WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BOOTH POLICY STATES YOU MUST INSURE YOUR ITEM UP UNTIL $100.00, if you want...

all mine over $25 have to be insured

so, anything I list over that I include it in the shipping cost to begin with and state it in the listing

since we do not do invoices and there was no way for the buyer to add it…well, she couldn’t

and even if you stated optional and put in your listing it was to be bought and she didn’t

you are the seller, you are the one on the hook… insurance is to cover you not them

it was your responsibility to purchase it… paid for by them or not… it is up to you to get it there in one piece

they have returned the item and now give the refund

Hi
here is my 2 cents on this.

You should either require insurance as part of your listing with the buyer paying for it or pay for it yourself in the future.

A seller is responsible to get the item to the buyer intact.
Things do happen in transit, so if you can not afford to take the loss, insure the items.

If you received your item back and it is damaged, you should refund the buyer to make them whole again.

That is what I would do.
Good luck

If you send anything that if fragile or prone to damage, it is a good idea to have it insured. I have included the cost of postage in the price of most of my items. The fee that shows in my postage price is the cost of insurance. I am slowly editing my listings to show free shipping and then choosing insurance as either optional or required.
I would think that if you have it in your policies that shipping under $100 is optional that when they checked out, they ELECTED not to insure the package. If that is the case, then I do not think you are liable for the damage.
Of course, they are going to leave you less than stellar feedback for packaging since the item was damaged.
You will have to decide what their feedback is worth to you.
Just my opinion.
You might want to amend your shipping policy to state that if the buyer chooses not to purchase insurance when it is offered that any damage will not be covered by you and will not be cause for negative feedback. (They will probably leave it, anyway.)
Alice Sisk, Something Old

SOMETHING OLD-Fine vintage silver, porcelain, glass, linens & laces
http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/alicesisk

I don’t require insurance, it is optional if they buyer should request it. However, every item I ship is shipped with Delivery Confirmation.

This has happened to me and in order to protect my feedback I refunded their money… it hurt but it saved my feedback scores. this was on -bay when I sold there.

I quote the current USPS costs for the particular item… usually around 1.50 – 1.80 most people don’t mind paying it.

I require insurance on ALL breakable items… and shiping costs/insurance are non refundable.

Also I state this policy on ALL my items descriptions, so its there on everything…

1 bad feedback can ruin your good seller reputation…

Sheila

Also, here’s another tip on the ‘policy’ thing. Just because you list something in your ‘policy’ doesn’t mean someone read it.

I know a lot of people don’t read policies.

You have to have a disclaimer on every item. This way they will see it with the item.

For example… I use to work for a bank handling the Visa/MC merchants (people who accepted credit cards). They are told by V/MC to put their V/MC signage, return policy, etc. on the slip you had to sign. If the merchant did not want to do refunds, the words no refunds had to be right near where you sign the credit card receipt. Merchants would tell me… ‘but it was on the register’. True, but the customer will say, ‘I didn’t see it’. V/MC will side will side with the customer EVERY TIME.

COVER YOURSELF… list important policy info on every listing. (interestingly, something I also don’t do.)

God bless!

Pugs:

I agree with you. But not a fair policy IMO. Why should a seller be responsible if a buyer does not want to insure their purchase?

Additionally, with shipping costs being as high as they are, to incorporate insurance costs which increases the total shipping cost, might just turn buyers away.

It’s a tough decision.

It really doesnt matter what your policy states, You are responsible for getting the item safely to your customer, You should include the cost of insurance in your shipping cost on that item.

sorry this happened to you

I totally disagree with the idea that the seller is require to deliver the item in one piece to the buyer, Common sence says buyer must insure items against loss or damage.I’ve heard this argument before.You are required to properly package the item so as to withstand normal handling by the carrier.There is no way you can control how you item is abused during transit to the buyer.

Pugs and AComfyNight are absolutely correct. It is the sellers responsiblity to get the item safely to the buyer and the sellers responsiblity to have the insurance. Not the buyer.

You can put any disclaimer in there you want to and still PP with side with the buyer on a claim because you are responsible for getting the item to the buyer intact. They can dispute the condition or say it is dirty and could lose as long as you have good pictures and description, etc., but if it is damaged/broken before they receive it or they do not receive it, they almost always win.

I personally agree with Vintagemaven’s post. I would refund and hope that with the good service the buyer would do business with me again. I try to look at as if I were a buyer, and I would be very disappointed to receive a damaged item and then be forced to fight for a refund. I would also be much more likely to shop with the seller again if they handled the situation in a pleasant manner.

@mypiy:

Bingo! Same has happened to me. Hence, the Delivery Confirmation.

So many points of view. Interesting also.

If you are selling a $2.00 item, how in the world can you be expected to pay the insurance cost also? According to my calculations, you would take a loss.

I always require insurance on everything. If they don’t want to they don’t buy. The seller loses out on that one and some buyers don’t care so it’s best to insure everything.