Post Office question: Cost of Insurance

[jeffgordon]

My question is how much does insurance cost to buy for mail? The seller on ebay says he charges insurance on anything bought over $50. I bought 2 cards. My total of both cards came to $51.06 They are charging me $13.00 for insurance. That seems high to me. I think its crap that if you buy multipul cards that are under $50, but add up to more than $50 combined you get charged insurance.

[cardscardscards]

I don't know how it works for the US. Here you automatically get up to $100 insurance on Expedited Parcel or XpressPost. Extra insurance is $1 or $2 per additional $100 I believe.

Also, if shipping each item separately turns up to less than $13, then ask him to ship the cards separately.

[RGM81]

Insurance itself is pretty cheap, usually $1.20 or so per $100 of coverage. However, when you start getting into XpressPost and registered mail, price goes up quite a bit. XpressPost starts at $10 and includes $100 of insurance. That's for within in Canada. For shipping to the US, that price goes up.

If it's a sale within America, can't help you much there since I don't know the rates but I'd check USPS.com to get an idea.

[gatesnapper]

i shipped a baseball bat, I valued at $160 and insurance was $9-$10 through USPS.

i think you might have been overcharged...

[jeffgordon]

Thanks for the replys. I looked at the USPS insurance cost and emailed this person that for $50.01-$100.00 it only cost $2.25.
This is their reply:
Thanks for the link but I live in CANADA and ship with Canada Post, that is what I have to pay to get a signature and tracking from CANADA I know it is expensive but I have no cheaper alternative. I clearly state in the auction as well these policies..

I understand that getting a signature and tracking cost more. I'm not thrilled about it, but I don't want to lose out on the cards I won. I probably would never see them again. I guess I have to suck it up.

[gatesnapper]

atleast they dignified your question with a reasonable answer...

[ravens_creed]

If he is shipping from Canada, then the concern lies not in the insurance, but in the tracking number. To get one, you have to send Xpresspost, and depending on where he is (in Canada) and where you are (in the US), he may even stand to take a loss by only charging you $13. Check the stamp when it arrives, then decide how to proceed. If he sends it without insurance or a tracking number as a light package (the cheapest you can send something in a bubble mailer from Canada to the US), then he'll only be paying $2.56. I'd pay, then see what happens when the package arrives. That's usually how I proceed. If you charge me for registered shipping, you'd better be sending it that way, or you will be hearing from me!

[cardscardscards]

You can also ship using expedited parcel which is a bit more than half the cost of XpressPost and comes with a tracking and insurance. No signature, though and delivery is not garanteed to happen within a certain timeframe (3-4 bus. days garanteed for Xpress, 4 bus. days minimum for Expedited).

Did you ask if the cards can be shipped separate if it'll save you some $$ ?

[30ranfordfan]

Paul nailed it.

Last time I sent a registered package... I used XpressPost, with signature confirmation. I was shipping from Southern Ontario to Saskatchewan. Cost me $17.50 to ship.


In the USA - you guys have WAY cheaper postage. I think Paul is right in suggesting that he may be taking a loss on the shipping charges, only asking for $13.

[jeffgordon]

You can also ship using expedited parcel which is a bit more than half the cost of XpressPost and comes with a tracking and insurance. No signature, though and delivery is not garanteed to happen within a certain timeframe (3-4 bus. days garanteed for Xpress, 4 bus. days minimum for Expedited).

Did you ask if the cards can be shipped separate if it'll save you some $$ ?

If I did ask them that, I don't think it would be insured, if it gets lost or damaged I would be out the cards and my money. If he sends separatly I think it would only save me $3-$5. I think I'm going to just pay the insurance, and hopefully be protected.