As much as I don’t enjoy Unlistedleaf’s “Hype” content, I feel bad that he his package went missing. Only thing I don’t understand is why didn’t he get it insured. Well hindsight is 2020.
Well he shouldn’t be on the hook though right? If he doesn’t get it, PayPal protects him.
It’s the classic case of underdeclaring the value to avoid custom fees. You can’t insure a package for $7000 and than claim the value to be way less. Doing so would send red flags. At least that’s what I think. I’ve never tried insuring an international package for full value and claiming it to be significantly less than the insured amount but maybe someone else can shine some light. I’ve recently sent a package to Australia to an efour member with around $2500 worth of cards. To avoid custom fees I declared it as a gift with a value of $100. If I ended up in the same situation as Ando I’d be out $2500. It’s a risk some people take.
2 Likes
I’ve talked this over with a couple of members before and some of us feel that insuring a package like that places it in the “HEY LOOK AT ME! I’M WORTHY OF BEING STOLEN” box and may increase the chances of it being stolen. Granted, the few of us who had this thought aren’t also well versed in selling high value stuff and could use the ear of a more experienced seller.
3 Likes
Was it just one package? For that price isn’t it a no brainer to fly and do the deal in person? Or both the seller and the buyer meet halfway somewhere?
Flying to the UK from California to deliver a $5000 package?.. uh yeah that’s going to be a never from me chief.
13 Likes
What do you people do that makes traveling everywhere to drop off a package so convenient. I’m not picking on anyone, I just saw that comment a lot with my incident. I don’t know how much people travel but flying and meeting up with someone you don’t know, isn’t exactly convenient and if I had to do it for every package over 5k I’ve sold I’d have a lot of frequent flyer miles and a huge backlog of thing I need to get done and a lot of people who rely on me every day disappointed.
10 Likes
As an Australian who frequently purchases items and has them shipped throgh a middle man I’m constantly afraid of items either being stuck at customs or being stolen. I’ve had times when low value items have been opened up by customs and I’ve had times where I’ve important expensive, borderline illegal items(pachinko machine) and havent had any issues.
It’s just the risk I understand I have to take. Like if someone decided to look at one of my packages where my its clearly said pinball machine on the import forms and decided to steal it for a quick dollar then I’d feel just like leaf but it’s the risk I take in doing so. Theres enough australian horror stories alone to make someone scared.
I have the following feelings;
- It is just another of UnlistedLeaf’s end-of-the-year hype videos to get his views up
- The postal service really screwed up and he lost it all
- It has been under declared, he didn’t insure, tough luck; cry; move on.
If the latter, I can only laugh and laugh I will.
3 Likes
Generally people don’t go this big without having done it on a smaller scale before. Both the seller and the buyer. Generally we are talking dodging VAT’s in the area of 25-35%. If the money “saved” from all past transactions is factored in both parties are probably still ahead in total net effect to their respective bottom lines. I guess that can be the silver lining.
But yeah this is the risk of shipping underdeclared and uninsured internationally or anywhere really. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen it and it won’t be the last.
1 Like
this is the way I see and handle it. When I send my cards to the US for grading, I declare values like 30-50$, eventhough the cards inside are worth 1000-2000$. There is a saying in my country that goes “an insurance is only good until you need it”, that Mewtwo Trophy card would have probably not gotten stolen if it was declared a 10$ card.
1 Like
After the lost ssb 60k video, the number one comment was, “bruh for that much you should meet up in person”. By far the most common statement from people who have no experience selling high end collectibles. Sure meeting up is an option, but its extremely cumbersome, especially internationally.
The most valuable package I have shipped to date was around 1.3 million dollars. The most convenient method is private insurers. Or no insurance. Trying to bring high value items through the airport, especially through customs is a nightmare. I’ve had people buy me plane tickets to just meet them at the gate to give them their card(s). Even that was a hassle.
Ultimately its up to the individuals involved, but meeting up is such a hassle, especially if its an international purchase.
8 Likes
He spent thousands on a package that he didn’t know what was in it? That’s what mystery packages are?
To be honest, in all my years I’ve never heard a postal employee say “stolen”. Misplaced, lost,…yes. But someone responsible for investigating claims said “stolen” and after only a month?
I’d like to see a video on how to package a 1.3m item. What’s more safe than bubble wrap, how many boxes within a box, and how nervous were you dropping that off?
6 Likes
@smpratte,
I just received this morning a 6 figure fed ex box that was insured for 100. And the guy is only 300 miles away, And I hadn’t even paid yet:astonished:
.
He had a lot of faith in FedEx as well as faith in king Pokémon lol.
8 Likes
A youtube trend right now are mystery boxes. Basically businesses are bundling less desirable product and adding a “mystery” element to sell them quicker. The youtube end are guys who receive these boxes, they know whats in them, and hype them up.
Oh. So he was just pretending not to know what he was reading?
1 Like
So who takes the loss?
Yes.
1 Like