Claiming compensation from Royal Mail

[CJ57]

I see they say commercial jewellers so they are looking at companies making large quantities so their production costs are bound to be less than handmade bespoke.
I have in the past sent whole collections by post to galleries Why do they even ask how much the parcel is worth if they aren't going to pay for it??
I also wonder when you tend to buy a bit of silver to make several pieces from, how an invoice will show what the materials cost for the lost item

[medusa]

<snipped for brevity>
As in the bangle scenario above, a lawyer friend is adamant that I would be able to claim for the full cost of the bangle despite the ‘terms & conditions’ by RM. But how many people would get/be able to get a lawyer involved for losses of say £300?

If anyone would like me to continue this email exchange, I am more than happy to but if you could provide the question/s, that would be great!

Thanks for posting this, Indi, useful work!

I wonder if one could pursue something like this through the small claims court?

[Dennis]

No one who has not lost work in the post can imagine the total frustration of dealing with Royal Mail, even if you can provide invoices. It's like bashing your head against a brick wall over and over. They rely on that of course to make you give up.

But it does mean that in case of loss, their receipt for jewellery made by you, which carries with it hours of your life, will not be worth the paper its printed on. Dennis

[surfergirl]

I see they say commercial jewellers so they are looking at companies making large quantities so their production costs are bound to be less than handmade bespoke.

I wondered if their interpretation of 'commercial' meant large companies or literally 'anyone involved in commerce' so anyone involved with making or intending to make a profit. Therefore, if I'm a jeweller (of any description) and selling something which makes a profit then I'm a 'commercial jeweller'. Sigh.

[surfergirl]

It's like bashing your head against a brick wall over and over. They rely on that of course to make you give up.

It's the vagueness of the definitions used by RM which gives them the ability to apply whichever interpretation/s of those definitions they wish

[medusa]

the youngest works in an insurance brokers. I just asked her if it was possible to get this so-called business insurance RM mentioned in their email to Indy because after looking online I couldn't see anything. She said she'll contact someone at head office and ask. Not sure how affordable it will be for people like me but those of you who already have established businesses might find it useful.

[surfergirl]

the youngest works in an insurance brokers. I just asked her if it was possible to get this so-called business insurance RM mentioned in their email to Indy because after looking online I couldn't see anything. She said she'll contact someone at head office and ask. Not sure how affordable it will be for people like me but those of you who already have established businesses might find it useful.

Excellent, Liz! Would be great to hear what's she says. I wonder what the excess would be and if that in itself would be a prohibitive factor when it comes to claim time. Thank you, Liz

[medusa]

damn, forgot about excesses! If they ever do clarify what they mean by reasonable production costs I hope you let us know.

[CJ57]

My policy with Hencilla includes quote ' limit provided for artwork and materials away from your own premises including whilst in transit and at exhibitions anywhere worldwide Excess 10% or each and very claim subject to a minimum contribution £100 and a maximum of £1000

[Aurarius]

You took the right approach patiently writing to the Royal Mail in that way, Indi. I'd have done the same. I'm not surprised at their answers. RM is essentially a company that doesn't have any reputation worth saving, so they're never going to be generous in these sorts of situations.

I'm not sure the insurance route would reduce the grief in the long term. The thing insurers hate more than anything is a claim, and anyone who's made a claim in the last 5 years immediately qualifies for a much higher premium on renewal or if they change insurer. This hike in premium will be the second and bigger hit you take after having had to stump up for the excess you were liable for as part of the claim. Unless you sometimes send very valuable consignments and a single loss would be catastrophic, insurance is as much a no-win situation as RM.

I think the way to go is the more costly one of a reputable courier, once you've checked that their terms and conditions meet your needs, of course. An even better way is the old-fashioned one of the customer picking up their goods from you in person. It's difficult to make a living that way alone, but at least every face-to-face transaction is one that RM can't foul up for you with very costly and very distressing consequences.