I bought a rare figure model kit from a guy on eBay, one so rare I never even knew it existed. Apparently no-one else did either, since I got a very good price on it. The seller was good about communicating; I paid quickly; and it arrived in short order.
But.
The model was one of the all-inclusive types, with paint and cement included, and during the trip to my house (U.S. Mail), the cement leaked out. Melted part of one hand and a small accessory. (If he or I had thought of it, the cement bottle could have been put in a zip-loc baggie or even emptied.) If I ever build the model, I can fix the damage fairly easily, but as it stands, the model isn’t perfect; and it was a perfect model when I bid on it.
I don’t particularly want a refund of my money; the price wasn’t very high, $25 or so. (If I’d paid hundreds, of course, the situation would be different.) The seller wouldn’t be able to supply a replacement part; the model is rare, really rare. So I guess there’s not much to be done; but I feel a certain dissatisfaction.
How would you guys feel? What would you guys do in a similar situation?
Well, my general rule of thumb when things go sour is that it’s okay to get pissed about it, but eventually you need to either (a) fix it or (b) get over it. So, a certain amount of pissedness is called for, but it’s not like you got arrested by the Feds for being involved in the interstate shipment of toxic chemicals.
If he’d known to think about proper shipping, he would likely have also known how much the thing was worth, and not taken $25 for it. I’m assuming that’s still a good price for what you got.
PS: What was it?
If I were the seller, I don’t think it would have occurred to me that the cement might spill. Usually those things are sealed up pretty tight, no? At $25, not enough to worry about it, I’d say. Allow yourself 48 hours to grieve and curse the heavens, then move on.
It was an ancient Bachmann kit of two elderly bowlers, done in a comic manner, about 1/12 scale. Charming as all get-out, nicely done. Apparently it’s part of a small series, which also includes scenes of a fishing boy and a Little League dispute. From the pics on the sides of the box, the fishing boy is especially nice. Wish I had a picture to show you.
Yeah, I think that’s the thing to do: Get over it.
If it was me I would let the seller know what happened and see if he offers to compensate you somehow. The worse he can say is “too damn bad”.
If I was the seller I would give you a partial refund since I should have ensured that the package arrived exactly as I had sent it… but that’s just me
