Insurance on international parcels is widely misunderstood because three separate things get called by the same name: default carrier liability, declared value, and actual insurance. They have different limits and different claim outcomes.
Default carrier liability
Every service includes a baseline liability, often quite low, commonly equivalent to a few tens of dollars per shipment or calculated per kilogram. This is not insurance; it is a contractual cap. A 5 kg box of albums worth $400 with a per-kilo liability cap yields a fraction of the value if lost. Reading the actual liability figure in the service terms before shipping anything valuable takes two minutes and frequently changes what people decide to do.
Declared value and its cost
Declaring a higher value raises the carrier's liability ceiling for a fee, typically a small percentage of the declared amount with a minimum charge. It also raises the customs value, so declaring accurately means paying duty on the accurate figure. Under-declaring to save duty voids your claim, which is the trap. This is also why the advice to declare a low value to reduce duty is bad advice: it caps your recovery at the figure you invented.
What is commonly excluded
Fragile items without adequate packing, ceramics and glass, secondhand goods with no purchase documentation, collectible value above retail price, and consequential loss such as a missed event. Photocards and collectibles are difficult precisely because their market value exceeds any receipt you hold. Storage beyond the covered period at a warehouse is also typically excluded, which matters if you are consolidating over several weeks.
Making a claim work
Claims need the original purchase record, photographs of the outer packaging and the damage, and a report filed within the carrier's window, which is often as short as a few days from delivery for damage. Photographing the box before opening is the single habit that most improves claim outcomes. Keeping the outer box until a claim is resolved is equally important, since carriers frequently ask to inspect the packaging before settling.
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Start a buy-for-me order →Frequently asked
Is insurance worth it on a small order?
Below about $150 the premium and the paperwork usually outweigh the risk. Above that it becomes reasonable.
Can I insure secondhand collectibles at market value?
Generally only up to documented purchase price. Market appreciation is rarely covered.
How long do claims take?
Straightforward loss claims commonly settle in two to six weeks. Damage claims requiring inspection take longer.