eBay

oaxaca_imported · ‎08-27-2018

In the pass year I have had an adnormal amount of potential buyers requesting for their package to be insured. I am confused by this since purchasing insurance only protects me and not them. Is this some sort of scam or am I missing something completely?

On a related note, I understand that I am not allowed to charge buyers for insurance, however since they are the ones requesting I purchase the insurance, am I allowed to charge them under these circumstances?

emerald40 · ‎08-27-2018

Insurance is for the benefit of the seller, not the buyer.

So buyer maybe confused as to why he needs to purchase it.

Did you ask?

.

But yes, if he wants it he can pay for it.

You cannot list is separately, just roll it into shipping and handling.

oaxaca_imported · ‎08-27-2018

The problem with including it into shipping and handling is that they normally ask for me to purchase inurance after we agree on the price, so if I am not allowed to charge them for insurance under any circumstances, I can't right out tell them I will have to charge more without Ebay find out.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-27-2018

I suspect they want to have the shipment tracked, especially if they are overseas OR do not have someone at home. Which is also a Seller Protection.

If that is the case perhaps a stock response like. "Thank you for your request.

All my shipments are sent Tracked by USPS suprsafeautomagic service and marked Do Not Safe Drop, for your security.
In addition the tracked service includes insurance in transit."

Er, obviously you would include the actual name of the service and if insurance is not included, don't mention it. Covering my substantial butt on that.

The Do Not Safe Drop is one that most buyers are not aware of. It means that the carrier will not leave the parcel unattended for porch pirates. It's free and the best insurance against theft you can get.

Drawback is that, like Signature Confirmation, if no one is there to receive the package, the buyer has to go to the PO to retrieve it. Too bad, so sad.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-27-2018

so if I am not allowed to charge them for insurance under any circumstances, I can't right out tell them I will have to charge more without Ebay find out.

Then include it.

The buyer is allowed to ask for upgraded service. And if insurance is not included in the service, the request is for an upgrade.

And the seller can charge for the upgrade.

The seller is not allowed to charge* for upgrades that are not included in the original sale.

However, if you are getting constant requests, perhaps you should be upgrading your offered shipping service OR including a second more expensive service that includes insurance. You can choose several services when you make up your listing in the Advanced Sell Your Item form.

*From time to time I will upgrade my shipping service, on my own dime, when I have doubts about the honesty of my customer. But I pay for that,not him. Self-insurance, if you will.

tiramisu41 · ‎08-27-2018

@oaxaca_imported, given the type and cost of the usual items you are selling, as a prospective buyer, I would feel a lot more comfortable if you were insuring any items I may buy from you. (Even though I understand, the insurance is for your benefit, not mine.)

But a couple of other observations...

1) Given the type/size of items you usually offer, I don't see how they could be shipped First Class. Therefore, they would need to go Priority Mail. Do you realize if you buy your labels for Priority Mail shipments via eBay, $50 of insurance against damage/loss comes automatically, and if you're a Top Rated Seller you get $100 worth of coverage at no additional cost to you?

2) Since many of your items sell for more than $50-$100, do you realize how little it costs to purchase additional insurance for the full value of your item? ShipCover insurance costs only $1.65 for each $100 worth of coverage. More details can be found here: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipcover/shipping-insurance-shipcover?id=4643

If I were you, I'd pay the $3 or so for full coverage and either eat it or roll it into your item cost. Then, I would include a brief mention in your description that says something like: "Priority Mail shipping with insurance via USPS." It would cost you comparatively little, but give your potential buyers a level of comfort/assurance that apparently they would like to know/have given the kind of inquiries you've received. A very small cost which could very possibly benefit you in increased buyer confidence and sales.

emerald40 · ‎08-27-2018

@oaxaca_imported wrote:
The problem with including it into shipping and handling is that they normally ask for me to purchase inurance after we agree on the price, so if I am not allowed to charge them for insurance under any circumstances, I can't right out tell them I will have to charge more without Ebay find out.

I should have worded it better.

Roll it into your shipping on all new listings - especially if you are getting a lot of requests for it.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎08-27-2018

@oaxaca_imported wrote:
The problem with including it into shipping and handling is that they normally ask for me to purchase inurance after we agree on the price, so if I am not allowed to charge them for insurance under any circumstances, I can't right out tell them I will have to charge more without Ebay find out.

You are allowed to charge for listing upgrades that the buyer requests.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎08-27-2018

@reallynicestamps wrote:
... Do Not Safe Drop is one that most buyers are not aware of. It means that the carrier will not leave the parcel unattended for porch pirates. It's free and the best insurance against theft you can get....

That term is used by Canada Post and maybe Australia, but not by the USPS.

m60driver · ‎08-27-2018

The masses simply do not understand that such insurance protects the seller and not the buyer. You need to hold their hand and gently explain that Ebay's guarantees are their insurance without making them feel stupid. Good luck.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-27-2018

@nobody*s_perfect

But there is such a service, right? What does USPS call it?

It seems like a basic common sense thing to do especially in some neighbourhoods. Like one with those roadside mailboxes which I find peculiar and insecure. And the carrier raises a flag to tell thieves that there is something to steal? Odd.

oaxaca_imported · ‎08-27-2018

I am not so much concerned about paying for the insurance myself, rather I am concerned that this may be a new scam that I have yet to hear of. I only feel this way because in my 8 years as a seller, these request have only been appearing in the pass year and in a similar matter as well. We haggle on the price, we agree on the price and then the buyer ask I purchase insurance.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎08-27-2018

@reallynicestamps wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect

But there is such a service, right? What does USPS call it? ... .

AFAIK, USPS doesn't offer anything like that at no charge. The most economical option would be to spring for Signature Confirmation, which costs $2.55 online.

Carriers are supposed to use their own discretion regarding whether to leave a package vs leaving a pickup slip, based on factors like weather and risk of theft. There might be a form that customers can fill out at the PO to request that ALL of their packages should be held for pickup rather than delivered at the home.

Ages ago, ebay not only condoned the insurance option, there was even a specific line on the invoice form for it. I had a buyer who wanted it (at a cost of $1.35) for a $10 item. She explained that if she wasn't at home to receive a package, an uninsured package would be left on her steps and stolen, but if the package showed that it was insured then the carrier would leave a pickup slip and take it back to the PO. That is NOT how the carrier's discretion is supposed to work, but in that situation, the insurance was a reasonable investment.

tiramisu41 · ‎08-27-2018

@oaxaca_imported wrote:
I am not so much concerned about paying for the insurance myself, rather I am concerned that this may be a new scam that I have yet to hear of. I only feel this way because in my 8 years as a seller, these request have only been appearing in the pass year and in a similar matter as well. We haggle on the price, we agree on the price and then the buyer ask I purchase insurance.

@oaxaca_imported, I have no idea what sort of scam it would be. However, I do know I ship a lot of items that can be damaged in shipment or occasionally are higher in price, and I always make mention in my listings that such items will be shipped via Priority Mail (or whatever) with insurance, and I never once have had a prospective buyer ask about insurance, nor have I ever had to haggle with a buyer and have them demand I insure the shipment after agreeing on price.

Having said that, my damaged shipments have been very few, and when they occur I ask the buyer to send me photos, inform them I will be filing a damage claim, and that the PO may wish to inspect the package/contents so they need to hang on to both until I let them know the claim has been processed.

IOW, I handle getting an insurance claim submitted/processed, not the buyer. I see it as providing quality customer service/stewardship, but it also prevents someone from telling me their item was damaged (and it wasn't), and thnN they can pocket the USPS reimbursement.

If any of them were hoping to pull any funny business, relaying that information and my handling of any damage claims, may well be what disabuses any would-be scammers of that notion, I don't know. Although in fairness, I don't sell in high-scam categories and any buyers I've had who received a damaged shipment have been just as polite/equitable with me as I always try to be with them, but YMMV. HTH

lintbrush* · ‎08-27-2018

You are absolutely allowed to charge for insurance, but it has to be part of the structured listing (either in the item price or in your shipping as a handling charge) and not made "optional."

Far too may sellers were pulling the "well you didn't buy insurance" thing with their buyers when items arrived damaged, and thus eBay has the Money Back Guarantee. So in theory, the item is insured. How you cover that potential loss/expense is up to you - whether it's a self-insurance cookie jar fund or through the carrier or 3rd party insurer.

If the buyer doesn't request insurace you still pay out on damage, correct? So you're guaranteeing the purchase already.