Science Note: SF Express Insured Shipping Is an IQ Tax; Insured or Not, It Is the Same
Let me say this first: whether or not you bought insured shipping, as long as the courier company loses the package or the items inside are damaged, the courier company must compensate you. This has nothing to do with whether you bought insured shipping.
Another question: when was insured shipping invented? SF Express launched insured shipping only in 2017. Before 2017, did SF Express refuse to compensate for every lost or damaged package? Obviously not.
Following SF Express’s logic, should we buy insurance before eating at a restaurant too? Only if we bought insurance can we be compensated after getting food poisoning and going to the hospital? That is obviously absurd.
The psychological manipulation of insured shipping
SF Express launched insured shipping like something out of Inception, planting the idea in consumers’ minds that:
If you do not buy insured shipping, loss or damage only gets a few times the shipping fee.
Only buying insured shipping gives you reasonable compensation.
But tell me: are SF Express’s rules bigger than national law?
Even more absurdly, many people who bought insured shipping still experienced refusal, delay, and all kinds of buck-passing from SF Express. Search public complaint platforms and consumer forums, and you will find many similar cases.
Break the cognitive traps:
Mistake 1: customer service says, “Without insured shipping, we can only pay three times the shipping fee.”
Correct reply:
According to Article 832 of the Civil Code, if the carrier causes cargo damage or loss due to its own fault, it must bear full compensation liability. Insured shipping is a value-added service, not a liability-exemption gold medal.
Mistake 2: customer service says, “The outer packaging is intact, so we are not responsible.”
Correct reply:
Article 47 of the Postal Law clearly provides that when the inner item is damaged, the courier company still bears responsibility. I now request an unpacking inspection and full video recording.
Rights-defense weapon: two-hit combo
Move one: advanced 12305 complaint operation
- Closed evidence chain, none can be missing:
- Full video of unpacking, showing the tracking number and damage details.
- Purchase proof, such as Xianyu chat records and transfer screenshots.
- Repair quotation, preferably an official after-sales document with a red seal.
When the courier is present, immediately call 95338 to report it and record yourself emphasizing: “I did not agree to waive my right to claim compensation.”
- Complaint script template, copy directly:
On the postal complaint platform, choose “enterprise shirking and buck-passing.”
Fact description template:
On X month X day, I mailed item XX, tracking number XXX. Upon receipt, I found X damage to the outer packaging / X damage to the inner item, and I have provided relevant evidence. SF Express used “not insured” as the reason and only offered XX yuan in compensation, seriously violating Article 27 of the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery…
Move two: micro-court filing process
Search “People’s Court Online Service” on WeChat, then choose “I want to file a case” and “civil first instance.”
Filing guide:
Defendant: “SF Express Co., Ltd.”
Cause of action: “transport contract dispute.”
Upload key evidence such as the electronic waybill, comparison photos of the damage, purchase proof, and repair quotations.
You can say:
“I have submitted a filing application to X court, case number XXX. According to Article 39 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, your company may need to bear litigation costs, appraisal costs, and related costs. Please contact me within 24 hours to settle.”
Legal anchors to organize around:
Article 832 of the Civil Code: the carrier bears compensation liability for damage to or loss of goods during transportation.
Article 27 of the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery: an express company cannot use lack of insured shipping as a reason to refuse reasonable compensation.
Article 39 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law: consumers have channels to resolve disputes when their rights are harmed.
Rules on standard-form clauses under the current Civil Code: if a company uses standard terms to unilaterally exempt itself from major responsibilities or increase the consumer’s burden, that can be challenged.
In short, once a courier company accepts the shipment, it has formed a transport contract with the customer and has the responsibility to deliver the goods safely. Insured shipping is a value-added service. It cannot become an excuse to escape compensation.
Do not be frightened by the “insured shipping” trap. Defend your rights according to the law and get back the compensation that belongs to you.
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