Claiming from a courier for a damaged item. Help!

Drez

A courier I used damaged 2 glass floor standing music speakers I sent to someone who won them on eBay. I paid for extra insurance to insure them for £250 through Interparcel and delivered by TNT.

They have said as they are glass they are on the resticted items list so the insurance isn't valid. Also the last message was that one was so badly damaged it was thrown out. I would have thought that was my decision and they remained my property damaged or not!

Any help on how I can get something back from this would be most appreciated! They are worth £250+ and I don't want to just let them get away with damaging them and throwing them out.

withabix

As you stated, glass items are on the restricted list when it comes to insurance with all carriers.

Your buyer isn't at liberty to throw them away though. For him to get a refund he must have to return them to you.

Paypal won't force a refund unless the goods are returned to you, hence I would go down this route, even though this will cause tension with your buyer.

Tell him that DHL require both of the damaged items to be collected.

I refunded a buyer once when some hifi equipment was damaged in transit - he emailed me photos so I knew he wasn't lying. However, the carrier required to collect the goods before they would pay out on my claim. The buyer just threw the equipment away so this couldn't happen.

Paypal REVERSED the refund in my favour, so I got my money back and the ignorant buyer lost out because he threw my goods away.

stugib

withabix wrote: »

Your buyer isn't at liberty to throw them away though. For him to get a refund he must have to return them to you.

I read the OP as the courier had decided to throw them, not they buyer? Were they ever delivered, or how did they end up back in the courier's possession?

pinkshoes

When you arranged the courier and insurance, did you mention what the item was?

You should tell the buyer that he can't just get rid of them, as you need the evidence to claim against the courier.

Has he actually sent you photos of the damaged items??

Drez

Sorry a better explanation needed - they didn't actually get to the buyer. It is the courier who has thrown them out. They said they were resticted as they are glass. They were well packaged and it did have a text box when I ordered and I put 'glass floor standing speakers' in that! Thanks for your reponses!

nexuss

Most places have glass as restricted and it is down to the customer to check the terms and conditions.

Sponge

When you say restricted, do you mean they shouldn't transport them at all? Or does it just mean that the extra insurance isn't valid and you accept the risk of them being damaged?

Surely if you informed them that the goods were glass they should have either rejected the job, or declined the extra insurance? If they took extra money to insure items that aren't insurable, then I'd be asking for that money back.

I'd also be pushing them on why they thought throwing the items away was reasonable, instead of offering to return them to you? Do they have any evidence that the goods were damaged? I wouldn't put it past some such companies to lose items, then claim they were damaged & disposed of.

Drez

They've decided to refund the insurance which was £5! They said they were thrown away as they were a health and safety issue. I have emailed asking for evidence but so far no response. As you say my concern is they could lose an item and then just say sorry it was damaged and we threw it away.