Package is lost, buyer chose shipping and claim value does not cover selling price

[toml1318]

Hello there,

I am looking for advice.

On May 1 I sold a laptop computer on eBay for several hundred dollars and the buyer choose FedEx Smartpost for shipping. The package was scanned by FedEx after I put it in a FedEx drop box, but it never made it any further. This was May 2. After more than a week of waiting FedEx confirmed the package as “lost”, and so I got in touch with eBay and the seller and refunded the seller his money. 
Then I filed a claim with FedEx, but they denied it because eBay was the entity paying for shipping not me, so I went to eBay. And this is where the 20 business day waiting period comes with a $100 claim limit. This will be June 1. 

The $100 claim limit is several hundred dollars shy of what I sold the computer for. Am I just out of luck on this or is there some responsibility with eBay or the buyer since I technically didn’t choose the shipping? 

[wastingtime101]

You are out of luck.

Insurance is for the seller, not the buyer.

You chose the shipping by presenting options to the buyer. If you didn't factor in the cost of insurance to your item price or as a handling fee, and you chose to not purchase additional insurance when you bought the label, that's on you.

Sorry I don't have better new for you, man.

[toml1318]

Fair enough. 

[wastingtime101]

I'd contact the buyer and ask them to alert you if the package shows up and either refuse delivery, ship it back to you, or send repayment. Also - sign up for tracking updates with the carrier so you get an email or text alert.

You never know, I've had reasonable buyers work with me in the same situation and recouped my loss at a later date when the package turned up.

You might also look into filing a package recall. If FedEx or USPS locates it, they can return it to you (for a fee).

[toml1318]

I appreciate you saying that. I’ll do that.

[stephenmorgan]

I receive stuff often from FedX and I do not know why, but on the merchants website the items never show delivered.

I received this item on May 10th but it still says in route.  It had a estimated delivery date of May 13.

Maybe your item will still show up.

[asset_liquidators]

As someone who has used fedex almost exclusively for nearly 21 years I can tell you this, don't ever use fedex. I was always an extremely loyal fedex customer and flat out refused to use UPS. Now I use UPS almost exclusively.

Fedex has become one of the most corrupt corporations in existence. They were always difficult when filing a claim but I could always get them to pay. About 1 1/2 years ago when I had to file my last claim for a lost package they denied the claim even though they said it was lost and for me to file a claim. I filed a complaint with my States Attorney General which is what I had always done when they denied a claim and they would suddenly approve the claim. This time they didn't. Instead, a very arrogant senior paralegal responded to the complaint and said they don't have to answer to the Attorney General because they have no jurisdiction over them and spouted some **bleep** about protection under the Tarmac agreement. 

I just decided to quit using them after that but I did recently send a letter to fedex corporate office congratulating the paralegal on her refusal to pay out on that $500 claim and pointing out that to date it has cost them just under $20k in business and counting.

I would still recommend filing a complaint with your State AG against fedex (your buyer nor ebay have any culpability in the loss).  

Anyway, sorry to hear you are going through this and hope you can recover the money owed to you by fedex.

[toml1318]

Thank you @asset_liquidators  for your suggestion to reach out to the AG and for sharing you history. 

[wastingtime101]

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@asset_liquidators wrote:

I would still recommend filing a complaint with your State AG against fedex (your buyer nor ebay have any culpability in the loss).  

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OP hasn't filed their claim yet. They still have 20 days on the waiting period before they can file.

The main issue is they have $100 of included insurance, but they didn't purchase additional coverage for the full value of the $450 item. As long as FedEx pays out the $100, there's no complaint to file.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Did you check with FED EX to make sure that the drop box is in use?  Perhaps your box is still inside.  Someone recently made a post about dropping off a package in a drop box that was no longer being used and it took them a bit of legwork to get the box back.  Find out if that is an active drop box.  Let me know if your box is found inside.  

[dqdistribution]

The claim limit is the default that is included ?

Does seller get option when he created label to add insurance?

Personally I never do, figure I'll eventually pay more for the insurance than I actually will lose.

Then again, i wouldn't dare add fedex to my listings.