>>>Stu Grant said in an earlier post that sellers should be responsible for shipping and insurance for all items sold on ebay. In a perfect world why not?

I don't think that's exactly what I said. However, I will leave it to someone else to find the quote

What I was -trying- to say is that the seller is responsible for delivery of the item to the buyer. If a seller offers additional cost items (such as insurance and a better shipping method) as "options" and these are declined by the buyer, the seller is still responsible for the actual delivery of the item regardless of any "wording" to the contrary he may have placed in the auction description.

If the item is lost or damaged during shipping, it is the seller (not the buyer) who generally bears this risk of loss.

If I were shipping a $1 chip, I wouldn't care about tracking and insurance since it would be easier to simply replace the chip. If I were shipping a $50 chip, it's a new ballgame.

Ebay sellers should simply knock off this "optional" crap which doesn't diminish their risk and simply include all appropriate costs in their base price or in the stated shipping and handling fee..

As you may or may not be aware, many ebay sellers will collect the money for insurance and then simply pocket the proceeds and send the item by regular mail. I believe that this insurance "scam" is the origin of the optional insurance clause. Since it is the seller who is responsible for delivery of the item, I would certainly like to see it stopped.

Hope this clears it up....