Poll: How to resove uninsured package loss?

[Ash]

Basically, I tried to buy 2 prisms from a member here, and when I got the package there were no prisms. :undecided:
I paid potatorage $22 for two of the three 4" long prisms that he was offering in this thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-chipped-optical-glass-prisms-40261.html
I PM'ed him a question asking for the cost and he replied with "$22 shipped priority". So I paypal'd him the $, and assumed this covered tracking and insurance. :tsk:
So, he sent them on July 12 and I got a smashed box (see pic) in the mail today (July 17), with a note from the USPS inside (see pic) stating that "they damaged my package", and "sorry". The package was not insured and I wanted to get some opinions on who's responsibility postal insurance is; the seller or the recipient? And how should we resolve this?
In all reality, potatorage could have simply sent me an empty box with a notice of lost package from the USPS, rather than the prisms at all. It was securely taped, and I don't see any broken shards of glass or packaging materials at all in the box. :thinking:
So, please offer your opinions.

 

[lasersbee]

The buyer must ask for Insurance... It is not the seller's responsibility to insure your goods.
As to the USPS damaging your package...and saying "Sorry we damaged your package".....
they admit responsibility for the damage and are thereby legally responsible for your loss.....IMO

Jerry

 

[Ash]

The buyer must ask for Insurance... It is not the seller's responsibility to insure your goods.
As to the USPS damaging your package...and saying "Sorry we damaged your package".....
they admit responsibility for the damage and are thereby legally responsible for your loss.....IMO

Jerry

Thanks for the input.
I was never offered insurance, and if he offered insurance, I definitely would have paid a few extra dollars for it. I assumed "shipping and delivery confirmation" included insurance. :cryyy:

 

[rangedunits]

I cannot see any hole from the package..., is it lightweight?

 

[Ash]

I cannot see any hole from the package..., is it lightweight?

Nope, no hole.
It's an empty cardboard box. Yes, it's lightweight.

 

[BrewCityMusic]

This is definitely a grey area, as the USPS will NOT assume liability unless the package was insured ...

It's almost like the "lost" package (which has happened to many of us) - it's why I NEVER ship uninsured and without delivery confirmation, period, to cover my ass. I have had a couple of packages lost in the past, and I had to go good for 100% of the value (lesson learned the hard way) but I've never had a package damaged to the extent the contents were totalled.

Good luck figuring out a solution!

 

[Abolfazl]

Thanks for the input.
I was never offered insurance, and if he offered insurance, I definitely would have paid a few extra dollars for it. I assumed "shipping and delivery confirmation" included insurance. :cryyy:

USPS Priority comes with delivery confirmation (when bought online at least i think). Insurance is extra and not standard. Only USPS Express has insurance included for contents under $200

 

[rangedunits]

I had a couple of package lost, one of them came after 6 months, poor the chocolates inside... had to throw them away.

Recently i had a package from rckrstr that was highly damaged, it had hole under that had tape from canadapost... cough cough.. Hopefully nothing was missing.

-Greg

 

[potatorage]

The box is empty only because it looks like usps ran over it with something... and these boxes are flimsy too, they are very poorly secured, the tape is not mine; usps put it there

 

[rangedunits]

The box is empty only because it looks like usps ran over it with something... and these boxes are flimsy too, they are very poorly secured, the tape is not mine; usps put it there

That is definatly possible, i had an empty package that was seized by customs that only had a letter inside...

 

[Arenared]

let me ask this:

So , if i type out a letter like that , stick it in an empty box and smash it up , i can get away with sending nothing to a buyer?

 

[potatorage]

Can you please explain where the failure in the box is?

 

[Ash]

Can you please explain where the failure in the box is?

Um, failure in the box? :thinking:

 

[potatorage]

Um, failure in the box? :thinking:

Where did it break :O

 

[Ash]

Where did it break :O

It was squished, as you can see in the pic. The box didn't really break, it just kinda' got squished flat. If there were prisms in there, they were probably shattered.
So, now I know. :thanks:
Ask for postal insurance. :undecided:

 

[heruursciences]

What is the shipping weight?