What is the best way to ship a $5000+ custom knife?

[colubrid]

Those of you who have experience, what is the best way to ship, say, a $5000 custom knife (and insured for whatever that value may be)? This shipment would be within the continental US.

Has anyone had experience with loss of such a high end item and how does the insured amount process go? How is value determined by USPS. Fed ex, UPS ? Is the Paypal receipt enough to prove the value? Or can anyone ship a $10. knife and insure it for $5000?

 

[BadComrade]

ship via usps with signature confirmation. You dont need anything to prove the value. Just input when buying the postage that you want it insured at 5000 dollars.

Updated: I just did a click to ship usps label and got a quote. shipping a 2lb package insured at $5000 will cost you around $70

 

[LG&M]

The best way is to my address .

 

[Legendary_Jarl]

Who in the hell would spend $5000 on a knife is the real question...

 

[Bill Siegle]

Ship it overnight with insurance and signature required. The anxiety saved is worth the cost

 

[TheEdge01]

ship via usps with signature confirmation. You dont need anything to prove the value. Just input when buying the postage that you want it insured at 5000 dollars.

Updated: I just did a click to ship usps label and got a quote. shipping a 2lb package unsured at $5000 will cost you around $70

This^^^^
Pay for enough insurance to cover the items value. I wouldn’t want to claim a $5000 insurance claim for a $10 item. Undoubtedly, they will want proof of what the item actually values for and things will go down hill fast.

 

[brandoak]

Tape it to Chuck Norris?

 

[Ditch-Tiger]

Tape it to Chuck Norris?

everyone knows tape doesn't stick to Chuck Norris.

 

[danbot]

In person.

 

[eisman]

I find UPS overnight insured to be best. They usually want to inspect the item when it's that expensive, but as I've told them before, who in their shop knows enough to judge the value?

Getting an insurance claim covered out of the USPS vs. UPS is night and day. You'd be lucky to get a $5000 claim cleared via USPS in 4 months.

 

[19-3ben]

Who in the hell would spend $5000 on a knife is the real question...

Someone who would rather have the knife than the money. I'm not that guy, but hell if I'll call someone out for spending their money as they see fit.

 

[DocJD]

Those of you who have experience, what is the best way to ship, say, a $5000 custom knife (and insured for whatever that value may be)? This shipment would be within the continental US.

Has anyone had experience with loss of such a high end item and how does the insured amount process go? How is value determined by USPS. Fed ex, UPS ? Is the Paypal receipt enough to prove the value? Or can anyone ship a $10. knife and insure it for $5000?

 

[madcap_magician]

I seem to recall hearing somewhere that making a USPS insurance claim on handmade goods is nearly impossible, but I can't remember where.

 

[Mo2]

Registered mail

Iirc Cutlery lover on yt had a video on something and he asked his viewers about this subject where a postal worker chimed in on the safest methods.

Insurance doesnt really work. They will just deny your claim and even if you keep trying which you will have to do how can you prove the value to them?.

 

[colubrid]

Who in the hell would spend $5000 on a knife is the real question...

There are different sub catagories in knives here. Some people like traditionals, customs, Vintage, fixed blades, rare knives ect.

I have a knife that would sell for $4000 if I listed it here within 15 minutes tops.

So it all depends on what group you are part of.

 

[colubrid]

Registered mail

Iirc Cutlery lover on yt had a video on something and he asked his viewers about this subject where a postal worker chimed in on the safest methods.

Insurance doesnt really work. They will just deny your claim and even if you keep trying which you will have to do how can you prove the value to them?.

This is exactly what my concern is.

Good question.

 

[colubrid]

ship via usps with signature confirmation. You dont need anything to prove the value. Just input when buying the postage that you want it insured at 5000 dollars.

Updated: I just did a click to ship usps label and got a quote. shipping a 2lb package insured at $5000 will cost you around $70

Yes , I know how to insure it. But which is the best carrier?

Who will pay out if the knife does disappear and how is the claim settled if their is no current value for something like a custom or rare knife. So do they pay out what you insured it for or will they want proof. If so what proof? Is a payment by the buyer on Paypal enough to validate value of a knife??

 

[Casinostocks]

USPS would be the last service which I would use in your given scenario, if the other choices were FedEx / UPS. If you MUST use USPS, make sure that it will be both Certified & Registered in addition to whatever insured service you choose (I'd go with Express). The C & R will add a little longer time to the process but whomever USPS employee who takes custody of the package during its transit will have to actually sign for it along that process. Lastly, both UPS & FedEx will be more pricey.

 

[colubrid]

USPS would be the last service which I would use in your given scenario, if the other choices were FedEx / UPS. If you MUST use USPS, make sure that it will be both Certified & Registered in addition to whatever insured service you choose (I'd go with Express). The C & R will add a little longer time to the process but whomever USPS employee who takes custody of the package during its transit will have to actually sign for it along that process. Lastly, both UPS & FedEx will be more pricey.

I read somewhere on a watch forum that Fed Ex does not pay out more than $500. for things like watches and jewelery.

So would a pocket knife fall under that category with Fed Ex?

 

[BadComrade]

Yes , I know how to insure it. But which is the best carrier?

Who will pay out if the knife does disappear and how is the claim settled if their is no current value for something like a custom or rare knife. So do they pay out what you insured it for or will they want proof. If so what proof? Is a payment by the buyer on Paypal enough to validate value of a knife??

I work for a company that sells multiple items a day on an Ebay store online so I've used FedEx and USPS for most of our shipments. FedEx is more expensive typically, but we use them for larger freight and USPS for the smaller stuff. If the item is worth over $150, we insure it. Never had an issue with either carrier, so I guess you can use both.

Granted, I've never insured anything for $5000 let alone had anything LOST for something insured like that. In my few years of managing some of these online orders, they rarely have lost a package on me.

If you paid USPS $70 for the cost to insure something for $5000 up front, when they lose it they will compensate you quickly. They wont "deny" your claim if you insure the package prior to shipping it. Thats why you're paying that $70. Now if you didnt insure it, and they lose it, you go to claim it was worth 5k thats a different story