I had shipped a Lego box to an Ebay buyer, who complained that the box wasn’t in perfect condition and wanted to return it. I decided to pick the option “I’ll buy a label” via Ebay’s return process. When the item arrived, the box looked like this:
Of course the item’s box was damaged. I called up Ebay hoping they would cover this by refunding the buyer (not their fault) and refunding me as well (not my fault.) The overseas rep (bad sign) told me they’d escalate the case and get back to me in a few days. A few hours later, I “lost” the case after escalation since it wasn’t the buyer’s fault.
I called back after a few days and spoke to a US rep who told me to just file a case with USPS. I wasn’t sure if I could since Ebay technically paid for the label. However, I filed the case with USPS anyway since I was the recipient. I uploaded pictures of the box as well as the item’s damage. Within a week, I got mailed a check for $50. Sure enough, that is the default Priority Mail insurance. I was shocked at a) how easy it was to file a claim and b) how quickly they resolved the matter.
I’m not sure what would have happened if it was say a $500 item. I probably would have called back Ebay to complain that their label doesn’t include insurance up to the item’s value, but I’m not sure what they would have done. Either way now you know – you can make USPS claims when you buy the Ebay return label (I assumed Ebay had to.)