Doll's Hospital - Delivery Suggestions

DELIVERY SUGGESTIONS

Packaging
	Please make sure you securely pack your treasured possession in a strong box to protect it during its journey to me (my address is on the Contact Me page).
	If you are sending repairs to me from outside the UK then please put on the Customs Form "TEMPORARY IMPORTATION FOR REPAIR" to save me having to pay customs import duty and then trying to claim it back. Failure to do this may mean I have to pass on to you the mail carrier's clearance fee - which is often greater than the importation fee.
	If the doll or teddy is in pieces and you want it re-assembled it would be really helpful if you could put it in a box that was big enough to hold the re-assembled body.
	Don't forget to include contact information, e.g. telephone number and/or email address and a wish list of what you would like repaired and, if your list includes clothes and/or wig, colour choices.

Return Postage for UK Repairs
	Returning Parcels We usually return parcels by the same method used to send them to us. However, for breakable or valuable items we try and convince customers to pay for Special Deliver (see below) to ensure their items are properly insured for loss or damage. If the customer declines this option then they assume responsibility for any loss / damage - we would obviously claim from Royal Mail for the loss / damage if possible, but compensation would be limited.
	Special Delivery The service allows confirmation of delivery, which is guaranteed next working day by 1 pm (mainland UK). Basic compensation for loss is available and enhanced compensation can be purchased. Visit www.royalmail.co.uk for pricing details and to confirm delivery. I have been using Royal Mail Special Delivery for over 10 years and it is only recently that a doll has been broken in transit. I claimed for the repair cost and the loss of market value of the doll. Royal Mail paid for the repairs but refused to pay for the loss in market value. It took 6 months to resolve the case, with Royal Mail refusing to answer letters from Postwatch after initially trying to tell me that I should have taken out consequential loss - in clear contradiction to their website statements that consequential loss does not relate to the market value of an item. To resolve the case I went direct to the Royal Mail chairman's office who agreed that consequential loss would NOT have applied and that we had set a precedent with a unique case (it is difficult to believe this has not happened before). The advice from the Chairman's office is that when a loss of market value will result from repair then repairs should NOT be done and a claim should be made for the FULL REPLACEMENT COST. (This seems strange as in the case in question a replacement claim would have then been greater than repair cost and a market value loss payment). So, if you have an item that cannot be replaced (for whatever reason - it has sentimental value or is unique) you need to be aware that SPECIAL DELIVERY will NOT cover a loss of market value to the item and purchasing Consequential Loss insurance before posting will NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. If you send an item that CAN be replaced if it becomes damaged then you need to ensure that it is insured for the FULL REPLACEMENT COST.

	Recorded Delivery provides added reassurance for important items by allowing confirmation of delivery. Maximum compensation for loss per parcel is 100 times the cost of a first class stamp. HOWEVER, compensation is NOT paid for items of value, especially porcelain dolls. Visit www.royalmail.co.uk for pricing details and to confirm delivery.

	Standard Parcel Service compensation will NOT be paid for damage to item such as glass, china, porcelain or antiques. Fragile labels do NOT affect the way the parcel is handled. This is the cheapest means of sending parcels but is slow, sometimes taking 7 - 10 working days. Several dolls that I repaired have arrived back to their owner in a broken state, despite secure packing. It is very distressing and frustrating and unless SPECIFICALLY instructed to use Standard Parcels, I will NOT use them. Basic compensation for loss of items covered is 100 times the cost of a first class stamp per parcel and enhanced compensation can be purchased. Visit www.royalmail.co.uk for pricing details.

Return Postage for International Repairs Visit www.royalmail.co.uk for full details
	Normal Air Mail Items are charged for by weight. Delivery is not guaranteed and no compensation is available for loss or damage.
	Airsure Items leave on the first available flight from the UK and receive priority handling abroad. Items are tracked electronically all the way to the destination. NO signature is obtained and this service does NOT operate to all countries, especially the USA.
	International Signed For Items are tracked electronically ONLY up to the point where they leave the UK. No delivery times are given The Post Office CANNOT SUPPLY A COPY OF THE SIGNATURE TAKEN ON DELIVERY.
	Our thoughts on International Signed For
	International Signed For seems to be good for compensation if the item is lost or damaged. However Royal Mail state that they do not pay compensation for consequential loss, and only pay compensation when Royal Mail is at fault. So they could argue that as long as it is tracked to the UK departure point then they will not pay compensation for loss.
	Proving where an item may have been damaged (here or abroad) could also be difficult.
	I am also uncertain what happens if a signature is provided but you don't get the item. If you say you didn't sign for it and Royal Mail say they have your signature (but will not provide a copy) then surely there is no way to argue that they have failed to deliver.
	For compensation purposes, I am not sure who decides what a lost or damaged item was worth unless you have a receipt. I am not sure how you put a value on many of the treasured possessions sent to us for repair.