Each morning, the shipping crew, here at Judy’s Corner (Judy, John, and the two indoor cats), is called in to get the eBay orders packaged and shipped to the customers.  We slave away until every order is ready to go and then John takes the packages to the Post Office or UPS as needed.  Now, the two cats are not terribly expensive as workers go, but that is good since their contribution is limited to ‘supervising’ and sniffing the wrapped packages before they leave the house.

Nevertheless, I am considering requiring all workers here at Judy’s Corner to show up for work in uniform.  I have had a prototype of the uniform made and I just received it in today’s mail.  What do you think?  Should I order T-shirts in sizes appropriate for the workers (and supervisors)?  Do you think I will have a strike on my hands if I require the workers to wear uniforms?

Decisions, decisions…..

My hubby reported there was a delay in getting our eBay packages across the counter to the mail clerk this morning.  It seems there was a postal customer, quite irate as he demanded to know WHY they were requiring him to pay an additional 2 cents per letter (he had three letters to mail).  While the postal clerk tried to calmly explain to him about the rate hike on postage, he held firm to his argument.

"Yeah, but I BOUGHT these when they only COST 39 cents!!!!"

I remain truly astounded at the logic of others!

So, this morning as my hubby and I shared our morning ‘chat’ we laughed about the fact that my sister has virtually no memory of some of the most ‘memorable’ things in my life.  I suppose my ‘parade of pets’ might well be one of those things my older sibling, the one who had no other choice but to share my room, would prefer to ‘forget.’

So, I was listing the pets I remember….and wondering how many I have forgotten. 

• There was the guinea pig I got from my third grade teacher – her name was Nina….she was ‘injured’ by my young brother one day when I took her out for a ‘day in the park’  (better known as the front yard)….I learned a lot about caring for a pet from that experience. 
• There was the baby bird that our neighbors took out of the nest…and we tried to raise…the girl next door tried to feed the baby bird a worm and …well…let’s just say the bird did not survive...I learned not to trust others with the care and feeding of my pets.
• There was the chipmunk that my brother Tim and I found on our way home from school one day…he was running in circles and we caught him by throwing a flannel shirt over him….we learned a bit about chipmunks then…did you know they can shed their tail?
• There was the rabbit another of our neighbors caught and we kept in the garage….I called this fat rabbit Fanny…..she was fat for a reason, it turns out…I learned that rabbits can chew holes in the knees of you pants really quickly!  I also learned that fat rabbits give birth to lots of baby rabbits.
• There was the dog that some jokers threw out of a car as they drove slowly past our house….this little black and white terrier was immediately my friend, and we adopted each other…I called him Murray….he left home when I left for college…I hope his new owners enjoyed him as much as I did.
• There were the chickens I attempted to raise (see previous blog)…nothing more need be said on that one.
• There was the hooded rat that was a major escape artist and was also really very talented in reducing a stack of folded laundry to a veritable pile of rags.

Now, I am sure there were others, but these were the pets that were ‘mine’…those that were not part of the family menagerie which already included a dog, a cat, and like any other normal American family, a monkey.

So, understanding that the ‘pets’ I brought into the house, for the most part, I wanted to keep in my room…that approximately 12’ X 15’ space of ‘glorified attic’ I shared with my sister, can anyone really blame her for not wanting to remember?

When I was 15 I acquired a few newly hatched baby chicks from my Biology teacher. It was the end of the school year and the studies which involved our observing the various stages of egg-to-birth of the chicken had come to an end.  However, the wee little chicks had just arrived on the scene.

My neighbor and good friend Billy also acquired some of the chicks, though his also included a couple of ducklings and goslings.  Our teacher instructed us in the make-shift incubators we should build and sent us on our merry way.

Once home, we built the cardboard and tinfoil structures, placed our little peeps into the boxes and switched on the light bulbs for warmth.  Then we were off to Foxhill Pond to play Huckleberry Finn (well, I was Huckleberry Finness).  We fooled around with the raft we had constructed for a while and then decided we wanted to go back home and check on the chicks.

We were horrified to find our new wards all apparently overwhelmed by the heat, lying as if dead in their boxes.  Of my five, two were black and the others were yellow.  Not having a clue what to do in this situation, I grabbed each chick, dipped his beak in water and held him in front of the fan.  The three yellow chicks revived.  The little black ones did not.

I got a little smarter after that, exchanging the 100 watt light bulb for much lower wattage model, and over the summer I raised my chicks to full maturity.  One by one, the chicks, now chickens, met some demise.  Either an animal or illness took two of my chickens before summer’s end.  But the one who survived was my sidekick for several months.  I called him Turkey, because he had one lame leg and looked funny hopping around. 

Turkey was quite a help to me during those hot days in August, that summer.  My father forbid us from buying from the ice cream man, but there were no rules regarding sitting with a lame chicken at the end of the driveway when one had a good idea the ice cream man was soon to be in vicinity.

Apparently, this ice cream man thought the goofy girl with the lame chicken was a sufficiently pitiful sight to stop and chat (and give a free ice cream).  So, Turkey was my best friend during the dog days of summer that year. 

Over the Columbus Day weekend in October, I went backpacking/camping with some friends.  I left Turkey in the care of my siblings with feeding and basic care instructions.  I have no idea what happened, but Turkey passed away whilst I was camping and hiking those four days.

I decided then and there that raising chickens was probably best left to the professionals, and that I should focus on something I understood better.  I had failed miserably in my well-intentioned adoption efforts and decided that no other chickens should have to be subjected to such a fate.

My friend, Billy, who had NOT fried his ducklings and goslings the first day, and who might have had more of a “fowl” touch than I, successfully raised his birds to become big, fat, sassy things, which ate ALL the lettuce and such in his father’s garden….so Billy was informed that his birds had to go.  We carried the birds to Foxhill Pond and set them free in their new home.

Billy went on to become a military man, a member of the Golden Knights.  I went on to become a wife, mother, computer programmer…but neither of us went on to become chicken farmers….I think we made good choices.  I know the chickens are happy with my choice, at least.

A long ride in the car when I was a kid was truly one of my favorite experiences.  In the 1960’s Dad drove a red and white, 1958 Chevy Station Wagon.  It had the front bench seat which was occupied by Dad in the driver’s seat and Mom in the passenger’s seat.  The six kids “shared” the back seat and the cargo space behind the back seat.

Now I use the term, “shared” with a bit of poetic license, for sharing implies some sort of democracy and this was certainly NOT the case in this particular instance. Age represented rank and we pulled rank with pleasure.  Jeannie, being the eldest, the tallest, and the right hand to the parents (often confused with "god"), always chose first and her’s was the window seat…usually the one behind Mom.  I chose second, because I was second in line and I would have pouted big time if anyone had suggested I was not second highest in rank.  I also chose the window seat…the one behind Dad.  After that, the boys moaned and complained and tried to get their way.  Sometimes I felt magnanimous and gave up my seat in favor of the floor.

I LOVED to lie on the floor of the car, in front of the back seat.  It was warm and, at least in those days, everyone’s legs were short enough that I didn’t get kicked too much.  But the real draw to the floor was the gigantic hole in the floor of the car – the one directly behind Dad’s seat.  I loved to watch the road fly by through that hole.  I lost a shoe through that hole once and worried I might lose my glasses that way…but I don’t think I ever did.

One day, while working on violins with Dad at the shop in D.C., the man who taught us to make them offered Dad this big brass oval name plate from some ship.  I guess it was something he had hanging around and Dad had an idea this would work well to cover the hole in the floor of the car.

Well, Dad was right …nothing more could fall through my “eye on the road” window, but, I felt so cheated that the “eye” was forever closed. 

In 1968 we moved to England. Of course, the trusty '58 came with us. (along with our pet monkey -- just a couple of things to REALLY make us stand out in a crowd). Whilst in England, Dad had the hole in the car “fixed” at the same time as he had the car repainted.  So, no more toxic fumes came into the car, but no more cool brass plate covered that hole either. The car was “going to be a classic soon” (who cares…I liked that hole!)

In 1971, when we returned from England to the states, Dad purchased a new car.  The new car, a 1972 Chevy Station Wagon, had three seats and easily accommodated the family whose legs had grown significantly over the years.  The ’58 was relegated to being “Mom’s” car, and the car in which each of us learned to drive.  Each took his/her turn in the embarrassing vehicle which was now, beginning to just be a hard to start, land yacht (all the other kids had “normal cars”)

In 1979, my youngest brother Ray took the old ’58 for a “spin”.  He was a little too young and was taking his “test drive” without the aid of parental direction or permission, and, he somewhat underestimated the difficulty in steering this beast….Let’s just say that the neighbor, whose tree the ’58 rested against, whose yard was somewhat less manicured as a result of Ray’s maiden voyage, was very kind.  Dad, whose “classic” ’58 had been destroyed in this single act of teenage enthusiasm was less “understanding.”

But I thought at the time, “Ah, it’s no big deal!  Ray was not seriously hurt…and the car was ruined a long time ago when they decided to close over that favorite hole in the floor.”

On the subject …. of avatars (no, I fully recognize that NOBODY was discussing this point), I just wanted to point out that I have changed mine.  Now, you can get the more profilish view of the GRAND POOPAH of FOREHEADS.  I have shared the tale before, but thought I would again, just for grins.  Oh, and in the blog header picture, where I have assumed the classic, “I could have had a V-8” pose, my hand demonstrates the depth of the problem…I just measured….my hand is 3 inches wide…..LOL

Living up to my forehead -- jcarolek

I stayed home form school sick that day, in 1968.  My younger brothers and older sister headed for school.  That year, our first in Cheltenham, England, my sister, next to youngest brother and I went to one school and my two oldest brothers went to another.  We all walked together, as the older boys’ school was on the way to our school. 

When we reached their school (Dean Close) we waited and watched as they crossed the busy road.  And then we carried on to our school (NewCourt).  We ranged in age from 11 to 6, my sister Jeannie being the eldest.

So on this day, at home in bed with some ailment, I was “disturbed” when the phone rang and the party on the other end of the phone caused my mother to redirect her attention from me to a situation that trumped mine.  My eldest brother, it seems, had been hit by a car.

Well, I don’t honestly recall the details of the hubbub, but I recall vividly the details relayed to me by my sister and younger brothers who witnessed the accident.  I recall thinking, “how come this had to happen when I was sick?”  Not because I thought I could/would have able to change the accident from happening had I not been home sick, but because it stole my ATTENTION…the ATTENTION I deserved!

It seems that Jeannie had “let” Tim and Dan cross the road without paying as close attention to this responsibility as an older sibling should (OK, essentially, nothing different from any other day.)  Tim and Dan had set out to cross the street to the center line, as was the practice over there in those days. From there they would wait for the traffic to clear to allow safe passage to their final destination.

This day, the driver of a car, wanting to make a right turn (like a car in the US making a left turn) waved the boys across in front of his stopped car.  Just as the boys began to cross, another car, maneuvered around the car waiting to make the turn.  Tim happened to reach the same point in the road as the moving vehicle and was hit.  He bounced on the hood of the car and on the roof before landing on the tarmac, unconscious.

I have no idea how the ambulance was called, but I am told that when Tim came to in the ambulance, his first question was, “Where’s Dan?” as he presumed they had both been hit by the car.  His second question was, “where’s my book?” (Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, I think it was).

After the trip to the hospital where the damage was assessed to be some cuts and bruises on the forehead, a dislocated shoulder and a possible concussion (if he vomited more than three times, this was supposedly the diagnosis.) he was released to the care of my mother, who promptly acted as if HIS condition was worse than mine!

Over the next few days and weeks, Tim received get well cards, and special treatment galore.  He vomited exactly three times…so….I don’t know whether that qualified as a concussion or not, but I am here to tell you, I was one unhappy camper!  I can still remember how unfair I thought the whole thing was…..and I honestly did not stop to consider how unfair Tim must have FELT it was.

I was quite able to lay on the blame, too. 

• Jeannie should have minded the boys better.
• That first driver should not have beckoned the boys to cross in front of his car.
• The other driver should not have “overtaken” the stopped car. 
• My brothers should not have crossed in front of a car in the first place….

Can we say, “it’s all about ME??”

When I think about how unfair things seem at times, I recall that very strong feeling that day when I was 10 years old. I am reminded how stupid I was to feel that way then and it helps me see that the feeling is just as stupid today. 

There are many who actually help make me a great seller (yes, I have to believe I am a great seller or can be certain I will not be one.)  Just like the business owner in the brick and mortar store, I do not do it alone.  Yes, certainly, I do a lot of the work. But consider the fact that I sell my items to customers who cannot take their purchases with them as they leave my establishment.  Instead, they have to put their trust in my word that I will get their item to them.

The first person in the transaction, the one who ALLOWS me the opportunity to make a great transaction with another, is the customer himself.  He selects my item, asks questions if he has them, agrees to purchase, responds to my invoice with cleared payment and sets in motion phase two of the transaction.  I am phase two. 

Phase two involves printing the invoice, pulling the order, packaging the shipment, purchasing postage, leaving feedback and shipping the item.  This sets in motion phase three.

Phase three is up to the shipping operation….USPS, UPS, FedEX, DHL, it does not matter…these folks are vital to my successful transaction.  Their successful delivery of the item purchased from me by my customer is critical to the feedback my customer gives me.

Finally, my customer takes the time to drop me a note or leave me feedback regarding the safe delivery and satisfactory transaction.  Of course, if there is any issue, my customer contacting me to resolve that issue is an optional phase, that I have had to exercise only rarely, but it happens.

My point is this.  While I might moan and groan about feedback, stars, slow paying customers etc., I think it equally important to thank those who actually help me earn my positive feedback and stars ratings.  The customer is key here. The shipping companies are phenomenal, for the most part, and I get all the credit…hardly seems fair sometimes!

So, there you have it.  Just as I would, were my customer walking out the door of my brick and mortar store, I thank them publicly for their patronage, and hope they enjoy their purchase. I would not feel it necessary to wait for my brick and mortar store customer to get home, taste the milk he just purchased from me, call me up or stop back by to let me know it was great, before I thanked him for his purchase.  So, I thank my customers publicly when I print their labels.

And I thank my postal clerks when they accept my packages for shipping….because I get the great feedback and the stars, getting credit for things that I really have to rely on them to make happen in a timely manner.

This is the first time my traffic reports have revealed traffic coming to Judy's Corner from Google UK, France, and Netherlands!  Woohoo!!!  I love it!

Details
		Search Engine	Searches	%
1.		eBay Search	1,296	83.6%
2.		Google	138	8.9%
3.		Yahoo!	100	6.5%
4.		Google - United Kingdom	6	0.4%
5.		Yahoo.uk	2	0.1%
6.		AOL.com Search	2	0.1%
7.		CNET Search.com	2	0.1%
8.		Dogpile	2	0.1%
9.		Google - France	1	<0.1%
10.		Google - Netherlands	1	<0.1%
		Total	1,550

Good morning all...all OVER the world!   Hope you are having a great day!

I just received one of the nicest messages through eBay messages.  It was from one of my customers, who was thrilled with her purchase.  Problem? Well, the purchase she described was not what I sold her. OK, that mistake has been made a time or too, but she went on to explain WHY getting the items today had been so pleasing.  She explained about her job and the very difficult thing she had had to do in the course of that job today, and that the receipt of this purchase had changed an otherwise terribly depressing day into a nice one.

Now, I did sell this lady an item.  But I only shipped it out this morning.  I am CERTAIN it did not get there yet!  So I responded with what I hope will be a nice message, that will not prove embarrassing to her.  Here is what I wrote.

“Hi, I have to believe you meant this message for another seller. The item you ordered from me went out in the mail this morning, so it would, I believe, indeed be magic if it had already arrived! However, I am very happy your other seller was able to put a smile on your face. That would be a very tough situation. Good luck to you and thanks for your business. – Judy”

I hope she is able to send the other seller the message, because it was a really nice one!

Last week, during the ghostly visitations to the blogs, I received a gift from the Little Fairies Group.  This gift, is one they must have known I would love, because I had previously purchased something that has been used as the focal point of the gift.  This picture, painted by our very own, blog-renowned artist, the_barefoot_cajun, is of a tree.  The tree has stood tall and strong, weathering many a storm.

As most of you know, barefoot usually paints angels.  Angels she sees and angels others see are captured in her unique style.  However, when she painted this tree, standing strong against the bombardment of life's storms, she did not paint an angel in the picture…and yet, the first time I saw this picture, I saw an angel.

I carry that ACEO I purchased a few months ago in my wallet.  It is a reminder of how I like to live my life.  I understand there are to be many storms in my life, for why should I be different from any other on this earth? And yet, I know that I am not alone as I stand tall for what I believe in, and stand strong in spite of the challenges I am presented.  In the picture, I see an angel, low to the ground, hugging the tree, helping to hold it in place.  I know I have such “angels” helping me stay grounded in my life too.

So, the box which now displays a larger version of the same picture, sits beside my computer, in “shipping central” at Judy’s Corner.  Inside the box, I have my business cards….

Thank you Little Fairies Group…thank you for thinking of me on my birthday and thank you for having the_barefoot_cajun create such a meaningful gift for me.  You are all truly awesome!

I wanted to wait to post this thank you, lest it be poofed away by the blog ghost, only to return sporadically during those frustrating days.  I am happy the blogs have returned to a semblance of normalcy so that I could thank you very kind people.

Tonight my hubby and I shared supper with my son and his fiancée at a restaurant near their house.  This was a belated birthday dinner and they brought with them the gift my son and daughter had gone in together to get for me. (My daughter is still in CA, so she could not join us for supper).

The gift was lovely -- a necklace on which hung a locket.  The locket houses a tiny four leafed clover. When the locket is opened, it has two photos and a dividing “page” on which is written, Luck and Love.  The pictures in the locket are, of course, of my two children, now adults.

I’m really not a jewelry person.  I don’t have pierced anything and the only trinkets with which I adorn my person are my wedding rings and a necklace my son gave me, which he purchased while visiting England in 1999.  I had never taken in off, except for X-rays and surgeries, in those eight years.

So, tonight, I took off the rose, and put on the clover…four leaves for luck, photos of two grown children -- persistent evidence of love.  I could not have thought of a nicer gift.

On the way home from dinner I called my daughter to let her know I had the gift and that I love it.  I told her it is on my neck and will stay there until they have to cut it off!  LOL

It’s worth considering.  I have been working hard to try to resolve a reported discrepancy in how an item is to be insured, via USPS, and how much can be recovered should a claim on the insurance become necessary.

Reported situation: 
1. Seller purchased a plate for 99 cents.
2. Seller offered the plate at auction on eBay and the winning bid took it at $39.99
3. Seller packed and shipped (insured for $39.99) the plate to her customer
4. Customer reported the plate arrived broken
5. Insurance claim was filed
6. Proof of value was required, and according to this report, the USPS declared the value was to be based on the SELLER’S original cost….
7. USPS insurance claim was approved, but only for the 99 cents which the seller originally paid for the plate.

OK, I have never had this happen.  I have had only a couple of claims through USPS and only one for a broken item.  My invoice to my customer, along with the copy of his payment were accepted as evidence of the value of the item.

Still, the above scenario happened to a real eBay seller, so it was worth investigating.  There was some indication this was due to a newer agreement between eBay and USPS, and I have not yet received an answer back from eBay on that.

However, I had another chat with my Postmaster today and was told the ONLY conditions where he would see the above scenario playing out, was in the case of the seller who offers “free shipping.”  In this case, the shipping and handling are presumed to be included in the selling price of the item.  Since insurance is purchased in the amount for which the item sold, the VALUE of the item is necessarily inflated by the shipping and handling charges included.  Therefore, if the USPS claim form is filed, they can require proof of the VALUE of the item.  If the seller can provide his documented shipping costs (the copy of his shipping label, AND his stated polices on handling fees), they will typically accept this as evidence of the value of the item.  In the case above, if the plate sold for $39.99 and the seller offered free shipping, he could provide his shipping label copy showing, let’s say $9.00 for postage, and his documented handling fees, let’s say $1.00, and the value of the plate would then be set at $29.99, rather than the $39.99.

However, if the seller does not have documented S/H policies they can require evidence of value of the item based on original receipt when the seller purchased the item himself or an appraisal of the item dated prior to shipping the item to his customer.

The postmaster indicated he was unaware of any new eBay/USPS agreements on these matters, but that sellers should always maintain copies of the invoices to their customers, and copies of their customer’s payments as well as the copies of the shipping labels (from PayPal) in order to ensure any insurance claims can be processed successfully.

This is another good reason to state your S/H policies.  It is just something to think about when offering free shipping….I do on lighter weight items.

I sell dog and cat muzzles (among other things).  These muzzles weigh 2-3 oz, depending on the size.  I sell these for $6.00 - $6.50 with free shipping and handling to my US customers.  Intenational customers are charged a flat rate of $6.00 for S/H of the muzzles.

Since the USPS rate hike in May, these packages, which used to cost me 60 - 80 cents to mail, now cost me $1.48 - $1.70 to mail.  I have not increased my prices, but I kept thinking that perhaps I was doing something wrong.

Today I mailed out two muzzles.  Exactly the same size.  Weight = 2 oz.  One went to OR and cost $1.48 through PayPal. The second went to Canada, and I took it to the PO to purchase First Class International postage for it.  When she told me the cost was $1.00, I did a double take.  She checked and sure enough, that 2 oz package costs considerably less to ship to Canada than to the US.  I had her double check my postage to OR, and she confirmed it was correct.

I am going to refund my Canadian customer's S/H paid, and will be changing my shipping prices for these customers for these muzzles. 

How about that?  Something is cheaper to ship out of the country than domestically!

Benson joined our family in late March. He was not overly impressed with his cohabitation partner (Killian), the dog who has been a member of the family for 9 of her 11 years.  In fact, during the first couple of weeks Benson demonstrated his requirement for peaceful co-existence…..Benson RULES.

So it is that each day, while Killian is confined to her dog run, and Benson is free to move about the country, he chooses to lie no farther than two feet from this stinky, unkempt mongrel of a dog.  When I take Killian for her walk, Benson follows…Miss Killian is allowed to go NOWHERE without Lord Benson’s watchful eye being upon her every move.

So today presented a troubling situation for Benson.  It was the first time since his arrival that Killian went to the groomer.  After our morning walk and breakfast, Killian was loaded into her travel kennel and left at the end of the sidewalk for pick-up.  Benson watched the operation with curiosity.

Shortly before 8 AM, the groomer arrived and loaded Killian into her van, and took off.  Benson looked bewildered.  All day, and I do mean, all day, Benson sat or lay on the steps of the front porch….waiting for Killian to return. ( He normally does nto leave the back yard, unless he is walking with us.) He never left his post.  He did not eat, he did not drink.  When we went out to see him, he politely sat in our lap and loved on us, but he did not leave his watch for one minute.

At just before 6PM, the groomer returned with Killian in good shape.  Yes, the little mongrel was all clean and clipped and wearing a cutsie ‘kerchief around her neck.  Benson, who had been waiting ALL day for her return, acted as if this was NOT Killian at all, but an imposter!  He arched his back…he hissed…he retreated to the bushes and watched as Killian enjoyed lots of petting by her humans.

When Killian decided she was hungry and ran around to the back porch in hopes that food would quickly appear, Benson followed.  Soon, both were eating and all seemed right in the universe once again…..HOWEVER…it appears Lord Benson is NOT impressed with goofy ‘kerchiefs and while Killian was enjoying her meal, he suddenly leapt off the table, where he is fed, and took a swipe at Killian’s nose!

Since John witnessed the attack, we knew that Killian was innocent and Benson was apparently still convinced that this was an imposter…an imposter eating out of HIS Killian’s bowl!  So out I went and took off that ‘kerchief.  I placed it on the table in front of Benson and he jumped backward as if it were possessed!  I picked it back up and threw it in the trash…Benson is happy again, finally accepting that, while this Killian looks different and smells a WHOLE LOT BETTER, she is the real Killian and he can return to his regular program.

How exciting was YOUR day???

Yes, since we are on the hubby chef theme.... another repost from a long time back...

And then there was the time -- jcarolek

Repost from a long time ago...

Stew, you say???? --- jcarolek

There have been some questions regarding the value of items insured when purchases are made on eBay.  First, let me say that I have heard MANY stories of bad experiences with insurance through the USPS over the years I have been selling here.  I myself have not had bad experiences.  Nevertheless, I do not doubt that these stories are legitimate.

I decided I should ask the source.  USPS.  So I sent this email:

“There is much discussion of late on eBay regarding the value of items when considering USPS insurance.  As an eBay seller, I am interested in knowing whether the evidence of proof of value of an item is the invoice from which my customer paid for his item I am insuring, or the original receipt for the item which I purchased for the purpose of resale.
 
Example:
 
I purchase vases from a wholesale company and my cost is $10.00 each.  I sell these vases on eBay and my customer pays $19.00 each  I require my customers purchase insurance to reduce risk of financial loss.
 
When the package arrives at the my customer's location, they discover the vase is broken.
 
In consulting the USPS site it appears the insurance claim can be filed by either party.  The actual item and packaging, along with the claim form must be presented to any Post Office.  Evidence of value of the vase must be presented in the form of a receipt or an invoice.  Do we submit my wholesale receipt, the amount I purchased the vase for ($10), or the invoice to my customer, the amount they paid for the vase ($19)?
 
I appreciate your time and if you are not the correct person to answer this question, I wonder if you can direct me to the correct person?
 
Thank you,”

Within five minutes, I received the following, obviously computer generated response.

“Dear USPS Customer,

Thank you for contacting us. The Shipping Label information you have provided appears to have been generated through the Ebay/Pay Pal Online Shipping Label Program.  We are unable to process your request for a refund or offer any technical assistance because the Online Shipping Label to which you are referring was created through their service.

Please utilize the following url for further assistance, http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=contact-general or call

We also suggest that you do not bookmark this address since it may change.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Jan
USPS Internet Customer Care Center”

OK, I decided to change the word ‘eBay’ to ‘online’ and send another question.

“There is much discussion of late on online regarding the value of items when considering USPS insurance.  As an online seller, I am interested in knowing whether the evidence of proof of value of an item is the invoice from which my customer paid for his item I am insuring, or an  original receipt of the item which I purchased for the purpose of resale.
 
Example:
 
I purchase vases from a wholesale company and my cost is $10.00 each.  I sell these vases on online and my customer pays $19.00 each  I require my customers purchase insurance to reduce risk of financial loss.
 
When the package arrives at the my customer's location, they discover the vase is broken.
 
In consulting the USPS site it appears the insurance claim can be filed by either party.  The actual item and packaging, along with the claim form must be presented to any Post Office.  Evidence of value of the vase must be presented in the form of a receipt or an invoice.  Do we submit my wholesale receipt, the amount I purchased the vase for ($10), or the invoice to my customer, the amount they paid for the vase ($19)?
 
I appreciate your time and if you are not the correct person to answer this question, I wonder if you can direct me to the correct person?
 
Thank you,”

In two minutes, I received the following response,

“Dear USPS Customer,

Thank you for contacting USPS Internet Customer Care Center, which handles technical support for the USPS website.  Unfortunately, I am unable to help you with this particular issue; however, please contact your local Post Office and they will be able to assist you further. 

If you would like the contact information for your local Post Office, please visit www.usps.com and click on "Locate Post Offices".  You will be prompted to enter your address and/or zip code.

I apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Thanks Again,

Karen
USPS Internet Customer Care Center

So, I went to my local PO, as instructed.

Here is what I was told:

1. Insurance can be filed by either party.
2. Consignee (recipient) of the broken item must present the broken item, in its packaging with a copy of the claim form to any Post Office. 
3. The postal clerk verifies the damage, and updates the online claim record indicating the item was broken and that the item was properly packaged.
4. The claimant (either the sender or the recipient) must provide evidence of value of the item.  In the case of a purchased item, the invoice and evidence of payment must be provided.  In the case of a gift, the value must be demonstrated either by the sales receipt from where the sender purchased the item, or an appraisal of the item obtained prior to shipping.
5. The shipping receipt is also required.
6. The amount of insurance is limited to the actual amount of the insurance purchased. If the item sold at auction for $56.00, but the seller only insured the item for $50.00, the claimant will only be able to recover the $50.00.  Likewise, if the customer only paid $45.00 for the item and the sender insured it for $50.00, the claimant will only be able to recover $45.00.
7. The only changes to USPS insurance pertains to international shipments, which First Class and Priority Mail International can be insured.

That being said…as a seller, I have had two opportunities to file for broken merchandise. The first was with USPS. I had a replacement for my customer, so I immediately sent her the replacement and then I filed the claim.  She provided her PO with the required look-see of the item in its packaging.  I provided the PO with my invoice to the customer, her PayPal payment for the item, the shipping label receipt, the email from my customer noting the receipt of the broken item, and the delivery confirmation of the date delivered.  My claim was accepted and I had the refund in approximately three weeks.

Since then, I have begun using U-PIC to insure all my shipments, as their prices are far more reasonable.  Last month I had my first opportunity to file a claim for a lamp that was broken in transit.  The claims process was painless.  I am including the form U-PIC requires the claimant to file for USPS items that are lost or damaged in transit.  Please note, the specific evidence of value is the invoice to the consignee, and the auction number for online auctions.  In this case, I refunded my buyer immediately and then file the claim.  My buyer had to write and sign a statement and include a copy if her invoice.  She complied with this process wonderfully, and, again, I was refunded with no issues. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m10/jcm9378/U-PICClaim.jpg

With BigCrumbs.

If you are interested in what it is, I have also written a guide I hope you find helpful.

Hope everyone is having a great day, in spite of the Blog Ghost.

When I look at my eBay bill each month, I think, “GEEZ!  No wonder eBay has honored me with the Power Seller symbol!”  I know I worked hard to bring in the bids for my items before I was granted such an honor, but I can assure you, I have never worked HARDER than I have since being so “honored.”  There is something about giving it up that makes me cringe…It took too much work to get where I am, surely it is worth the effort to keep moving forward!

So, each month I hunt for my merchandise, wash, iron, photograph, measure, list, wrap, label and stack items on my “listed” shelves, awaiting the marriage between what I have and what that special customer wants.  And, every month I get to share the fruits of my labors with eBay (thank you eBay for giving me the opportunity…I truly DO appreciate it.)

Now I have been thinking that while I and the other Power Sellers are labeled such by eBay to award us for making them so much money (not in any way belittling the contributions of those who have yet to attain this lofty “goal”), eBay surely has another list of “favorite members.”

Yes, I suspect eBay has a secret list that, should they share it with us by labeling these members, would likely make these members’ lives a living onslaught of spam….I refer to that list of Power Buyers.  You know they are out there.  You know they are, in fact, the cream of the eBay crop…for without their willingness to trust the eBay marketplace, eBay would have far fewer Power Sellers to award…..

Now, the “little guy’s” money is just as good as the Power Buyer’s money.  No doubt about it.  Just like the “little guy’s” listing and final value fees are just as important as the Power Seller’s listing fees and final value fees.  Still, in the world of business, return customers are most often highly sought after.  Those who have money to spend can afford to return wherever they please…eBay, is pleased they continue to return to their marketplace, I am sure.  I suspect eBay is also pretty darned happy I return month after month, paying them for the opportunity to make a little extra money.

Power Buyers -- Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  I cannot know who you are, but I’m sure eBay does….and as long as you are working hard to maintain your Power Buyer status, I will do my best to maintain my Power Seller status!

(all non-power buyers and sellers are always welcome and treated with the exact same care as “those guys” at Judy’s Corner.)

You've got the Power!!   Use it wisely (please).