[meteorite-list] Dealers, Sellers: Please INSURE your shipments

[Mike Miller]

Hi Gary sorry to hear about this loss. I will be interested to hear
some of the non US dealers and sellers answer here. I know when I buy
from other countries I use either Pay pal or a major credit card. I
did one time have a problem with a decent sized Muonionalusta never
arriving. So I reported this to the Credit card company and with
little or no work they gave me the money back. The same is true of Pay
pal if a shipment would arrive in part they have a process to go
through designed to protect the buyer. I have never used the Pay pal
buyer protection, but my customers have a couple times and it simply
means the buyer gets their money back. EBay is the same way, if the
buyer does not get the item they will get their money back. Seems like
there is a pattern starting to develop here.
  Now this seller is not necessarily bound by these other companies
but it is in their best interest to make sure the customer is
satisfied with  the out come of this transaction. A seller is only as
good as his or her reputation and in our small community new travels
very fast.
 Also many times when I ship fairly expensive items outside the US
insurance is not even an option. The limits are small and I don't
remember the numbers but they are no where near $1600.

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 3:59 PM, Gary Fujihara <fujmon at mac.com> wrote:
> Aloha,
>
> I have been the victim of theft after discovering that over $1600 worth of
> meteorites were missing from a shipment I received from Argentina.  I had
> noticed the package felt light, but discovered that the US postal service is
> not responsible for thefts of the contents of international mailed items
> that are not insured.  This shipment was not insured and so I will in all
> likelihood take the full brunt of this loss.
>
> Thievery by customs officials, foreign and domestic postal workers and other
> individuals or organized groups inside and outside the US is a possibility!
>  I believe most packages arrive at their destinations with their contents
> intact, but feel it is negligent and at the very least unconscionable not to
> insure shipments at or above the full value of the contents.  I know it
> costs more to do so, but please consider insurance especially for foreign
> shipments.  Mailing specimen cards and paperwork separately from the
> meteorites can also prevent thieves from knowing what those "Mineral
> Samples" are.
>
> Is it fair for me, the buyer to take the loss alone for this theft?  I
> personally don't think so, unless I was given a choice and elected not to
> insure.  I would hope that the seller (an IMCA member who, to his credit is
> working with me) would have a sudden rush of conscience and compensate, or
> share the loss with me, since his act of omission provides me with little if
> any recourse.  What are my rights, and what can I do?  Do other dealers
> insure their shipments?  What is SOP?
>
> Gary Fujihara
> AstroDay Institute
> 105 Puhili Place, Hilo, HI 96720
> (808) 640-9161, fujmon at mac.com
> http://astroday.net
>
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-- 
Mike Miller 230 Greenway Dr. Kingman Az 86401
www.meteoritefinder.com
     928-753-6825