First Razor! (Arrived broken)

So I bought my first razor on ebay the other day. (SHAVEREADY) BOKER (THE KING) STRAIGHT RAZOR

Anyway, shipping options were $2 for first class or (all though I was not aware of another option at the time....click more services) Priorty mail small flat rate box for $5. I chose the $2 option. It arrived yeasterday in a regular letter envelope with some extra tape. Inside was the razor surrounded by the "added protection" of a jewler's zip lock baggy. Needless to say the scale was now broken at the wedge. I've contacted the seller, drkmoose77, and he/she has basically said, "They're sorry, but I chose the cheap shipping."

Is it just me, or would any reasonable person "assume" first class would still mean some type of box or bubble wrap? Who's at fault?

He is. Assuming you paid by Paypal, raise a dispute and see how far his excuse goes with them.

Are you joking? That seller is being an asshole. You definitely definitely should raise a dispute on paypal. The seller could have always shipped the item in a bubble mailer and/or with bubble wrap for the same shipping cost, so the fact that "you chose the cheap shipping" does not excuse his/her crappy packing. Raise the dispute and immediately escalate the claim. Have pictures ready if the seller is going to be tough and argue. Hopefully, you've kept the envelope it came in and you know what you were charged for shipping and how much it actually cost the seller to ship the razor.

I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune though.

I had that happen and contacted the seller THRU EBAY, they refunded me...but only after I threatened negative feedback and filing a dispute. Make all contacts thru ebay for reference...CYA

I would have preferred the blade, but a broke blade to me is worthless...

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Originally Posted by jeremaw

So I bought my first razor on ebay the other day. (SHAVEREADY) BOKER (THE KING) STRAIGHT RAZOR

Anyway, shipping options were $2 for first class or (all though I was not aware of another option at the time....click more services) Priorty mail small flat rate box for $5. I chose the $2 option. It arrived yeasterday in a regular letter envelope with some extra tape. Inside was the razor surrounded by the "added protection" of a jewler's zip lock baggy. Needless to say the scale was now broken at the wedge. I've contacted the seller, drkmoose77, and he/she has basically said, "They're sorry, but I chose the cheap shipping."

Is it just me, or would any reasonable person "assume" first class would still mean some type of box or bubble wrap? Who's at fault?

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That's a doggone shame. They behave as if they don't even know how to ship a delicate item like a str8 razor.

+++1 on the previous posts. Take photos of the packaging and the broken razor. File a dispute with ebay immediately.

I wouldn't even wait for a second response from the seller. They've already given you their response to your problem, "Tough luck." I would give them negative feedback and file a dispute with ebay at the same time.

Guys, as raw as the deal is, the shipper did nothing wrong...

I think it's the seller's fault too.

When you ship something, especially if it is something "antique" (which the seller says it is right on the auction), you need to take reasonable precaution to make sure it arrives in one piece.

Sticking an antique in a regular envelope, inside a ziplock bag (so at least all the pieces it smashes into will stay in one place) is in no way a reasonable precaution for an item like that.

Hell, I even put my Wapi in a proper padded envelope with extra bubble wrap for shipping, and that thing is solid steel. You never know how the mail fairy is going to treat your stuff.

When you offer shipping options, most people assume the difference in price is because of a difference in shipping speed, NOT in the quality of the packaging. That should be the same no matter what you pay. And the seller would have to be living under a rock not to realize that. At the very least he should have noted what the packaging differences between the shipping prices were. I think he's being intentionally deceptive.

The seller is obligated to provide you with an item matching the condition of the auction, delivered to you taking reasonable caution to assure it arrives in the condition it left in (once you have paid, obviously). He didn't do that. It's that simple.

I agree with the above, raise a dispute.

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

Guys, as raw as the deal is, the shipper did nothing wrong...

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I hope I never have any dealings with you then.

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Originally Posted by dannywonderful

I hope I never have any dealings with you then.

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I'm sorry you feel that way. Was it shipped well? No! Certainly a conscientious shipper would have mailed it better, but legally...

The seller did everything they were obligated to. And eBay and Paypal will stand behind that seller....

Shipping cost is for the amount of TIME it takes for something to arrive, not how it should be packaged. I say raise a dispute with the guy.

Damn right raise hell about that. There is no excuses for what he did, when I ship my razors out I make sure it's wrapped up nice and tight and surrounded by lots of bubble wrap and the sort. Not saying everyone has to do that but still. Broke in transit due to his negligence spells his fault in my book.

90.2% rating with only 106 transactions should have been a warning. Still, you are being screwed. I hate seeing things like this.

I wish you luck in reporting this to Paypal. BTW, your choice of shipping does not apply in this situation. He is still responsible for the condition of the product to your address.

I wish you luck -

Steve

It doesnt look like the op is the first to have trouble with this seller, only 106 transactions and already at 98.2 percent positive feedback. I try to stick with the 100 percent sellers, the higher the number of sales the better.

I agree that it is the sellers fault, postage is about time not packaging. There are lots of sellers that charge for packaging(sometimes way too much) but that is the way to cover your shipping costs, not packaging a product with absolutely no protection. Most packages I have gotten off ebay, I have found are way over packaged, never under packaged. The OP has a reasonable expectation that some protection would be provided, insurance is to cover unexpected problems, not to to protect the seller from improper packaging(if it is the seller should buy it). IMO paypal and ebay will side with the buyer, if they dont, I need to rethink my no shipping insurance ever policy.

Yeah the seller should have packed it properly, just raise a dispute and it should be sorted out :D.

I have got an ebay razor before, the sender packed it in like 4 payers of bubble wrap, as well as pollystyere for added support. Took my like 3 minutes to get through the packing by hand lol.

But yeah, always read the sellers reviews, at the top it also has how people rated him, and he averaged just under 70%, and lowest was like 68%. I wouldn't of trusted him. But you live and learn :D

Good luck mate!

Figured 98.2 was close enough. Thanks for all the suggestions and support. I'll post how this thing turns out.

Cheers!

Thats like the microscope that I bought, that was shipped in a plain cardboard box, and had a single small piece of soft furniture foam and a flattened corn flake box for padding!

It came in a dozen pieces, and they said "not our problem" and they didnt even purchase the insurance that I had paid extra for!

Dispute the damned thing, dont leave negitive feedback YET, let him know that how he chooses to do business will determine your feedback (but dont threaten him, people dont like threats)
Sometimes the second request works, sometimes it doesnt.

Good luck!

i've had razors shipped loose in a giant envelope without protection and it was a miracle they actually arrived in place.
i think the seller is supposed to exercise simple common sense and provide a reasonable protection.
i ship cheap first class all the time without issues, it's not the cheap shipping that is the problem. he could've put priority stamp on the same envelope and it'd have arrived equally broken.

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I'm sorry you feel that way. Was it shipped well? No! Certainly a conscientious shipper would have mailed it better, but legally...

The seller did everything they were obligated to. And eBay and Paypal will stand behind that seller....

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What an appalling attitude. Thankfully it's not indicative of the majority of the members here.

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Originally Posted by jeremaw

So I bought my first razor on ebay the other day. (SHAVEREADY) BOKER (THE KING) STRAIGHT RAZOR

Anyway, shipping options were $2 for first class or (all though I was not aware of another option at the time....click more services) Priorty mail small flat rate box for $5. I chose the $2 option. It arrived yeasterday in a regular letter envelope with some extra tape. Inside was the razor surrounded by the "added protection" of a jewler's zip lock baggy. Needless to say the scale was now broken at the wedge. I've contacted the seller, drkmoose77, and he/she has basically said, "They're sorry, but I chose the cheap shipping."

Is it just me, or would any reasonable person "assume" first class would still mean some type of box or bubble wrap? Who's at fault?

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On a more positive note...If your claim against the seller is unsuccessful you can either: 1) buy a set of replacement scales at either Straight Razor Designs or Classic Shaving and replace the broken scales yourself; or 2) send the blade to one of the restorers who is an SRP member and get it rescaled.

:gl:

If I paid $50 for a razor , I would not opt for the cheap shipping . I also learned the hard way about cheap shipping . If the way the razor will be packed isn't specified , I always ask the seller how it will be packed . BTW , judging from the rust spots on the edge of the blade , I don't think it's "shave ready" either .

This might have been said already, but I think cheap shipping just means it takes a little longer to get to you. Cheaper shipping means it travels on a ship that stops in every port before it unloads in your country. More expensive shipping just means that it get to you tomorrow.

But no matter what you pay for shipping it should be posted in a padded bag.

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Originally Posted by ndw76

This might have been said already, but I think cheap shipping just means it takes a little longer to get to you. Cheaper shipping means it travels on a ship that stops in every port before it unloads in your country. More expensive shipping just means that it get to you tomorrow.

But no matter what you pay for shipping it should be posted in a padded bag.

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See, this is a nice philosophy, but it isn't what eBay OR the USPS say... according to them a seller is not responsible for anything once it leaves their hands. That is why you buy insurance for mail, because the shipper is not going to cover breakage in the mail.

Was this seller a sleazebag? You bet! Was what he did conscientious and ethical? Not at all! But again, legal and ethical are, unfortunately, two very different things... and he has done nothing to break his contract with the OP.

Further, there is a heck of a lot of assuming going on. "any reasonable person" is an attempt to universalize one worldview, but you can't claim that. If you don't care to ask a seller how they're going to ship, you can expect some surprises...


Point being: Did the guy do something wrong? Yes and no. Yes, he is not a thoughtful and careful shipper. No, in that he did follow his contract to the letter of the law.

Okay, I went and checked the eBay shipping policy to double check on this, and I will admit it is more ambiguous about it than a few years ago when I signed up.

They have added the statement that a seller is responsible for the item until it reaches the buyer, but they indicate that the proper method of handling this is for the seller to contact the shipper and attempt to reclaim the cost of the item. They do not take a stance on what should be done regarding uninsured items- which means that the claim through Paypal may work, may not...

Ladies and gentlemen:

I must continue to impress upon newcomers to the straight razor world to duck away from eBay until they know their way around. With scores of reputable vendors here at SRP plus the quality razors for sale in our own Classified, I see no need to go fishing on e-Bay — for newcomers, that is.

Of course, that fails to solve our problem with the broken razor. With my general dislike for e-Bay, I would be the wrong person to offer solutions — which I don't have, anyway.

Regards,

Obie

"Bidding is meant to be fun, but remember that each bid you place enters you into a binding contract. All bids are active until the listing ends. If you win a listing, you’re obligated to purchase the item. "

A binding contract that works both ways. You will notice that the buyer offers a 7 day return policy. He is also obligated to provide the item in the stated condition,which is not what you received. I definitely think posting negative feedback and flaming the seller on this forum before finding out what Ebay Protection will do,was not only in bad taste,but also poor judgment.

Gark -- I had that blade on my watch list. I won another str8 and did
not go after it. Perhaps I dodged a problem, at least I did not bid
it up any higher. I now think insurance and cardboard is a good thing...

I've put this seller on my special list ... of people not to deal with . I would send the razor back , because it's obviously not shave ready even though it's advertised to be . Anyone smart enough to tie their shoes , should have enough sense to pack a straight razor with plenty of padding . I once had some J-O send me a razor , taped between 2 pieces of cardboard , and stuck in a letter envelope :rolleyes: . The scales were broken but the blade was okay . I only paid $5 for the razor , so I didn't ask for a refund , but I did tell them what I thought of their packing .

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Originally Posted by HarleyFXST

A binding contract that works both ways. You will notice that the buyer offers a 7 day return policy. He is also obligated to provide the item in the stated condition,which is not what you received. I definitely think posting negative feedback and flaming the seller on this forum before finding out what Ebay Protection will do,was not only in bad taste,but also poor judgment.

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The seller offers a 7-day return period that he refuses to honor, sent a broken razor(can he prove it was broke in the mail and not before he sent it), that wasnt described accurately(shave-ready), wasnt packaged with any intent to protect the OP's purchase. Then when contacted tells you tough luck. IMO the OP was nice, I would of posted in bold letters something like avoid this seller like the plague, he lies in his descriptions, doesnt honor his return policy and will not work with the buyer, avoid if at all possible.
His feedback and comments are based on his actions, not on what ebay will do. IMO the seller is the one that acted in bad taste and used poor judgement. Now he is going to learn about the consequences of his actions, I doubt he will get much buisiness from anyone on this forum, as he shouldnt, atleast not until he can convince us that he cares about the products he sales enough to protect them.

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Originally Posted by HarleyFXST

"Bidding is meant to be fun, but remember that each bid you place enters you into a binding contract. All bids are active until the listing ends. If you win a listing, you’re obligated to purchase the item. "

A binding contract that works both ways. You will notice that the buyer offers a 7 day return policy. He is also obligated to provide the item in the stated condition,which is not what you received. I definitely think posting negative feedback and flaming the seller on this forum before finding out what Ebay Protection will do,was not only in bad taste,but also poor judgment.

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I've said nothing bad about the seller here. I only posed a question for advice. As for the negative feedback, I feel it is important to "grade" sellers on their methods, not what ebay forces on them. Thanks for all the comments and info.

Drum roll.............

I redeived a full refund! I did have to pay the return shipping, but other than that I have money for another attempt. Believe I'll use the classifieds this time. Thanks again for everyone's responses.