21
2015
Don’t ship that damaged package back!
An article by shipsurance
As an eCommerce seller, the inevitable happens: You ship a product to a customer and it arrives damaged. That is one of the reasons you insure your shipments with Shipsurance. However, what does your customer do with the damaged item and packaging? In the past, if you declared a value with the shipping carrier, you may call them and ask them to pick up the package and return it to you.
THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING! It may be convenient for your customer, but the following can occur:
- The customer repacks the item poorly and a small dent or broken part becomes a total loss during the return trip to you.
- The customer repacks the item exactly as they received it, but the shipping carrier damages it more during the return trip to you.
- The package is lost on it’s way back to you. If the return shipment is not insured, there is no coverage.
- You initially sent a “widget” to your customer and they returned a “gadget”.
We have seen all of these occur many times in the past. When you insure your shipments with us, you are receiving our expedited coverage and low rates because as an eCommerce shipper you are the pack & ship experts we are covering. We are not covering your buyers. We expect you to professionally prepare, package, and ship items to your buyers. We do not expect your buyers to do the same in return.
So what should you do if you insure a package with us and it gets damaged in transit? Hopefully your buyer reaches out to you and alerts you to the damage. Request that they provide photos of the item and packaging so you can assist them. Since most of the world now has camera phones, it can take them less than 5 minutes to send you the proof of damage. If you insured the shipments with us, we will let you know you if anything else is necessary, such as a repair estimate.
As with anything, communication with your buyer is the key. If you keep them in the loop as to what is needed the entire transaction can be completed quickly and efficiently. Most of the time, the entire damage claim process can be completed in less than a day.
