I bought something off a forum member. It's not gone well. What would you do?

I bought a set of Bently manuals for the TDI from a member of a different forum. I paid a fair price and we were both happy. Well, when the package arrives it looked like Freddy Krugar and Wolverine played catch with it for a while. The packaging was shredded, one of the volumes is lost, the other was in good enough shape, I don't care about the damage.
The seller didn't insure the package, he didn't ask if I wanted him to, I didn't tell him to. The USPS looked for it for 18 seconds and didn't find it. It's long gone The seller said his buddy works at the bindery that prints them and he thinks he can get me another copy, one that didn't make final inspection due to some flaw or another. I told him I don't care, as long as I can read the schematics and that I appreciate his efforts.
It's been about a month now and I'm well past being done waiting.
At this point, do I just walk away, having paid waaay too much for one volume of the manual. Do I ask the guy to refund half my money? Do I put the latest Taylor Swift album in and listen to her whine about her white-people problems?
Basically, I don't want to be a prick, but I don't want to be taken advantage of.

rally the GRMers and attack UPS HQ?

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Keep squeaking.

Although I must say the sellers arrangement with the friend sounds sketchy.

It sounds like USPS has some former UPS employees

Your responsibility was to pay for the items, his was to get them to you in acceptable condition. You've met your portion, he has not. How far you want to go with it is up to you but I would complain and raise a fuss. Did you pay with PayPal?

DrBoost wrote: Do I put the latest Taylor Swift album in and listen to her whine about her white-people problems?

Its "Pretty, rich, white girl" problems.

And yes, you should do that!

dculberson wrote: Your responsibility was to pay for the items, his was to get them to you in acceptable condition. You've met your portion, he has not. How far you want to go with it is up to you but I would complain and raise a fuss. Did you pay with PayPal?

Yeah, I did. I've never had a shipping issue, PayPal offers protection don't they? I'll have to look into this.

I screwed myself. He asked that I mark the payment as a gift to save the fees. Because it was a gift I can't file a claim. That's the last time I try to do something nice for someone else. Seems I keep getting shat on when I am nice to people I don't know.
Did Taylor Swift write a song about the post office messing up packages?

I think I'm very lucky. Ship a lot of stuff overseas via freight forwarders, USPS, UPS, FedEX, and have not had a single problem. But I still insure every package.

Are you sure it wasn't insured? Most shippers include $100 minimum insurance with regular pricing. Even if it was insured it would be the seller who gets the claim money, but then he might be more willing to cough up the dough.

JoeyM wrote: rally the GRMers and attack UPS HQ?

USPS

There's your problem.

DrBoost wrote: Yeah, I did. I've never had a shipping issue, PayPal offers protection don't they? I'll have to look into this. I screwed myself. He asked that I mark the payment as a gift to save the fees. Because it was a gift I can't file a claim. That's the last time I try to do something nice for someone else. Seems I keep getting shat on when I am nice to people I don't know. Did Taylor Swift write a song about the post office messing up packages?

Crap. Yeah, with the gift payment, there's no recourse through PayPal. If you tried charging your card back you would pretty much burn bridges with PayPal. Plus they might take the money out of your bank account if you have one linked to it.

The only thing left that I can think of is to be the squeaky wheel... complain to the guy endlessly. Wail and gnash your teeth. Rend your clothes. Well, maybe not the last one unless you're on a web cam and even then ... maybe not.

Lesson learned, walk away. It's the only way to be 100% sure you won't waste more of your life dealing with that guy.

poopshovel wrote:

JoeyM wrote: rally the GRMers and attack UPS HQ?

USPS

There's your problem.

Generically, the UCC typically regards FOB to be destination, and shipping to be the responsibility of the seller. Unless otherwise specified by the two parties in the contract.

Could you legally fight? Yes. Could you win? Maybe. Is it worth it? I don't think so.

Having dealt with USPS insurance, doubt that would have provided any satisfaction either.

My experience with USPS insurance has been pretty good but they do not provide any at all unless you pay for it. If it's not stamped "insured" with paperwork taped to the package then it wasn't insured.

yea.. at least UPS insures everything for 100

It was shipped media mail, no insurance. The USPS clerk told him there was no reason to insure it because media mail gets special handling.

I'll say they do The packaging was soo mangled that the only reason it made it to my house was because my friend works at the post office here in town and knew it was mine. He gathered up the pieces of the packaging, taped it all up and had a carrier deliver it.
I'm going to send him another e-mail and I thought about bringing it up on the forum that is involved.

Thanks for your input. It's funny, before GRM I could make a decision all by myself. Now I have to ask if I should eat an apple on the core, or slice it first. I'm hopeless.

Slice each piece right before you eat it, with your pocket knife.

Wait, so some of you want to lambast the seller because USPS destroyed a package? How is that the seller's mistake?

Sounds like an issue with the USPS more than the seller. CHalk it up as "lesson learned" with regards to the insurance or shipping option.

Hmm. Sounds a bit like your friend at the local USPS knows more than he is telling you about the damage. The hint being his gathering up all the pieces.

You might want to talk to the Post Master at your branch (which is where I suspect the damage happened), and discuss the default insurance that applies to their damaging of properly wrapped items. I think it's the 509 you use to file under this, but I'm not certain of that, or if it does apply to media mailings. Not that I know of it ever being paid out mind you. But it's an entertaining way to frustrate yourself.

yeah, chalk this one up as bad luck/lesson learned.

I really don't blame the seller as it was packaged properly from the sounds of it, and neither of you took the effort to insure it, so it was at the whim of the USPS.

I'm not talking from a legal standpoint, I'm just saying it's not like the seller was "out to get you" or didn't ship it, or whatever usually goes south in transactions like this.

I personally would try to make it right if I was the one selling, but he may not have the funds, and to me it just wouldn't be worth the hassle. bum deal though.

Datsun1500 wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: Wait, so some of you want to lambast the seller because USPS destroyed a package? How is that the seller's mistake? Sounds like an issue with the USPS more than the seller. CHalk it up as "lesson learned" with regards to the insurance or shipping option.

This is pretty much what I was going to type. It sucks, but the seller also did his job. Should he be out the manuals and the money any more than you should? Did you pay for insurance? If I was the seller, I would offer 1/2 of your money back, to be a good guy, but I do not think he is obligated to.

+2. Sounds like you got screwed by the PO and your beef is with them. Couple that with the fact that your friend gathered up the pieces, and further "looking" led on that the other piece is gone- and you're looking at that particular depot for further answers. I'd say good guy seller is doing more than his fair share looking into getting you another copy of what was lost.

I once shipped a food basket to my parents at Christmas via USPS. It arrived about 6 weeks later, opened, resealed, half the food eaten and the empty wrappers put back in the box. I have not shipped anything USPS that wasn't insured since.

Yeah, I had a set of rims delivered by UPS... three made it, the other is still circling the globe for all I know.

Lesley wrote: Yeah, I had a set of rims delivered by UPS... three made it, the other is still circling the globe for all I know.

Did your flywheel ever make it to Australia?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the books were not well packed. I've bought a ton of stuff from individuals online and it's amazing how poorly they package things. I had a light fixture literally wrapped in a garbage bag that was taped shut with a label stuck to it. Wheels and tires with labels stuck on them.

What was the packaging?