Wondering if there are other sellers experiencing this problem:
I have never had an issue with a denied damaged item claim through the USPS until now. In the past, I have filed online with everything they ask for--damage photos (I expressly ask for these in my listing if the customer claims damage), proof of value, etc. and never had a problem receiving compensation for the insured package. Now USPS sends me a letter telling me that my claim will be denied if the broken item is not physically taken to a post office for inspection! I did review the USPS policy online and found this to be true, although the customer service person I spoke with on the phone had no idea when this went into effect.
How are we supposed to do that if the item is in the possession of the buyer? USPS customer service actually told me that I should state in my listings that if there is an issue with damage that they (the customer) should save all packaging material and take the item to the post office office for inspection. In other words, I would have to place the burden on my customer to receive compensation for the item which (if you are a seller, you know) is nuts. Whenever a customer provides me with photo proof of a damaged item, I refund them immediately and I do the insurance claim push ups to cover the loss.
I have been selling on ebay for quite a while now--a lot of the items I sell are glass, making them highly susceptible to breakage upon shipment. I have sold a LOT of items and my damage claims are very low in proportion to the volume that I sell. I package very well--as a matter of fact, I got a message from a buyer just the other day with pictures of the USPS box sent that was severely damaged (it actually looked like someone ran over it and took a box cutter to it) but they were happy the item was thankfully undamaged!
I understand that the USPS must be in a tight spot right now--they have raised rates, and appear to be tightening the purse strings; however, I feel this is pretty harsh. I don't believe the vast majority of buyers/sellers are trying to game their insurance claims process.
USPS insurance is a hedge for me and I'm not sure if the gamble is worth the price. I was actually pretty lucky with this incident--the damage claim I had denied was only $20; however, this policy in general may be a gamechanger for me on shipping. Would it be better to ship Fed/Ex or UPS with ebay purchased ship cover insurance? Any thoughts from other sellers. . .
