Seller's fault due tio incompetent and apparently careless packing. He owes you a refund.
What the ship just happened?
Needing a small, but dependable 2-channel amp, I saw one from ATI (AT 602) listed on Audiogon last week. The seller accepted my offer and I was confident things would go well due to his positive feedback. The amp was delivered today, but I was walking my dog down the main street through our town-home complex when the UPS truck pulled up in front of my home. I was about 300 feet away, and I clearly heard the impact when the driver dropped the box onto the concrete surface of my front porch. Of course, he was gone by the time I arrived and saw the box sitting at an angle, with a badly damaged corner (indicating he dropped it that way). The box could be described as being flimsy at best, and I felt my blood pressure rising when I lifted it and could feel the amp free to move around inside. Opening it up, I found the amp extremely well-wrapped in bubble-packing, which just added to my frustration. The amp was only 4" in height, but the box was 13" high and there was
minimal additional packing to keep the amp stationary during transit. I guess the UPS driver took his cue from all this and treated the package accordingly. The amp had a 1/4" chip in the front fascia corner, but survived otherwise. The seller obviously chose a box that he had handy, but one that was totally inappropriate for the job. Looking back, I should have stipulated that the seller use FedEx, but his feedback concerning shipping issues was good, so I felt like everything would be OK. Who was mainly at fault here, and what might have prevented this nagging situation?
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- 38 posts total
There are too many people who sell equipment and don't take the time to package it well. I call them a word I cannot write here. The same holds true for Fedex and UPS drivers, they don't care about your package. Get a RING camera for your doors to prove packages are dropped and work out better shipping arrangements and agreements with sellers. And inspect packages upon signing... |
Unless you are going to keep this forever, send it back. It is damaged and you don’t have the oem packaging, 2 of the highest issues that buyers look at when buying. I hope you took a picture of the amp on your porch. I had a large piece of art that was damaged by ups and I took pics of the torn box the way it was delivered by ups. I submitted a claim and in the end, ups had to pay $2000 for a new frame, luckily the art work itself was not damaged. |
Like fraud, I see more package damage. When I buy something, I make it clear to the seller that both insurance and double boxing is required. I will be insisting on 'signature required' from now on. I am willing to pay some additional $ if the buyer asks, I may even offer to. I figure a little extra when deciding to buy. To me, now, it's about preventing disappointment. I mention to the seller, that any damage claim in the USA will likely be denied if the item is not double boxed. The insurance claim must be made by the seller who both packed it and purchased the insurance. Much better to pay a bit extra for double boxing than wait for a damage claim. Then we have to deal with shipper's indifference in the entire process. Any package damage, I photograph the box outside of my house, one with the truck in the background if possible. Keep in mind, photos are time dated as are the shipper's drivers records. Then I open it, hoping for the best. Air pouches, bubble wrap can all be 'crushed' inside the box, allowing undesired movement. Some non-collapsible materials are needed to prevent that.
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I believe @akg_ca covered how best to protect yourself. Wait until the object of your desire is offered with OEM packaging and offer to pay for double boxing. "Fragile," This End Up," and "Heavy" stickers help as will adequate insurance. "Signature required" helps but only if you catch him first before he drops it on the porch. If it makes you feel any better we've all likely had this happen. When I lived in S. Florida, I bought a turntable which UPS promptly left on an unprotected porch during a 6 hour rain. Drenched was an understatement and nothing was the seller's fault; it was all on UPS. |
- 38 posts total