Beware of Cheap Shipping Prices from Vendors!

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webman1

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I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this but it does involve buying an AR upper (LMT) through the mail from one of the major "banner ad" companies here.
Here's the story behind it:
Bought the upper and it arrives in a short box wrapped in brown paper. Removed the outside paper and noticed a small hole through the box(not the paper- btw). Opened the box and examined the upper and there is a shiny spot and peen damage on the flash hider end and more importantly the front sight post has some damage to the top.(peened over and shiny). Everyone knows that the AR-15 FSB towers are sharp and can easily penetrate cardboard - right? No extra packaging to prevent this at all.
Now I wasn't too concerned at this point as it was mostly cosmetic and easily replaceable parts. I informed the vendor about this 3x and eventually someone answered my concerns via email. Explained the damage, sent pictures and said I could easily fix it with 2 replacement parts from them. I was informed since the postage insurance option wasn't selected they won't send a replacement sight free of charge. In fact it was suggested, I buy their $25 kit + $9.95 shipping + 15% HST and all would be good. Can you believe it! All for a $6 part. Over the last 7 years I've probably spent $4000 at their online store and now it's going to be zero dollars. My point is to watch out for these kind of businesses and their so-called cheap flat rate shipping. If this upper arrived in 2 pieces because this company didn't properly package it then you my fellow CGNer would be stuck with it. I've heard of a CGNer getting an upper from the same company before that arrived all rusted and had a good fight to get it replaced. What lousy customer service!
 
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So you are complaining that your upper was damaged in shipment and you did not get shipping insurance.
And how you want the dealer to replace the damaged part for free?
 
andrew3081 said:
So you are complaining that your upper was damaged in shipment and you did not get shipping insurance.
And how you want the dealer to replace the damaged part for free?
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It's not a question of insurance, it's question of proper packaging. Considering it's coming from a business, not a individual, it should have been packaged correctly.
 
To be perfectly clear I do not blame the OP for what has happened.
The item was improperly packaged resulting in the damage.
Even if insurance was selected the claim would most likely have been declined due to the poor packaging.

Now on to my point. When I purchase anything from any online retailer such as a rifle, which I have done several times and for several thousand dollars each time.
I email them to confirm that there is adequate insurance for the total cost of the item.
I have never been asked to pay extra for additional insurance.
Secondly I confirm with them that it is in fact them who will be dealing with Canada Post if there needs to be a claim made since Canada Post only has an obligation to the shipper.

I have never needed to use a claim for damage but they did need to step in when my M1A National Match was doing the tour of 8 Quebec post offices before finding its way to my house. It even made its way onto an airplane at some point!!!!!
 
Being part of a small family business, I agree with the OP. Looking at a customer's history of orders and keeping that in consideration should far outweigh the fact shipping insurance was not purchased. It's a $6 part: ship it out, keep customer happy, have another $4000 from repeat customer vs. $0.
 
If it was damaged due to improper packaging I think the OP is in the right, and they should replace it.. especially if it is just a 6$ part like he said. He shouldn't have to pay for the part, tax, shipping etc all over again.

If the damage was due to shipping and they did all they could to make sure it was sufficient to be shipped then it should be an insurance claim, and since he didn't opt for that.. he's lucky its a cheap fix.

To me though it sounds like it wasn't packaged properly, or could have been better. Either way, you're lucky it is a cheap fix..
 
Insurance should be the sellers problem, and if they dont offer insurance, it should be written that they dont on each payment page in checkout. If you were offered insurance and declined, then its your problem. if it was flat rate with no option, then the sellers a douche and we need to smite him. NAME THEM!
 
It's the fault of the carrier if something is well packed and gets wrecked anyway.

It's the fault of the packer if it gets carried well and wrecked anyway.



I don't pay insurance on my car in case the paint gets chipped from a rock while I'm driving, or I get a flat tire. I pay insurance in case something unusual happens, like vandalism or an accident. Insurance isn't about protecting you from normal wear and tear.

I shouldn't have to pay extra for insurance to cover stuff getting banged up in a mail truck. It should be packaged well enough that, barring unusual circumstances that would constitute a event an insurer would recognize as an accident or theft etc, it ought to get there undamaged.

If you can't do that, your packaging sucks. Customers should not have to pay extra for somebody to figure out cardboard.
 
I can't remember ever having a choice to ad shipping insurance to an online purchase.

Regardless how a package is shipped is the dealers responsibility to get the product to you in the right condition.

I have ran into issues such as this and the best way to deal with them is to deny any package that appears damaged in any way.
 
misanthropist said:
It's the fault of the carrier if something is well packed and gets wrecked anyway.

It's the fault of the packer if it gets carried well and wrecked anyway.



I don't pay insurance on my car in case the paint gets chipped from a rock while I'm driving, or I get a flat tire. I pay insurance in case something unusual happens, like vandalism or an accident. Insurance isn't about protecting you from normal wear and tear.

I shouldn't have to pay extra for insurance to cover stuff getting banged up in a mail truck. It should be packaged well enough that, barring unusual circumstances that would constitute a event an insurer would recognize as an accident or theft etc, it ought to get there undamaged.

If you can't do that, your packaging sucks. Customers should not have to pay extra for somebody to figure out cardboard.
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+1

Also, for what it's worth, the vendor should make this right. Even if they are technically in the right it is just bad business.
 
Saying that the buyer didn't get insurance and it's their fault when a dealer was lazy/cheap and didn't wrap/ protect the contents of the package is a load of BS

Dealer should replace the part without question if the packaging is sub par

I had this happen before. Dealer sent stripped upper in a small bubble envelope and it was beat up when it arrived, several parts sticking out, and metal finish chipped. If it had extra wrap around it or it was in a box, it would have arrived just fine. Dealer made it right with giving a store credit
 
What is right, wrong, and sensible are three different things. I prefer to go with sensible, most of the time. The sensible thing for the vendor, is to just smile, and say that a new part is on the way, sorry for the inconvenience.
 
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