When parts arrived damaged...???

Pa Taket · 08-04-2004, 09:27 AM

I recently bought some parts on here from a private seller, not a business. One piece, a body panel, arrived today, quite a long time after I bought and paid for it, and damaged. The damage was not disclosed before I bought the part, and I would say with 99% certainty that it occurred in transit, due to the item being inadequately packaged. (a 50 lb piece of sheetmetal with thin corners and only one layer of cardboard to protect it on a 1,500 mile trip). What can I/should I do? TIA

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

Was it insured?? Save the packaging, have the seller file a claim, if it is UPS, it doesn't matter, they will F*ck you no matter how well it was packaged or insured, hear that UPS sucks!!!! BTW, it isn't unusual for the manufacture to send body parts (after-market) with a single card board layer. Fed-Ex isn't much better on the handling as I found out last week, but I haven't had to file a claim with them yet, where I have with UPS who cost me $$$ as well as lied to me

Pa Taket · 08-04-2004, 10:03 AM

It wasn't insured that I know of, but, like you said, my experience of shipping insurance is that it is pretty worthless, it's really just a way for the shipping co. to make some extra bucks. I know many business who offer shipping insurance on mail order are self-insured: they put the insurance fee in a fund to refund/replace whatever gets damaged in shipping. That's why I was wondering how to approach the seller about this... it really wasn't packed very well, and UPS did a good job of dropping it a few times....

osidak · 08-04-2004, 11:44 AM

If an item is not properly protected why should a shipping company pay for a claim?

I suggest you go visit a UPS/FedEx/DHL package facility. You will see why proper packaging is required.

I work for one of those shipping companies and have seen cases where some one sent a Intel 386 machine and claimed it was worth $4,000. Of course they got upset when we refused to pay them $4,000 for it. We bought them a new machine for $500 instead. Wasn't state of the art mind you (neither was that 386) but it was a current machine. Guess what the guy was still pissed off.