# Was the package insured?



## wishless

Hi, I'd like a bit of help in translating this message into Japanese. I'm trying to communicate with a person in Japan who sold me an item online, but the package was lost in the mail. 

What I'd like to say is: "This is about the package that was lost in the mail. Was the package insured? If so, is a refund from the post office possible?"

Thanks for any help you can give.


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## newkon

郵便物の内容品に保険をかけましたか、損害賠償をもらえますか、
Did you insured the mail, do We get the compensation?


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## frequency

Do you mean
1. In the mail, the sender didn't include the package that you also wanted to get?
2. If the insurance is valid also for the package, it allows you to get a refund from him? You're going to send the item back and do you want him to refund you from a post office?

I'm not sure about that insurance matter well.


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## Tonky

wishless said:


> "This is about the package that was lost in the mail. Was the package insured? If so, is a refund from the post office possible?"


「配送中に紛失した商品について、郵便局の損害賠償による払い戻しは可能でしょうか。」
(Regarding the package that was lost in the mail, is a refund (by insurance) from the post office possible?)
I skipped translating "was the package insured" because most international parcels are insured.

1) Unless the sender used some special mail service that are not known, all international packages should be insured to some extent. 
For EMS(Express Mail Service)
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/service/damage_en.html
For other international service (Airmail, SAL, Surface mail by ship)
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/damage_en.html
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/dispatch/index_en.html

2) In case the value of the parcel is more expensive than the set value on the above list, the sender can add special insurance (called insured mail/保険付). You may want to inquire whether the sender added it or not if your lost package was quite valuable.

3) It is very nice of you to try and communicate with the sender in his/her language, but let me recommend you to write in *both* languages, just in case. (In Japanese and in English.) It is to make sure that there would be no misunderstandings between the sender and you.



newkon said:


> 郵便物の内容品に保険をかけましたか、損害賠償をもらえますか、
> Did you insured the mail, do We get the compensation?


newkonさん、とてもきれいで自然な日本語です！
ただし、ビジネスの場合、日本語で「保険をかけましたか」とか「～もらえますか」と書くと、相手を批難しているように誤解されることがあります。簡単な日本語で言いたい場合は「保険はかかっていますか（かけられていますか）」、「損害賠償はできますか」という形にした方が自然なビジネス日本語になると思いますよ。

frequencyさん、
亀の甲より年の功ですね　（まだ国際小包の紛失は経験してないんですが。）


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## frequency

Ah! Sorry the package was lost during transport=3 I see!

But wait..are you making sure if the sender is going to get a refund from the post office? I'm not sure who will get the refund.


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## newkon

丁寧に教えていただいて　ありがとうございます。
よく勉強になりました。


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## newkon

丁寧に教えていただいて　ありがとうございます。
よく勉強になりました。


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## wishless

Hi everyone, thanks for your help.

I simplified the situation in the first post because I did not want to bog you down with the details. I am communicating with a Japanese shopping service which buys items online from sites that only ship within Japan, at a fee. I tell them what item I want to buy, then the service gets the item shipped to their office in Tokyo, which they then ship to me.

The problem is that the item that was sent to their office in Tokyo had gone lost. So, it is actually domestic shipping.


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## wishless

newkon said:


> 郵便物の内容品に保険をかけましたか、損害賠償をもらえますか、
> Did you insured the mail, do We get the compensation?



Thanks, I've emailed that to the person...let's hope they reply.


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## wishless

Tonky said:


> 「配送中に紛失した商品について、郵便局の損害賠償による払い戻しは可能でしょうか。」
> (Regarding the package that was lost in the mail, is a refund (by insurance) from the post office possible?)
> I skipped translating "was the package insured" because most international parcels are insured.
> 
> 1) Unless the sender used some special mail service that are not known, all international packages should be insured to some extent.
> For EMS(Express Mail Service)
> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/service/damage_en.html
> For other international service (Airmail, SAL, Surface mail by ship)
> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/damage_en.html
> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/dispatch/index_en.html
> 
> 2) In case the value of the parcel is more expensive than the set value on the above list, the sender can add special insurance (called insured mail/保険付). You may want to inquire whether the sender added it or not if your lost package was quite valuable.
> 
> 3) It is very nice of you to try and communicate with the sender in his/her language, but let me recommend you to write in *both* languages, just in case. (In Japanese and in English.) It is to make sure that there would be no misunderstandings between the sender and you.
> 
> 
> newkonさん、とてもきれいで自然な日本語です！
> ただし、ビジネスの場合、日本語で「保険をかけましたか」とか「～もらえますか」と書くと、相手を批難しているように誤解されることがあります。簡単な日本語で言いたい場合は「保険はかかっていますか（かけられていますか）」、「損害賠償はできますか」という形にした方が自然なビジネス日本語になると思いますよ。
> 
> frequencyさん、
> 亀の甲より年の功ですね　（まだ国際小包の紛失は経験してないんですが。）



Hi Tonky, thanks for your detailed reply. As I explained above, shipping is actually domestic. Sorry that I did not make that clear initially. As for writing in both Japanese in English, I've tried sending emails in English three times and the person has not replied to any of them. So I'm afraid the issue might be language.


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## newkon

wishless said:


> Hi everyone, thanks for your help.
> 
> I simplified the situation in the first post because I did not want to bog you down with the details. I am communicating with a Japanese shopping service which buys items online from sites that only ship within Japan, at a fee. I tell them what item I want to buy, then the service gets the item shipped to their office in Tokyo, which they then ship to me.
> 
> The problem is that the item that was sent to their office in Tokyo had gone lost. So, it is actually domestic shipping.



sorry,my English is not good.so I can't understand what you mean exactly,did you mean that if you didn't choose my reply I will feel sad and It proved What my translated is Wrong? It OK.You can choose the one You think right.but what you said is made me happy.thanks.


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## frequency

1. Have you already paid them money for that item?
2. Do you have any clear evidence that they at least have shipped?

If yes for 1 and no for 2, the situation will greatly differ. If the sender has really shipped the package, he's got a receipt with a serial number from the courier service provider. With the serial number, you can also contact the provider to make sure. But I wonder if you haven't got any info, a copy of the receipt, or the number? They can _freely_ insist that the package was lost in Japan, where is harder for you to make sure. You know what I mean. 

If you don't want to talk about more, that's OK. No pressure! You can wait for the reply from them.


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## Tonky

wishless said:


> As I explained above, shipping is actually domestic.


Domestic services are usually insured as well and better, and you could even track your packages. If the sender used Japan post(post office as you mentioned in op), it will be insured up to 300,000 yen for a package without options, unless the sender faked the content of the package. Most other competitive shipping services do the same or similar.



> As for writing in both Japanese in English, I've tried sending emails in English three times and the person has not replied to any of them. So I'm afraid the issue might be language.


Maybe you have been sending e-mails during the Golden Week when most companies in Japan have holidays? (this year it started at the end of April till 6th of May.)
How did you find out your package was lost when they do not respond to you?
It is rather hard to believe though that someone trying to deal with buyers overseas have trouble understanding simple texts in English. (I only recommended putting both languages *not* for understanding, but to avoid misunderstanding just in case of potential troubles later on.)


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