Shipping a lens

Hey everyone. I was wondering about the way I've done it in the past and the way you do it. If you are selling and providing free shipping on say a $650 lens how would you ship it? Would you go standard parcel with no insurance or Priority or what?
I've sold a couple lens on here in the past and have paid for shipping. What I've done is ship it priority with the proper amount of insurance. I want to know that the person who bought me lens is being taken care of and in the worse case scenario they would get a refund.
So how do you do it?
I'm asking because I bought a lens on here a couple weeks ago and it's still not arrived. In fact it's not been scanned since the 3rd. I understand it's a busy time of year but upon finding out it was sent the cheapest way possible doesn't soften the blow any. Of course looking back I wish I would have made that clear during the purchase. I paid the amount asked plus the PP fees so I assumed wrong in thinking the seller would ship it properly.
Am I out of line here?

It depends who it's being shipped by. USPSis the worst. They scan once and your lucky if u get an update scan . I waited for my lens I bought and it had departure scan and being delivered that's it. That's one if many usps stories I have

Ya they shipped USPS so I sit and I wait.

Have u tried contacting seller?

That's a really long time. I sent an item to CA from VA via first class (not a lens), and it arrived in 2 days.

I do send lenses via priority with insurance. If a buyer gets a broken lens or doesn't get the lens, and I get a broken lens back (or it's a loss), I want to be covered. Sellers often ask buyers to pay for insurance, but I feel it's in the seller's best interest to insure. Paypal is usually going to side with the buyer.

Well kind of a long time. Normally people ship the cheapest. And when it's scanned it doesn't ship out till the next business day. So I Jamie's case the 4th. Give it one more day gen contact seller

You say "the 3rd".. are you saying December 3rd? because that is just a week ago. With all the snow storms going on, it probably delayed the shipment

It was scheduled to be delivered yesterday but I understand that it's a busy time of the year for the PO. The last time it was scanned was when it was in NJ and it's being shipped to OK. I have contacted the seller and he's kinda like I am playing the waiting game. I am just a little shocked that he sent it the cheapest possible way with no insurance. I think if your going to ship an expensive item that it's in your best interest to do it in a reasonable manner. Just my 2 cents worth. I sure wish I would have had this conversation with him prior to it being shipped. Lesson learned

I have heard horror stories about USPS Insurance. They will weasel out of it if they can. Basic argument is they don't know how well you packaged the item so it isn't their fault.

But I still use them for USPS Priority. Gets there in two days air. Faster means less people handling product and less chance of damage.

where are you and where is the lens coming from? 2 weeks is not good. I had a shipment delayed last week for weather, it was coming from Kalif and got stuck in Salt Lake ****ty. It was UPS, so it had good tracking on it. I have shipped lenses via USPS Priority Mail with signature and UPS. Cheaper lenses I'll usually ship USPS Priority with insurance, the bigger ones I've sold (85L, 300L 2.8) typically go UPS and I buy enough insurance to get a new one if they screw up.
In your case, I'd contact the seller.

Funny thing is, most oftern, USPS Priority 2/3 Day is less expensive then Parcel Post. Especially if you use a flat rate box.

I ship and receive lots and lots of stuff via the USPS. I know many will scoff at this, but I have never had them actually lose or damage a package in 14 years. And I find the tracking decent enough.

OP, one option you han do is go into your local post office with the tracking number, and they can do a trace on it for you. Except for the long lines, it will only take about 2 minutes for them to do it. The USPS website doesn't update every single scan.

Also, with the weather the way it has been, it doesn't surprise me that there is a delay. Parcel post goes via truck, and Priority Mail is via plane in most cases. Tracks have to drive in the miserable weather, which can slow things down for days. Planes it's usually hours or a day at the worst.

Monday 12/3, I shipped a package Priority to Hawaii (from Florida), it got there on Wednesday. At the same time, a package was shipped to me from CA parcel post. It got to me today.

The seller/sender should certainly have paid for insurance, but since you purchased as a gift, he probably figured he won't be out anything if something happens, which is an appalling attitude, but it takes all kinds.

I would do as you're doing, and sit tight for another day or two.

Insurance is to protect the seller, not buyer. If he wants to roll the dice with no insurance it's up to him.

jamie_s_72 wrote in post #16516042
Hey everyone. I was wondering about the way I've done it in the past and the way you do it. If you are selling and providing free shipping on say a $650 lens how would you ship it? Would you go standard parcel with no insurance or Priority or what?
I've sold a couple lens on here in the past and have paid for shipping. What I've done is ship it priority with the proper amount of insurance. I want to know that the person who bought me lens is being taken care of and in the worse case scenario they would get a refund.
So how do you do it?

UPS with some insurance

KirkS518 wrote in post #16516946
Funny thing is, most oftern, USPS Priority 2/3 Day is less expensive then Parcel Post. Especially if you use a flat rate box.

I ship and receive lots and lots of stuff via the USPS. I know many will scoff at this, but I have never had them actually lose or damage a package in 14 years. And I find the tracking decent enough.

OP, one option you han do is go into your local post office with the tracking number, and they can do a trace on it for you. Except for the long lines, it will only take about 2 minutes for them to do it. The USPS website doesn't update every single scan.

Also, with the weather the way it has been, it doesn't surprise me that there is a delay. Parcel post goes via truck, and Priority Mail is via plane in most cases. Tracks have to drive in the miserable weather, which can slow things down for days. Planes it's usually hours or a day at the worst.

Monday 12/3, I shipped a package Priority to Hawaii (from Florida), it got there on Wednesday. At the same time, a package was shipped to me from CA parcel post. It got to me today.

The seller/sender should certainly have paid for insurance, but since you purchased as a gift, he probably figured he won't be out anything if something happens, which is an appalling attitude, but it takes all kinds.

I would do as you're doing, and sit tight for another day or two.

I didn't gift it, it was marked paid for goods.

Everything I sell camera wise, I ship Priority Mail with the purchase price insured. I accept PayPal only, non-gift option. I adjust the asking price for the 3% PayPal fees. I use USPS flat rate boxes as well.

Sure you can save a few bucks by shipping Parcel Post, or non-insured, or by accepting PayPal gift. But at the end of the day, I want to protect myself as much as I can and a few bucks isn't worth the headache of cheaping out.