Shipping..insure or not insure

I am about to make my first purchase on-line from a member and I am stuck with a dillema, to insure and pay border taxes and slow down my shipment or just take my chances and have it sent..
Anyone care to help..

Well if its offerd I usally buy it. I have know idea how things work in Canada and I have never sent anything out of the states how much taxes due on an item costing say a 100usd? for an example, 2bucks 10bucks 50bucks?
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The taxes arn't all that important to me, it is the hold up at the border that I am concerned about.. I am ordering my L4 and by the time the dust settles it'll be about $200 uninsured and $230 insured. I know that once I send the money I will not sleep until arrives and I can't emotionally afford to wait.. Insured or not.
Is it common to lose an item in shipment? I have never heard of it..

Really is a tough call. Stuff happens at times but if you consider the number of things shipping all the time very few things get lost. I guess it depends on how you percieve 200 bucks; to me thats alot of money to someone else a drop in the bucket. If thats alot of money to you insure it is safer. My personal limit is 100 bucks if I spend 100 bucks I want it insured cuz I can't just say "Oh well I guess i'll
order another one" Oh your gonna love your L4 when it gets there safe.
Topper

Never have had a shipping problem here......but if you are buying something like a $200 Surefire, you might as well go for it.

As for sleeping, after 3 or 4 days you won't have a chance of staying awake /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

That settles it, insured it is.
Thank you gentlemen.

Please let me know when you get it no reason for both of us the lose sleep.
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I go for insurance when the price is much above $100, but insurance is only a few bucks more.

My wife sells on ebay and her theory is that if you get tracking that is just as good because they will scan the label at each point in transit and you can track its progress. Also UPS and FedEx both proclaim that if you ship overnight there is less chance of a packing getting lost (meaning "stolen by employees") so you might checkinto the cost of overnight or 2-day shipping.

You buy insurance with the hope that you won't need it, but you sure are glad that you bought it if you do need it. If you need it and you don't have it, then you're just plain SOL.

Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. Most people here have commented that they're willing to risk up to $100 w/o insurance. My limit is closer to $25. I've had 3 losses of things that I've shippped (2 were insured) and one loss of something shipped to me. I have shipped and received MANY packages and the % of success has been pretty good. I EXPECT success, but I buy insurance for the failures.

Tracking (if we're talking about USPS) is a ripoff and a complete waste of money. It does NOTHING. It means NOTHING. There is no recourse. Either insure it or not, but don't throw your 55¢ away on Delivery Confirmation. It's like buying credit insurance on your credit card, except credit insurance is real. If you die, it'll pay. D/C does nothing. If you insist on spending it, send it me - at least I'll say "thank you."

Topper..Thanks, will do.

I went for the insurance, $200 is alot of money. The dowside of insurance to me was not the extra cost, it is the complications it can cause at the border, I am in Canada. Customs picks up on Insured packages and the become sucepatable to more taxes, customs fees and stuff like that.
The deed is done.. Tomorrow my new family member begins it's long journey home..

Good Luck!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

Let us know how it goes!!