Anyone experience "vandalism" by shipping carriers?

[ragacin]

Hiyo,
I have had 4 instances in the past 8-9 months in which something I shipped had obviously been opened by the postal carrier and purposely damaged. None of the items were insured, of course. I had sold a fellow Freak my MR Yoda lightsaber and it was wrapped completely in bubble wrap and packed securely with packing peanuts. There was an acrylic stand in the box as well, but that was wrapped too. When he sent me photos it lookjed like someone had taken a screwdriver to the side of the saber and gouged out the paint on the midband. Necessarily I was PO'ed, but the fellow Freak was OK with it. He was in Malaysia or Indonesia I believe. Next I sold a MR Vader helmet, again to Malaysia or Indonesia and wrapped it perfect and good (the MR box was too big to ship to his country) and he recieved it very scuffed up as if with a knife edge or a rough tool. Absolutely not the way I sent it. The next two instances were on eBay. I sold a man in NY the Indy PF and it was pristine and perfect when I packed it back in the SSC box, carefully wrapping back in the foam wrap he came in. They guy got it and there was paint chips all over it and a chunk out of the base! He emailed me photos of the damage. He said it could not have occured during shipping because no chips were laying in the box. That is what started me to more strongly believe that this was vandalism on the part of the carrier. I sent him photos of the pristine Indy, showing I did not sell him damaged goods, but he did not believe me due to the fact that the photos were 2 months old and "anything could have happened inbetween then and now." Jacka$$. I take my integrity as a seller VERY seriously and these sort of things that are out of my control infuriate me. The latest incident is with the SOTA Pumpkinhead. Again, packed well, but the guy in Canada got it and the leg was broken at the knee. How can you break a rotocast figure in shipping??? It doesn't seem possible, plus he stated the box had no damage. Has anyone seen this sort of thing happen to them? From this point on, EVERYTHING I sell, be it here, Rebelscum, eBay, etc wll be shipped insured. I also will seal the parcels with tamper evident tape and alert the buy to notify me if the package appears to have been opened and if it is damaged. I hate to have to do this, but what choise do I have?

 

[The Ween]

Maybe.......just maybe......the carrier is doing something to get you to buy insurance? Things like this you should insure anyway.

 

[The Ringer]

This is why I rarely ship outside the U.S.

 

[Mesa]

weird. honestly, never heard of such a thing, unless going through a careless customs agent

 

[Deckard]

From the sounds of it, its wherever your dropping it off locally to ship out of.

 

[xr6.turbo]

From the sounds of it, its wherever your dropping it off locally to ship out of.

I have to agree. If you posted them all from the same place i would be going else where.

 

[Reefer Shark]

Wow - that sucks. I always fear stuff like this when I sell stuff.... especially if it has to go through customs somewhere.

 

[BadMoon]

Insurance people! It's cheap! I don't understand why people don't insure anything over $100? I really can't think of a single reason why not to insure something. Anyone have a reason to not insure?

 

[Something Sexy]

Agreed, insure it and go somewhere else!

 

[ProgMatinee]

do you take these to the same place to have them shipped every time? I have a hard time believing a whole company can be out to get you, so I'd start taking these to a different location to have them shipped. Maybe there is a douche working wherever you are dropping these off at?

 

[Reefer Shark]

Insurance people! It's cheap! I don't understand why people don't insure anything over $100? I really can't think of a single reason why not to insure something. Anyone have a reason to not insure?

I always get insurance. ..but the one time I had to use it (I was on the receiving end), I got ____ from USPS, so it did no good

Getting insurance is one thing, but getting carrier to honor it and pay up is another.

 

[Reefer Shark]

I cant believe that the word d.i.c.k. is filtered out here

 

[usswanker]

After the second time it should be clear to get thing insured and try shipping them from someone else.

 

[ragacin]

Well the items were shipped from my local post office mainly, but Indy was sent by UPS.

 

[The Craw]

i think you are being scammed at the receiving end. seriously.

 

[The Ween]

Well the items were shipped from my local post office mainly, but Indy was sent by UPS.

When you ship something UPS, isn't it automatically insured?

I know when I get a package through UPS and the box isn't perfect, my UPS man will wait till I open and check it before he'll leave in case there's damage.

 

[ProgMatinee]

i avoid all this by keeping what I buy.

 

[Darth Waller]

When you ship something UPS, isn't it automatically insured?

I believe UPS automatically gives you $100 worth of insurance.

i avoid all this by keeping what I buy.

Can't argue with that.

 

[Something Sexy]

Well the items were shipped from my local post office mainly, but Indy was sent by UPS.

Maybe you pissed someone off at your local USPS.

 

[Silent December]

I always get insurance. ..but the one time I had to use it (I was on the receiving end), I got ____ from USPS, so it did no good

Getting insurance is one thing, but getting carrier to honor it and pay up is another.

Amen to that. They sell you on insurance up the ying-yang but the moment you try to claim, you get so much grief and hassle.