Uhm, not sure why you're asking this question on MacRumors but the question is: did you/the shipper purchase insurance for the item? If so, you should be compensated for the cost of the item by the shipping company.
However, if you did not purchase insurance you're mostly out of luck. For example, if UPS mishandles your package and it breaks but you don't have insurance, the most you can get is 100 bucks.