What I do to protect myself is record a video of me packaging and shipping the item.
I record the video at the post office itself, and of course include a shot of the post office.
Start the video showing a closeup of the item, then record yourself packaging and sealing the box, and putting on the address label - then very important record an image of the address label, and finally walk it over to the drop box, put it in, and pan wide to record the building.
Make SURE never to have the item go off frame or people will say you pulled a trick.
The post office where I am is open 24/7 and deserted at night, so it's easy. When I shipped UPS the guy looked at me funny and warned me he didn't want to be in the video, but other than that I was able to record (and I included the tracking receipt I got from them in the video).
It's a lot easier if you have a second person holding the camera, but it's also possible with a tripod, or even just holding it if you prepare all the tape stuck on one side of the flap so you can work one-handed. Do a test shot to make sure your video camera is good enough that you can actually read the address label - and even better the serial number on the product.
Keep the video for a long time, several months.
I've never actually had to use any of the videos I've made, but I keep making them anyway.
photos have been considered proof for a long time, and this was difficult to communicate before photoshop, just like DNA evidence and cell phone tower records had massive, unjustified weight in US courts for a while in the nineties. I was referring to the fact that it's no longer tenable to view any of the above as "proof", whether or not it was ever a certain evidence medium.
I'm sure there's a lot of legal understanding that I miss.
I record the video at the post office itself, and of course include a shot of the post office.
Start the video showing a closeup of the item, then record yourself packaging and sealing the box, and putting on the address label - then very important record an image of the address label, and finally walk it over to the drop box, put it in, and pan wide to record the building.
Make SURE never to have the item go off frame or people will say you pulled a trick.
The post office where I am is open 24/7 and deserted at night, so it's easy. When I shipped UPS the guy looked at me funny and warned me he didn't want to be in the video, but other than that I was able to record (and I included the tracking receipt I got from them in the video).
It's a lot easier if you have a second person holding the camera, but it's also possible with a tripod, or even just holding it if you prepare all the tape stuck on one side of the flap so you can work one-handed. Do a test shot to make sure your video camera is good enough that you can actually read the address label - and even better the serial number on the product.
Keep the video for a long time, several months.
I've never actually had to use any of the videos I've made, but I keep making them anyway.