Shipped a cast iron park bench piece got a message say its broke. I pack that thing so it couldn't move. I've shipped glass that didn't break.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Shipped a cast iron park bench piece got a message say its broke. I pack that thing so it couldn't move. I've shipped glass that didn't break.
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I would be asking for photos of the damage. You can always say you need them for your claim
~You have to start somewhere to get anywhere~
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Ya they are sending them.
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how'd you ship? usps and fedex is notorious for breaking stuff during shipping.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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i know i sold a computer on ebay once. and shipped it fedex and when it got too the other end it was broken! all the cards were out of there slots,screen cracked!
was good thing i put insurance on it for what i sold it for.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Anything that has a combined sale/shipping cost above about 40 bucks I either get insurance on or ship priority mail (if possible--up to $50 in insurance automatically). I think its worth the extra couple $2-3. Its bailed me out at least once on a nice piece!
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How much have you spent on Insurance in the past 12 months verses how much have you received in payouts?Originally Posted by DakotaRog
I don't waste money on Insurance >> I use the Cookie jar system >> Self Insurance
ESPECIALLY for low value items
If you are packaging the items correctly for shipment >> How many really get damaged? and I can not remember the last "lost" package I had
Assuming a very low sales of 2 items per week using your numbers
Shipping 104 packages a year average value of $40.00 >> Just to make life easy >> High $60 and low $20.00
and we will use the average you provided of $2.50 for the insurance
104 X $2.50 = $260 spent on Insurance for the year
That would cover a total loss of 4 high end items >> 4 X 60 = $240.00
So I just put that $2.50 per package into the Cookie Jar
When there is a problem I just pull the funds from there
No Muss >> No Fuss >> No forms to fill out
Once or twice a year the cookie jar takes me out for dinner and drinks >> Does your Insurance co do that?
Add to that most times I ship Priority and as pointed out for the last several years they provide the first $50.00 coverage
BIG and HEAVY stuff going cross country goes FedEx
Past several years I have averaged 400/500 items shipped
Last lost package was FedEx 6 years ago >> Set of $250.00 Hollanders
1 or 2 damaged claims >> I ask them if the item is usable >> If they say no >> I say please put in the trash for me and give them a full refund
Now as far as the OP
Cast Iron can be funny >> Try to break it with a sledge and watch the hammer bounce off the object with no damage to the item
BUT
be carrying the item you REALLY want to keep because it is worth some money >> and drop it 2 " and it shatters
You never know
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
It sold for $22 and I'm kicking my self now for not shipping it priority. I packed the hell out of it
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I've lost more packages through the USPS when they pass through the Illinois packing center then I can admit to. Even with insurance you're not guaranteed to get the items or refund back. Parents sent the title to an explorer I had in a box with a dremel from Arizona to me when I was living in Rochelle. I received a letter from the sorting facility manager stating they lost the box and weren't going to refund the money or honor the insurance. It wasn't until after I threatened a lawsuit over the title that it "miraculously" appeared in a certified envelope plus the send/receive labels that were on the box so my guess was they opened the box to "inspect it" and someone walked away with my $200+ dremel and then "lost" the box. I still ship usps out of necessity and price.
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I had a laptop I sent once get backed over by a mail truck somehow.
Insurance depends on the business. Most items under $100 aren't insured for me (I keep money set aside for this), unless they go Priority Mail. If so, then I'll take the free $50 of insurance every time.
Honestly, I find insurance to be completely useless. You end up eating the item cost most times anyways. I figure that at least I'm $2 ahead....
More than Scrap Value Shipment Tips: http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...tml#post242349
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I have had good luck with FedEx. They have either paid or said whatever they had to to make the problem go away. USPS has been a problem and I don't send breaky items though the postal service anymore.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I sold an antique ship stove on ebay for $350. I shipped it through UPS with insurance. Somehow they dropped it off the back of the truck. Since they admitted their fault, the insurance probably wasn't necessary. I do wonder though if they would have admitted guilt if it had not been insured.
It was a really cool small cast iron wood/coal stove with a heavy bronze door and bronze trim. Very sad to hear it was destroyed.
Anyhow, I think insurance is worth it for pricey items. You can always include the added cost in your price or shipping charge.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
I'm just going to have to refund maybe. The piece is not a complete loss though just one of the pieces where a screw goes through into a board broke. Off they want to keep it I will partially refund. But my rule was anything over 20 lbs was going to be shipped fedex my new rule is 10lbs and up ships fedex but how do you go about insurance through them?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Unbalanced boxes seem to be the bain of the postal service.
Like they pick it up a bit, its seems OK to lift and just as they get it off the ground, it rolls out of their hands ... or off the deck of the truck, or across the floor of the van.
I have seen many broken items because of this. I'm actually stumped as to how a 4Kg Aluminium casting can bend.... But bend it did... It had a 10Kg Cast iron part attached to it, that part didn't break.
But I can see how it happened, it was in a proper certified cardboard box, they slipped it to the edge of the truck deck, picked up one end of it, the light end, and slipped the other end off the deck, so the heavy end drops first and it falls out of their hands.
Landed full on the Ali castings corner. It was a bench sander, 6 inch wide belt. 20 odd Kgs.
Same with a full width rack unit double CD player, almost nothing inside it except a heavy transformer in one corner.
I'm in bed, courier van pulls up, stops, door opens, sliding door opens, something moves, person runs onto property, slips on wet grass, BOOMPH, "arrrh"
Stumble curse, person at door. I'm there, open it, "Ah neat" scribble on pad, guys in obvious pain, grab box, it flips in my hands heavy corner down, he starts to mumble something, I'm gone, shut door.
The resin CD trays mounting corner was broken. I fixed it myself. The guy was in Pain, real Pain. Clutching at the box probably caused him to slip. That and running.
Last edited by eesakiwi; 10-19-2015 at 05:32 AM.
Experienced Scrapper
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That sucks they probably broke it outside of the box.
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