Ebay - To expect the shipping insurance to pay out

[tinnitusqueen]

We sold an expensive but heavy item on ebay, packaged it up well, and sent it with parcel monkey. We paid extra for their shipping insurance, which we thought would be a good idea as the item is of £400 value.

It arrived damaged, and a photo of the item shows bumps and damage that wasn't there when we sent it. It has possibly been dropped. The buyer has complained.

We asked him to send photos of the damage and the packaging, but he says he threw away the packaging.

Parcel monkey are saying they need photos of the packaging, and if I received a damaged item, I would have taken photos, but the buyer didn't. The Terms and Conditions on PMs site don't mention taking photos however.

The buyer is getting impatient and is threatening to open an ebay case.

Ebay being Ebay, I'm sure theyll just find in the buyers favour. But Parcel Monkey won't do anything without photos.

Who's unreasonable here?

This is a tough one.

They don’t know what condition it was in when it left you packaging wise. Why would they take a picture of the packaging before they opened it ? Or even keep the packaging at all. I would of binned it straight away.

How long has it taken from the first message about condition to asking for pictures of the packaging ? If it’s been a few days the bin men could of collected it.

As you say as well the T&C don’t say about packaging.

It was pretty immediate but he's not kept the packaging

It's up to the seller to offer a refund (get them to send it back) or a partial refund (keep it but accept the damage). Then it's the sellers responsibility to chase the refund from the courier.

Refunds from couriers take a long time sometimes (especially Royal Mail) and ebay customers wont wait that long.

Right, but any ideas of where I stand with the courier?

Tell him to get the packaging out of the bin as the courier won't consider any compensation without sight of it. Him chucking away the packaging and getting impatient with you also adds up to him being a scammer.

Not that it helps but dp used them, had very similar problem with similar value- took 4 months to settle. It was parcel monkey that wouldn’t play and held everything up.

Snowy, that does help - so they paid eventually?

If packaging is damaged I immediately take a photo. Then I film it as I’m opening. I know this sounds OTT but i do for the exact reasons OP has mentioned.

Unfortunately for you the buyer has no obligation to take photos of the packaging but will need to send photos of item, which should be more than substantial.

I think you’re gonna come up short I’m afraid OP. The issue is with the insurance not with the buyer. Id keep complaining to insurance and just explain that you can send pics of damaged item but no where does it state that they need pics of packaging.

Don’t be annoyed with buyer though, it is insurance company being arseholes.

Thanks. No, I'm not annoyed with the buyer, I meant wibu me or the courier.