Dang, my TT exploded over the Pacific

eric the red · « **on:** 4 Jun 2007, 07:31 pm »

Just got home to unpack the VPI TT with ACE Micro I bought 3 weeks ago. Looking at the box that it arrived in, I thought to myself "Hmmm, that doesn't look like much of a shipping carton to allow a delicate/heavy TT to be manhandled by the USPS all the way from Hawaii to Oregon in. And hmmmm, I don't see an insurance sticker on the box."

Open it up and BOOM, it seems my TT had exploded over the Pacific Ocean. Left side of oak surround ripped off, dustcover cracked in half, back of oak surround ripped off including all the tonearm wires and the RCA junction box cracked in half. Arm loose in it's mount and one footer missing. Seems the numb nuts that I bought it from simply strapped the dustcover to the TT with a nylon strap, threw a handful of peanuts in the box along with some foam bits, taped it all up and sent it on its merry way. Dang. Now I have to try and see if VPI can fix it, try and recover some dough from the seller for the repairs or send the whole mess back to him and get my money back

from him or the USPS

At least the cartridge doesn't seem to be damaged... Anyone need some VPI parts?

ohenry · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 07:52 pm »

I hate that happened to you. I'm continually amazed at the lack of care some sellers exhibit when shipping. It's as if they think once the item sells and leaves their hands, their responsibility stops. I hope things work out for you.

A few years ago, I bought a little car subwoofer (used) from a guy on ebay. He decided that party balloons surrounding the sub inside the shipping box would provide adequate cushioning. What a dumbass.

1000a · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 07:56 pm »

my God that just sucks, you have a great and humorous perspective. How do people with low gray matter content get a hold of such a wonderful device in the first place. I know it happens I have some neighbors that seem to have golf balls at the top of their spinal cords, its not their fault, but watching less moronic TV shows and discovering PBS might move their IQ up a notch, heaven help us all.

where it really gets scarey is similar people are controlling things on this gigantic speeding rock in the middle of an endless universe and we are captive to their iqnorance.

PS great icon still makes me laugh and I've seen it many times now

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 07:58 pm »

That really sucks ETR.....

....sorry to hear about it.

This seller....on what site did you buy the TT from...eBay, Agon, etc.....?

warnerwh · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 08:04 pm »

That's too bad. The Seller is responsible for getting the purchase to you intact. Being as it's his responsiblity I'd want a refund. I'd also contact who I bought it through, Audiogon etc and let them know what is going on.

1000a · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 08:11 pm »

definitly need a giant RED flag on that seller so we can avoid the car crash

eric the red · « **Reply #6 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 08:37 pm »

I bought it off Agone and the seller had decent feedback. The crappy thing is I am home for a week with no way to play LPs. I've bought and sold hundreds of items on the Gone and this is a first as far as poor packing goes. We'll see if the seller gets back to me.

SET Man · « **Reply #7 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 08:48 pm »

Hey!

It is mostly the seller false I would say. No insurance also?

If the box came beat up. You should take some photo snap shots before you open it and than after open it than send them to the seller. Just to show how inadequate the packing was.

You know when I buy something of eBay that I feel it is fragile. I will contact the seller first asking about packing and insurance. Some good sellers will say right on the ad that they will charge a few dollars more for better packing, and I don't mind that at all.

Man! this really suck isn't it? BTW... where you got this from Agon or eBay? If the seller won't take at least some responsibility on his part of not packing it well or get insurance, can you tell who is the seller so me and other could black listed him? And make sure you tell him that.

Take care,
Buddy

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #8 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 09:12 pm »

I once bought a pair of speakers from a seller with excellent feedback, thinking it would be smooth transaction. Well, they arrived in torn cardboard boxes with nothing but pink foam peanuts!

The peanuts were leaking out the side into my yard and you could see one speaker leaning out.

Miraculously though the speakers themselves were in excellent shape, completely undamaged!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #9 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 09:16 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 4 Jun 2007, 08:48 pm

You know when I buy something of eBay that I feel it is fragile. I will contact the seller first asking about packing and insurance. Some good sellers will say right on the ad that they will charge a few dollars more for better packing, and I don't mind that at all.

Very sound advice.

For my own part if I'm selling something on ebay or A'gon that's at all fragile, I will explain that I will double box it in a bombproof manner and explain that shipping will therefore be a little higher to due the extra weight of packaging. And I generally won't compromise the packaging and haven't yet been asked to do so. I'm probably tempting fate by saying this (

) but so far despite sending some pretty heavy amps and speakers via a variety of shippers I've not had any problems.

Yet.

JoshK · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 09:19 pm »

I once received 4 Lambda 15" td15x drivers (easily 35lbs each) in a large thin cardboard box packed magnet to cone with nothing but peanuts to protect them. Two were DOA and two had to be reconed. The seller never did make good on his end, only a partial refund no where near satisfactory.

warnerwh · « **Reply #11 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 10:18 pm »

What gets me is that the seller is the one who's supposedly responsible to make sure your gear arrives ok. I automatically pack things so I know it will make it on it's trip. Often times they could throw it out of an airplane and it will arrive unscathed. Either way if it were damaged I'd just give the guy a refund because as the shipper you're the one who has to deal with the insurance claim. People who pack it as though it doesn't matter anymore just piss me off.

eric the red · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 10:31 pm »

Hindsight says I should have paid the extra $$$ and have the UPS store do the final packing but he assured me he would pack it well. I had them pack a pair of GR Research moniters that got destroyed (the speakers were dropped so hard that both woofer magnets tore completely off the cones and the veneer was peeling off) and had no trouble with the claim. Everyone who buys and sells eventually has a shipping horror story as I've read plenty.

Bill Baker · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 10:36 pm »

Sorry to hear about your situation. I can only imagine a lot of nice audio gear gets destroyed due only to poor packaging.
I once had a customer (non-AC member) send me a preamp for modification and put it in a box with NO PACKING MATERIAL AT ALL. Simply put it in the box, taped it shut and sent it on it's way. It was pretty banged up when it arrived but amazingly still worked. He said he was in a hurry to get it out before he left for vacation and just wasn't thinking straight. He still wanted me to perform the mods but I did charge a bit extra to assure it was properly packaged for it's return trip. He was cool with that.
That was 4 years ago. He has remained a good customer of mine and still running the preamp. We even still joke about it when we talk.
Moral of the story? Not everyone is a moroon but being human, had a major brain fart.

Hopefull, your seller did the same and realizes it and compensates you for your investment. Let us know how you make out.

Wayner · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 10:53 pm »

What make is the VPI? Maybe it can still be salvaged with a few replacement parts from VPI. I picked up an HW-19 and the guy shipped it USPS. It came in perfect. In fact it's the best thing I've ever bought from *bay.....ever.

As far as going after the seller, I would say good luck on that!!

I would sort out the good from the bad and the ugly and see what it might take to recover. If not, you could always sell off the individual parts for the next guy.

eric the red · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 11:02 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 4 Jun 2007, 10:53 pm

What make is the VPI? Maybe it can still be salvaged with a few replacement parts from VPI. I picked up an HW-19 and the guy shipped it USPS. It came in perfect. In fact it's the best thing I've ever bought from *bay.....ever.

As far as going after the seller, I would say good luck on that!!

I would sort out the good from the bad and the ugly and see what it might take to recover. If not, you could always sell off the individual parts for the next guy.

I can glue the surround back together, and send the deck to VPI for a new junction box, dustcover and rewire is what I am hoping. The deck's otherwise in great shape and the arm/cartridge are undamaged.

hartwerger · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 11:23 pm »

I feel for you. A similar event happened to me a short time ago with a Thorens I bought off of Audiogon. I was warned by the seller that he was leaving the country and still took the risk. I thought I took all the precautions I could by calling the seller, talking to him and feeling him out. He was an older gentleman, extremely nice and seemed experienced with packing turntables from what he said. His packing experience aside, I still sent him three different emails with three different professional instructions for packing turntables. He followed none of them. The shipping box had to be close to 20 years old. He told me he would thoroughly wrap the dust cover in bubble wrap (I wanted him to send it separately and offered to pay the extra). All he did was place a small piece of bubble wrap on top of the dust cover, a piece that was not big enough to cover just the top of the dust cover. He did absolutely nothing to secure the suspension. Needless to say, when I received the package, the dust cover was in pieces, the end stub on the tonearm had broken off and it took me two days to find it as it was lodged in a spring under the suspension. The suspension is out of whack and I'm working on repairing it but need parts. Fortunately, the motor works perfectly so things could be a lot worse. Also, fortunately, he included a Dennesen alignment tool in the sale which turns out to be worth about $100 (at least that's what people seem to be asking on Audiogon for them). I got the table for a decent price, but still I spent money for a turntable that I can't use until the suspension and tonearm are repaired and have no recourse from the seller as he has left the country. Although the table is fixable, its still a bummer to have the experience of poorly packed and damaged component. Nothing worse than having that "kid on a Christmas day" feeling when the package arives only to open up the box and stare into the abyss of broken parts. Sorry to hear about your VPI and do hope that everything works out for you, one way or another.

eric the red · « **Reply #17 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 11:32 pm »

'Nothing worse than having that "kid on a Christmas day" feeling when the package arives only to open up the box and stare into the abyss of broken parts.'
Exactly. Not to mention that I bought the TT almost a month ago and it had been sitting in my friend's office while I was on the road working up until yesterday plus I bought 4 audiophile-grade Pink Floyd albums from the TT seller that came in the box and was dying to hear them. I try and treat my sellers as if I was the buyer and always keep in mind that it's not just another sale but a hobby we all enjoy when dealing with them. I just sold my MMF-5 to a guy in CA and the dustcover cracked in shipment. I ordered a new one for him as I figured the $62.00 wasn't a big deal and he likes the deck alot. Again, we'll see what my seller says.

WEEZ · « **Reply #18 on:** 4 Jun 2007, 11:33 pm »

Damn. A smashed turntable is even worse than that smashed beer car the other day.

Hope it all works out for you, Eric

WEEZ

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #19 on:** 5 Jun 2007, 12:09 am »

I was the dumb-ass seller/packer of my Thorens TD-316 & SHure V15VxMR a couple years ago. A really nice buyer in PA bought it.

Tho I had the original box, I didn't have 100% of the original packing and I was stupid. That 8lb platter went careening off the sides of the inner box for 2800 miles...shearing off the (perfect) stylus and smashing the (near perfect) dustcover. The TT, that was near flawless in every way when it left here.....was packed poorly - by me.

The moment the buyer got it he informed me and I realized how careless I had been (I actually did think my efforts to secure the unit inside was sufficient and took a lot of time to pack it), I offered up a full refund. Your guy in HI should, as well.

Mistakes are made even by well intentioned folks (like me), but sellers need to realize when they've goofed. This is such a time.

Postscript - tho I offered to take back and refund his purchase, the table was bought by a Thorens (and Shure) collector as it turns out...so I refunded him some 60% of his purchase and he bought a new dustcover and replacement stylus on his own. We were both satisfied with outcome...and stayed in touch for several months afterwards, too.