Also keep in mind that the "shipping agent" (most likely a friend or family member), was too cheap to get the proper insurance when they sent the box to S America, so they're using you to fix a mistake you didn't make.
Ahh, but Sean did make a mistake, he agreed to sell to a buyer in South America.
I have shipped many items all over the world, but I have never shipped electronics or speakers out of North America. I'll ship cables, cords, fuses, outlets, phono cartridges, etc., anywhere. When YOU put yourself in a difficult position, YOU should assume some responsibility.
That is my take, though I see that it is unpopular here. It seems there are some shady sellers here.
Yes, there are unscrupulous buyers, there are also unscrupulous sellers too. If you don't want to run the risks of shipping through two shipping companies, or overseas, then sell you item for the best offer in North America. That is what I do. I have had some crazy "better" offers from foreign countries which I am not willing to ship to....I simply turn those offers down.
As a seller, if you accept one of these offers, you are putting yourself in this 'dangerous' position, and you should accept responsibility for your actions.
So while I empathize with Sean, he does have some culpability for accepting the offer. I can't just ship something to a foreign country and accept no responsibility because we have to assume all foreigners as scammers. As always, YMMV.
Cheers,
John