SAPO Insurance Act

[Fashion Police 10]

Still not everyone's aware of SAPO's insurance policies, procedures etc.

Postal insurance firstly does not cover everything; also certain steps must be followed by both the sender and recipient in an event of loss / damage before a claim can be considered.

Always remember to inform buyers who opt for postal insurance to open and inspect the parcel at the office counter upon collection.

Just thought this might be helpful;

http://www.postoffice.co.za/Insuranceact.pdf

[bobbywiz 10]

Hi ditto Southerns post below about not hijacking the thread, but not sure where to post as this is a first here. Anyway just had a disagreement with the PO, then sent this letter to the Herald here in PE. So you think you’re insured

I recently sent a parcel containing Chinese ceramic plates to a client in Johannesburg through the SAPO “insured” mail service. On arrival on of the plates had been damaged and was in pieces. This parcel had been painstakingly packaged using bubble wrap, polystyrene support, and each item was individually wrapped in thick protective wrapping, nothing moved even when shaking the package. So I felt disappointed and embarrassed, but at least it was insured – right? Wrong – SAPO informs me that the contents were “fragile” and therefore not insured. Furthermore a look at their downloadable policy declares amongst a ton of other weasel phrases “Exclusions - any content of parcel/letter if the recipient signs for the goods without inspecting the parcel for physical damage and declaring such damage to the counter staff before leaving the counter;” Never in all my patient time spent inside a SAPO have I ever seen anybody inspecting parcel contents prior to leaving, but such are the weasel phrases awaiting the uninformed. Luckily so I thought, my client did just that, pointed out the damaged plate, and the attending P.O. employee testified that the parcel had been surely packaged. All to no avail, the weaselers (my word) say the goods were fragile – no claim! Ok but that goes for just about anything aside from a stone, metal ball or a jersey. A ceramic plate is surely fragile, if you drop it, crush it or mishandle the package, then so is your car, or even a brick. And you think you’re insured when posting through SAPO? - think again.

[admin 4]

Hi bobbywiz,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I have moved your post to here. SAPO never insured parcels for breakage, only theft, though some sellers claimed to have had successful claims for breakage. With SAPO anything is possible...

[bobbywiz 10]

Thank you Ultimate BoBber.

Here is the exact clause that appears on an insured parcel form.

“I certify that he contents and value of this parcel are as indicated above and note that compensation is not payable in respect of damage to parcels containing liquids or perishables or fragile articles or in respect of a parcel duly delivered and accepted without reserve.”

My beef is simply that it is not clear nor is any examples displayed to the public as to what exactly constitutes “fragile”. A brick is fragile if dropped, so is an amplifier, a cell phone, a toaster or Grandma’s false teeth, even my car and almost any item other than a jersey or perhaps solid iron balls, and then I guess one could always scratch or mark those. According to the above declaration, damage is covered, but is protected by a bodyguard of obscure weasel words and phrases. What would constitute loss? – When is it declared lost – 1 month 6, a year, 5 years? And don’t forget to check your parcel on collection, empty all the packaging material right there on the floor, they can clean it up.

This is not good for buyer seller trust.

All the best.