Damaged MOC.... what should I do?

[daffodil101]

Hey guys   A few weeks ago i received a gorgeous MOC big brother.  The seller was on ebay and stated clearly that the bubble was partially unsealed at the base of the card.  I knew about this and was fine with it. 

Because of the GSP wanting me to pay like $50 postage I enlisted the help of an awesome Arena member to post the pony on to me.  She messaged me to let me know that she'd noticed the bubble was partially lifted (I'd told her to have a peek and see what I'd bought) which was the same condition as the seller had sent it to me in.  So I know that the seller had done the right thing and had posted it in the same condition it was listed in.

When I received it the bubble had come off completely and the comb was sitting loose in the bottom of the bag.  I suspect Australia Post was rough with the parcel- it was on my front porch and had been pushed through the bars of wrought-iron door wall that encloses the porch, so it probably hit the floor and that was enough to pull the bubble all the way off the card.  it was packaged well so I don't think it's in any way the seller's fault it arrived de-carded. 

Any ideas what I should do?  I paid $160 for it (there was a sale and I had an ebay code so I got a good deal), but as it's no longer MOC it's obviously no longer worth anything near that amount.  I do love the pony, and don't really want to send it back, but it would seem unfair to the seller to ask for a partial refund as it wasn't their fault.  Is there anything I can do through paypal or ebay??

[whoisashleigh]

I'm not sure about AUS post, but I know in NZ if you parcel is damaged you may have a claim to get some money off of them - especially if you have image proof of what it was before it got to you. Check out the terms and conditions wherever you can.


I've had this issue multiple times with different items - Monster Highs, nail polish, and of course ponies have been shipped with either damaged boxes or at some points, truly broken. It's worth checking out parcel insurances in the future too, or just what you can get back as is.

[Taffeta]

I would lodge a complaint through your postal delivery service. If you still have the packaging take photos (if you didn't when it arrived) and take it up with them. No seller nor middle-pony-trader is responsible if it got damaged by extreme rough treatment on the part of the delivery company, so your claim should be with them. Was it insured to you from the middle-man sender person? If so, either you or they need to be making a claim on that insurance that it was damaged in transit and if it's at their end that the claim needs to be made, maybe they can make it and then paypal you any compensation.

I have had this happen twice to ponies in transit but never with a proxy involved. In the first case it was sent surface mail with no packing and I am amazed it even got to me. That was watercolor Misty, but the pony had only cost $15 MOC (at the time nobody wanted sea ponies) so I let it go. I didn't have Misty at the time so she just went into my collection and I kept and labelled her accessories and card for future reference.

The second was Movie star Wind Whistler and that came off in the post. That seller and I came to an arrangement with a partial refund and I kept the pony. In your case, though, it's much more complex, so I think going through a claim to the postal people is the best call. If there is no direct insurance on it then you might have to chase it up a bit more, but it's worth a try.

[tulagirl]

Paypal and ebay no, because of the use of a third party to get the pony shipped to you.  And you know that that person got it and it was in described condition.  The problem happened after it was shipped the second time.  So, postal services in your country are the way to go.  File a claim, but it is important to note that some countries will not allow you to keep the item you are filing a claim on.  I found that out the hard way when trying to file a claim in Texas.  The post office said that I could not have the item back if they were going to pay an insurance claim.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

What tulagirl said.  If the postal system damaged it and you have insurance, but you file a claim, the item is now the postal system's property and they can refuse to refund you until you surrender the item. 

[Taffeta]

Wondering what the post service would do with a seized Brother pony o.o
 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Wondering what the post service would do with a seized Brother pony o.o
 

Either sell it at auction or private sales, or destroy it along with all the other unfortunate parcel victims of postal abuse.   

'Tis what happens with 99% of insurance claims...  somewhere along the supply chain they TRY to recoup the costs but often times that is more "bad money thrown down a hole" so it's easier to landfill it. 

[Breyer600]

What tulagirl said.  If the postal system damaged it and you have insurance, but you file a claim, the item is now the postal system's property and they can refuse to refund you until you surrender the item. 

If you don't file for the full value but only a partial for the damage/repair costs, you get to keep the item.  I'm not sure what they do for international claims though.

[shelvesofwhimsy]

I second what everyone else has said, I would file a claim with your local post office. Since you know the item arrived safely from ebay, it is no longer their fault. And I think also having it sent further/ a second time may have nulled that (but not totally sure). Either way its too bad that the post decided to handle it so poorly

[LadyMoondancer]

I would file with the post office.   But if you can't make headway there then IMO the ethical thing to do would be to just suck it up.  I know it sucks big time, but like you said, it wouldn't be fair to chargeback the eBay seller.  The seller delivered it safely to the go-between, which is where the seller's responsibility ended.  And if you try a chargeback on the Arena member then it would have a chilling effect on international "pony favors".

*hugs*  Really sorry this happened to you, it's always heartbreaking when something like this occurs, especially to a MOC pony!

[Tulips]

I found this information on the Australia Post website: https://auspost.com.au/receiving/missing-damaged-or-delayed-items/compensation
Provide them with as much evidence as you can, and stress that you would like the refund for the mistreatment of your package, as repair/replacement is impossible.
Good luck, hopefully you'll get a refund and get to keep your boy, so sorry he arrived damaged.

In some cases, where Extra Cover is not purchased, compensation up to a maximum of $50 and a refund of postage may be payable, or we may elect to repair or replace the item up to $50 value, at our absolute discretion.

Items received damaged or missing contents

• Present the damaged item and the packaging at a post office for a damage report to be completed. Please note that not all of our post offices are able to complete damage reports. Please ask at your local outlet or look for post offices listed as Post Shops or Business Hubs in our locations and hours tool.
• Complete a Customer Service Complaint form (available in-store) and leave the form, the item and all packaging with our retail staff for processing.
• Provide supporting documentation as requested. This may include proof of identity, statutory declaration, postage or point of sale receipts and item details.

[Taffeta]

Tulips' quoted information does imply what Tulagirl was saying - that you might lose the item by making a full claim, so maybe find out all the ramifications before making one.

Otherwise it's as LM says - if the post can't be blamed, there isn't anyone else who can be :/

[Stormness_1]

Australia Post is an EPIC pain for damaged goods, but it can depend for international shipping, which country the item was from. Most of the time you have to file for a refund with the shippers country (At least yours will be in English - you mentioned the GSP) and then they chase Australia Post for a refund if they can be bothered. I had a note on my damaged parcel that stated it was damaged at the Pinkenba processing depot, but I still had to apply for a refund with French Mail, whose form is in French, which I don't even speak, because I'm not the one who lives there! French Mail then issued me a cheque in both mine and my husband's names, because our friend shipped it in both names... but because our joint account hadn't been changed over from my maiden name, I had to have my name changed on the account and then deposit the darned thing, with a bank manager (because our bank was wary of international cheques)... it was soo frustrating! Why AusPost couldn't just refund their own bloody damage I have no idea, apparently it's 'policy'. By the end of it I wanted to throttle someone... At least with the currency exchange we ended up making money on the whole deal.