eBay

bc2301 · ‎01-31-2021

Sold and shipped a breakable item during tremendous USPS delays via Priority.

3 weeks later the item finally arrived. Buyer was patient, no complaints about delays during the waiting time.

The day of delivery a buyer gets ahold of me. The item arrived broken beyond repair. The picture of the damaged item was provided and a buyer was not exaggerating- it was damaged alright. No damage to outside of the box.

The item was packed well in my opinion- there was no movement, used large bubble wrap and styrofoam blocks... It is actually irrelevant now, really...

So I refund the buyer (full refund obviously), and turn the claim in with USPS. Almost 2 weeks later (yesterday) I received a letter from USPS to present the broken item, box, packing material, etc to local post office along with the letter for further investigation.

I do not have a broken item or said above items (the buyer must of disposed of it long ago)...

Called USPS, was told in a nice way that I was basically "screwed"...

Q: if there anything else I can do to retrieve the monetary loss?

pooh333piglet · ‎01-31-2021

Unfortunately no. Most breakables need double boxing. It stinks to do it. Bubble wrap doesnt work.

Bubble wrap, strong cardboard or a box then packed in the actual box to be sent with either packing peanuts, air pillows, bubble wrap, styrofoam.

Newspaper doesn't work. Just the fact it doesn't move around is Not good enough.

Its kind of a seller lesson we all learn when 1st shipping out breakables.

penguins_dont_fly · ‎01-31-2021

@pooh333piglet wrote:
Unfortunately no. Most breakables need double boxing. It stinks to do it. Bubble wrap doesnt work.
Bubble wrap, strong cardboard or a box then packed in the actual box to be sent with either packing peanuts, air pillows, bubble wrap, styrofoam.
Newspaper doesn't work. Just the fact it doesn't move around is Not good enough.
Its kind of a seller lesson we all learn when 1st shipping out breakables.

Please don't use air pillows for packing fragile items. Those things can and do pop or just leak the air out and leave the item rattling around in the box.

penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
Buying and Selling since 2013

pooh333piglet · ‎01-31-2021

I do use them in addition to other packing materials. I get your point but I've been packing for over 20 yrs. I use all kinds of stuff. Depends what dumpster I get it from. LoL

Kidding...kind of...

lja440 · ‎01-31-2021

If there was no damage to the outside of the box then the only thing that could have happened is that whatever you used as packing materials either compressed allowing for movement or in the case of air pillows the air leaked (which can happen during flight and the change in air pressures), (my hubby was a truck driver, he used an air mattress on top of the thin bunk matress in his truck. Going over the Rockies he forgot to let some air out and it actually popped). Either way this allows the item to beat its self against the inside of the box and break.

The only other option is that your buyer got a free replacement item for something that they had previously broken.

glgenterprise · ‎01-31-2021

This isn't what you're going to want to hear, but... probably not.

This is why I ask buyers to hold onto everything, item, packaging, box, etc... for a couple of weeks if I have to open a damage claim with any shipping service.

You can try appealing the request, but you're not likely going to get anywhere with it. I'm a little surprised that they want to inspect it - I've not had to do anything for a damage claim with USPS in several years other than to submit the form. So long as it is less than $100, they've just paid me out. But I ship hundreds of packages a month and have had less than half a dozen claims in the last several years, so that may have something to do with it.

bc_ca-25 · ‎01-31-2021

my 3rd ever "damaged" claim.... the 2 before (a while back) got approved fast with online claim. I wasn't worried about this one - proof of insurance, pic of damaged goods were provided, just like before. So I didn't think much of it untill yesterday. That's why it was even in my mind to ask to buyer to hold on to anything.

bc_ca-25 · ‎01-31-2021

oh, and it is under $100

*smedley* · ‎01-31-2021

@penguins_dont_fly wrote:

Please don't use air pillows for packing fragile items. Those things can and do pop or just leak the air out and leave the item rattling around in the box.

i found that out the hard way... $10 yard sale purchase, sold for $100 a week later on here, not protected by air pillows... nice $70-80 profit turned into a $20-30 loss...

teamstandy · ‎11-15-2021

Little late to the game on this one, but wanted to toss in my experience for anyone filing a USPS claim in the future. I had a glass "beer boot" (literally a glass boot from Germany about 3' tall). It was packed securely and there was NO damage to the outside of the box, yet the tip of the toe got broke (and the pics the buyer sent show the glass was at 1/4" to 3/8" thick, so I still don't know how it broke.

Anyway, I filed a claim using the pics the buyer sent me of the box and boot. Not even two weeks later I received a check covering my claim. To say I was shocked would be an understatement lol I thought they'd put up a fight for some reason (despite the pics). Mine was NOT double boxed. Guess I got lucky in this case and was reimbursed with no hassles.