I'm sorry, Sue, to take exception with you, but that is not the case. I have been through this with FED EX and recently, too.
First of all, Fed Ex will be quick to tell you that what they offer is not insurance. They call it declared value. The maximum value for the type of material I sell that Fed Ex will accept in their declared value category is $500. Any fed ex package automatically has a declared value of $100.00. If I want to pay a certain amount per $100 of declared value -- I believe the rate is $0.50 per $100 valuation, I may be covered UP TO $500.
If you go to the U.S. Postal Service and send a package, insuring it for $5000.00, they do not care what is inside the package, excepting, of course, the kind of material that is forbidden to send through the mails. If you pay the premium - and it is a premium, for what they offer is actual INSURANCE - you are covered on that item against loss or nondelivery. You will, of course, have to file a claim and provide proof that what you sent is worth $5000. A commercial invoice is sufficient, usually, to do this. Or an appraisal from a professional.
That is not the case with FED EX. They will happily accept your money, but may not pay if push comes to shove, as it happened with a very well known dealer in Canada who was shipped some film posters from the U.S. It was an expensive shipment by anybody's index, it was lost, and it was "insured". Or so the sender thought, having paid the "premium." FED EX did NOT pay, saying they do not accept declared values higher than $500 for this kind of material. Needless to say, there was a gnashing of teeth, renting of clothes and sackcloth and ashes. But NO DICE.
Federal Express rarely loses anything, but every collector should know what I have outlined above.
The fact that you may be shipping posters is frames does not change a thing as far as they are concerned.
I have heard of FED EX paying claims for lost or damaged film posters and I cannot account for this schizophrenic policy. But make no mistake; their own Customer Service Guide is very clear about this.
Other excepted categories: works of art, furs, jewelry.
There is a DVX (Declared Value Exception) program at FED EX. Certain merchants can APPLY for a waiver from Fed Ex to allow shipment of items on the excepted list. This has been done in the area of jewelry particularly. I tried to apply and was turned down flat.
If you send a $10,000 poster in a frame and it gets lost, I would say you are, at best, at the MERCY of FED EX.
Is that where you, or any collector, wants to be?
I cannot for the life of me understand WHY Fed Ex cares WHAT is inside the package. But they do. They are probably afraid of the INSIDE JOB.
There are some outboard insurance solutions, obviously. But handing FED EX money for advanced declared value fees is a waste of money, I would say. It's actually buying false security.
Best, Kirby McDaniel MovieArt
Federal Express has a manual that specifically lists categories that they except from declared values higher than $500.00. They classify movie posters as COLLECTIBLES and collectibles are on the excepted list.
On Oct 1, 2004, at 5:35 PM, Susan Heim wrote:
I use Fedex ground to ship framed movie posters. I insure regularly boxes upwards of $10,000 and have never had a problem. I have had several collectors and dealers telling me that they were told be Fedex that they did not insure posters. That just isn't the case. I get posters shipped to me from collectors and dealers everyday via Fedex and they are insured. Freeman is correct. These are not one a kind pieces of art and for the most part replaceable. That has been my experience.
Sue ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 3:27 PM Subject: Re: [MOPO] Fed Ex on Insurance
In a message dated 10/1/2004 3:10:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Fed ex will not insure artwork though, so if they lose it you are really screwed!! I haven't found the above to be the case with FedEx. How can a poster be called artwork in the definition that Fed ex outlines. So I asked a regional manager before shipping a $7500 dollar poster just recently. And again consistent with what I have known them to ascribe, if a piece is invoiced and replaceable it doesn't fall under the heading of one of a kind artwork or artwork with a subjective value. I have never filed a claim to it fullest with FedEx but halfway I did with two posters lost in transit. In the course of emailing information for a reimbursement that was assured to me by a most friendly loss/theft agent, out of the blue buyer received posters some 3 weeks later, unscathed. So I notified FedEx and cancelled the filing. Now those two posters only totaled about 220.00. But the policy seemed to apply regardless of the cost.
Anyone with differing experience?
freeman fisher Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com________________________________________________________ ___________How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing ListSend a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-LThe author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com________________________________________________________ ___________How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing ListSend a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-LThe author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
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