Urgent--worth buying "freight insurance" for MacBook?

[anonymouse1]

I need to pay for this Macbook I won on ebay, and the seller offers me freight insurance for about $25.

But what good is freight insurance? Isn't the shipper responsible for any damages, anyway?

Thanks!

[The Grim Ninja]

Why would a macbook ship freight? That'd be pretty retarded.

Paying more than $10 for insurance is a bit much.

Paypal requires sellers to insure items if they sell for more than $250 anyway, so you don't technically even need to buy insurance, unless you got a ridiculously cheap book.

[anonymouse1]

I guess it's the same as shipping insurance--smells like a ripoff to me--legal, but not very ethical.

[hal]

If the mac isn't shipping in it's original box, UPS, FEDex etc will not pay on a claim. So if you want to insure such a package, you have to go elsewhere and it costs a hell of a lot more.

Forget the price for a moment...

it's xmas season - shipping without insurance is just insane, so pay it!

[anonymouse1]

hal-

Isn't the sender or the shipper responsible until it gets to me?

[hal]

anonymouse1 wrote:
hal-

Isn't the sender or the shipper responsible until it gets to me?

no - it's yours do do with as you please. If you want it shipped w/o insurance that's your choice and you deal with the consequences.

do you really want to test this during xmas season?

[incognegro]

go to the UPS site, or whatever carrier he's shipping with.

look up the weight of a macbook, then price insurance for the final value of the auction.

[testcase]

Insurance actually covers the SHIPPER, not the BUYER. If you pay and, the worst happens; you're at the mercy of the (probably out of state) seller. You'll have to wait weeks (possibly months) even if the seller files a claim. UPS is notorious for dragging their feet and, finally denying claims. Cross your fingers!

[Robert M]

Hal,

What are you talking about? The original packaging isn't necessary. Just appropriate protection and packaging. UPS/FEDEX/Etc will by all means pay a claim as long as the computer is protected and packaged properly for transit. I ship with UPS daily and have had to deal with claims way too many times over the years including those for computers damaged in transit. That said, Test case is correct. The insurance covers the shipper. If something happens, he/she has to take care of the claim. you just have to deal with him/her about the broken computer. I'd still insure it though, even if it was holiday season.

Robert

[Racer X]

the original packaging this is BS. the original packaging was designed to safely transport these things as a huge palletized batch. A single unit in an original box will still get bounced around and potentially destroyed, regardless of the fact that it is an original Apple box with inserts.