Buyer purchased a set of four brand new heavy thickness popular brand melamine pasta bowls. Each bowl was inspected before packaging and found to be in brand new perfect condition. Bowls had paper between each, stack was taped together on two sides to prevent shifting and give stability, wrapped in heavy duty foam, placed in heavy duty box with packing peanuts, sealed and shipped via USPS Priority Mail. I have shipped tons of melamine pieces the same way without any breakage or scratching occurring.
Buyer claims when she opened the box the center two bowls were broken. How odd, only the center two bowls. She said the unopened box was in perfect condition with no damage. She first asked for a partial refund. Now she wants to keep the two unbroken and return the broken ones for a refund. I politely refused and explained that she needs to return the entire set for a refund so I can return them to my supplier and get my purchase price back. No matter how I look at it, I am going to lose money.
Melamine is very durable and is known to be virtually unbreakable. My pieces have been dropped more times than I can count over the years and never a crack nor break.
Any thoughts on how this odd breakage happened?
With the Covid prevention recommendations out there, is it possible she opened the box in her garage or on her patio, peeled the tape from one side and the center bowls fell out onto the concrete because she wasn't holding on to them or did not place them on a flat surface? In the photo she sent it appears both bowls were broken on the same edge of the pattern. That's the only scenario I can think of that fits.
