Freelancing at Home

I have been kind enough to offer free shipping when I use Listia.com for small items like body jewelry. Items that can be put in a normal envelope and mailed with a normal stamp. I paid extra for these to not be machined, because the machine could break or shove the item out of the package.

Well, guess what I just got an e-mail saying today? The buyer said the side of the package was ripped open, that the small plastic bag the item was in was ripped open and that the body jewelry was missing.

I don't even think being machined can rip a small piece of body jewelry through both an envelope and a plastic bag, and if it did why did I pay extra money to have it not machined?

I've had this same problem when I shipping for Amazon.com. Heaven forbid I need to ship anything but a book. The item will be squished, crushed, run through what must be a very, very tiny machine as if there is nothing bulky in it, and the item - a bottle of body wash - was somehow pushed through not only the padded envelope but through two layers of bubble wrap!

Something's up at the post office. But they don't care as long as you didn't buy the insanely expensive insurance. Oh, and if you think insurance will protect you, think again. I got a box of books sent media mail once. Received the box and it suddenly weighed about half what it had when I shipped it. I opened it and not only were half my books missing but I had other people's mail inside my box! I had insurance on these books, but when I went to the post office to get my money, they told me there was no proof there were anymore books in the box than when I shipped it.

How exactly do you provide proof of that? Other than weight, of course, which they didn't care to look at.