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If a parcel company can exclude all liability if I don't buy extra compensation, what exactly am I paying for when I send a parcel?
Surely even if I decline to take out compensation I must still be buying something? It can't just be the right to get the carriage charge back if the parcel is not delivered, as I have this money in my hand right now, so I would be getting absolutely nothing for my money - and one has to get something for one's "consideration" in a contract. What I'm saying is surely I must have the right to expect the parcel company to do something more than if I'd held on to my money in the first place.
Or am I, by refusing to take out compensation, saying that the contents are of no value but that I wish to buy the convenience of a likelihood that in, say, 90% of cases that I do this, my parcel should be delivered?
And does the fact that I am selling goods (i.e. acting as a business) make any difference as compared to if I as a private individual was sending a gift? I am thinking of the following in their Terms and Conditions:
" Where you deal with us as a consumer, nothing within these terms and conditions shall be deemed to affect your rights under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. For the avoidance of any doubt, when you deal with us as a business the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 is hereby excluded to the fullest extent legally possible and you are further referred to additional terms relating to business clients set out below."
Originally posted by PeterinScotland
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Ah but you are referring to Parcel2go.com -
they are NOT a parcel, nor courier company. They are a re seller, reselling the parcel companies product with their own terms.
The courier companies themselves have a standard compensation payment which is paid on lost and some have a money back guarantee on late deliveries. It depends on the company.
But the key thing here is - deal with the courier direct, not a re seller. You cannot have your cake (cheaper prices) and eat it (expect courier service coverage) from a re seller.
To address your original question - You are buying an opportunity to access a service which is priced lower due to the bulk-buying power of a re seller /aggregator of courier services.