Delivery insurance on Internet purchase

Joojums

I bought an item online two days ago and was given the option of adding delivery insurance at £0.88. I have never seen this before, I shop on line a lot, and would like to know if I am wrong in thinking the responsibility for the safe delivery of an item should be with the retailer and covered by the postage cost.
Can anyone help - is this legal, and as I have not taken it will I still have recourse if it doesn’t arrive. It’s only a simple beauty product not the Crown Jewels !
Thanks .

unholyangel

Joojums wrote: »

I bought an item online two days ago and was given the option of adding delivery insurance at £0.88. I have never seen this before, I shop on line a lot, and would like to know if I am wrong in thinking the responsibility for the safe delivery of an item should be with the retailer and covered by the postage cost.
Can anyone help - is this legal, and as I have not taken it will I still have recourse if it doesn’t arrive. It’s only a simple beauty product not the Crown Jewels !
Thanks .

Did it state the insurance was for missing/damages parcels?

You are indeed correct that items are at the retailers risk (providing its the retailer whos instructed the courier and not the consumer instructing their own courier). But retailers often do things they shouldn't - which is part of the reason we have consumer rights in the first place.

seashore22

I sometimes see this when buying online, not too often, but now and again. I just ignore the option, as you are right, postal insurance is for the benefit of the sender, not the customer. It's usually smaller companies and one man bands that tend to do this and is probably due to naivety or ignorance. I buy a lot online and have received 2 broken items and one parcel went missing and I had refunds or replacements very easily. Problems are usually rare and you should be fine

Carrot007

Joojums wrote: »

I bought an item online two days ago and was given the option of adding delivery insurance at £0.88. I have never seen this before, I shop on line a lot, and would like to know if I am wrong in thinking the responsibility for the safe delivery of an item should be with the retailer and covered by the postage cost.
Can anyone help - is this legal, and as I have not taken it will I still have recourse if it doesn’t arrive. It’s only a simple beauty product not the Crown Jewels !
Thanks .

Indeed I would take it as a warning of the bad policys of the companys and not buy from tham as you are just asking for hastle in the case of issues.

seashore22

Carrot007 wrote: »

Indeed I would take it as a warning of the bad policys of the companys and not buy from tham as you are just asking for hastle in the case of issues.

I tend to agree. Along with missing addresses and no telephone numbers, it's one of the things I look for when deciding to buy. I wouldn't stop me though if there weren't any other options for buying and if that was the only issue.

Joojums

Thanks everyone. I!!!8217;ve never seen it before and just think it!!!8217;s a way to extort more money out of people. I didn!!!8217;t take it and would fight hard if anything went wrong but I can!!!8217;t help but feel it underhand. Really appreciate all your help !!!55357;!!!56397;!!!55356;!!!57340;

dj1471

Is this retailer UK-based?

UK and EU law gives you rights relating to delivery but other countries may not (or you may not be able to enforce them).

88p is an odd amount but almost exactly 1 Euro.

If it's a dodgy Chinese retailer for example it may be better to pay for the insurance regardless of the legal position.

Forwandert

Only sites I've seen that you pay extra for insurance like that have been Chinese sites.

shaun_from_Africa

dj1471 wrote: »

If it's a dodgy Chinese retailer for example it may be better to pay for the insurance regardless of the legal position.

Then again, a dodgy seller may well not pay out for a lost or damaged package irrespective of whether or not the insurance was paid for.

pmduk

Cotton Traders used to do it. It's certainly put me off them