"At the buyers discretion"

SeppukuSamurai

SeppukuSamurai

Feedback: +119 / =0 / -1
Joined
Aug 19, 2014
Messages
1,435
This is a clause I've seen attached to a number of Ebay/Facebook/forum listings. "Shipping is covered but insurance is at the buyers discretion."

What? I insure my packages for MY protection.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I pay Goods and Services and God forbid the package is lost in the mail and I never receive it, my bases are covered, right?

It almost reads like "if your package doesn't arrive, oh well, you should've paid for my insurance."

Doesn't make any sense to me...
 
Last edited:
I think you're spot on. I read some comments a month or so ago on another forum sating that Ebay is not allowing phrases like that from sellers anymore. Presumably, for the very reasons you stated.

Ebay must still be trying to phase in the enforcement part of the policy.
 
If the package doesn't arrive it's on the buyer unless something else was agreed to, regardless of what the listing says on eBay or BF. Paying with PAYPAL, package receipt would be prove of deal conclusion, without receipt refund is easy, assuming one paid G&S.

Sellers not issuing packages is ridiculous nonsense as the insurance is for the Seller, not the Buyer. In the event of a lost package, Buyer gets refund, Seller collects insurance. Any other scenario, assuming nothing else agreed to, is not ethical. Making a buyer try and collect insurance taken out by the seller can't even work as the Buyer won't have records and isn't the shipper of record.
 
Last edited:
It would have to be something very hard to come by for me to bother at all to get it back to a safe and solid transaction. I almost always just pass. Even though I believe PP would side with the buyer, I hate proceeding on such a transaction knowing problems could easily happen, that then have to be worked out and claims filed. I like smooth transactions, no drama-get the knife, say thanks, post positive feedback.
and yes, insurance is for the sellers protection. I give you money, I expect to get a knife. Seller insures in case something out of their hands happens and I don't get the knife or it is damaged. All pretty simple and no reason to make it otherwise.
 
Last edited:
ndmiller said:
If the package doesn't arrive it's on the buyer unless something else was agreed to, regardless of what the listing says on eBay or BF. Paying with PAYPAL, package receipt would be prove of deal conclusion, without receipt refund is easy, assuming one paid G&S.

Sellers not issuing packages is ridiculous nonsense as the insurance is for the Seller, not the Buyer. In the event of a lost package, Buyer gets refund, Seller collects insurance. Any other scenario, assuming nothing else agreed to, is not ethical. Making a buyer try and collect insurance taken out by the seller can't even work as the Buyer won't have records and isn't the shipper of record.
Click to expand...

The argument is that if the seller says the risk of loss is on the buyer, the buyer, by bidding, HAS agreed to "something else."

eBay, however says the seller agrees the risk of loss is on the seller regardless of what he says to the contrary - to the extent of refunding the agreed purchase price. This last limitation on damages is agreed to by the buyer by bidding and changes the outcome under state law. The buyer gets the "benefit of the bargain"under state law when unaltered by his agreement to take the eBay remedy.
 
The worst part is the knife I was looking at, which I happened to really like, was $1300.

Again, what??

I can't fathom why you wouldn't just sell the knife for $1350 if you're seriously that concerned with not paying for the insurance. I work all of my cost into my price. If I want to gamble with $1300 and not insure my package, I do so knowing that I'm going to be biting that proverbial bullet if it comes up missing.

It's just silly.
 
I will also pass on any seller who tries to make me pay for insurance...I’ve missed a few good knives that way but there are a bunch of good knives out there...

Cheers/bg
 
If sellers want to completely avoid assuming any risk of shipping loss, they need to hand deliver everything that they sell.
It is still way more practical and cost effective for them to just purchase their own insurance.
 
I have passed on some really nice knives that had that condition attached and I refuse to attach that condition to any of my sales. I have only had to refund money on a knife that didn't reach its destination once. It hurt to see that money heading back in the other direction, but the buyer paid for something he didn't receive. My biggest concern was that he would think I had lied to him about sending the knife. There was nothing I could do about that, but I could at least make sure he didn't think I had stolen money from him.
 
The reason seller is responsible is-they get to choose the shipper, how it is packed and the amount of care that goes into that packing. Buyer can't control any of that. Seller could theoretically just throw the knife in a brown paper bag put a stamp on it and say too bad buyer if it didn't get there. I have recieved a few that weren't shipped much better.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
The reason seller is responsible is-they get to choose the shipper, how it is packed and the amount of care that goes into that packing. Buyer can't control any of that. Seller could theoretically just throw the knife in a brown paper bag put a stamp on it and say too bad buyer if it didn't get there. I have recieved a few that weren't shipped much better.
Click to expand...
I had a seller in Finland (a student from another part of the world) put a nice old puukko in a plain write business envelope - long letter size - and launched it towards me here in Ohio.

He did lick the glue on the flap.

Only the sheath arrived.

Having failed to insure the knife he proposed that I should settle for a 50% refund. :cool:
 
Last edited:
SeppukuSamurai said:
The worst part is the knife I was looking at, which I happened to really like, was $1300.

Again, what??

I can't fathom why you wouldn't just sell the knife for $1350 if you're seriously that concerned with not paying for the insurance. I work all of my cost into my price. If I want to gamble with $1300 and not insure my package, I do so knowing that I'm going to be biting that proverbial bullet if it comes up missing.

It's just silly.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s silly. I think it’s dumb and short sighted. Why create unnecessary drama? Don’t raise red flags and roadblocks. Just fold your expenses into a TYD price. Win-Win.
 
Isn’t it just simpler to say “the deals not done until BOTH parties are satisfied “

Makes it so much easier then all the legal “Mumbo jumbo” that show up in some of the for sale ads on here.

My gosh some of the ads read like a lawyers commercial on tv.

Sorta takes all the fun out of knife collecting. I’ll just stick with the easy straight forward sales.

Old fashioned I guess

Mark T.
 
Insurance is for the seller/shipper, just in case something gets damaged or lost. Seller can then make a claim, take those funds, and reimburse the buyer with a new knife or a refund.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top