- not because I don't trust the post office but because I don't trust my bidders. I know that one of these days someone is going to lie and claim they didn't receive a package I sent, and they will want me to refund their money. Without their signature on the insurance slip indicating that they received the item, I am completely defenseless against such claims. That's why I insist on insurance. Believe me, I hate charging people more than is absolutely necessary for shipping. But I can't afford to be ripped off and the law of averages says that sooner or later it's going to happen. Insurance is my protection against that because even the nerviest thief wouldn't claim non-delivery on an item he or she signed for.
posted on April 12, 2001 04:00:28 AM new
Sorry but I doubt that when a package goes missing you are going to graciously say -
"Well I saved all that money on insurance so that is OK that this one went missing."
No - You are going to say "I never have any trouble so you must not have sent it."
posted on April 12, 2001 08:46:29 AM new
I recently had a seller ask for $1.10 to insure a $2.00 item I had won. There was no mention of insurance in the auction, so I said I didn't need it, and didn't send it.
So they send me a big disclaimer about how they are not responsible, and sound somewhat upset. The item arrives in fine shape, we both get positive feedback.
I still don't understand what some people are thinking.
1.) It makes no sense to try to enforce a mandatory insurance policy when you sell items for $2.
2.) Seems to me like the should seller take certain responsibility even without insurance. My item was fragile and would have broken without proper packaging. If this had happened, insurance would not have mattered. The disclaimer, as written, was kind of ridiculous.
posted on April 12, 2001 08:47:39 AM new
i sell handmade, 1 of a kind items for well over 100 dollars frequently and NO WAY am I lettting the buyer get away with not paying insurance.
on mass market items or items under 20 bucks (or so) I will let them take their chances.
it depends what they are buying and how hard it is to replace or refund
many people have had packages lost in the mail and have had to pay out of pocket to buyers, and they're not getting stung again
you are not the only person involved in the transaction.
posted on April 12, 2001 09:29:02 AM new
The Postal systems insurance program guarantees a bad experience for both the buyer and the seller, unless the package arrives safely to the customer.
If the item is lost or damaged, be prepared for a ridiculous amount of beurocratic red tape, inefficiencies, delays and lost arguments regarding insured value and payment. It's a loser for both parties and a necessary evil for sellers who offer delicate or expensive items.
I sell sunglasses with an average sale of $40-$45.00. I bypass insuring the item by charging a flat S/H fee of $5.00 for all domestic orders that are shipped Priority mail. The $5.00 S/H fee guarantees delivery to my customer. If an item arrives safely, $1.50 is theoretically added to the lost package kitty, as the actual Priority mail cost is $3.50 to ship. If a shipment is lost, I immediately replace at my expense.
The above approach bypasses the long lines at the Post office, endless forms, red tape and delays in claims processing and insures that my cusotmers have a positive buying experience. Even if a package is lost.
posted on April 12, 2001 09:44:02 AM new
Moderators - As this thread does not even have the word "Ebay" in it, please lock and suggest it be moved to the appropriate category.
I am sure that many come here to hear Ebay issues and not those unrelated to that company.
Shipping, troll, whining and rants that are not specifically ealted to Ebay belong somewhere else.....but not here.
In doing so I am sure that you will keep the Board "topic specific" and therefore totally in keeping with the AW themes.
posted on April 12, 2001 09:58:13 AM new
Not to worry, Dr Trooth is all over the boards this morning monitoring the applicability of conversations to the ebay forum.
Sorry but I doubt that when a package goes missing you are going to graciously say - "Well I saved all that money on insurance so that is OK that this one went missing." No - You are going to say "I never have any trouble so you must not have sent it."
I have had an item I purchased go missing. The seller had asked me if I wanted to pay for insurance, and I declined ($5 purchase). When the item did not arrive, I asked the seller to file a lost mail form with his post office, but I never insisted that he did not send it.
I'm all grown up now, and I realize that one should take responsibility for one's own decisions. I chose not to pay for insurance, and I accept the fact that, in this case, I am out the $5.
Of course, I understand that not everybody is willing to accept that responsibility. There are still a lot of people who will find that, no matter what happens, it is always someone else's fault when something goes wrong.
posted on April 12, 2001 10:46:11 AM new
Dr. Trooth..
If you have questions about moderation, please email [email protected]. If you persist in bringing moderation issues to the board, you will be placing your posting privileges in jeopardy.
posted on April 12, 2001 10:49:00 AM new
I've gotten in the habit of buying insurance for my purchases since a couple of my treasures went missing over the holidays. But, so much so, that in a blonde moment I paid for insurance on a $0.99 item without realizing how dumb that was. The seller, too, sells a lot of china and routinely gets insurance, so she didn't think about it until after she shipped. We both had a good laugh over that.
Oh, and in case anyone is interested: I bought it on EBAY from, of all people, an EBAY seller. Paid for it via an authorized payment option on EBAY. Yeah, EBAY!
posted on April 12, 2001 10:51:34 AM new
OK Smitty, will do.
Let me get this straight....asking a question about appropriate placement of a thread topics not related to Ebay within said thread is not correct use?
My posts to various threads were a plea for consistency in moderation. I was not aware that I was breaking any rules.
I am not so foolish as to even ACCEPT Paypal! As a buyer I use it---taking full advantage of the sellers foolish enough to take it--and as a seller I would NEVER use it.
And since the advent of Paypal (and other sellers using it vs. me) I have actually still seen an INCREASE in sales.
Hasn't hurt me a bit, and NO CHARGEBACKS!!!!
Insurance is a BIG WASTE probably close to 90% of the time.
As a SELLER myself, I assume responsability for items getting to my customers. Maybe the items I deal in don't attract scumbags, but I haven't had a problem yet!
posted on April 12, 2001 11:39:13 AM new
Okay, forget paypal,
You can either do a few of things:
self insure, warn the bidder or insure it.
I like the ease of either self insuring or using the po.
Depending on my cost threshold.
Sure insurance is a "racket" - until you have a car accident, burglary or lose an expensive package in the mail.
If it's cheap enough, I will take care of the customer. If I don't want to risk it then I will insist on insurance and that the bidder pay. I don't give them a choice.
Nothing is worse than some guy bellyaching over $5-7 on a $450 purchase then kvetching over it getting lost.
I won't get gray hair over that kind of foolishness, and don't entertain it.
If a seller doesn't want to float the cost of a loss, for any amount, then it's up the them to say so.
I buy lots of little things without insurance. One item was late by month, but the nice seller was already offering to replace it. Another item got thrashed and sent back and the seller was already talking about replacement until it arrived at her doorstep. I have to say that I was also going to pay to buy again, I never was worried about fraud etc.
I guess if you know who is willing to take the fall -you, seller, insurance - then it's all fine.
correct insurance cost info....$1.10 on $450...I wish...
[ edited by Capriole on Apr 12, 2001 11:46 AM ]
posted on April 12, 2001 01:12:32 PM new
My postman says less than 25-30% of the packages are insured. Unless the item I am shipping is glass or pottery, I give the total with and without insurance. I give my customers the option, however do hold on to those little emails they send back that states they do not want insurance. I've had packages insured where the winning bid was 3.99. If the person feels more comfortable wanting to insure their package, I am not going to persuade them not to. Different strokes for different folks.
posted on April 12, 2001 01:19:04 PM new
AS A SELLER OF PHOTO EQUIPMENT, AND SUCH, AND MANY TIMES CLOTHING, I FOLD INSURANCE INTO MY SHIPPING COST ON NEW ITEMS, BUT HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO GET THE POST OFFICE TI PAY FOR NON NEW ITEMS, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
.
every 20 seconds in america a woman is giving birth:SHE MUST BE FOUND AND STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................................................
posted on April 12, 2001 02:24:14 PM newAre you ready for this:
I have even gone as far as discouraging bidders from asking for insurance on low end items. If they insist, then fine, but all too often people are just leary of the net and the mail and tend to WASTE money on insurance to make themselves feel better. I merely urge them to have faith and recognize how wasteful it really is.
Insurance on breakables is understandable, but on books and magazines and other durable items? Please. Unless it's worth at least 3 figures, I wouldn't even consider it.
Waste, waste, waste.
God bless the postal service, they do a remarkable job. LIke I said, my best insurance is NO insurance. It's a cheap policy that pays off in the long run!
posted on April 12, 2001 02:26:50 PM new
The odds of you having a problem are so ridiculously low, that paying insurance time and time again is an excercise in futility. And the time you do need it, you'll wish you had listened to me, because it won't be all that easy to make a successful claim.
Why is insurance offered? So THEY can make money--not you.
I have had 540 transactions as a buyer, and 725 as a seller.
Not 1 lost item.
Not 1 damaged item.
Insurance?
It's for the birds.
I urge any buyer or seller to e-mail a link to this thread to an insurance freak. Let them read about reality, not the propaganda.
posted on April 12, 2001 02:53:33 PM new
I agree it's a total racket. What's with the Post Office's insistance that you can only get what they judge an item to be worth if it's lost? If they say it costs a certain amount to insure against loss then theoretically it doesn't matter what's in the box. I could send an empty box and if it doesn't arrive then they should be liable for the amount I insured it for. If they charge ascending amounts for higher levels of coverage then they are saying that's how much that coverage costs period.
posted on April 12, 2001 03:27:25 PM new
I sell mainly small lots of vintage beads. For most of my buyers, shipping costs are a big consideration, so I urge buyers to pick first class, although I'll ship priority if asked or if the package is heavy enough to warrant.
I discourage buyers from insuring on cheap lots (under $10)....but tell them that of course the choice is theirs. I've mailed over 1100 packages and not one has gotten lost. Nothing has been broken either. I have had two packages that took a little too long to arrive that I suspected were lost, so I mailed replacement beads - naturally the first packages showed up right after that. I do require insurance on my finished jewelry, because they are all one of a kind pieces and I can't replace them, but on normal things I just can't see adding that to the cost for buyers. I have gotten lots of comments from buyers about both inexpensive shipping and optional insurance...on small lots I think it can affect your final bids, since at least some buyers are looking at the total cost and bid less if they are forced into insurance.
I think there are times that it's appropriate to require it, but not on everything!
posted on April 12, 2001 03:31:14 PM new
Insurance makes no difference at all in seller responsibility to the letter of law. Absolutely NOTHING. You as the seller are insuring it, you make the claim if its not delivered not the buyer to postal authorities. Therefor you cannot charge the consumer for insurance on it. You can as noted by another fold it into S/H fee's.
We offer it optionally, never been a problem.
However, of more concern than this is Fed EX winning the priority mail/first class etc. contract over Emery freight. The postal service is VERY unprofitable right now and word has it FedEx will within a year be taking over all parcel shipments, they will NOT be offered by the postal service. This means a MAJOR change in ALOT of selling on the net/mail order.
Beyond the fee's FedEx requires people have accounts with them if your shipping more than a few parcels. They require proper packaging and materials against ANY claims. Word even has it that a stipulation of contract is that tracking numbers MUST be provided to buyers for web shipments. Additionally the days of packaging materials supplied to any non-business accounts comes to an abrubt halt.
Right now postal inspectors are going to every postal office in the land looking to close offices and cut staffing as they are extremely unprofitable.
Alot of stuff is being discussed in government about this matter and Internet fraud. It applies to anyone selling on the net as well as the third party payment services etc. Banks are REALLY getting bent at consumers using these services and voiding the contracts with their banks who dont allow for you to have one party charge your card when your buying from another entirely, its a breach of cardholders contract. Now whats happening is banks can take out AFTER THE SELLER rather than the service for NOT warning consumers about the possibility of breach!
The Bush adminstration is rapidly becoming known as the haters of the web. You can expect if you wish to run an auction anyplace a license with the state will be required.
You can expect the postal service to drop parcel delivery and Fed Ex to pick it up.
All sellers can expect web taxation probably before the years done. Word has it on this issue that a tax ID will be required by states and sellers who have been engaged in sales of more than $2000 per year will be in a WORLD of hurt by the IRS.
So be thankful right now things are relatively easy as a year from now, two on the outside its all going to change.
