This is not a nice situation to find yourself in, and I really don't think that there is a "best way" to handle this.
In personal similar experiences (not with basses), my reaction has been to be really p****d but to move on with life. The important thing being to learn from the experience:
"When purchasing over the internet, the first step upon receiving said item is to thoroughly inspect for damages or other issues."
If you were inspecting something for purchase, you would examine it as thoroughly as possible in the situation that the purchase was taking place. Receiving something you bought unseen gives the chance to do the same inspection as above, but without the seller breathing down your neck. But this must be done immediately.
If you don't check all the points, but you are happy with what you got, do not investigate further at a later date unless you a prepared to be let down.
TL,DR: It's a b***h, but all you can do is move on.
(This doesn't mean you shouldn't warn others).
In personal similar experiences (not with basses), my reaction has been to be really p****d but to move on with life. The important thing being to learn from the experience:
"When purchasing over the internet, the first step upon receiving said item is to thoroughly inspect for damages or other issues."
If you were inspecting something for purchase, you would examine it as thoroughly as possible in the situation that the purchase was taking place. Receiving something you bought unseen gives the chance to do the same inspection as above, but without the seller breathing down your neck. But this must be done immediately.
If you don't check all the points, but you are happy with what you got, do not investigate further at a later date unless you a prepared to be let down.
TL,DR: It's a b***h, but all you can do is move on.
(This doesn't mean you shouldn't warn others).
