What is the benefit of sending items recorded delivery?

[mirpuppet]

I have picked Economy Delivery (Royal Mail 2nd Class Recorded) as teh postage method for most of my items.

I'm thinking in the future I should do Royal Mail 2nd Class and get proof of posting. What are the pros and cons of each?

As a buyer, I heartily dislike recorded delivery because, if I am out when the parcel arrives, it gets taken back to the sodding sorting office which is 30 mins drive away. If it's normal delivery then the lovely postman tucks the parcel in the porch.

As a seller, I dislike recorded delivery because it is expensive and also
I assume that I am going to piss off the buyer (see above).

Many eBayers see it differently and think that Recorded Delivery is a good thing.

It is actually part of the paypal agreement that you will send an item with a signature as proof of delivery - without a signature a buyer will always win a not received case.

I do 'unnanounced' recorded delivery now when things sell for above a certain price determined by me, because I had a spate of things 'not arriving' and I lost money. I even had one person who I had sent something recorded delivery say it hadn't arrived but when I sent her the Royal Mail link with her signature confirming delivery the day after I posted it, she went curiously quiet.

So I do it to protect myself and my money.

Thanks for information above.

Generally what happens if something is lost. So if I send something 2nd class/ the person claims it was not received -- I have proof of postage. Will I get money back from Royal mail & how?

Also for those who set an amount above which you send recorded delivery -- what is the price?

I usually send recorded delivery if it is above approximately £9 - £10 pounds. Sometimes it is very difficult to know in advance what price things will reach. I recently sent a "vintage" computer manual to the US, and paid extra for it out of my own pocket to go Airsure because it reached a lot more than I was expecting.

I'm like Piff, I only send recorded for my own safety and not my buyers.

I don't always do it for a set amount, it's sometimes a feeling about the buyer, it might be they have asked questions before hand and from the tone of them I get a little iffy feeling or I check out their feedback and something doesn't sit right.

I often do it for multiple purchases - most of my items are under £15, so that is roughly my limit before I send recorded, but if, for example, a newbie buys 5 smallish items for £12, then I might do a recorded then.

As we view Recorded as protection for us and not the buyer so don't charge for it. An exception to this would be an International iffy sounding buyer, as that adds £5ish onto the price.

If you have proof of postage and something allegedly goes missing, then you download a form from RM website, complete it and post if off. You also do this when they completely mangle your packaging and lose the contents

Oops! £ and pounds! I should really re-read before posting....

personally as a buyer recorded/signed for really annoys me asit means it costs 95p extra which is for sellers benefit not mine, I do not mind if say over 20-30 pounds but for goods under £5 very annoying, mostly I just would not buy, but if I really wanted it I would buy but mark P&P stars down

signed offers nothing to buyer

with my other business seller hat on I still rarely used signed for below £30, it does not make economic sense, it annoys buyers and reduces profit, most people have budget for total so if willing to spend £7 if it costs 2.20 to post I have 4.80 to cover purchase cost packing etc, however if it costs 3.15 to post recorded I have only 3.85 to cover all costs a drop of 25% in profit

considering less than 1 in 100 parcels go missing it makes more economic sense to send standard and absorb cost of the very occasional refund, in over a 1000 parcels I have refinded about 6 as lost, a few more as damaged but signed for does not cover that

obviously as fergoose said if not trackable you will not win a not received case, you are under no obligation to send trackable as part of paypal; you just need it to avail yourself of seller protection

I send recorded/international signed for over about £30 and to certain countires (South/ central america and Asia) whatever the value

however I would add that certain categories do attract more missing item claims anything technology/ phones cameras computers, vouchers etc so I would take extra care in these categories as they attract more dishonest buyers rather than RM loses more cameras!!

if something unexpectedly makes a lot more than i thougt I pay for the trackable out of profit, you can not add it to bill later

I only ever send something via recorded as if it goes missing in the post on standard postage, not only have you lost the item and the money you paid to send it in the first place - Paypal will automatically refund the buyer if you do not have a signature to say it was delivered.
Proof of postage means absolutely bugger all!

Whenever I sell something via ebay, I look at the value of it and think, can I afford to lose that item and refund the seller?
eg. if I sell a top for £1, and it went missing, I wouldn't be too bothered about refunding the £1, but a top for £10 I'd be a bit more miffed at so I wouldn't use recorded for £1, but I would for £10.

IIRC it is about another 75p on top of what the parcel costs to post normally, although that may have changed since the price of stamps went up.

As Sarahtigh says, relatively few parcels go missing. Better therefore to send most things second class or even first class, but without the signature required thingummy. Buyers dislike that necessity to be home to receive the parcel.

Thanks all.

I like sellers sending things recorded since we moved to our current city, because the local post office, and things DO go missing. It's really embarrassing having to ask about an item - I'm always paranoid they may think I'm lying. Nothing went missing in 8 years at my old address, and in the 2 here about 10 things have. One was a handmade card an artist friend sent for my son's birthday, which presumably was stolen in case it had money in - it didn't, but was irreplaceable. I've also had several Ebay things walk. It's horrible, and at least if there is tracking they know it isn't me making it up.

Since living here I always send recorded. But I also refund any postage over exact costs, and don't charge for fees or packaging. And I put in my listings that it is my responsibility to get things to them and if lost in the post, I owe them a refund. People seem okay with it - I have 4.9 stars on P&P.