Post Office won't pay compensation! Grrr... help needed

JammieDodger

Just some advice needed!

I sold a projector on eBay a few months ago. The buyer asked for extra insurance, which I took out on the projector and sent it off.

The projector was packaged with it's proper casing and in bubble wrap (LOTS of it) and in a cardboard box, wrapped with paper again.

Upon receiving the parcel, the buyer said it wasn't working. When he sent me photos, it was obvious that the package had been dropped on a corner that prevented the fan from working, and smashed the corner. The packaging also showed this.

Between the buyer and myself, we wrote off a complaint and sent the projector to them. They've sent the projector back to me today saying they won't pay the compensation. The parcel, they say, wasn't wrapped properly. Of course, I disagree, and even them sending the parcel back to me, I can see that there wasn't much room left in there for any other packaging than what I had provided.

My question is, where do I go from here? Has anyone else had similar dealings with the Post Office? Are their profits up because they aren't paying out the compensation that users deserve?

Frustrated!

Jammie Dodger

Freddie_Snowbits

1 First thing is I would check that the ebay buyer is not trying to pull a fast one first.

2. Did you send it recorded delivery and state what value you covered it for. If not, let this be a lesson

petrafyde

IIRC

Royal Mail state there must be a minimum of so many millimetres depth of protective packaging. I'm not sure if it's 7mm but if its been re-wrapped and sent to RM and hasn't been perfectly done, then they're going to pick up on it straightaway.

Hope you get sorted!

edit:
"Surround in a minimum of 50mm of cushion material." taken from the website

Altarf

If dropping the packaged projector (even on a corner) damaged the projector, then it wasn't properly wrapped. The only way to sensibly send something like a heavy projector is as the Royal Mail suggest, by putting the projector's box inside a strong rigid bigger secondary box with at least a couple of inches all round (if not more) and the gap filled by packing peanuts or similar, so nothing can move around.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400044&mediaId=400251

JammieDodger

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

1 First thing is I would check that the ebay buyer is not trying to pull a fast one first.

2. Did you send it recorded delivery and state what value you covered it for. If not, let this be a lesson

Hi,
1. Yes, it's true. The buyer sent me photos to show it doesn't work, and photos of the damage to the projector, and damage to the box it came in, all of which I sent to Royal Mail. The projector is unusable, and too expensive to repair. (cost to buyer =£120, repairs cost min £110)

2. Yes, it was sent Special Delivery signed for, so was insured for up to £1000. I am claiming for the cost of the item by sale on eBay (£120) and the cost of postage - no more. They still won't honour it!

I did all of the paperwork and included proof of posting etc. Took them 2 weeks to come back with an answer and send the projector back to me. I've got it out of the box and it is indeed unusable. I had to refund the buyer, so now I'm out of pocket £110+! Argh!

JD

JammieDodger

petrafyde wrote: »

IIRC

Royal Mail state there must be a minimum of so many millimetres depth of protective packaging. I'm not sure if it's 7mm but if its been re-wrapped and sent to RM and hasn't been perfectly done, then they're going to pick up on it straightaway.

Hope you get sorted!

Hiya,

I looked on the website and it's 5cm minimum of bubble wrap. The projector was in its protective casing, bubble wrap, a cardboard rigid box and outer heavy duty parcel wrap. It must have been dropped by quite some force/height to cause so much damage - smashed corner and internal damage, but it's not the delicate bulb that's damaged, it's the fan.

I don't find it fair that I've fulfilled the requirements of packaging as per their website, insured it at a stupid cost (£20+) and they're still trying to worm out of it!

Maybe the credit crunch is causing people to make extra claims, and they're trying to discredit as many as possible?

JD

cheapscate

I saw this on the news today:

The Royal Mail has doubled its operating profit to £177m in the last six months.

JammieDodger

cheapscate wrote: »

I saw this on the news today:

The Royal Mail has doubled its operating profit to £177m in the last six months.

Yes... I heard that too. Now we know why they've made so much profit!!

JD

custardy

it may be worth going via consumer direct now someone decided to do away with postwatch(god knows why)
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/
or the postal panel
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/portal/rmg/jump1?catId=23200532&mediaId=82000734

pop into your local delivery office at xmas and watch the carnage fom all the staffing cuts,thats where the profits were made!

nikaso

custardy wrote: »

pop into your local delivery office at xmas and watch the carnage fom all the staffing cuts,thats where the profits were made!

Having done a short 4 month stint at RM last Xmas I can confirm this! RM were only offering temporary part time contracts and if you then refused to do overtime (due to having a second job because RM wouldn't employ you full time) you were out on your ear!

I was meant to work from 8AM till 12PM 5 days a week, actually had to come in 7:15AM to start packing and then didn't ever finish before 1PM, once I was still going at 2:30PM and had to come back with mail still to deliver which the manager went mental, they didn't want to hear excuses you are expected to do all the hours they want you to

custardy

part timers get a raw deal in RM,unfortunatly for them theres a plentiful supply of replacements to be taken advantage of