thank you usps

What does the stamp on the outside of the box "Received in Damaged Condition" mean? Does that mean when the USPS got it that the box was already bashed? Or, did you put that on the box???

if you paid for insurance,

put in a claim with your local USPS.

you'll get reimbursed and still be able to keep

the locomotive for parts

I would still make a claim.

I imagine that is the local Post Office stating that it was damaged when it got there.  Probably happened in transit between the 2 offices.  I can't imagine any amount of packing would of helped much.

How was it packed inside? The damage to the box looks as if the engine was able to shift inside the package. I often ship 25 pounds of ballast in USPS Priority Mail Boxes and have never had a problem. The key is making sure that the packing material fills the entire box such that the box is solidly packed. That way nothing can shift inside and the box can't be crushed by other boxes on top of it.

I venture to say that most shipping damage is due to inadequate packing.

More than likely it was applied by a sorting station. It happened in trasit and someone was CYA as they didn't do it.

If you submit insurance it's my understanding you give up the loco.....same as a car or other insured item. Looks like the perfect storm of a gorilla at USPS and poor packing.

The way the corner of that box is ripped up, it looks like it was caught on something.

Packing can only do so much.

According to my understanding, if USPS determines that an item was improperly packed, they will not pay the claim. I had an issue with United Parcel years ago, and that was the case with them.

Sorry to read of your problems.

it def was poorly packed....the engine was just wrapped in brown paper and the rest of the box was filled with brown paper...i went thru the whole box trying to locate the part of the cowcatcher....no luck lol i emailed the seller just waiting on a response

I am surprised USPS even accepted it in that condition.  So, that kinda tells me it may have been done in shipment.  But, you never know.  I would have not accepted it in that condition.  You can refuse acceptance and they will send it back to whoever sent it.

Maybe the seller got it insured himself.  When I sell anything on eBay over $100.00  I ALWAYS get it insured myself just to cover my butt.  It only costs a couple of dollars.

Anyway, USPS covers all Priority mail (packages) up to $50.00 automatically now.

Rick

Sounds like the Ebay seller needs to refund some or all money.

"Even though they have a no return policy."

If they say they will not refund start a claim with ebay.

Now you have a broken locomotive and are out $55.00

USPS will not insure it becuse it was not packed well.

It did not arrive as listed in the picture.

it means the office that stamped it received it from either another office damaged or the airline damaged it.

when I get items from the bay they are wrapped in bubble wrap and paper and peanuts.  this looks like some crumbled paper and that's it. very poor.

It should have been double boxed to start with.

Plus it was not wrapped and boxed correctly.

Shipping it loose in a single  box, should be wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap and all voids filled with peanuts.

Low probability of reaching the buyer intact.

the Seller owes you a full refund.

Poorly packed for one thing, but the easiest thing you could of done was REFUSE DELIVERY due to damage. NEVER accept a package from any carrier like that.

Now you just have to go through the claims process if it's insured. Hopefully the seller will take care of that for you, because he's the one that shipped it, and hopefully paid for the insurance.

That's OK when your home and get to the door before they leave.

But, not that easy when it is left on your doorstep with no one home.

Most of the time, in my experience, the USPS-mailed packages come through fine, in spite of some substandard packing oftentimes.  For a fairly heavy item yours was extremely poorly packed, and it does look like it got caught on some machinery somewhere along the line.  (Or maybe drop-kicked as in the opening scene of "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective".)

I would push back on the seller, the poor packing is at least if not more at fault than the USPS.

Today, I received two engines via USPS, one in a double wall outer box, full of peanuts, then the MTH box wrapped in cling film, then the original foam insert taped together, and finally the engine double wrapped in the lightweight open cell foam as well. The second was wrapped in newspaper and inside a thin walled priority mail box filled with paper....any guesses on which one had minor damage to the detailing?

It is all about the sellers willingness and ability to pack items correctly, not the shipping companies (USPS, UPS, or FedEx) ability to treat each package as if it were the crown jewels. We expect speedy delivery which for the most part they provide, at fairly reasonable prices, but with those costs and speed comes all boxes -- well packed or not getting the same treatment.

Ask for a refund in all or part from the seller.  

Make a claim.

I mailed a 45 pound box parcel select which is what the old parcel post is called, with records and other breakable items to my daughter in Virginia.  I doubled boxed the boxes and had her take a picture when it arrived.  it looked just like we shipped it. and because it was sent parcel select it was trucked all away across the USA with all the other up to 70 pound items.

it is all about the shipper preparing the package. 

so thanking the USPS for damaging your item is just nonsense.

your right big dodge

packing is everything.

just got a MTH locomotive

from and on-line auction site.

when I got it.

everything was rattling around inside

the box.

luckly there was NO damage, but there wasn't enough

packing material inside the box for a church

mouse to make a nest.

I use to work for UPS so a word on returning the item if you decide to. Ensure it goes back with the same carrier that you had it shipped to you with.  If you decide to use another one, then they might try to void something with the carrier's initial shipment.  Since it was bought on Ebay, you should have buyer protection on this and not any issue even if the seller tries to refuse.  Best of luck.

And like many have stated recently, the initial packaging makes the difference for sometimes it is not human mishandling but belts and sorts along the way.  

Yes, again, try to contact the seller and hear what he has to say, if anything.  If he doesn't respond in a couple of days start a claim with eBay.

I bought an item on the Bay and it came in the wrong color.  Seller, Toys-R-Us, NEVER responded to me.  I filed a claim with the Bay (you have to wait for them to process the claim - about 4 days or so).  But they did refund all my cost even the shipping charge.

Rick

Packing this stuff is one of the hardest things to do. Trains are oddly shaped when it comes to most standard packaging available. I end up making custom boxes for most everything.

What really gets me is when you sell something and folks want to haggle the shipping. Yes - To protect what you are buying, it's going to be a big box!!!

Hope you can work something out somewhere.

Whenever I see anyone putting in new carpeting I try to get my hands on the rolls of old foam Padding used under the carpeting, I cut out the bad area's and save the better pieces.

Whenever I have to ship any trains I wrap them in foam until they have about 6 inches of foam surrounding them, then place them in shipping box.

So Far So Good. Just trying to share an idea. Good Luck.

I talked to the seller....if i return the engine i will get a full refund...but instead i am just going to tranfer the guts to my prr engine....and take a partial refund.....so thats what i did....now my prr is really nice..and the up one will sit on my work bench lol..i really like the plated drivers on the green engine better anyway..

glad it all worked out for you.

after all that is what this hobby is all about.

 Great

yeah it looks great...just have one issue im trying to figure out....now this just has a locosound board...not the protosound one....seems like when i have it hook up on the track...it makes a staticy noise....then if i lift the front truck off the rails it runs and works perfect...took the shell off and i dont see any issues all the wiring looks good...just seeing if i am missing anything