I picked up a pair of the die cast trucks from the G Scale Swap group on Facebook. They were new, but the blister pack had been cut open which was stated in the ad. The seller made a good attempt at protecting them by taping the blister pack up then wrapping it in bubble wrap placing it in a large box with a bunch more bubble wrap. Unfortunately, since the blister pack had been opened it didn’t keep the trucks from shifting when the box took a hit (good external evidence of that). Result, the universal joint coupler broke on one truck separating the drive line…

I haven’t tried taking anything apart yet as I am still negotiating with the seller. The joint appears to be made in two pieces then riveted together. Not sure I can glue it so that it will not interfere with operation and/or hold up to the stress. Probably need the entire drive line from a truck.

Suggestions? Parts?

Jon, I have a bunch of them, PM me your address and I will put one in the mail to you.

Wow, that was fast. Thanks Rick!!! PM sent.

BTW - The seller, Jerry Laskowski, is a good guy. I sent him that photo and he responded right away that he would make it right. We agreed that he would refund the shipping an I would keep and repair the truck. He gets a 5 star review in my book.

i really like the guys I have bought from on that Facebook page! They all ( that I have dealt with) go the extra mile , one guy I bought it from , I had him hold the parts while I waited for one of the guys here to get back to me if he still needed the parts, and I paid and Tom shipped it to the LSC guy . Nice of him to hold them while I waited for the messages to get back and forth through Facebook and LSC Chat and messenger. 

If it was damaged in shipping, shouldn’t the shipper be held responsible?

David Maynard said:

If it was damaged in shipping, shouldn’t the shipper be held responsible?

I would think the same except the shipper did not pack the product for shipping and therefore can’t be held responsible for the failure of the packaging to endure the unintended abuse the item received.

What Hollywood said. And I’m not certain that he purchased the insurance. The seller mentioned that insurance was not an option. My experience with shipping insurance is that you need to prove value with a current receipt from a authorized dealer. Great for items you buy new, not so much for buying used. And since the part and/or entire item can no longer purchased new - what would insurance pay for?

Been thru the circle on shipper insurance and sounds good, until time to collect. They don’t just pay you the insurer value, but make you jump thru hoops only to deny the claim. Doesn’t matter whether Ups, usps, FedEx, etc. all of the insurance is just a racket to make you feel safe in shipping should anything go wrong.

I have had good luck with Fedex ground on damage claims. I simply claim what the buyer paid and they have refunded the entire amount plus shipping. Smart post is more difficult to claim and I have yet to have to try the post office claim process but understand it is fair.

Perhaps this is because I ship more frequently and have few claims.

Stan

All insurance is a SCAM! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

Stanley Ames said:

I have had good luck with Fedex ground on damage claims. I simply claim what the buyer paid and they have refunded the entire amount plus shipping. Smart post is more difficult to claim and I have yet to have to try the post office claim process but understand it is fair.

Perhaps this is because I ship more frequently and have few claims.

Stan

So now you have made me skeptical. I wonder if this guy sent me the $15 then used my pictures to support a claim and get paid twice! I don’t think so, but it sounds like a good racket.

The part from Rick Marty arrived today. Thanks Rick!!! If you are ever in need of anything please let me know.

Regarding the insurance: The seller ships from his work. I’m sure he does not want to get involved with management and what it would take to make a claim.

Curses. Foiled again.

Taking the truck apart to install the replacement shaft with universal I discovered more damage from the impact. Both of the journal covers for the shaft were damaged. The front one completely shattered…

Jon

Do you have you old truck for the shay. You can reuse these parts.

Stan

Thanks Stan. Yes I do, and they are still fully functional, so I’d like to keep them complete and repair this one. My plan was to put these away for the eventual day when my trucks fail beyond repair.

The running joke at UPS/FedEx/USPS is clearly they are never at fault… because, clearly (to them) if it was damaged in shipping, then it was not packed properly, period.

Greg

Can you cast a mold of a good one, and make a new part?

Jon Radder said:

Thanks Stan. Yes I do, and they are still fully functional, so I’d like to keep them complete and repair this one. My plan was to put these away for the eventual day when my trucks fail beyond repair.

So, you could always reinstate them if and when that fateful day ever comes (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Greg Elmassian said:

The running joke at UPS/FedEx/USPS is clearly they are never at fault… because, clearly (to them) if it was damaged in shipping, then it was not packed properly, period.

Greg

Not a joke at all, it’s reality.

One of the hats I wear at work is shipping manager. Major shippers handle millions of packages with automated sorter/movers. Lines do get clogged and boxes fall off or get jammed up. Loaders can’t be gentle with thousands of packages to load in each truck daily. If you ship, you must prepare your goods for rough handling. The only damage claims I ave ever filed have been with motor freight . Usually because a fork lift jockey runs his fork through the cardboard side of a crate damaging the contents.

In this case the shipper thought he did a good job, but attempting to tape the blister pack closed was the weak link in his plan and the ultimate failure point. Had he not wanted to show that this was New, but Opened and discarded the compromised blister pack and used the same packing technique, they would have survived intact.

This is an on-going problem dealing with private sellers. They are not professional shippers and don’t understand how to package for survival. As a buyer you would be better off paying teh extra to have the seller use a pack and ship service, but the risk of seller pack & ship is usually a better bet in the long run.

Max Winter said:

Jon Radder said:

Thanks Stan. Yes I do, and they are still fully functional, so I’d like to keep them complete and repair this one. My plan was to put these away for the eventual day when my trucks fail beyond repair.

So, you could always reinstate them if and when that fateful day ever comes (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

This certainly is an option. If I can’t repair them that will be plan B (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)