How should I handle this?

Racently I purchasesd a "demo" turnatable form a dealer in california which I believe had almost no use. HE sells on agon frequently with good feedback. This table features a silicone oil damped suspension. A couple of days ago when I received the table I opened th box to find a lot of oil on the table. I thought it was probaby the bearing oil, but it was in some places quite thick. While I was aasembling the table I found there was no silicone suspension oil included; when I contacted the dealer he said it was in the table and that it must have spilled out of the table as the shipper must have put it on its side. He advised me to contact the distributor to obtain some more silicone. When I contacted the distributor they told me that they didnt have any silicone, and that the silicone was quite difficult ot remove and probably would damage the motor if itcame in contact with it, as it likely would have if the table was stored on its side for more than a few minutes. They advised me to send it back to them for testing and to likely replace the motor. They also intimated that almost anyone should have known to not ship a turntable halfway accross the country without draining the oil from the suspension.
Now how should I handle this? I don't know that the table is damaged as I haven't turned ti on, and of course even if it works now the motor could go out in a few weeks. I am thinking of sending it back for a refund but I frankly doubt the dealer is going to do that for mr. I don't think it ifair to ask the shipper to pay for damages, because it is pretty stupid to ask some one to ship something accross the country without tilting it. Also I've not confirmed there is a problem and I am afraid to turn it on to find out lest I be accused of damaging it. Any idea what I should do