Urgent Need for Enhanced Shipping Standards: A Personal Tale of Loss and Safety Concerns
My experience with an eBay purchase recently was both challenging and enlightening. I bought a $3000 computer from a highly responsive and understanding seller. When the computer arrived, it was in a dire state. The glass had shattered so extensively that fragments had found their way into every component — from the fans to the motherboard and the graphics card.
The seller, demonstrating commendable customer service, offered two options in light of the situation: a full refund or a partial refund of $500 less than the total price. Considering the risks and complications of returning a heavy, glass-embedded item, I chose the partial refund. My intention was to get the PC repaired post-holidays — cleaning out the glass and installing it in a new case, hoping to mitigate my losses.
However, this plan was abruptly derailed. The computer, stored in my basement for safety, became a hidden danger. Unbeknownst to my wife, the scattered glass from the PC caused her to suffer a severe foot injury while cleaning. Overwhelmed by pain and frustration, she disposed of the computer, unaware of my plans to salvage it. This incident not only added strain to our household but also meant that my grandson would miss out on his intended gift.
While the seller’s willingness to provide a full refund was generous and appreciated, the incident has led me to advocate for more robust shipping protocols for fragile items, especially those involving glass components. This experience underscores the need for companies like eBay to implement stricter packaging standards to ensure the safety and integrity of shipped items, preventing future customers from facing similar dilemmas.
happy holiday to everyone. My wife is really upset at me and my grandson is not going to get his intended gift. There goes me being grandfather of the year. I wanted that so bad.
fm2000
·2 years agoThe seller should have had the item professionally packed. A $3000 computer is well worth the cost of professional packing, especially if the seller is not an experienced seller; a large, heavy piece of equipment worth $3000 is not a job for an amateur! If he had a professional like FedEx Office or UPS store do it, they would not only package it correctly, they would have covered HIS loss if it was damaged and he had to give you a refund. I shipped a very expensive computer that way before, cost almost $100 (they actually crated it), but well worth it.
You should have asked for a full refund, and sent it back to him (professionally packed) at his expense if he wanted it back. If it was dropped hard enough to shatter tempered glass like that, other components are probably irreparably damaged too.
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoeBay has no "shipping protocols," and would have no way of enforcing them.
Give your grandson the $2500, and let him buy his own computer. Or give him $2400 and use the other $100 to take your wife out to dinner as an apology for making a dangerous mess.
Here's a link to eBay's buyer protection policy, which they call the "Money Back Guarantee":
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
wpcupid1
OP2 years agoit’s OK there is blood all over it
klhmdg
·2 years ago@wpcupid1 IF the seller wanted it back you could have wiped it off.
Honestly doesnt look like blood to me but .... paper towel would have taken that little bit off.
You would have had a full refund AND could have bought something else.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoEbay doesn't sell or ship anything and they don't have any say on how a seller packs their items, that's why they provide the MBG.
I would have went for the refund, at least you would have got your money back.
klhmdg
·2 years agoeBay will never have shipping protocols.
eBay is an online site that puts buyers and sellers together.
Sellers are responsible for shipping and getting the item as described to the buyer.
I personally would have taken the option of a full refund.
It is already broken and if the seller requested a return before refund, they supply the label and you just pack it back up as receive and return it.