Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: _tom_ on September 09, 2012, 08:44:47 AM

Title: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 09, 2012, 08:44:47 AM
Anything I can do? I sold this on ebay last week and the buyer emailed me today to say its got this fairly big ding/chip that definitely wasn't there when I sent it out. Not really sure how it happened considering it was in a hard case which was packed with newspaper etc so the guitar was tight.

(http://i48.tinypic.com/250qrtl.jpg)

It was insured with Parcel Force but not sure if they'll do anything as I have no way to prove it was them who did it other than a few photos of the back of the guitar I took prior to posting it out..
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Oli on September 09, 2012, 09:53:17 AM
Unfortunately I've had the same thing with parcel force, never ended up able to do anything about it I'm afraid. Strange how it managed to get that damaged in a hardcase!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2012, 10:51:56 AM
I wish I could help, but despite my many ups and downs with Parcel Force I've never (touch wood) had anything seriously damaged in transit, and I don't know what the claims procedure is.

If the guitar took a big ding like that, then presumably the case and the outer packaging were absolutely trashed.  I hope he took pictures of those too?
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 09, 2012, 11:18:30 AM
Yeah, I don't really see how it's possible without trashing the case as well, going to get some pics of the case as well. If it isn't damaged then the only other thing may be that he dinged it himself and is being cheeky. I have pics of the back before I sent it so I should hopefully be covered if anything dodgy happens!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2012, 01:39:01 PM
Yeah, I don't really see how it's possible without trashing the case as well, going to get some pics of the case as well. If it isn't damaged then the only other thing may be that he dinged it himself and is being cheeky.

Well yeah, I was going to say that but didn't think I should.....!  :lol:
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Twinfan on September 09, 2012, 04:19:47 PM
Yep, get pics of the packaging and case.  The buyer will need to keep these to show P-F if you want to make a claim...
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: dave_mc on September 09, 2012, 05:35:47 PM
never had to claim myself (like philly, touch wood :lol: ), but i'm guessing philly and dave's advice to get pics of the packaging and case is a good idea. :)
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Twinfan on September 09, 2012, 05:50:27 PM
By "keep those" I mean the actual packaging, not just pics!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 09, 2012, 05:56:41 PM
Well according to the guy there's no damage to the case so i don't really know what's going on :? I guess I'll just go through the motions with parcel force to try and keep him happy!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Twinfan on September 09, 2012, 07:11:50 PM
What about the packaging?  That would show if a big knock had taken place...
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2012, 08:27:59 PM
I don't see how it's possible for a guitar to get dinged like that without the case being damaged. 

A cracked neck joint or even a broken headstock, yes... they could result from being chucked around in transit, without damaging the case or even the outer packaging very much. 

But you could only damage the body like that by hitting it against a hard surface.  And how can that happen inside an undamaged case?
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Ian Price on September 09, 2012, 08:41:55 PM
For this to happen a ParcelForce employee would have had to unpack the guitar from the box and case, slam it on the floor, re-pack it and then send it on as if nothing happened.

Highly unlikely. I suspect that it is more likely the buyer damaged this when opening it. Perhaps they were excited and din't strap it properly and then dropped it. In a panic they thought they would say it was damaged in transit.

Maybe that didn't happen but I think it is far more likely than it being damaged in transit with no evidence to suggest that it was.
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 09, 2012, 08:52:35 PM
I think you may be right :( hoping this doesn't turn into some annoying thing where paypal hold the money until we've reached an agreement or something like that!  i have pics of the part that's chipped so hopefully i should be covered!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: HTH AMPS on September 09, 2012, 09:54:44 PM
You will end up getting screwed by Paypal - they will tell the buyer to return the guitar, refund his money and you're stuck with the damaged guitar.  I had a situation not dissimilar a few years back when I sold a '67 SG jr which the seller said had a crack in the neck (it was clearly a scratch).

I ended up settling with Paypal in the end once they started sending in the debt collectors.  Had I known what I know now, I would've told the debt collectors to get stuffed (in so many words - i.e. no contract).

It's 99% sure that the guy has bashed it himself, there is no way the damage could've happened inside the case, it's ridiculous to suggest it could have.  Maybe offer a reduction in the price - thats probably gonna be your cheapest and easiest way out (even though it's gonna fu*ck with your sense of right and wrong).

Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: Frank on September 09, 2012, 10:22:23 PM
It's 99% sure that the guy has bashed it himself

Yup, people do this to try for a refund on a guitar they suddenly regret buying.
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: JJretroTONEGOD on September 10, 2012, 02:10:40 AM
I think this is a fake....he bashed that in with a hammer! I have been using ebay since 2005 and parcel force without one problem, my intuition says he did it,

as phillyQ said how the hell could this happen inside a hard case? it is impossible in my opinion.

Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: WezV on September 10, 2012, 07:15:08 AM
unfortunately it doesn't make much difference if he did do it - paypal and ebay are going to screw you for the money, they almost always come down on the buyers side
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 10, 2012, 08:15:29 AM
bollocks :( no complaint/dispute on paypal or ebay as yet so I'll wait and see I guess. Strange as he's said apart from that and not liking 11s on the guitar he's happy with it..
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: mikeluke on September 10, 2012, 12:00:28 PM
+1 on the "you will get screwed" view - I had the same thing with Parcelfarce - broke the headstock on an SG2000 - in a hard case - strings slacked - in a a proper guitar box with padding etc etc etc

Their view was that the buyer must have broken it or that I had sent it like that!
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: _tom_ on September 10, 2012, 02:12:02 PM
Not hoping for much positive to happen then haha. I've sent loads of stuff with parcel force before and never had an issue.
Title: Re: Guitar damaged by Parcel Force
Post by: dave_mc on September 10, 2012, 07:02:17 PM
By "keep those" I mean the actual packaging, not just pics!

:lol:

touché

EDIT: just to comment on the situation- if he did smash it (I have no idea if he did or not, I (touch wood) haven't had much experience with smashed stuff), that sucks. I know I'm generally on the buyer's side as I buy stuff rather than sell it, but doing that is not cool. :)