Items arrived broke

Question

I am a new seller. The items I sent arrived broken. The buyer is asking how to file a claim with the post office. How do I help the buyer?

mr_lincoln · Answer

Hi @alma-797104

-Did you ask the Buyer to send pictures of both the damaged item AND the damaged packaging for your records???

-With regard to who can file an insurance claim please note the following:

"Either the sender or the recipient may file a claim for insured mail that is lost, arrived damaged, or was missing contents. The person filing must have the original mailing receipt. Each claim must be filed within a certain time period and include proof of insurance, value, and damage."

File a Claim | USPS

mudshark61369 · Answer

@alma-797104 , The buyer cannot file a claim with the P.O. for shipping damage, only you as the sender can. What you need to do is immediately tell them to save the package its packing materials and the items, because the USPS may want them to determine if they are responsible or not. Then ask them for some photos of the items and the package if it has signs of damage, because you will need them to prove your case with the USPS. Then you need to ask the buyer to file a not as described dispute. Once they do that issue a refund. You never make a buyer wait for a refund in these situations, you refund them and deal with the shipper. Once you have done that you need to go to the USPS site, and file a claim for damaging the items during shipping. They may ask for photos of the damage, and/or may want to pick up the item and its packaging from the buyer's location. It can take 30 days or more for them to determine if they will accept responsibility and issue a refund, or not. Good Luck.