Posting a laptop with insurance

Phaedos

bxboards wrote: »

Can I suggest forgetting insurance and simply pack it adequately to avoid damage?

Wrap the laptop in a roll of bubble wrap. Put that in a large padded jiffy bag. Put the jiffy bag in a strong cardbox box, the sort that Amazon use to send items. That that box and put it in larger box, and make sure the inner box is not touching the outer box with loads of screwed up newspaper, foam packaging baubles etc.

If you pack it well, you don't need to worry about insurance.
If you don't pack it well, any insurance will be invalidated.

Double box it, and make sure the laptop is protected by lots of padding.

Any advice about where to get the boxes? Should I just buy the ones they have at the post office, or is there a better source?

Flyonthewall

bxboards wrote: »

Can I suggest forgetting insurance and simply pack it adequately to avoid damage?

Wrap the laptop in a roll of bubble wrap. Put that in a large padded jiffy bag. Put the jiffy bag in a strong cardbox box, the sort that Amazon use to send items. That that box and put it in larger box, and make sure the inner box is not touching the outer box with loads of screwed up newspaper, foam packaging baubles etc.

If you pack it well, you don't need to worry about insurance.
If you don't pack it well, any insurance will be invalidated.

Double box it, and make sure the laptop is protected by lots of padding.

I agree with packaging it as well as possible, but no matter how well you package it it's best to make sure you're covered. You never know what might happen. It's highly unlikely that it would be damaged though all that but better to be safe than sorry.

I suppose if you were selling them all the time and had others in stock it may be different, but for a one off that can't be replaced by the seller I'd say it's best to cover yourself.

bxboards

Phaedos wrote: »

Any advice about where to get the boxes? Should I just buy the ones they have at the post office, or is there a better source?

I just recycle boxes from Amazon etc - a supermarket should be able to supply them, or your post office can sell them.

Assuming the laptop is no bigger than 17", then you don't need boxes much bigger than 20".

Very few couriers will insure laptops, as the screen comes under the 'glass' exception, which isn't covered, so I don't see the point in paying for something that is essentially uninsurable. So pack defensively.

techspec

martindow wrote: »

One of the regular posters - techspec I think - regularly sends laptops. It might be worth sending him a private message if he doesn't notice this thread.

I used to, and did risk a few via cheap couriers inc Yodel.

But i felt safer when using parcelforce and sometimes special delivery.

The problem with special delivery though is weight - with couriers you can double box and put tonnes of packing around.

Parcelforce can be booked via parcel2go etc - but extra cover is needed.

techspec

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Even so the point is that item could take 3 weeks or 3 hours to be delivered and there's still the same amount of chance it will get damaged or lost. Whether dealt by others or not speed doesn't affect it.

custardy wrote: »

A chance,not the same chance
Im not sure I can explain it any differently for you
they are handled in different systems,in different numbers by different staff

Have to agree with Custardy on this.

First, Special delivery is handled differently - and your paying the extra not just for speed - but the massive insurance. Its in Royal Mails interest to protect it from damage.

But even with standard mail - it has much more chance of being lost or damaged if sent second class.

I never have problems with 1st - but i have a lot with 2nd. In fact - when posting a small electrical item / phone where the buyer has paid 2nd - i always post 1st, no exceptions, to avoid the extra worry about damage / loss.

The fact is they have it a few days longer - that's a few days longer to lose/ damage it. My own loss figures bare this out - and when i have had problems - i always kick myself and say why didn't i post 1st class.

Flyonthewall

techspec wrote: »

Have to agree with Custardy on this.

First, Special delivery is handled differently - and your paying the extra not just for speed - but the massive insurance. Its in Royal Mails interest to protect it from damage.

But even with standard mail - it has much more chance of being lost or damaged if sent second class.

I never have problems with 1st - but i have a lot with 2nd. In fact - when posting a small electrical item / phone where the buyer has paid 2nd - i always post 1st, no exceptions, to avoid the extra worry about damage / loss.

The fact is they have it a few days longer - that's a few days longer to lose/ damage it. My own loss figures bare this out - and when i have had problems - i always kick myself and say why didn't i post 1st class.

I'm not going through this again as the point I was trying to make has clearly been misunderstood and it just keeps going round in circles. I fear if the discussion on that continues that I'll end up doing some sort of demonstration or experiment to show what I mean

Just to say once more though, I do know SD is handled differently.

So whatever each person believes or whatever works for each person is fine by me.

I'd also like to add that I'm sorry if this post in any way sounds rude because I don't mean it to. I know it's not always easy to tell with text how someone means something and I feel with saying that I'm not commenting further on this it may come across differently to how I meant it lol.