Australia Post Insurance Is It Worth It For Breakables

[crowsman53]

Hi everyone just a question about Australia Post Insurance. Most of my items are breakable and my buyers sometimes request Insurance for lost or damaged. Usually $100 cover which is $1.50 Extra. I remember being told somewhere that AP do not cover fragile items. Is this correct? If I continue sending items with Insurance at buyers request and Item arrives damaged does the buyer have a leg to stand on?. One another thing if a buyer requests insurance when Item arrives ( If it Does ) Do they have to sign for it or do they have to pay AP SOD Fees. Just wondering as I will be listing a lot of very breakable items. Just to point out my items when packed are packed in newspaper about 3 layers, Then wrapped in bubble wrap about 3 times placed in a cardboard box with shredded paper on the bottom sides and top and I take photos as proof. I am a little worried in case something happen (Broken)

Thank You

[digital*ghost]

Australia Post's "insurance" only covers you for items lost or damaged when the loss or damage is AP's fault, and they'll admit to it. (I honestly don't know how they get away with calling that insurance.... but I digress). 

For breakage, that means they have to determine that the item was packaged to their standards (i.e. can withstand the impact of a 20kg weight dropped on it from waist height), and that whatever caused the damage was their fault. 

[5kazam]

"I remember being told somewhere that AP do not cover fragile items.  Is this correct?"

AP do not provide a fragile service per se.  But they do cover for fragile items broken in transit, if they accept the packaging was adequate.   The fact that you do take photos is great, as you then have proof of your packaging.  

I do know from an experience years ago, that AP will try to worm their way out of paying compensation any way they can.  Having those photos will get the matter sorted in the short term rather than a protracted argument. 

I take 4 'stage' packaging photos, particularly when it comes to multiple items being sent.  1. Items bubble wrapped, 2. Each item wrapped in its own cardboard, 3. Items placed in final box with shredded paper all round, 4. The finished box.  These are emailed through to the buyer before posting, so the buyer knows I've taken every care to ensure their items arrive safely.

Fortunately, I don't have breakages (I consider my packaging to be AustPost proof), but it's nice to have that back-up should the unthinkable happen.

[casbit33]

I think i have posted this reply before, but can't find it.

Anyhow. i once received a broken ornament, but it was wrapped very well IMO.  Lots of bubblewrap, foam and cardboard.  I took the whole mess to the Post office to make a claim as it was covered by insurance.

The person in charge looked at it and said "it's not wrapped properly". She said it doesn't matter how many "fragile" stickers you put on it either.

She said " if it's not wrapped by an Australia Post worker, then no insurance is paid".

Aust Post will squirm out of every claim if they can. It's very hard to prove your case. I wish you the best of luck, and do take those photos.

[pennyforum14]

I wonder what the response would be if you took the next **bleep**ile item and a whole swag of packaging in to the post office and told them you wanted to send it insured, but as they have told you in the past that even with insurance, it isn't covered unless they pack it, you would like them to do just that. 

[5kazam]

casbit33, I do remember your post (wherever it was!!).  Must admit I had a laugh to myself at the time - not at you, but at the response from AP.  I really doubt they could get away with that one.

Case example.  I currently have 26kg of pottery going from Vic to WA.  21 individual pieces of pottery.   Can you imagine what would be said if I wandered into the LPO with all of that, said I wanted it insured for $450.00.  Please pack it, as I understand you won't cover the insurance if I pack it, only covered if AP worker does it.  I believe I would be told to, politely, go away!!  Plus I would have had to stand there for quite a few hours to ensure that it was packed to MY standards.

I agree that all the FRAGILE stickers in the world don't make any difference to AP - but buyers do expect to see them all over their breakable item packages.

PS : My 26kg of pottery is going by courier.  AP just under $200 to send, courier under $100.  How much extra would it have cost if AP packed it???!!!  Perish the thought.

[cherry*135]

Australia Post don't offer a service where their staff pack customers  parcels though! (imagine the cost if they did)

[5kazam]

Your post popped in while I was still typing - but the thoughts are still the same - EXPENSIVE!!!

[bakeandfry]

What!!!!!, not coverd if not packed by aus post worker!!!, goddam!, I insured a couple of items in post for a fair chunk of change, lucky there been no problem with buyers telling me the items got broken.

[casbit33]

I also sent a breakable item, that i thought was wrapped well. It broke. I took the next one as the replacement to AP to wrap for me to avoid breakage. They did. It arrived unbroken. Maybe they are more careful with the ones they wrap.