I'm probably being a little too pessimistic with that title, but I'm in the middle of a transaction that's gotten off to a bad start and looks to be going worse.
I received a package today via UPS that I was expecting. I was here at home, and by the time I got to the front door, the UPS driver was back in his truck getting ready to leave. I waved at him and retrieved the box from the porch.
The box had a distinctive “clunk” when I picked it up. Any sort of rattling or clunking is a bad sign, particularly with a package sent via UPS. That typically means that something is loose in the box, and that it wasn't packed with sufficient packing materials. I hoped my suspicions were wrong.
I carefully opened the box with an X-acto knife. The box itself wasn't beaten up as bad as some. It had some scuffs on it, but nothing too terrible.
I really didn't expect to find what I did when I opened the box.
Inside I found the Les Logan Speed-X model 510 bug with the frame not bent, but broken into four pieces. I've never seen the frame broken on any bug that way. The frame cracked in the middle of the adjustment screw hole, and it broke at the bend on both sides of the top, and then one half of the frame broke off right above the base. It's a mess!!
All the parts were rattling around in the box, so nothing escaped the box.
I immediately got my digital camera and documented the key and box.
I wanted the key partly because it had some history — the seller was a Korea-era radioman who used the key back then. It was well taken care of.
I wrote an e-mail to the seller after I made a web page with photos of the key and box. I linked the e-mail to page, and then wrote him about the broken key. I didn't insist on a refund, but I told him I would prefer to keep the key if he had a replacement frame for this one. I was trying to get him to either find a replacement frame or offer to refund some of my money. I don't have a replacement frame, but I would consider having one machined (my brother is a tool-and-die maker).
The seller shot me an e-mail back, telling me to file a claim with UPS. He made no offer of a refund, but simply to get my claim from UPS — not exactly what I wanted to hear.
I got a little angry at his lack of concern, particularly since the damage was caused by improper packing.
Improper packing?? Yeah.
Used one piece of large bubble wrap that wrap around the key — and that was it. The box was a good bit larger than the key, and the bubble wrap didn't come near to filling the box. When you pack a box with airr in it, you're asking for trouble.
I sent a calm but matter-of-fact message to the guy, informing him that I did indeed file a UPS claim. I also let him know the damage was due to poor packing of the key. Yeah, UPS banged it around, but its not unreasonable to expect the seller to pack the key well enough to survive transit across the country.
I figure he'll fire back a pissed-off e-mail, but that's ok. I've nearly decided to give the guy negative feedback — nothing more than the truth about it, nothing slanderous.
Had it been me, I would have either cut the price or refunded his money. I think that's reasonable.
I also received by USPS our give-away radio for our special event station booth — a Midland weather radio.
Well, I'm off to the rig to see if I can stir up a contact on 80 meters.
73 es CUL … de KY4Z … dit dit ….