Envelop (and product) damaged by Post Office
I received a first day cover the other day that the post office admitted to having damaged. It came in a plastic bag that the post office provided noting that delivered product was damaged by them. It must have been dropped in a puddle of water as the envelop was completely soaked through. It wasn't an expensive item ($6) but do I have any financial recourse with the postal service? Is it worth my time go to the post office to make any type of claim to get reimbursed for the cost of the product and shipping?
Don't want to make a trip to the post office for nothing....
Thanks.
Don't want to make a trip to the post office for nothing....
Thanks.
Comments
I don't understand what you mean by "lets all be realistic". Please explain. In this situation, I applaud the buyer for not looking toward the seller for reimbursement. My guess is that PayPal would reimburse him because he didn't receive his merchandise in good condition. I doubt the PO will provide any financial help. As a seller, I wouldn't like "eating" the cost, but that is reality. Fortunately, the PO does deliver most mail without problems, otherwise no one could afford to be in business or make $6.00 purchases which cost $12.29.
If you have only lost 1 letter/package over 58 years, you have been extremely lucky. I know many people have not had your luck, including me. Letters/packages coming to me have been lost, even one valuable parcel which the seller made good to me. I get several buyers each year also claiming non-receipt. While some of those claims might no be true, I'm also sure that some are true.
On a side note, my dad retired from the post office, so I do appreciate the hard work they do.
A buyer the other day accused me of 'ripping him off', because his stamp never arrived.
It was $1.92 stamp w/ free shipping. He said, I should have out tracking on it for just a little more.
Yeah, sorry, nobody wants to pay for that.
I told him: With almost 1 Million items shipped in my online selling career, I NEVER ripped anyone off. I sent a replacement and wished him well.
First time this happens since I started selling stamps and postcards. How much did i 'save' not buyingh tracking on all the cheap stuff? Totally worth replacing the item for about 60 cents actual cost. (Photo mailer and postage, the stamp was basically almost free in a bulk purchase).
As a responsible seller, I would reimburse the O.P.s purchase. But that's just me. There is shrinkage everywhere. Just cost of doing business.
I gave up - it was an exercise in futility anyway. So...I refunded the customer - my insurance pays most of the cost anyway.
As the USPS sort of admitted the damage was their fault - then when a similar thing happens in the UK with uninsured mail - if you make enough "noise" and complain to Royal Mail they usually send you a free book of 6 1st. Class postage stamps worth £4.20 but you have to pester them and write at least a couple of times. Is it worth spending all this time? - you decide?
Generally I've found simple envelope losses are in the range of 1/200- 1/300, so having a base S&H fee of $1.25 plus 5c extra for any additional enclosures leaves me happy doing self-insurance, in effect, plastering those bought-at-65%-of face stamps on each envelope.
Another factor I've had in mind when I've paid for these last few insured envelopes is that even though there's not a full delivery confirmation, nor signature requirement, the fact that I can list a tracking number for the buyer and that there's insurance, just might deter a sometimes "dodgy" buyer from outright claiming the purchase never arrived.
Ah, here, let me upload a slightly redacted scan of that last receipt. <img src="https://www.hipstamp.com/forums/uploads/imageupload/761/KSXYGJMXRM68.jpg" alt="a6806X" title="a6806X"/>