Yeah... cases like that you need to take pictures BEFORE you open the box, and then every step along the way. Make a nice little timeline, then ask the seller politely to start a shipping claim for you. If they don't come back with a response, then you start a dispute, stating unresponsive seller and item not as described.
Do NOT accept any solution that involves sending the item back; then they can claim the damage was YOUR fault. Also, because you shouldn't have to pay to return something you didn't fuck up.
You can get a substantial portion of your money back if you play it calm and patient and document the damage TO DEATH.
Cheers,
mnem
*building a cargo carrier*
Open? I peeled it off! Not joking, the only thing holding it together was the tape. Did I screw myself then, by not taking more pictures?
neo, I'd say it's worth mentioning, depending on how much you got whacked for shipping. If dirt cheap and no other damage I *might* bite my tongue and let it go, but if big $$ then definitely bitch! Packing should not be that difficult, and even a first grader should know that simply taping cardboard around something with no further protection is a recipe for disaster!
-Pat
Well I paid a total of 100 bucks for it and weighing in at 97 pounds it is all but certain that the seller took a hit. I might just let it go, barring any broken glass.
I've decided fuck it. I can complain about a dinged up corner if i want to be pissy but there isn't any broken glass and I don't need any more bad karma. The seller almost definitely took a hit as it is.
I'm right in the middle of a similar case with DHL, but you don't stand a chance. The parcel got delivered (no external damage visible), but the contents (vintage Scope) was damaged despite more than adequate padding and packaging. They will only deal with the sender, but they say they will only compensate after they have been given the item for evaluation. So they expect the buyer to send it back to the seller and then send it on to DHL (at my/our expense!!) so that they can have some idiot claim that it was worth some rediculously low price. Interesting, the claim documents also says (in very small writing) that they don't guarantee that the item will be returned to me after evaluation.
That's the point where you give up. The system is designed to avoid paying out. They didn't even give me the postage costs back. This was on a package that I paid for additional insurance too.
McBryce.