I bought a midi keyboard controller on eBay and just received it today. When I got it out of the box, I found that 6 out of the 10 screws that hold it together broke off from being knocked around inside the box. He packaged it okay but it wasn't good enough to prevent damage through UPS.

I plugged the controller into my computer and it does work, and I maybe able to repair the damage, but I'm not sure if I should contact the seller or make a claim. What do you guys recommand?

I say contact the seller, courteously and professionally, and see what transpires. I'd first decide what I actually want for it and prepare myself accordingly. If it works and all the damage is strictly superficial, and you can live with it the way it is, go into it with that in mind and at least you'll know whether or not to do business with this seller again. Is it worth a lot of stress and hassle if the seller doesn't want to do anything?

If you absolutely want some sort of adjustment, be firm, but be prepared for the worst. Hopefully the seller will take responsibility and do the right thing.

Also, is it the seller's packing that was the problem or were the handlers careless to the point that reasonable packing couldn't protect it? Put yourself in the seller's shoes and ask yourself what you would ask if you were the seller.
I hope it works out for both of you.
Mike

I agree with mjennens, you want to do this with a clear professional state of mind. Let seller know what happened and that your are asking for his help determining your next course of action.

You may want to prepare by checking eBay/Paypal FAQs on damaged items.

Check the original listing to see what the shipping terms and guarantees are. Some sellers will say they are not responsible for shipping damage.

Ask the seller to see what where he thinks responsibility lies with pursuing shipping damage claims. Determine who he believes should file any damage claims.

Also what are carrier shipping terms regarding damages. Did the seller packaging meet shipping requirements. Was it labeled properly?

How should I address the situation to the guy and ask for his help? I had to take the only two screws that was holding the keyboard together off in order to check the damage. As you can see in the photos, the damage isn't cosmitic.

PS

It turn out to be 8 screws that broke off...

I'd send these pictures to the seller to prove it was damaged, and then ask him what he wants to do. Give him a chance to make things right first. If he balks, then tell him what you would like, and if he doesn't agree, file a dispute.

So long as the damage is real,, and you have the pictures to prove it, then I think you should do ok.. It is clear it wasn't packed well enough to avoid damage..

Should I mention that it still works?

I'd let him know that too.. be up front, but the real issue is, it's not as purchased because of weak packing..

It might be worth checking with UPS to see what they will do. If I'm not mistaken, they automatically insure all shipments for a certain amount, I'm not sure how much though.:dunno:

Keep us posted. We can all learn from situations such as this one. :thmbsp:

You originally said packaging was ok, what did it consist of?

You'll probably want to take pics of the packaging. And keep all packaging. Until resolved.

I already suggested looking at eBay and Paypal policies.

Here's a link to UPS guidelines:

UPS FAQ
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/service/tracking/claims.html

UPS The Process
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/service/claims/hlp/damage_process.html

And finally, what is your expected end result or goal? If partial refund, what is your idea of a reasonable reimbursement for the damage?

I did check the eBay and Paypal policies, they recommanded to contact the seller and also check the UPS shipping terms.

I sent the email along with the photos to the seller and received a response. He apologize for the situation and said to file a damage claim through UPS which I did today.

Tomorrow a UPS inspecter will come out to check the damage...

UPS automatically insures for $100, but there are a couple of caveats. First, unless you sent the seller a pre-paid label, the seller is the shipper/customer. As such, he would be the one to file a damage claim with UPS. Second, UPS usually will only honor a claim when the packaging meets their specs, i.e. they packed it. This is probably not the case.

UPS automatically insures for $100, but there are a couple of caveats. First, unless you sent the seller a pre-paid label, the seller is the shipper/customer. As such, he would be the one to file a damage claim with UPS. Second, UPS usually will only honor a claim when the packaging meets their specs, i.e. they packed it. This is probably not the case.

UPS told me that either the sender or recipient can initiate a claim. They also paid off on an amp that I packed myself.

Just curious was the shipping box damaged at all? I think that is what UPS looks for,That and bad packing or as I have seen No packing materials at all.

Hello again.. I just wanted to update you guy's on what happened.

Tomorrow a UPS inspecter will come out to check the damage...

The UPS inspecter never showed up that day, when I called they told me they went ahead and authorized my claim and sent a form to the seller to fillout. He then emailed me on the 13th; He needed some information for the form before he faxed it. Then on the 29th he emailed me again to let me know that UPS sent him the check. And yesterday I received it.

Thanks a lot everyone for your help...

Thanks for the update.

Had been wondering about what happened.

Not surprised they didn't come out. Probably didn't think it was worth spending time and gas on investigating further.