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BrisbaneI am looking for opinions about offering insurance on my shipping. At the moment I make insurance compulsory and it costs US $5.00 but shipping from Australia is already expensive (US $15.00) and as my bears are only selling for about US $50.00 at the moment I was wondering about whether to make insurance optional instead? What do you think?
The only trouble is I would be nervous in case they got lost..... 
although this hasn't happened yet.
Has anyone here ever had a package go missing and had to claim on their insurance?
Posts: 8,574I had a package to Pensylvania take 3 months....and one to NZ seemed to take eons-they found it in a corner after Christmas....mailed in October.....
Usually everything makes it there eventually. But I think insurrance should be part and parcel, whenever possible, of the shipping, and shipping is buyers responsibility,,,,we know, when we buy, where it is coming from and what the risks are...
Whenever offered I take it....
hugs
dilu
Bearz by IlzeI usually insure my parcels (apart from parcels to Canada and Germany as there are no insurance option available from Australia to those countries - the only other option is EMS or international courier and that costs an arm and a leg.....no wait, correction....two arms and one and a half leg.....) .
A few years ago I had a package to Russia 'go missing' and had to fill out a claim form. What the PO then do is to look for the parcel and if it does not turn up in at least 6 months, then only will they pay out your claim. Luckily the parcel turned up 8 weeks later.......turns out that the idjots at the PO had sent the parcel by SEA in error - so as if the AIR MAIL stickers on the box didn't give them a clue. Plus I paid for air mail. They didn't refund me on the shipping though.
Also, did you know that with the tracking number that can only track the parcel within Australia. Once it leaves the country you cannot track it any more (International parcels usually leaves Australia within 2 days). You would then have to phone the post office in the other country to track it for you. Sometimes they are very helpful, but other times they just tell you that they can't help you. You have to lodge a form in your own country to track the parcel. :/
I have to add that all my parcels usually turns up sooner or later. Haven't lost one yet....touch wood!
Sarah, I don't automatically insure my bears, in fact the only one that ever went missing was a $300 bear and it was insured...thank goodness...but I'm wondering if that's why it did get pinched....because it was worth so much..most of the other bears posted have, by request of the buyers, been marked toy bear with a minimal amount written on the customs form....now I only insure them if the buyer asks..
Whoa! That's expensive! The insurance alone is $15? I insured something for $100 going overseas and it cost less than $3.00(the insurance not the shipping).
I would insure it, without a doubt. If you think your buyers might balk, split the cost. Or just raise the cost of your bears a little to cover insurance.
BrisbaneJennifer I'm sorry I might not have been very clear....Insurance costs US $5.00 over here and that is only for up to $100.00 it is the postage that is $15.00
Strange BearsHi Sarah Jane
In that last 3 months I have had 2 local and 1 international parcel go missing.....all have been coming to me. The international one has still not turned up ...posted 3 days after Christmas. The other 2 were bears coming to me. One was personal and one connected with the magazine. I can tell you as the person waiting on them I felt much better that I had taken out insurance. I did not on the international one and I am now most annoyed I hadn't but it was my choice not to.
When I sell anything I offer 2 postage rates or 3 and state the options.
Regular postage XYZ.........Express postage (coverage to x value .........xyz..................and so on.
When I had the shop I posted out nearly $10000 dollars worth of mohair etc to a customer in Sth Africa she told me not to insure it as this drew attention to it.........of course it went missing, or so she said (to this day I feel I was set up!!!). Despite proving I posted it and having proof in writing that she had requested NOT to insure it. She applied to Visa card to have the transaction cancelled AND they DID.
Despite their agreement that I had done nothing wrong but I couldn't prove she hadn't received it...........they took her word over mine and I was the loser. So beware that a buyer can just say it was not received up to 6 months after payment and have the transaction cancelled out of your account........so insurance is for your benefit as well as theirs.
Sarah-Jane, parcels sent with Australia Post have an automatic insurance on them even if you don't pay for extra, I can't remember offhand how much it is but it's below $100, so you may be covered if your bear doesnt go very high. This is domestic too, but the amount is different for domestic I think. I can't remember the exact details of what you need to prove postage, but you might want to check with your local post office.
Ilze if you want to track your parcels once they leave Aus, you could try EMS, more expensive but it's good for peace of mind, you can track that online too.
