I sell china and crystal world wide. Canada Post does not insure china or crystal against glass or pottery as they are sensitive to temperature changes.
If you ship with USPS (from USA) they insure but its your purchaser that has to file a claim and you have to send her the receipt so she can collect. If purchaser ships the item back to you, your insurance becomes null and void. If the box is damaged, USPS can claim it was insufficiently packed (not enough fill enabling the box to cave in, resulting in the damage). If there is no evidence of damage on the box, then it becomes an issue of "item was already damaged when sent".
You can try UPS or other carriers with the same results. In Canada, fragile items have to be taken to the UPS store unpacked and its up to the discretion of the store if they want to insure it or not.
I shipped a $5,000 piece of Swarovski crystal to England through a UPS Store in London (Ontario). They insured it for something like $500. It arrived safe and well. I shipped an identical piece to Nice, France a year later but they would not insure it and were much more expensive than Canada Post. I shipped with CP and it arrived safe. Same person purchased several other items and sent two back "broken". One was a smaller item but the other was $1,000. It was a bunch of Swarovski grapes with metal leaves and was packed in its original foam lined box. Several of the crystal grapes were badly chipped and one of the leaves was broken in two. It had to be dropped on the floor to suffer that kind of damage. It was beyond repair.
I shipped some expensive china to Japan without problems and also a 40 piece set of Dynasty to London, England. I tried to minimize
the danger of loss so I shipped them $1,000 value per box (7 boxes). It cost $1,200 with Canada Post. UPS wanted more, without insurance. I shipped 4 other sets to USA without problems at a cost of $450 or $650 per set, I no longer remember.
I do all my own packing. I use brand new boxes, bubble wrap and styrofoam. Lots! I usually double box. I wrap each item carefully. I don't put heavy items like a stack of plates together with cups. I make sure they are all in the center of the box with at least 2" of styrofoam all around. I shake and tap the box so the foam settles, then I refill so that its heaping a bit on top. Then I seal the box with tons of tape.
The box has to be fully packed with no empty spaces so it has some resistance against crushing. I pack it so that if it rolled down the stairs, nothing would not break.
I screen my purchasers. I Google their name to see who they are and what they do. I look up their address to see how long they have lived there and how much their home is worth. I check telephone listings. I go to Google Earth and look at their house. I find out everything I can about them. Usually I follow up with a phone call to confirm that they have authorized the purchase. Then I pack.
I ship everything with Canada Post, I insure for full value and I request delivery confirmation for over $250 and signature if its over $500.
Its a bit time consuming and the new eBay return policy and the 6 month PayPal policy makes it risky. If I feel the slightest reservation about my buyer, I cancel the transaction.
With so much at stake, I would not consider selling anyone's items. Even if it all goes smooth, there is a potential for misunderstanding that could arise between you and the lady that could ruin the relationship.
I take the risks because I cannot resist buying beautiful china and crystal. I love their beauty and the excellence that goes into their production.
I hope I was able to help.
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