This has happened to me once or twice, mostly as a buyer, a box arrives damaged and whether contents are missing or not it seems the shipper (whether usps or ups or fedex) take no responsibility for it. In fact if I want compensation the liability is placed on the seller, or it is where I am told to go seek funds.
It is frustrating as a seller, we all want to think the worst but the analytics of the case are clear, the fault falls on the seller regardless of what happened. So this buyer is correct in seeking the attention of the seller in this case, regardless of how deep some are looking to find scam or scheme in the matter, if a parcel arrives damaged with missing items then the liability is going to most likely fall on the seller.
I realize the seller stated they sent a box made almost entirely out of packing tape but as a general rule that is not how I like to send my boxes out. If there's going to be "packing" going on then most of that goes on inside the box in ways of padding. I tend to use only boxes that are in good physical shape and are either new or still look new cosmetically. Then I use a packing tape that STICKS and I usually wrap it once around the whole box to seal the flaps, sometimes I'll run a strip of tape across that, on odd occasion and for large parcels I'll run two strips but that's it. I don't do frankenboxes because it looks unprofessional and even thou the frankenbox should hold up better than anything it's the appearance of the frankenbox that in my mind tends to attract trouble.
Having read this thread I like the seller's attitude, it is likely the best way to get a cooperative buyer to assist in ways of filing a claim or what have you. As a seller it probably would be best to issue a refund at some stage before too much longer, but I would also most likely be inclined to file such a claim with the shipping company.
