Question about shipping insurance using Tinbids.

[recoilrob]

Has anyone here ever sold a tin through Tinbids, used their label, and had the USPS lose the shipment? What was the outcome?

Tinbids has told me that as long as I use their shipping label I will get the full sale price, less commission, if the shipment is lost.

They use priority mail which insures $100 included with the shipment. They tell me if the buyer wants more than the $100 coverage they must request a higher amount and this does not involve the seller.

I understand the process they are outlining, it's just that it's so different from the norm, which is the seller has not completed the transaction until the buyer has package in hand and the seller is responsible if the shipment gets lost.

I.e., in the early days Ebay sellers could charge buyers for insurance, that changed due to the reason outlined above. In Tinbids case they are the shipper and would be on the hook for missing items.

So, has anyone had an issue?

 

[Gilbert Pinfold]

I've sold over 100 items on Tinbids, and only one has been lost in the mail. Even though I used their shipping label, I did not receive any payment for it. This was over a year ago, so maybe they have changed their policy.

 

[recoilrob]

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. They make you use their shipping and then you have no recourse. And emailing them gets sketchy answers.....


My original question....


"Since you arrange the shipping how is the shipment insured? What happens if it's a very expensive tin, say $500, and the USPS loses it? How am I, the seller, protected?"


Their answer....


"Dear Sir,

Currently we do not offer additional insurance coverage for buyers unless they request. Items are insured up to $100 and if a buyer requests additional coverage we can accommodate."


My reply...


"That doesn't really answer my question.

If my item sells for $500 and the buyer does not request additional insurance, and the USPS loses it, do I have to refund the buyer the entire $500 or do you pay him the $100 and I keep the $500?"


Their answer, which still doesn't answer the question...


"The buyer is responsible for purchasing additional insurance if they would like. We have procedures in place to avoid these types of things. Our shipping labels must be used and we file the claim if there is an issue."

I asked again...

"So, to confirm, if I use your shipping label I will get the full sale price, less commission, even if it's lost. I haven't yet received a definitive answer, I can only assume you don't want to go on record."

Their reply, once again skirting the issue....

"As per our policies and procedures, all transactional funds are held in escrow until said transaction is deemed satisfactorily completed. TinBids of course, has no control over or involvement with, our logistics partners, including the USPS. On rare occasion, parcels do get delayed or do not get delivered to the intended recipient. In such cases, the parcels are generally returned to our headquarters and the item is reshipped. There is no “one size fits all” answer to your question. Extenuating circumstances may require us to review cases of this nature, on an individual basis. Sellers are encouraged to contact us directly and request a custom label with added insurance, if their item sells in excess of expectations and they have concerns regarding a successful delivery."

Note the last line now stating that sellers have to request additional insurance when they initially told me it was the buyers that had to request additional insurance. "Currently we do not offer additional insurance coverage for buyers unless they request."

I'm not saying they are dishonest about this but they have no concise policy in writing that are are willing to quote about this situation so for the current time, until they do, I would only sell lower priced items. I'd feel real bad if an old tin of original Sobranie went missing and I wasn't covered.

Of course they could avoid the entire situation by allowing sellers to ship themselves.

 

[jbfrady]

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. They make you use their shipping and then you have no recourse. And emailing them gets sketchy answers.....


My original question....


"Since you arrange the shipping how is the shipment insured? What happens if it's a very expensive tin, say $500, and the USPS loses it? How am I, the seller, protected?"


Their answer....


"Dear Sir,

Currently we do not offer additional insurance coverage for buyers unless they request. Items are insured up to $100 and if a buyer requests additional coverage we can accommodate."


My reply...


"That doesn't really answer my question.

If my item sells for $500 and the buyer does not request additional insurance, and the USPS loses it, do I have to refund the buyer the entire $500 or do you pay him the $100 and I keep the $500?"


Their answer, which still doesn't answer the question...


"The buyer is responsible for purchasing additional insurance if they would like. We have procedures in place to avoid these types of things. Our shipping labels must be used and we file the claim if there is an issue."

I asked again...

"So, to confirm, if I use your shipping label I will get the full sale price, less commission, even if it's lost. I haven't yet received a definitive answer, I can only assume you don't want to go on record."

Their reply, once again skirting the issue....

"As per our policies and procedures, all transactional funds are held in escrow until said transaction is deemed satisfactorily completed. TinBids of course, has no control over or involvement with, our logistics partners, including the USPS. On rare occasion, parcels do get delayed or do not get delivered to the intended recipient. In such cases, the parcels are generally returned to our headquarters and the item is reshipped. There is no “one size fits all” answer to your question. Extenuating circumstances may require us to review cases of this nature, on an individual basis. Sellers are encouraged to contact us directly and request a custom label with added insurance, if their item sells in excess of expectations and they have concerns regarding a successful delivery."

Note the last line now stating that sellers have to request additional insurance when they initially told me it was the buyers that had to request additional insurance. "Currently we do not offer additional insurance coverage for buyers unless they request."

I'm not saying they are dishonest about this but they have no concise policy in writing that are are willing to quote about this situation so for the current time, until they do, I would only sell lower priced items. I'd feel real bad if an old tin of original Sobranie went missing and I wasn't covered.

Of course they could avoid the entire situation by allowing sellers to ship themselves.

I think all of this is due more to the laws in place. Consignment is the only way to ensure you're able to sell tobacco without legal issue, which requires it using their shipping. As far as how you get paid, it's based on the delivery. If it is to an overseas buyer, which is often the case, you are paid a few days after it arrives to the international shipping location. What happens beyond that isn't your problem if you are the buyer.

I have sold a bunch on there and I haven't run into any delivery issues, if that helps. Multiple buyers, US and otherwise.

 

[recoilrob]

"What happens beyond that isn't your problem if you are the buyer."

I'm not a buyer. It's the seller who loses out if it never arrives.

 

[Auxsender]

Yeah.
Super sketchy.

My solution? Don’t use Tin Bids to sell baccy that costs more than the standard $100 insurance.

 

[Servant King]

Not that I need yet another reason to avoid chasing unicorns...

I should also add that USPS has recently become much more stringent regarding insurance claims. The receiver of any package now has to bring the package in for an in-person inspection (shipping materials included) before they will even consider reimbursement for damage they caused. Which can only lead me to assume that if the package is lost entirely, forget about it!