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Package Lost in the Mail at Rare Puzzles

More than a year ago I wrote a blog post about shipping insurance where I gave details about the first and only shipment damaged during transit at Rare Puzzles. Since our puzzles always travel in First Class because I pack them very carefully, the chances that they get any damage are very slim, except, of course, when a major catastrophe takes place. So far, we have only had one package that received damage during transit. Fortunately, the buyer bought insurance and we recovered (after some work) all the costs. When shipping puzzles, there is a lot of backstage work that buyers are not usually aware of. Packages normally arrive to their destination within the estimated delivery time. However, there is always something happening that requires attention. Problems with shipping companies and Customs One package needed 4 months to reach to its destination in the USA. We were able to track it and watched it cross the Atlantic Ocean three times until it finally arrived. Another box went to Italy, but they sent it to a storehouse of the shipping company... 300 km away from its destination. No wonder that they kept saying they couldn't find the street. In another occasion, they returned a box to me...

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Should I Buy Insurance when Shipping my Puzzles?

When you buy a very rare puzzle on the site, perhaps a puzzle that you have been searching for years, you want to be sure that it arrives at its destination in the same condition it left Rare Puzzles. Some visitors or new customers encourage me to pack their puzzles carefully. After that, they have to decide whether they want shipping insurance or not. We all have received very poorly packed shipments when buying on other online stores or on eBay. Are you familiar with these? Puzzle boxes just wrapped with a couple of thin pages from a newspaper. Wrapping paper that has been taped onto the original puzzle box and then it's impossible to remove. Loose puzzles within too large cardboard boxes. The puzzle opens inside because they didn't even tape it closed and the pieces are loose all over the place. However, if you have ever bought one of my puzzles, then you know you don't need to worry about packaging. Why? Because they will very likely be the best packages that you will receive. This is what a typical box will look like. Two layers of palletizing plastic protect each puzzle, even puzzles that are brand new and also keep the...

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