I recently shipped a camera thru the US Post Office and decided not to insure it or identify it as an expensive camera. The camera made it safe and sound in a timely manner.
If I send something thru the Post Office, UPS, or FedEx and I identify it as a high dollar camera or lens with lot's of insurance it's like I'm asking for someone to steal it.
I may be wrong but wondering what others may think.
A friend from the Nikon Manual Focus Glass thread bought a like new MF lens and paid a premium. The lens was shipped insured via USPS priority mail. The lens never arrived and after months of diligent effort to collect on the insurance, but without success, the buyer gave up. I'm not certain that insurance is always great protection when things go awry. That said, I feel a responsibility as a seller and should something go wrong I'd take the hit financially, not the buyer. While I've never had a problem either as a buyer or seller, I will on occasion insure a high price item. But I don't think I'd argue against your approach. I have shipped some valuable lenses internationally using First Class International without insurance without a problem. It all feels a bit like a crapshoot...
Google the USPS and not paying insurance. They are notorious for denying any insurance claims. 99% of the time FedEx ground is cheaper with insurance.. They pay claims.
rankamateur wrote:
Google the USPS and not paying insurance. They are notorious for denying any insurance claims. 99% of the time FedEx ground is cheaper with insurance.. They pay claims.
Hey, Rod. My brother-in-law's a retired Postmaster. He told me Express/Registered Mail is the only way to go for
valuable packages. He also told me insuring Priority for more than the min. $50 was a waste of money, 95% of
the claims are denied. That Priority package gets the same handling whether ins. for $50 or $5000 and makes
the buyer "feel good" but the seller takes it in the shorts if there's a problem. Brown or Fed w/signature conf.
you stand a better chance of collecting if there's damage/loss, but that's not a given either. Let Fed-Ex pack it,
and your odds go up considerably.
CGrindahl wrote:
A friend from the Nikon Manual Focus Glass thread bought a like new MF lens and paid a premium. The lens was shipped insured via USPS priority mail. The lens never arrived and after months of diligent effort to collect on the insurance, but without success, the buyer gave up. I'm not certain that insurance is always great protection when things go awry. That said, I feel a responsibility as a seller and should something go wrong I'd take the hit financially, not the buyer. While I've never had a problem either as a buyer or seller, I will on occasion insure a high price item. But I don't think I'd argue against your approach. I have shipped some valuable lenses internationally using First Class International without insurance without a problem. It all feels a bit like a crapshoot......Show more →
I agree with Curtis.
I usually insure all my high dollar items. No matter who ships it. I have had 2 items sent USPS and received damaged and I had NO problem recovering my money BUT it did take a few months.
I also received a printer from a seller here on B&S and it was received damaged from USPS and he recovered his money also.
BUT unless you have the proper invoices and such, any carrier will "hem and haw" you to death NOT to pay.
FedUp and UPS are better with claims.
Luckily I saved all boxes and took many pictures. Also being retired, I made sure I was home the day of delivery and met the delivery in case boxes were damaged and i could get their statement as such. But not everyone has that luxury.
Dan
+1 to Curtis, Will and Dan. I just ordered from a gentleman on DPI a G2 21/2.8. Excellent seller, btw. In my negotiations with him, mindful of a really shitty USPS shipping experience this past week or two where, even though I paid for signature confirmation, and had insured it for its full value, the asshole USPS scanned the cotton pickin' insurance label, not the sig confirm label and so I was a) unable to track it; and b) got no signature confirmation. Anyways, mindful of that, he was kind enough to ship it Express Mail to me. GD USPS tracking EVEN ON F'G Express Mail still shows it to be in AZ. What a crock. USPS gave me the opportunity this AM to complete a survey on my experience with it. I'll bet they're looking for another toilet now, giving the "Reaming" I gave them.
And, Now comes the previous thread here on FM where the thrust of it asserted that UPS will NOT honor insurance on really high dollar items. So, it looks as though FedEx - and not Home Delivery FedEx from which one cannot alter the shipping destination (as occurred on a recent transaction with Lens Rentals) - may be the least worst of the shipping alternatives.
Correction: Home Delivery allows altering the destination site to Kinko's, but not to a World Wide Center
anthonysemone wrote:
+1 to Curtis, Will and Dan. I just ordered from a gentleman on DPI a G2 21/2.8. Excellent seller, btw. In my negotiations with him, mindful of a really shitty USPS shipping experience this past week or two where, even though I paid for signature confirmation, and had insured it for its full value, the asshole USPS scanned the cotton pickin' insurance label, not the sig confirm label and so I was a) unable to track it; and b) got no signature confirmation. Anyways, mindful of that, he was kind enough to ship it Express Mail to me. GD USPS tracking EVEN ON F'G Express Mail still shows it to be in AZ. What a crock. USPS gave me the opportunity this AM to complete a survey on my experience with it. I'll bet they're looking for another toilet now, giving the "Reaming" I gave them.
And, Now comes the previous thread here on FM where the thrust of it asserted that UPS will NOT honor insurance on really high dollar items. So, it looks as though FedEx - and not Home Delivery FedEx from which one cannot alter the shipping destination (as occurred on a recent transaction with Lens Rentals) - may be the least worst of the shipping alternatives.
Correction: Home Delivery allows altering the destination site to Kinko's, but not to a World Wide Center ...Show more →
And the USPS wonders why they are loosing money!!!!
I may start selling to locals only after this Anthony!!!
Dan
I here ya, brother, FWIW, USPS updated their tracking on my Express Mail pkg about 5' before the postman delivered it It just blows me away that these shipping firms can BS about their insurance
Even if you opt out of the insurance IMO any time you're shipping something of value you should use a shipping method that includes reliable package tracking.
Having an insurance claim honored through the United States Postal Service is really not that big of a deal. The key to stacking the odds of in your favor for a claims settlement through the USPS is always proper packaging, a sales receipt or appraisal to prove value, and the original insurance form and shipping invoice.
And... obviously you don't send expensive stuff Parcel Post. Using common sense usually prevails.
Henry is right. I purchase from B&H all the time and their packing and shipping is the best in the industry. You can track their packages all the way to your front door so if it stops moving along the way, someone stands a hope of locating where it vanished. I always spend for the insurance even if it turns out to be a waste of money.
Having an insurance claim honored through the United States Postal Service is really not that big of a deal. The key to stacking the odds of in your favor for a claims settlement through the USPS is always proper packaging, a sales receipt or appraisal to prove value, and the original insurance form and shipping invoice.
And... obviously you don't send expensive stuff Parcel Post. Using common sense usually prevails.
I appreciate your optimism How's this for the scenario: I sent two items to buyer, a 35/1.8 and D7k, both insured and with signature confirmation. I requested email confirmation upon recipient's signature. USPS's website did not update at all for 3 days as I recall. When it did, it showed the D7k as still in the town from which I sent it. Lens arrived at destination and, from copy of signature, was received. Meanwhile, D7k was nowhere to be found. Called local Post Office and spoke with the manager - great guy. I've gotten to know him by name (not surprising). I filled him in. He said "oh, looks like the Insurance label was scanned, not the signature confirmation label, so it won't have tracking except via our own Intranet. I can confirm, however, that it was received and signed for." Great! Indeed, buyer reported that both items were received.
Well, no big deal you might think, all's well that ends well. Sure. Had the buyer been disreputable (NOT THE CASE IN THIS INSTANCE, thank goodness), and of course tracking data can be seen by the buyer, a scammer could well have said "well, I don't know what the USPS' intranet shows, but I never received it. I know you sent it w/ signature confirmation, so show me the receipt.
USPS is bullshit - even their goddamn Express Mail can't figure out how to provide timely updates. So, they can kiss my ass. Hehe, I reckon that's what happens when the f'g government "builds it."
rprouty wrote:
If I send something thru the Post Office, UPS, or FedEx and I identify it as a high dollar camera or lens with lot's of insurance it's like I'm asking for someone to steal it.
Rod
This reply is nothing but trivia (and certainly not a recommendation), but there are many examples within the jewelry trade wherein the higher the value of the shipment, the less it is insured so as not to make the package conspicuous – as Rod suggests.
There’s an interesting story regarding the legendary Harry Winston and his acquisition of and subsequent decision to ship a MAJOR stone uninsured. From the company’s website:
“THE JONKER - At 726-carats, the JONKER is the seventh largest rough diamond on record. Purchased by Harry Winston in 1935, it was shipped to the U.S. via regular registered mail for $0.64.”
I know of one major jewelry chain store in the U.S. has a series of tiers regarding shipment value and how the shipping should be handled. At the low end: so and so shipping and such and such insurance. Once the value reached $100,000, the policy was basically: put a stamp on it and we’ll hope for the best.
And as other replies have suggested, while for decades, USPS registered mail was the industry standard for shipping large diamonds, etc, in the event of a loss, payment from the Postal Service took months.
That Priority package gets the same handling whether ins. for $50 or $5000 and makes
Brown or Fed w/signature conf.
GD USPS tracking EVEN ON F'G Express Mail still shows it to be in AZ. What a crock. USPS gave me the opportunity this AM to complete a survey on my experience with it. I'll bet they're looking for another toilet now, giving the "Reaming" I gave them.
FWIW, USPS updated their tracking on my Express Mail pkg about 5' before the postman delivered it 