1982 FBI Winfield/Blue panel - what should I do?
stevegarveyfan
Posts: 579 ✭✭✭✭✭
I recently purchased this 1982 FBI Disc full box for about $120. It's quite scarce, and I was really looking forward to receiving it. Well, it arrived in the package you see with no additional reinforcement. The seller did write 'Please Don't Bend', but my mail carrier bent it anyway to fit it into my mailbox. As you can see, there was significant damage to the item when it was bent and severely creased along the right side of the panel.
The seller has offered a full refund upon my return of the item. In light of its extreme scarcity, should I return the item or do I still come out money ahead if I keep it in its present condition while turning down the refund offer?
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Comments
In my experience, writing “do not bend” on the package does absolutely nothing to protect the package. They did say please, but apparently being nice didn’t work either.
This is flat out negligence on the seller’s part. No way I would have shipped it like that.
If in a year you will look at the item and only see the crease (I would), then I would return it for the full refund. If you can live with the crease, try to get a portion of your $120 back. Option 2 may be a tough sell for them, but if you package like that you should expect issues.
I hope a fair resolution comes from this.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I was planning to have the entire panel graded by PSA, but now that it would most likely garner only a PSA 1 or 2, would it make sense to make the best of a bad situation and simply have the Winfield card graded individually, as it appears to have escaped the damage caused by the crease?
If your plan was, and you paid the $120 in hopes to ultimately get the panel graded, it would be a blow to just get the one graded. If you are comfortable with just grading the Winfield for the $120 you spent, then go ahead. It just doesn’t seem like you are getting what you paid for. Not a good situation either way you look at it.
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
I don’t see that as a fault of the seller, but USPS. The mail carrier who did that is a terrible employee, and also happens to be illiterate.
I have had this happen before. Sellers from Ebay Italy almost always ship their figurines in envelopes with do not bend stamped on it. The last one I received was crammed in the mailbox, and the postal employee placed a heavy, thick magazine on top of it. The envelope was bent a little, but the figurine escaped being creased this time. This is one of the headaches of the hobby, because you never know what you'll find when you open the mailbox. It scares me because I have a rare figurine on the way right now from Italy. I don't really know what I can do other than accept the outcome whatever it may be. The entire mail process is just one of those things that can be a headache sometimes. I hope this works out good for you, because I know how you feel. It's frustrating, but we have no control over things like this.
That's a tough one.
Just how scarce is it? If you think there is a good chance another will come along, I would return it for a refund. I am not familiar with these, so if you don't think another will surface, perhaps the seller will negotiate with you on a lower price.
I know there are a few Killebrew items that I would keep no matter the condition if I got my hands on them.
The seller must bear some responsibility for his VERY low level of packaging. He met the minimum level, and likely even if he reinforced with some cardboard, the delivery person probably would have damaged it with his/her unacceptable performance. It looks like the seller used the cheapest mailer he could find. To me a $120.00 item (especially one that is hard to find), should have a piece of cardboard on both sides of the item.
Whenever I send out something like this, I write "do not bend" on the package at least twice on the front and once in large letters on the back. I try to avoid having to deal with unhappy buyers and returns.
The lesson I have learned here is when buying something about the size of the mailbox, (or something very scarce) it might be a good idea to get a signature required, or at least discuss some kind of "special" packaging/delivery options. As a buyer of a hard to find item, I would gladly pay extra for a more secure shipping option.
Good luck and please let us know what you do.
I know you are a grading guy, so your dilemma is greater than for the average collector. Those FBI discs are very hard to find in any condition, given the means of distribution. It also appears that the damage is only to part of the box itself and not to either disc. The discs are actually looking quite nice. In our crazy, condition sensitive hobby, I know that is a blow, but the box was never originally considered part of the "collectible" and if it were me, I could live with it. I could only wish my Garvey box was in as nice a shape as that one is...even with the crease.
I want to thank you all for your input. After much consideration, I have decided to keep the box. The seller offered me a partial refund, and I accepted. I just couldn't let go of the box, and the partial refund certainly helped me make this decision.
Thanks again for all your input.
I ship $10 comic books with cardboard on both sides. Poor packaging on sellers part.
I agree
IMF
This is my sentiment completely. These are so tough to find that when I found mine I gave condition almost no thought. I'm not a guy who grades items like these so my thoughts are definitely affected by that, but this is an item that is rare, not just rare in a particular condition.