refund

[stewwaldan]

I have a customer that purchased a figurine from me, I shipped it double boxed and put "fragile" stickers on all six sides and circled stickers with a black marker, she received the figurine broken and notified me, I told her it was insured through USPS and she needed to file a damage report with them, she said no that was my responsibility, I don't think so!  

[aproudparent2010]

Your buyer is right.

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.

Your buyer doesn't have that....you do

[aproudparent2010]

All your buyer has to do is file a claim with eBay and get their refund...but if you want to be difficult that's fine but you won't win.

[nobody*s_perfect]

1. "Fragile" stickers mean nothing. Most sorting is done by machinery.  You must package your item to withstand a 10-foot drop and a 20-pound package landing on top of it.

2. What your buyer said is correct: YOU should file the insurance claim.    

3. You are responsible to get the item into your buyer's hands in the same condition as it was listed. Your buyer doesn't need insurance, they are covered by eBay. Here's a link to eBay's buyer protection  policy, which they call the "Money Back Guarantee":

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

[stewwaldan]

how do I file or where do I go to file an insurance claim if the item is not going to be returned do to damage? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

You can file the claim online. If they have sent you any images of the damages and packaging, you can include those in your claim, but USPS frequently demands that the package recipient must take the item with packaging to their Post Office for verification, so ask your buyer to keep them for a while. Most claims get denied due to inadequate packaging, unless there is visible damage to the box itself (perforations, tire tracks, etc.).

https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm

[aproudparent2010]

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@stewwaldan wrote:

how do I file or where do I go to file an insurance claim if the item is not going to be returned do to damage? 

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You can do it online. Did the buyer provide any pictures of the damage? If so include those in the claim.

Do keep in mind unless the box shows considerable damage your claim will probably be denied and considered inadequate packaging by you.

[12345jamesstamps]

Did buyer send a photo of broken item? Although they don't need to send a photo there's no harm in asking. You are responsible for packing it and it not breaking in transit...not the USPS fault. You should refund buyer if it is indeed broken. And getting the USPS refund might take longer and upset the buyer waiting for the refund. If no photo of broken item...my own opinion..my own opinion...make buyer return item to see said item is actually broken...of course you have to pay postage. If you see a photo of item broken I would refund buyer right away so they don't get upset waiting for their refund. 

I see a past issue with a broken item per the feedback. I would do a refund after returned item where you pay postage...if no photo of broken item was sent to you. Anyone can take a photo with their phone these days and send it per eBay email.

[pargran3]

I never use fragile stickers. You can, of course, pay extra for a fragile special handling sticker.

Otherwise marking something fragile means zip. The package has to be packed to survive normal handling. Period.

Double boxing is not the end all be all either. It is the packaging inside the box that matters.

[spark-chaser1]

If I thought I could protect myself in traffic by putting "fragile" stickers on my bumpers and draw a sharpie circle around my car on the street I'd do it.

Just as effective as doing it on a package being shipped in the mail.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Do what the others stated. You need to be careful if you write fragile. The post office might slap on an additional charge for "special handling."   I never write fragile.  The machines don't read . They don't care.  Your 2 ounce box can travel on the same conveyor belt as a 50 lb. box.    How is that 2-ounce box going to survive being dumped into a bin and then a second later, the 50 lb. box drops on top of it?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@ms.rodriguez* wrote: .... You need to be careful if you write fragile. The post office might slap on an additional charge for "special handling."   ...

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The fee for "Fragile" special handling  was imposed only if you used the special sticker provided by USPS. The sticker no longer appears on the order form for ordering supplies from USPS, and there's no reference to it in recent editions of the official USPS rates publication (Notice 123),  so it has apparently been discontinued. I couldn't find any reference to it in the DMM.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Fragile stickers, writing etc. does NOT matter. Does NOT admonish the Sellers responsibility. Seldom, does 'insurance' cover 'breakage' as they will just state 'poor packaging'- unless the buyer reports it to the carrier or postal service RIGHT AWAY and there is OBVIOUS damage to the box itself.

As noted by others, NONE of this is the responsibility of the Buyer. The SELLER must report, and only if the buyer agrees to 'contact' or 'show' to the postal service that same day/very next day, would something be done. 

But, no matter what- the SELLER gets reimbursed therefore the SELLER needs to either reimburse the buyer.

[chapeau-noir]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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@ms.rodriguez* wrote: .... You need to be careful if you write fragile. The post office might slap on an additional charge for "special handling."   ...

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The fee for "Fragile" special handling  was imposed only if you used the special sticker provided by USPS. The sticker no longer appears on the order form for ordering supplies from USPS, and there's no reference to it in recent editions of the official USPS rates publication (Notice 123),  so it has apparently been discontinued. I couldn't find any reference to it in the DMM.

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@nobody*s_perfect   I'm sorry I can't locate it right now, but in a postal 'update' I did indeed read that the Fragile special handling option (with the special sticker and fee) was being eliminated - I think it's part of the streamlining initiative.  I checked after I also couldn't find the sticker or paid service on the USPS site.

ETA: It took me a little time to dig up.  I'm not sure if they decided that the extra fee for the special handling didn't pay for it or what.

[fab_finds4u]

You should reimburse the buyer ASAP and you be the one to wait on insurance.