I opened a claim with eBay, and when presented with the options of accepting a return with a refund, or letting me keep the damaged set with me still getting a refund, the seller, after some time, took the return and gave me a refund.
Finding Southern Railway stuff in Standard Gauge is hard, so I am a bit disappointed that this happened.
On the plus side, the refund amount was almost equal to the purchase price of a MTH 2-4-0 steam passenger set, that arrived in perfect condition. So at least I now have a working Standard gauge steam loco, along with my ol' Lionel #33.
So many scales, so many trains, so little time.....
Be advised: DO NOT pursue getting the USPS involved for the insurance!
The ONLY way they will pay on a claim...if they will (not likely if poorly packed), is that THEY WILL KEEP the damaged item. NO NEGOTIATIONS POSSIBLE.
So I strongly agree with others here - File an Item Not as Described / eBay Purchase Protection claim. The seller and / or eBay WILL refund your money, after the item is returned to the seller. If the seller says "I don't accept returns", eBay will simply refund your money, AND you will not have to return the item.
Odd...but the truth. (based on years of experience selling on eBay.)
Good luck! Let us know how this turns out.
I thought it was Ebay policy for the seller to add insurance ?
It is also required for the buyer who sends an item back to the seller for refund to add insurance.
Maybe you can work it out with the seller (thru) Ebay to resolve the issue.
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
It doesn't matter to the buyer whether the seller insured the package.It's the seller that packs and ships the item. Ebay will side with the buyer.
did the seller insure the package?
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
I agree, don't try to fix anything until this is settled between all parties involved. I know, the temptation is strong! But if you can't be 100% positive that you can repair the damage even a slight change can destroy your case. While you're waiting for an answer from Ebay to the initial filing, research everything you can about the seller.
I feel for you! It's heartbreaking!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Yes what a shame for both you and the seller. I would not touch it. Just open a case and try again. Not your fault. I have got some things with damage I fixed, but your takes the cake. Bail out.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
What a disappointment. I sympathise with you.
This is why I never spend the big bucks on anything that's not right in front of me.
The seller could have saved you, himself, E-Bay, and everyone else involved a lot of grief if he'd taken the set to a UPS Store and spent the money to have it packed professionally.
PS: I don't blame the Post Office. They didn't pack it.
Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760 The box is not much longer than the passenger cars are, and the loco was packed on top of everything else.
The box is not much longer than the passenger cars are, and the loco was packed on top of everything else.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
All of that being said, I think the damage is repairable. But it would require the skills of someone experienced in working with sheet metal, and the proper tools. Basically the locomotive and cars would have to be disassembled, the damaged parts replaced with new components, reassembled, and as indicated repainted. The real question is whether the frame and running gear is still workable. There are people who do restoration of old toy trains who would have the necessary skils. You might even find somone who could help you by searching the forum postings for that subject.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Get a refund. If the seller balks, open a case with Ebay.IMHO, if you make any attempt to fix it before settling up with the seller, you have no recourse.
Not seeing the size of the box in relation to the contents, I would "guess" this is a case of poor packing on the part of the seller. I would notify him immediately and send the photos and ask for a refund. Depending on how you paid for this, there may be some recourse if he or she balks. You can also open a case with Ebay...Most sellers avoid a case being settled by Ebay so it puts pressure on them to accomodate your claim. Or at least thats been my experience.
I had a Marx cab that came cracked due to poor packing. The seller balked at a refund and eventually refunded my money after I opened a case.
In terms of sraightening this mess up, The loco cab looks doable..with some care. The passenger car is another story. If you want to keep it I would then ask for a partial refund for the loss of the passenger car..if then rest is o.k.
I won't say it's impossible...others can chime in but my experience has been if the metal was unpainted you might stand a chance of restoration but anytime you have a painted surface, you are going to damage it further if you try to undo the damage. So you end up with a somewhat straightened piece with damaged paint unless you strip it..then you have to match the paint...ugh. What a let down! You have my empathy.
I recently purchased a CMC train set from a seller on eBay, but between lack of proper packaging for something this size/weight /value and possible rough handling, most of the train is damaged. Most of the damage is to sheet metal, along with a destroyed cowcatcher. Here are some photos of the damage:
This is how the box looked upon opening: And the damage to the set: Does anyone have any helpful advice as how to best make repairs to this? I have always wanted a Stanard Gauge train set in Southern Railway colors, so I am tad irked by how the set arrived at my door.
And the damage to the set: Does anyone have any helpful advice as how to best make repairs to this? I have always wanted a Stanard Gauge train set in Southern Railway colors, so I am tad irked by how the set arrived at my door.
Does anyone have any helpful advice as how to best make repairs to this?
I have always wanted a Stanard Gauge train set in Southern Railway colors, so I am tad irked by how the set arrived at my door.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month