[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by buymycards

The damage was clearly his fault. If he had packaged it properly it wouldn't have been damaged. He could have initiated an insurance claim on his end through the Post Office, but it probably would have been denied because of the poor packaging.

With the Post Office, the damaged item is turned in, along with the packaging, when the insurance claim is filed. If the PO pays the claim, they keep the item for possible resale through the Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta.

I am in the minority, but if you were fully reimbursed, I think you should return the item, maybe minus a small fee to cover your time and the return postage.

Rick, I see nothing in the original post that suggests the old gentleman had any insurance coverage for his shipment to the OP. So, I don't understand how you can say, "He could have initiated an insurance claim on his end through the Post Office ..." In actuality, I suspect that the OP's private insurance was covering both shipments.

IMHO, the key takeaway from this situation is, when doing a trade, be sure to discuss and agree with your trading partner, before shipping anything, who will be responsible for damage or disappearance in transit.

I, too, agree with the majority.