I read alot about buyers problems with overpaying on shipping / insurance and refunds from sellers.  Just to set a few things straight that may be informative to both seller and buyer.  If an item is not packed properly the post office will not refund the cost of the item even if insurance had been obtained for that package.  They will only refund the purchase price of an item IF the item was packed properly .  So, if your $50 item was packed carefully, is broken upon arrival and the buyer paid insurance then the full amount will be refunded.  If the item was poorly packed the post office will not pay on the claim - a seller can't just throw an item in a box and figure it's the post offices problem if it gets broken.   Buyers - KEEP THE BOX, PACKING, ETC, all parts, pieces, etc. because the post office will not pay for a claim without it.  Also, you will need a receipt to show how much you paid for the item - they will not take your word for it.  When a seller notes that they are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGED OR LOST PACKAGES that's exactly what they mean.  Don't come back to them after your item gets to you broken and ask "MY STUFF IS BROKEN, PLEASE ADVISE".  Again, the seller did their part, you should have bought the insurance.  Sellers - you CAN NOT charge more than what the post office charges for insurance (it's against the law!!).  We all know shipping charges are high enough, so Sellers - STOP inflating the cost so much, a few bucks per auction should cover your expenses associated with packing.  BUYERS remember if you want delivery conformation it's extra, insurance is extra and don't expect the seller to pay for them.  One more thing that BUYERS should know - most of us sellers do not make huge profits and sometimes very little off our sales - paypal is free for buyers because the seller pay a % of the total transaction (cost of item + shipping + insurance).  Sellers also pay a listing fee, a final value fee, and the paypal fees, so quite a bit is taken by E-bay and Paypal before we see our profit.  I didn't even mention the initial cost of the item and the packing materials.  Do the math!!   Hopefully this was informative.