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Shipping damage

#21
Definitely start a claim, seller might try and claim buyers remorse. This is why I take video whenever I sell or buy a bass. If I'm selling it the video shows the bass in described condition and doesn't stop filming until the box is taped up and ready to go. If I'm buying I start recording before I open the box and don't stop until until I get every inch of the bass on camera. It may seem paranoid but it saved me once.
 
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#22
sonic 7 said:
Just received this from a reverb sale. Sellers photos showed the bass to be in excellent condition with barely a scratch. This thing was packed pretty well and Im a little suspicious, that’s a lot of thick poly finish smashed off ot that . Yet , the inside of the gig bag was clean , not a single remnant of the damage. The rest of the packaging showed no obvious signs of damage either. The seller has a 3 day return policy, I sent him pictures and told him it’s going back. I’ve had quite a Basses shipped this is a first for me, any suggestions?
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Do you still have the REVERB link with the original pictures? Seems pretty black and white. If the REVERB pix in the same location don’t show damage and your box and bag were not damaged and there is no debris inside the gig bag then it was damaged before it was packaged for shipping.
 
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#23
sonic 7 said:
Yeah well I didn’t confront the guy with my suspicions on when that damage occurred. He has a 3 day return policy so I told him it’s going back and he asked me to hold off until he hears from UPS to settle the claim. The claim is his problem so shouldn’t he just take it back or offer me a substantial partial refund ?
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I wouldn’t get involved in back and forth with the seller. Just confirm it’s coming back as was received with damage not shown before purchase. I’ve never used Reverb but I’m assuming you raise a claim via them and confirm return?
 
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#24
Smells fishy, good job checking the box and bag and not just assuming it was broken in transit.

I once had someone offer a too-good trade for a high priced bass, and then at the last moment say that that someone just dropped it while trying it out and cracked the body, and asked if I still wanted to go through with it. I looked back at the pictures he sent and sure enough you could see a faint seam separation on the body. Sometimes people hope that the buyer will choose to just go along with it because they've already made the deal in their mind and it's easier than saying no.
 
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#25
You're already returning it, so good job. Don't wait. The claim with the shipping company is his problem. Also, the seller chose the shipping agent so if it is damaged in shipping, it's on the seller to make it right. The seller insured it so if it is damaged in shipping and requires repair or refund, it's on the seller to make it right. This makes all of this the seller's problem regardless of when any damage took place, whether or not it took place before or during shipping is irrelevant at this point.

Don't hesitate to contact Reverb and explain what is going on and express that you are uncomfortable waiting beyond the three day window. They should inform you how to proceed.
 
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#28
Could be the shipping company did it and tried to fix it - I've seen shipping companies to terrible things like that.... cleaning the junk out of the bag would do exactly what happened... make it look like it happened BEFORE the item was in shipment, therefore covering THEIR asses.

So it's either the shipper or the seller who is lying - and it's hard to know which, honestly.
 
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#29
Thanks for all of the excellent advice. Reverb has been notified. Apparently it was shipped through reverb , some optional service they provide. So they review the claim, all correspondence and photos have been made through the reverb messanger so it’s all documented. I’ll give it a few days and see how reverb handles it. I’ll try to keep a cool head for now.
 
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#30
Hi Sonic, That is exactly what you should do. Stay cool. As the buyer, Reverb will land on your side 100% of the time. I've done over 500 deals on eBay and nearly a hundred on Reverb....Buyer is King period! For all the people stating screw the seller it's his problem that is true enough....I just hope they don't end up "The seller" on a deal that goes south. They'll learn to appreciate a calm collected buyer soon enough in the event that something goes wrong. Let me again state, This looks to me to be the seller attempting to get the shipper to cover damage they the seller is responsible for as the seller knows you won't end up holding the bag for this. That's not how E-bay and Reverb work. Lastly, as far as the 3 day return period goes...that is locked in once the buyer makes contact with the seller and informs them that the instrument is not up to par and is being returned. The clock stops right then and there. The waiting period is not to return the item but to notify the seller of your refusal to not complete or keep the item. Once you've notified them the item is coming back you've met the 3 day criteria for the return.
 
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#31
sonic 7 said:
Thanks for all of the excellent advice. Reverb has been notified. Apparently it was shipped through reverb , some optional service they provide. So they review the claim, all correspondence and photos have been made through the reverb messanger so it’s all documented. I’ll give it a few days and see how reverb handles it. I’ll try to keep a cool head for now.
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With Reverb, you should come out just fine.

In any other situation, I would recommend contacting the people who you used to pay for the item, be it PayPal or a credit card company. Immediately, start a trail with them. They will get your money back should the seller become difficult. Here's the thing. If the seller is going to proceed with a claim with the shipper (again, this is where Reverb is not involved) normally, it would be advisable for the buyer to hang on to the item and all packaging so it can be inspected by an agent of the shipper. At that point, a decision is made by the shipper as to whether they are going to pay the seller for the damage or not. Usually, if they do pay off the seller, the company takes possession of the damaged item. You either get your money back from the seller before all this takes or you have your credit card company or PayPal chargeback the seller for the amount you paid.
 
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#33
sonic 7 said:
Thanks for all of the excellent advice. Reverb has been notified. Apparently it was shipped through reverb , some optional service they provide. So they review the claim, all correspondence and photos have been made through the reverb messanger so it’s all documented. I’ll give it a few days and see how reverb handles it. I’ll try to keep a cool head for now.
Click to expand...

smart move.
 
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#34
9c1ny said:
I'd say something fell on it, gig bags are not sufficient for shipping. I've had several items arrive that were damaged in shipping (paint/wood evidence inside the bag/case) in which the box didn't reveal damage
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You need to read post #1 the OP mentioned that there was no broken material in the gig bag which lays suspension that either the shipper damaged it if they had opened the packaging to inspect inside or the seller damaged it and was hoping maybe it could be mistaken as damage that happened during shipping.
Honestly I really hope it works out for the OP.
 
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#36
sonic 7 said:
Just received this from a reverb sale. Sellers photos showed the bass to be in excellent condition with barely a scratch. This thing was packed pretty well and Im a little suspicious, that’s a lot of thick poly finish smashed off ot that . Yet , the inside of the gig bag was clean , not a single remnant of the damage. The rest of the packaging showed no obvious signs of damage either. The seller has a 3 day return policy, I sent him pictures and told him it’s going back. I’ve had quite a Basses shipped this is a first for me, any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Man, that’s got to be frustrating. I hope the settlement doesn’t take too long. This sort of thing is why I will not instruments online.
 
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#38
It would seem that internet sellers need to provide "bona fides" in the manner of kidnappers, i.e. a complete series of photos, or a video of the product, with a daily newspaper, date prominently displayed, in every shot, covering every square inch of the product 10 minutes before it goes in the box. Only then is the sale contracted and funded, just like a ransom.
Even this ritual wouldn't prove the product made it safely into the box, or that said boxing occurred within 12 hours, much less 10 minutes, unless the seller actually videos the packing and continues uninterrupted until hand off to the shipper.
This sounds extreme, but it would protect the buyer and the seller if shipping damage occurs.

I think I'll stick with buying basses in person. :meh:
 
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#39
The only time I've ever had shipping damage like that on a bass that was adequately packed in an undamaged shipping container, the seller had failed to safely wrap a Fender t-wrench that was just floating around inside the case during shipping. If there's no finish shards or whatever in the case and the shipping container is undamaged, he's gotta be running some kind of scam. Contact Reverb.
 
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