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Question about shipping

My buyer purchased an item from me for $128. She selected First Class shipping, which does not include liability insurance. If something goes wrong in shipping, what is my responsibility for reimbursement? Thank you in advance! Mary Beth

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Question about shipping

You are responsible if you want protection you must buy insurance. It os the sellers responsibility to make sure the item arrives safely.

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Question about shipping


@mbztreasures wrote:

My buyer purchased an item from me for $128. She selected First Class shipping, which does not include liability insurance. If something goes wrong in shipping, what is my responsibility for reimbursement? Thank you in advance! Mary Beth


You are responsible for delivery regardless of whether there is insurance or not. The insurance protects the seller, not the buyer.

 

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Question about shipping


@mbztreasures wrote:

My buyer purchased an item from me for $128. She selected First Class shipping, which does not include liability insurance. If something goes wrong in shipping, what is my responsibility for reimbursement? Thank you in advance! Mary Beth


If the item is damaged in shipping you are liable for the full amount and must refund in full.  Depending on just how fragile the item is, invest in very good packaging and ship as needed by weight.  (Best practice is to double box fragile items.)  Usually you are not covered for breakage or damage by USPS unless there is clear damage from some outside force on the package and USPS marked the box as so.  So it makes little difference shipping first class or some other class that does have insurance.

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Question about shipping

You are liable to give the buyer a full refund.   Here's a link to eBay's buyer protection  policy, which they call the "Money Back Guarantee".  So if you want protection, you need to insure the package.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

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Question about shipping

You can always upgrade to Priority and pay that difference in order to get some insurance included.   I do that sometimes to make myself feel better if I regret having offered 1st class.

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Question about shipping

You are accountable if something goes wrong.  If you want insurance, you can pay an additional fee on top of the postage fee.

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Question about shipping

The U.S. Uniform Commercial Code, Perfect Tender Rule. requires "perfect tender" by the seller;  that is,  delivery of the goods to the buyer, and those goods must precisely meet the terms of the contract.

 

That's why you buy insurance, so that if something is damaged and you must refund the customer you are then reimbursed by the carrier.   The buyer has a contract with you, and you have a contract with the carrier for safe delivery.

 

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Question about shipping


@fern*wood wrote:

You can always upgrade to Priority and pay that difference in order to get some insurance included. ...


Usually it's cheaper to pay for the insurance, depending on weight and Zone.  Coverage for $100 costs $3.40.  

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Question about shipping

You are liable as the buyer has the money back guarantee


Insurance is for your protection, not the buyer

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Question about shipping

The shipper is responsible if anything goes wrong. You can always bump up the service to USPS Priority to have some insurance. Again if anything goes wrong, you would still have to reimburse the buyer.

 

Now if the parcel is delivered to the buyer's address and the parcel disappears and there is an online delivery scan, then the responsibility pendulum sways to the buyer. 

 

Good luck!

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