Question
I mailed a set of teacups and saucers that arrived damaged. One cup was cracked.
They were well packed and insured. I sent the receipt and form to the buyer and she took them and the package to her local post office.
She has e-mailed me today that they will not pay because the box shows no sign of damage. The cost of the two cups was under $20 so this is not an expensive item.
What do I do now? I mailed two perfect sets, packed them well, and paid for insurance? What can I tell the buyer? Any suggestions as to how to proceed?
Answer
They were well packed and insured.
...that they will not pay because the box shows no sign of damage.
I mailed two perfect sets, packed them well, and paid for insurance....
Exactly one of the two main reasons I went to self-insurance.....if a problem arises, I just pay the claim out of the insurance stash and move on without the headache & heartache from the PTB at the post office. The second reason is when there is money left over at the end of the year....it goes in MY pocket instead of some bigwig's bonus check.
Know you want to hear any other answer than this one Bridget....but sounds like YOU are the one on the hook and get to pay since the PO won't.
Answer
I guess I'm just annoyed that I did everything exactly the way you are supposed to, but I'm still out of luck.
Why do I bother paying for insurance? I think I'll either only ship other carriers, or I'll try the self-insure route.
BTW, they claim the box wasn't damaged and that's why they won't pay. But, can't you drop a box and cause damage to what's inside without denting or crushing the box?
Answer
I am suspicious of any establishment that requires you to purchase insurance against its own negligence.
Maybe your buyer will accept a partial refund? What kind of cups were they? Can they be easily replaced?
Answer
Originally Posted by bridget
But, can't you drop a box and cause damage to what's inside without denting or crushing the box?
And there is the rub. All packages that go through USPS, UPS or FEDEX are dropped, piled on, and subject to jarring and slamming in the normal package handling process. It is considered "normal" handling.
Most of the time, this does not show on the package, but can cause items inside to migrate and eventually find their way to the edge of the package, or to other other items inside. That is why I pack defensively, and hardly ever use USPS insurance. I too self insure and find it is better that way.
Larry
Answer
I suspect that the USPS reason for denying the claim was that they felt the items were insufficiently padded within the package which didn't comply with their Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) regulations concerning packing. USPS is a stickler for their regulations sometimes and when paying a claim, I bet they don a white glove and look for every excuse not to pay.
I bet you don't want to hear that the items were inadequately padded, but I suspect that is what USPS believes. I know you believe otherwise. And I do believe your comment, however, someone in claims at USPS apparently doesn't.
Personally, I have no skin in the issue, I'm only trying to help you ID what and why. Whether you use USPS, go to a third party shipper, or choose to self-insure, or choose a third party insurance like DSI or U-PIC, is totally up to you. If you continue to use USPS, I do suggest re-reading their regulations in their DMM and making sure you are following each to the letter.
And I too suspect that you will wind up paying the buyer and paying all the expenses, without insurance reimbursement, while notifying your CPA that this is a business loss and should be expensed in some manner, for uninsured breakage (insurance didn't pay).
Here are USPS links to try to help with the regulations:
generally
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm#wp1078124
601.4.1 and .2 specifically
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm#wp1064776
denial of claims specific reasons
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/609.htm#wp1097244
http://www.usps.com/customersguide/d...paringPackages
http://www.usps.com/send/preparemail...ngpackages.htm
http://www.usps.com/send/preparemail...suringtips.htm
The last three link general guidelines USPS gives don't even come close to the explicit ones their DMM manual state and that they follow which are the links prior.
I did find one of their reasons particularly enlightening. If the sender or recipient of the item refuses to cooperate with filling out the required claim forms, they will deny the claim. So if you filled out a claim and the buyer refused to help them, they could deny the claim.
One of the things I find some sellers do in packing is that they rely on peanuts and then pack too loosely and they put multiple items loose in that packing. Sometimes they get away with that. Other times they don't because the peanuts shift and fragile items can knock together and break.
Personally, if the items are breakable, I prefer to wrap them heavily in foam wrap layers and if there are more than one, I like to put the foam wrapped item in a box and then pad and put those boxes within the outer box, also with padding.
If after reviewing this, you still feel you've been had by USPS, you can appeal their claim ruling. Those appeal rules are in DMM 609.6.
Had you sent these via third party carrier, they have more specific rules for packing which might help too. Generally, I'd think any packing done should conform to a composite of all three shippers if you use all three:
FedEx:
http://www.fedex.com/us/services/pdf...r05.pdf?link=4
UPS:
https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/re...nes/index.html
https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/re...reventing.html
Best wishes.
Dennis
Answer
FYI, they had no complaint about the packing. I used PLENTY of bubblewrap, carefully taped, and I did double box.
My husband laughed at my packing job and said I could probably ship a dozen raw eggs without a problem!
Seriously, I OVERpack. I've never had a claim before, I have over 900 transactions, and I am frequently complimented on my packaging.
Thats what annoys me. I definitely packsged these delicate items carefully. Even the outer box was one of those doublewall cardboard boxes.
The USPS response was not that the package was inadequately packed, but that there was NO damage to the box!
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Lesson for next time (which hopefully there won't be, but with any of the shippers, it's likely) tell the customer to crunch a side of the box before proceeding to the PO with the claim!...They wanna play stupid, well then we can all do the same!
Answer
Originally Posted by bridget
What do I do now? I mailed two perfect sets, packed them well, and paid for insurance? What can I tell the buyer? Any suggestions as to how to proceed?
I'd send the buyer another cup if I had one, or a $10 refund if I didn't, and let it go at that.
I don't think getting into a dispute with the post office (which would also require the assistance of the buyer) over $10 is worth the time or aggravation it would involve.
Answer
Tell her to take it to a different post office. We all know you can visit six different ones in a day a get six different answers to a question.