I purchased a rare matched set of 4 Hella headlights from a vendor (I5vw) who charged $60 US for shipping/handling but instead used an unsuitable old cardboard box, some plastic shopping bags and some newspaper to ship them.
Both of the Low-beam lamps got damaged when the newspaper slipped off the lamps while tumbling around. He did not even bother to tape the newspaper to the lamps so they ended up with nothing more than a single shopping bag as protection. One got smashed and the other had it's housing damaged in a way that renders it useless. He had scribbled the words "Glass" on the top but there is so much other writing, stickers, tape and rips etc it was meaningless. There were no stickers saying "Fragile" nor any filler or bubble-wrap used, just some balled up newspaper inside a well-worn, bodged together, cardboard box that looks like was used to move house a few times.
At first he tried to say he never has problems like this, implying that I was responsible and that I should contact "my carrier", then offered an undefined "partial refund" that was quickly withdrawn. He then tried to get me involved with insurance fraud by making a false claim for damages when it was solely his incompetence that led to the damage. I checked at the post office and <$5 worth of packaging would have been more than adequate.
I have decided to keep the 2 small high-beam lamps, cut my losses and consider it a learning experience. It is highly unlikely, but I might some day stumble upon a set of the right model low-beam lamps and I will be able to install them then. But the fact remains that these 2 high-beam lamps will sit unused in my closet. Unless I find the exact lamps needed they cannot be installed. The sad truth is that I may never find 2 Hella "Smokey" DE low-beam Headlamps and not be able to use them at all. But who knows, I might get lucky again -- hopefully next time with a reputable vendor. This guy had few negative reviews so I had no way of knowing this might happen, but live and learn as they say. Ebay and others are only as good as their worst vendors.
What other steps can I take to inform others that this vendor over-charges for shipping and refuses to refund for the resulting damage? This is only my second ever purchase at Ebay. Vendors like this guy give a bad name to everyone.
Here are some pics:
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