Should I be pissed? (shipping)

[Leigh Semmens]

It's stories like this that make me think I'm better off just going into a store and buying "off the shelf" or getting them to order it for me.....

 

[definenredefine]

I'd be real unhappy.

Yeah, this. Glad the guitar is relatively unharmed, but what an unforced error...

 

[tb-player]

Sheesh! And I can get nervous when I don't/can't double box?!?

This is the reason there's a shelf in my garage full of guitar/bass boxes, not to mention a closet in my music room. Never throw those things away. They're like gold.

 

[HeavyJazz]

That's amateur hour nonsense. Just buy from people with extensively positive feedback. And sell. My answer is "no thanks" to the rest.

 

[Hektor]

Sheesh! And I can get nervous when I don't/can't double box?!?

This is the reason there's a shelf in my garage full of guitar/bass boxes, not to mention a closet in my music room. Never throw those things away. They're like gold.

View attachment 4695739

You can also get them from just about any guitar store....

 

[Bass Man Dan]

No you shouldn't be mad...you should be glad that at least the guitar is okay. Messing around with shipping damage claims is a RPITA.

I've had similar shipping fiascos happen. A G&L sent to me in its blow-molded case, wrapped like yours is. And another G&L sent to me in its case, sans any wrapping, just a label stuck on the case. Both basses survived the journey, but the cases got scuffed up a little.

But the cake winner was a USA (Gibson) Tobias Renegade. Just the bass alone bundled up in bubble wrap with a label on it....and shipped via USPS, to boot (the worst of the worst carriers for large packages IME). Fittingly, the headstock was shattered when it arrived. Trips back to the main USPS hub, forms to fill out, PM's to the seller, etc.

Still, that's the cost of playing the GAS game, gotta take the good with the bad. That's why ebay is the best site to buy from, there are occasional headaches when things go sideways, but it's hard to get beat out of money as a buyer. Can't say the same for other venues (any of them).

I had one show up that way. Nothing but bubble wrap around the bass. Luckily it was a cheap-o Rogue fretless that I bought for my nephew. The neck was ripped clean off. Also fortunately, it was literally a clean rip with the screws pulled straight out, so the glue and dowel trick put it back to good.

 

[Hektor]

Man, some people really have no idea how to ship things... Makes me wonder if they ever ordered a television from Amazon, would they accept it shipped only in plastic wrap ?

 

[Zooberwerx]

Received a bass from Singapore in this fashion: case sported a cardboard sleeve a la the insulated cardboard ones found at the WaWa coffee station and emblazoned with $187 worth of Singapore postage stamps. Not a speck of damage. Here's the funny part: made it to my front door in 5 days.

Riis

 

[tb-player]

You can also get them from just about any guitar store....

Yep! I've done that too. I've gotten to the point where I buy & sell enough it's best to keep a hefty stash on-hand.

 

[tb-player]

I purchased a guitar online. I made an offer of full price + $50 shipping. It was accepted. The guitar was shipped to me with no box. The case is very wet. The guitar is fine though. Should I be mad? I'm more just dumbfounded that someone would ship a guitar this way.

Some people just don't know how to ship a guitar. The first time I ever sold a guitar, I was in my 20s and it was a telecaster. I did ship it in a box, but had no idea that I should pad the guitar inside the big, rectangular, Fender guitar case. The box arrived in good order, but the buyer contacted me to let me know the guitar had damage to one of the knobs, iirc. He didn't demand anything. It was an easy fix. But as a result, when I ship a bass or guitar now, the instrument is most definitely secure in the case.

Should you be upset? It's not unwarranted. You wouldn't be out of line to contact the seller and request shipping fees returned since the case (which is part of the sale) sustained damage. You could even question the shipping company as to why they would accept such a package (my guess is, it wasn't insured so they didn't care).

Is all that worth getting a little money back? That's your call. But good communication could be a learning experience for the shipper, just like it was to me with that Tele.

Then again, it made for an entertaining TB post.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Oh, I'd be sending the seller a VERY strongly worded note!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

That would be shipping damage if the case doesn't dry out. No reason to get angry, just open a claim with PayPal or whatever. The seller took the cheap route in shipping and is responsible for damage incurred.

 

[brianrost]

The only time I shipped something in it's case was an ARP Odyssey synthesizer that I was selling. I had the factory Anvil road case for it. When I brought it down to FedEx to ask about having them pack it before shipping, they told me to just ship it as is. I suppose the only risk was someone deciding to open the case along the way. It arrived OK and my buyer was satisfied.

 

[JohnnyBottom]

Isnt there a thread hardcase vs gig bag ? Couldve been worse

 

[turcmic]

How the bass is shipped must be one important question to ask BEFORE buying. Some folks don't care (OP's seller clearly didn't).

 

[el murdoque]

Was the case part of the deal?

 

[Ostie]

Is eBay or Reverb really going to do that? They outsourced that. It's "feedback."

There's water damage to the case. Id file a claim for that.

 

[FSGrind]

I've decided to just let it go. I let the seller know that the bass was shipped poorly and to do it differently in the future. Hopefully will save someone else the surprise!

 

[Snibborwocky]

I wouldn't be mad in the literal sense but yeah, a few other emotions definitely. I think annoyed and dumbfounded make good ones as others have said already. Glad it arrived OK being shipped like that. Still amazes me that some people don't safely and properly ship instruments like they should be.

 

[Razman]

I'm with the "just be glad your axe arrived in good shape" club. Dry out the case, clean it, and get on with life.