Disgusted at ebay/paypal/buyer...

macfly

As has been said, the Post Office is not the Royal Mail. They sell RM services, but only RM themselves deal with claims.
It is correct that some people have been refused compensation for under insuring. It's a bit like an insurance company automatically rejecting the first claim.
If I choose to use a cheaper service, that does not exclude me from claiming up to the max allowed. RM is just trying it on. About 14 months ago I had hundreds of the same item for sale at £50. I decided to send them first class. Out of 236 items, two went walkies. I was paid out for both at the maximum level at the time. I had another item in November go west, and was initially refused as the value was £54. I replied stating that it was sent under the same terms and conditions as the two previous claims, so kindly send a cheque by return of post. Which they did.
It seems many sellers are taking risks with high value items.

terra_ferma

macfly wrote: »

As has been said, the Post Office is not the Royal Mail. They sell RM services, but only RM themselves deal with claims.
It is correct that some people have been refused compensation for under insuring. It's a bit like an insurance company automatically rejecting the first claim.
If I choose to use a cheaper service, that does not exclude me from claiming up to the max allowed. RM is just trying it on. About 14 months ago I had hundreds of the same item for sale at £50. I decided to send them first class. Out of 236 items, two went walkies. I was paid out for both at the maximum level at the time. I had another item in November go west, and was initially refused as the value was £54. I replied stating that it was sent under the same terms and conditions as the two previous claims, so kindly send a cheque by return of post. Which they did.
It seems many sellers are taking risks with high value items.

finally someone who has actually been through the process!
if £54 was the sale price, I assume you sold them at a loss, as they pay out the lowest of sale or purchase price?
So if the sale price had been £54 but purchase price less than £41 you would have been within the limits?

macfly

Correct. The last example was a sat nav which was faulty, and sold at a loss of about a fiver. So in the end it cost me about £20.
The previous two were paid compo at the limit, both claimed at the same time. For some reason, I was never asked for the purchase invoice which was much less than £40.
It would have been interesting to see what would happen if you bought something for £40, then sold it for less. With the RM rules on business sellers usually being the purchase price.
Complicated old world innit?

Noselfdiscipline

I rang the Royal Mail customer helpline, and they confirmed that if the item is worth over £41, you can still claim £41. It seems Post Office Counters Ltd have the wrong end of the stick and are giving out incorrect info when you ask them in the Post Office.