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Decline or accept upon receipt of damaged gear

I'd appreciate the forum's opinion...

I recently purchased a used amplifier from an online seller.  Payment was sent and the amplifier was shipped via common carrier.  Upon arrival, the package and amplifier inside was visibly damaged.  An inspection through the holes in the damaged box found no packing materials.  After taking photographs, was it more appropriate to decline or to accept the shipment before working with the seller for resolution?

allison2
brunomarcs's avatar
brunomarcs
307 posts
 

Depends on how you paid for it and from what seller! I bought a Yamaha GT-2000 TT from Japan and the box was visibly damaged, and so was the dust cover. Canceled payment with CC company, sent pics in to seller, they said we will evaluate a refund in the next two weeks, (CC company already froze there funds) got to keep it for free and refunded shipping price. So a nice table for free and I bought a new dust cover. 
 

This would never happen on eBay though and the seller will try to hold the shipper responsible for the damage when all along it was packed wrong. 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
5,986 posts
 
 

 

carlsbad
I have never refused shipment on a package.  Never been in a situation where i had an option to.  So tell me what happens when you decline a damaged package?

A refused package is returned to the shipper.

The refusal frees you from any obligation or expense because it is the shipper's obligation to have the package delivered to you safely. You lose a lot of leverage in negotiations once you accept the package, and open yourself up to potential claims against you, such as the product wasn't really damaged but was misused or mishandled. When you refuse the product, the outcome is mostly between the shipper and the carrier.

The recipient is never under any obligation to knowingly accept damaged goods.

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

Refuse shipment or take photos and get return label from seller 

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,196 posts
 

You can't return it to the shipper if you expect to get your $$ back. If the box and contents are damaged, document with lots of photos. The seller will have to initiate a claim and the shipping company *may* want to send an inspector to look at the package. Refusing the package just complicates things.

ghasley
2,507 posts
 

Refusing the shipment kills the transaction and you can stop payment through your credit card company. Its the seller's deal, the insurance they did or didn't purchase lists them as the beneficiary and its their problem. They are responsible for satisfactory arrival of a product.

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