I recently purchased a bike that needed to be shipped to me. The seller had the bike packaged by his local bike shop prior to dropping it off for shipping. My first impression upon opening the box was that the packaging job was excellent. The first thing I removed was the front wheel, which was in great shape. Next I pulled out the aero bars and my heart sank because I could immediately tell there was damage. The left side of the bars, like the front wheel, was in outstanding condition. The bars, shifter and brake lever on the right side, however, were clearly damaged during the shipping process.
I haven’t had time to piece the bike together yet but I don’t believe there is any mechanical issue with the parts that were damaged. The carbon brake lever is badly scratched and the shifter is even worse. The plastic piece on the shifter appears to have been deeply cut in numerous spots by the bladed spokes of the wheel, leaving what I believe will be an uncomfortable surface to touch while shifting. Although it appears to be just cosmetic, the damage looks bad and I am a stickler when it comes to my things. I purchased shipping insurance and wonder if a successful claim can be made to have the parts replaced.
I don’t know what to do next. I have shipped numerous bikes without any issues. I was very excited to get this particular bike because of the condition it was in and because I was able to purchase it within a very specific budget (ebay). Unfortunately I cannot afford to buy replacement parts. I would love to have this bike returned to the condition it was in when I bought it. I would welcome any suggestions or advice on how I might accomplish this. I certainly feel I should receive the item in the condition it was in when it was purchased but also sympathize with the seller. He paid to have the bike boxed up and shipped it per my request (bikeflights). I don’t know what more he could have done to keep this from happening.
Talk it over with the Ebay seller. I’ve had a fair number of bikes shipped and the last time one arrived damaged I contacted the seller. He offered to take the bike back but I had to pay the return shipping which was going to be $60-70. Instead I asked him to kick back $75 which along with the saved shipping fees covered the repairs.
Although too late, most shipping companies require inspection and shipping/damage claims PRIOR to signing-off and accepting delivery. Once accepted, very difficult to go back on shipper and file a complaint. If container looked OK upon receipt, your issue seems to be with seller and whoever packed the bike.
If the box was fully in tact, but there is damage to the contents then this is a case of crappy packaging. It is unlikely the shipping insurance will pay out unless there was a hole in the box, or something that indicates they were at fault.
I bought a P3 on ebay which was damaged during shipping. The box arrived with a hole in the side where the wheel had poked through, and it was clearly beaten up. The bike had been insured by the seller with the shipping company, and they sent an inspector to come and look at the packaging. The insurance refused to pay out, as they said the packaging was poor and the box was not up to standard. It seemed that unless you paid them to pack in and insured it with them then you were screwed. I returned the bike to the seller for a full refund, but paid the return shipping.
I think you are being too kind to the seller here. They packed it (or chose the packing company) and the packaging was insufficient, as the bike ended up damaged in transit. Send it back.
I have contacted the seller and his response was to check with my LBS and “see what can find for some replacement parts and maybe we can work something out.”
I have also looked back at the ebay auction which shows “no returns” but also shows “ebay buyer protection” which protects the purchase price and original shipping. Has anyone used the “ebay buyer protection”? I am not sure I want to return the bike however. It took me a long time to find what I was looking for (Blue T16) in the size I need and in the condition I demand. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it here that way. How tough will it be to land one Dura Ace bar end shifter and one Profile Design carbon brake lever?
Just an FYI - I’ve twice used my LBS to confirm damaged parts or inaccurate/fraudulent descriptions when dealing with ebay sellers (via phone). As a result, repair costs/parts were covered by each seller.
(Most sellers don’t want to risk the hassle of a legal dispute being filed and reputation ruined.)
You should be ok with the way ebay/paypal sides with buyers. There is pretty much zero protection as a seller and if it’s a he said/she said they will defer to the buyer most likely.
Sorry you have a bum part that always stinks when you get a new toy. Sounds like your seller is communicating I’m sure you can get it worked out though.
Just an FYI - I’ve twice used my LBS to confirm damaged parts or inaccurate/fraudulent descriptions when dealing with ebay sellers (via phone). As a result, repair costs/parts were covered by each seller.
(Most sellers don’t want to risk the hassle of a legal dispute being filed and reputation ruined.)
When I contacted the seller I sent him pics of the parts that were damaged and he agreed that it occurred during shipping. I am hoping he agrees to pay for the replacement parts. On a positive note, I won an auction for Profile Design QSC carbon brake levers for $20.50 shipped. All I need now is a single Dura Ace bar end shifter.
Damage may have occurred DURING shipping, but it was BECAUSE of crappy packing. Parts should not be contacting each other to be able to cause the damage.
I ran into a situation like this just a few weeks ago on a new bike I purchased via eBay. Upon delivery I did notice a hole on the side of the box and what appeared to be some damage on the long side/top as well. After opening it everything seemed OK, but then I noticed that the seat tube that is part of the frame got nicked a little bit. I tested to be sure that the carbon frame was still intact and not cracked anywhere; it wasn’t. I simply sanded down any “rough” spots, put some primer on, then some touch up paint and a couple layers of clear coat. The nicked areas were black so it’s somewhat concealed.
I started a damage process with UPS (took pics of box too), but I figured by the time it was all said and done I probably wouldn’t have a bike until the end of the summer - if at all based on whatever UPS determined. Make no mistake though that if I found the frame to be cracked through the tube I would have returned the bike.