Shipping insurance?

[46and2]

In recent years I've seen more options to pay high insurance fees at checkout. I'm buying bullets and wondering if this is reasonable.

It seems to me if you are already paying shipping costs it's the responsibility of the seller to pack the item accordingly for proper shipping and the shipper to care for the item. In the past if I sell something I'll pay insurance at the PO to insure the item is delivered in tact.

Is it reasonable for me the buyer to pay twice as high shipping rates just to expect the item to arrive like it's supposed to??

 

[Walt Krafft]

Shipping insurance is a complete waste of money. If your package does not arrive intact, it was because it was not packaged correctly.

 

[JimPag]

In recent years I've seen more options to pay high insurance fees at checkout. I'm buying bullets and wondering if this is reasonable.

It seems to me if you are already paying shipping costs it's the responsibility of the seller to pack the item accordingly for proper shipping and the shipper to care for the item. In the past if I sell something I'll pay insurance at the PO to insure the item is delivered in tact.

Is it reasonable for me the buyer to pay twice as high shipping rates just to expect the item to arrive like it's supposed to??

Walt is right it is a complete waste of money. Last year a friend of mine sold me 2 NF 15-55 Comp scopes and 2500 6MM Match bullets from Maryland to Maine. He put 2K worth of insurance on the package and when it arrived up here from UPS it was left in a snowbank for a couple of days down the hill from me in front of my neighbor's gate because unless you have 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive they cannot make it to my residence. Well when I picked up the box it felt light and there was a hole in the side of the box where 2000 bullets did an exit nowhere to be found. He never recouped the money for the lost bullets even though he had 2 grand worth of insurance. Years ago this woman who was working at my local post office said to me that it's a waste of money buying insurance on a package because they come up with every excuse in the book why they are not going to pay you when something happens with your stuff. I've shipped a lot of rifles that I sold or I had worked on all over the country and not once did I put any insurance on any of it and no problems as of yet and I exclusively use the USPS for all my shipping.

 

[David Milisock]

I have no experience with shipping insurance when ordering from someone but when shipping my product I had 2 incidents where it paid off in a big way for a total of over $9,000.

 

[Big Mc]

In recent years I've seen more options to pay high insurance fees at checkout. I'm buying bullets and wondering if this is reasonable.

It seems to me if you are already paying shipping costs it's the responsibility of the seller to pack the item accordingly for proper shipping and the shipper to care for the item. In the past if I sell something I'll pay insurance at the PO to insure the item is delivered in tact.

Is it reasonable for me the buyer to pay twice as high shipping rates just to expect the item to arrive like it's supposed to??

Never buy the usps insurance. You will get screwed when you need to use it. I have meny stories of people getting NOTHING. Tommy Mc

 

[Bc'z]

I stopped insuring packages through USPS after 2 claims were denied for damage to contents. Both were packed real good "so I thought" claims were denied to improper packaging, even with the assistance of my post master in filing and disputing claims.
All this led me to the conclusion that the insurance was a "scam" to get more $$
to ship the same package to the same location.
If the customer wants additional insurance, that's on them, along with any claims that need to be filed.

I hear comments all the time about my packaging, and the time it takes to unwrap the contents.....
That's my insurance to the customer.

 

[TZaun]

I stopped insuring packages through USPS after 2 claims were denied for damage to contents. Both were packed real good "so I thought" claims were denied to improper packaging, even with the assistance of my post master in filing and disputing claims.
All this led me to the conclusion that the insurance was a "scam" to get more $$
to ship the same package to the same location.
If the customer wants additional insurance, that's on them, along with any claims that need to be filed.

I hear comments all the time about my packaging, and the time it takes to unwrap the contents.....
That's my insurance to the customer.

You do a great job of packaging Brett. At first I thought it was the nesting box trick but I did finally find a stock in there. I still chuckle thinking about what Shawn did to you.

 

[FNSafari]

In recent years I've seen more options to pay high insurance fees at checkout. I'm buying bullets and wondering if this is reasonable.

It seems to me if you are already paying shipping costs it's the responsibility of the seller to pack the item accordingly for proper shipping and the shipper to care for the item. In the past if I sell something I'll pay insurance at the PO to insure the item is delivered in tact.

Is it reasonable for me the buyer to pay twice as high shipping rates just to expect the item to arrive like it's supposed to??

when your bullet maker ships bullets they are FOB...free on board, meaning that if they are lost that is your loss if not insured....unless the shipper or you buy insurance.

 

[CjC73]

I agree, USPS insurance is a waste, like many have said, they make you jump through hoops only to get denied. What I don't understand is sellers stating, "insurance is on the buyer". They expect the buyer to pay for something that is dependent on their packing skills so when it shows up busted/missing, the buyer has to deal with the carrier. No thanks. I pay for the item as seen in the photos/description, if it doesn't show up in same condition, that's on the seller and only the seller to refund and correct the misfortune. I've been on both ends.

 

[tred1956]

I agree with what has been said so far. If item is damaged, you are pretty much out of luck. However, I have had two items shipped USPS that were LOST. Both were valued at several hundred dollars each and I had a check within 4 days of filing claim for both of them in the full value declared.
Safe shooting and Shipping LOL
Doug

 

[Bc'z]

You do a great job of packaging Brett. At first I thought it was the nesting box trick but I did finally find a stock in there. I still chuckle thinking about what Shawn did to you.

I hope Tom likes Peanuts. Lol

 

[mercs430]

I stopped insuring packages through USPS after 2 claims were denied for damage to contents. Both were packed real good "so I thought" claims were denied to improper packaging, even with the assistance of my post master in filing and disputing claims.
All this led me to the conclusion that the insurance was a "scam" to get more $$
to ship the same package to the same location.
If the customer wants additional insurance, that's on them, along with any claims that need to be filed.

I hear comments all the time about my packaging, and the time it takes to unwrap the contents.....
That's my insurance to the customer.

Brett, you can put me on the list of countless people who have received a stock from you!

 

[rockhound78]

Guy shipped me 1600 bullets. Package finally came in all torn up and re-taped. Maybe 10 bullets left in the box. Told shipper and he refunded the money for the bullets, but not shipping. He filed a claim with the PO within 3 days, with pics I sent him, of the box.
USPS denied the claim as having been filed too late.

Wish he would have put the bullets in a Tyvek envelope you can get at the PO, before packing in a box. Tough to tear one of those open.

 

[RGRobinett]

My shipping packages are nearly, "bullet proof" - still, for many packages, to recoup [potentially] lost materials and time, I pay for insurance - NOT my customers. If required by the vendor, to pay insurance, I'd be looking elsewhere.

My customers, on small orders (less than $450 total) pay the shipping - on normal orders ( >$450.00), I pay both shipping, and if feel the need, insurance.

That said, I'm not going to pay for/supply porch piracy! Therefore, though a little bit of a pain, often, my stuff is shipped with a "signature required". If someone does not want to sign, then the risk is on his back.

In my line of work, the materials are only replaceable about every 12-15 months, which makes for expensive inventory AND difficult planning! RG

 

[LarryDScott]

Insurance is a scam through any carrier. They have a choice to pay or not to pay. Guess which way they will lean. With the US mail you do have one option, your US Congress person in your state. I took that route on a USPS claim, and I finally got paid. Remember this: the protection racket was and is a big part of the criminal empire. The carriers insurance is nothing other than an ILLEGAL service, because you are buying their policy so their employee doesn't MISHANDLE you package. Of all the packages I mailed, insurance w/always a customers option, and that cost was on them. LDS

 

[46and2]

Insurance is a scam through any carrier. They have a choice to pay or not to pay. Guess which way they will lean. With the US mail you do have one option, your US Congress person in your state. I took that route on a USPS claim, and I finally got paid. Remember this: the protection racket was and is a big part of the criminal empire. The carriers insurance is nothing other than an ILLEGAL service, because you are buying their policy so their employee doesn't MISHANDLE you package. Of all the packages I mailed, insurance w/always a customers option, and that cost was on them. LDS

I guess I should reiterate, this is from a retail store, they want $14 for non insured and $34 for insurance for 1000 bullets.

 

[M-61]

Shipping insurance is a complete waste of money. If your package does not arrive intact, it was because it was not packaged correctly.

Has anyone ever collected on an insurance claim from USPS?
I guess I can add FedEx or UPS also but I don’t know about them.

 

[RGRobinett]

Has anyone ever collected on an insurance claim from USPS?
I guess I can add FedEx or UPS also but I don’t know about them.

On the occasions where a package was "lost", the USPS has paid promptly and, when shown the postal receipt, and original invoice, with customer address, without further question. UPS and Fed-X not without hassle and delay. RG

 

[M-61]

On the occasions where a package was "lost", the USPS has paid promptly and, when shown the postal receipt, and original invoice, with customer address, without further question. UPS and Fed-X not without hassle and delay. RG

Well I now know someone who was paid by the USPS. Actually I don’t know him but now have heard someone was. I couldn’t even get a postal money order cashed at the post office. But nice for him that he collected .
Interesting first sentence.

 

[rijndael]

We have a small home business and ship a few thousand packages per year. We generally pick the cheapest option for each destination, it's mostly USPS and UPS. We had a short time where a number of packages weren't delivered. We identified that all of the ones lost were from this one particular post office, and were when we didn't wait to get a scan receipt. Once we started getting drop-off receipts, it's very rare that a package is completely lost, maybe one or two a year. We self insure them, we just count it as a loss and re-make and ship it. The headache of trying to file a claim simply isn't worth it.