Declared Value, Two Mona Lisa's at least !

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi
This of course will need quite a bit of looking into, but it appears that
postal authorities are unnecessarily value adding to goods, based upon nothing
more than what the customer thinks the item is worth. Customs then add their
charges. The end result being a lot more money we fork out, to have goods posted.

Given that postal authorities will deliver your item regardless, what is the
sense in stipulating high amounts ? To me it has all the markings of a
confidence trick, and we need to bring goods declared value,
when posted, back to a level that is at least sensible.

I often throw a spanner so to speak into the works, by saying " the item
is priceless !" adding its worth two Mona Lisa's

Does anyone else have any thoughts about this ?

Cheers / Chris

[Beobloke]

It's all very well declaring your £1000 item as being worth £1 but then you're completely stuffed when the courier breaks it and you want to make a claim...

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Yes I get your point, but I think you will find insurance is a entirely separate matter
and I agree insurance is important to replace goods if damaged. Also insurance
would and does require a separate signed declaration. Legally then, insurance should not
as I see it, have to correlate directly to declared value.

As I read it declared value is entirely at our choice, and I think we should
exercise that choice by choosing not to raise postal costs any more than
necessary.

Cheers / Chris

[struth]

And apparently my hermes will happily take the insurance premium for electronics items but wont pay out if they damage it or return the premium.

[Macca]

Yes I get your point, but I think you will find insurance is a entirely separate matter


Insurance companies didn't get where they are today by doing stupid things like paying people out on their claims. You can bet your ass they look at the declared value.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Insurance companies didn't get where they are today by doing stupid things like paying people out on their claims. You can bet your ass they look at the declared value.

UPS state: "UPS's liability for loss or damage is limited to US$100.00 on shipments with no declared value"
I will research other carriers, and try and gain a definition of declared value vs insurance if they can be
viewed differently, or they are now so muddled, as to be viewed the same.

[Macca]

The thing is, if they were taken completely independently I could ship bags of sand daily with declared values of $5K each on the grounds that the law of averages says they will eventually lose one of them and I get a $5K payout.

This sort of thing does happen on occasion although the items are rarely as completely valueless as bags of sand they are not far off.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

I have started to unravel some of the declared value problems
that arise. If you happen to ship a lot of goods, using a third party insurer
can apparently work very well. You start to get an idea of it here:
https://www.lojistic.com/blog/5-dirty-secrets-about-carrier-declared-value-insurance

and here: http://www.betachon.com/engage/blog/80-the-untold-secrets-of-declared-value-coverage.html

Cheers / Chris

[Light Dependant Resistor]

The links in the prior post are third party insurers, so in many ways is still not independent
advice. What I see though is in declaring a value, you are undoing the automatic cover provided.

What I do not like is the sneaky way we ( sender/ receiver ) end up paying for something
that is not insurance at all. I need to digress if any monetary payment is made by the sender
in declaring value. The receiver of course pays highly if declared values are high, what a wasp's nest !

Cheers / Chris

[sq225917]

Under declaring the value of internationally shipped goods in s crime, punishable by law if caught. Both shipper and receiver are liable. Fines are multiples of the cogs in the UK.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Under declaring the value of internationally shipped goods in s crime, punishable by law if caught. Both shipper and receiver are liable. Fines are multiples of the cogs in the UK.

Do you ever get a refund or any thanks from over declaring ?
No, so Yes it is advisable to state correct value.