Hi all. This is kind of a mundane post but I’m soliciting information so I figured I’d put it here.
I just shipped a Wii over to someone, and during transit it got damaged (it still functions, thankfully, but it has a large gouge in one of the corners).
It was shipped in a bubble-wrap filled shipping envelope. I didn’t insure it, so I’d only be elligible for up to 100 dollars (the standard amount).
I went ahead and filed a claim, and when they asked for pricing documentation, I went to gamestop.com and printed out the price of a refurbished Wii.
I also have pictures of the damage that the receiver of the Wii sent me, but they didn’t ask for photos of the damage so I didn’t send them with the claim.
So, does anyone here have any experience with claims? The Wii is still functional… that is, the damage is only superficial.
I don’t honestly think I need to be fully reimbursed for the price of a new Wii considering that this one still works, but I’d at least like to get refunded the price of shipping.
What are the odds I’ll be getting any sort of compensation here? Also, I don’t have any photos of the Wii prior to shipping, so I honestly couldn’t even prove that this damage wasn’t already existing if it came down to it.
Thanks for the advice! No matter what happens, I’m just glad the Wii still works
I ship hundreds of boxes of year as part of my small eBay side business. That you would ship a Wii not in a hard cardboard box with cushioning, but instead in a **bubble cushion paper envelope **and it got there without being in pieces is astounding.
You should grateful for whatever they are willing to give you. Your shipping method was hazardous and completely inadequate.
Well, I don’t do much shipping at all, ever. I wish the guy at the UPS store would have told me that my shipping packaging was inadequate when I told him what was inside it!
I will obviously be happy with whatever happens, as I already said, I’m glad it still works
My mother shipped me a statue. UPS packed it. It arrived to me in 2 pieces.
I had photos of the statue when it arrived. I saved the packaging (which they asked for, but didn’t actually want when I said I had it - I think it was just a trap where they would deny the claim if I hadn’t saved the box and bubble wrap).
I found the same statue on eBay for an estimate of replacement value (about $100).
Filed a claim. UPS refunded the shipping and paid the replacement value within a month.
I’m with astro in being amazed the thing still works. Seems like the UPS guy failed in numerous respects, not giving worthwhile shipping advice, and missing out on an opportunity to sell you a box and packing materials, or sell you their packing service.
However, the packing job is ultimately your responsibility (unless you pay UPS to pack it for you). I’d assume that UPS will just say the damage is not due to improper handling, but inadequate packing.
For future reference, if you can’t take your package, hold it over your head, and drop it on a concrete floor without damaging what is inside, it will not survive going through UPS (or USPS or Fedex).
Generally that means for something like a wii, an inner box (often the original box) with foam inserts, plus an outer box with the space between completely filled with packing material. Not crushed newspaper, something with more rigidity like air bags, foam peanuts, or bubble wrap. That packing method is called “Double boxing” and is what I would consider the “gold standard” for packaging most items.
Working for a shipping company has taught me to pack vulnerable items so that the package could withstand a nuclear explosion. You can’t believe the abuse packages take during the shipping process. Marking something FRAGILE is a joke. The sorting process is so fast and furious that no one notices what’s written on the box, even if it’s live lobsters.
As to your question . . . good luck. All you can do is ask.
I lost a claim. I ordered a nightstand from a company in WI. It was shipped UPS and the package arrived crushed on one side and the nightstand was seriously damaged. UPS refused to pay because they said the furniture company used a non-rated box. Furniture company ended up sending me a replacement (in the most incredibly secure shipping box I have ever seen).
