Grrrrr, it's my turn this week!

Yes you're right, my recently acquired Tony Pond 1986 Manx Rally winning car seems to have suffered a multiple roll en route to Derbyshire! The screw fixing the shell to the base didn't just come lose, it literally pulled a big chunk of black plastic out of the floorpan! There was of course no packaging whatsoever inside the display case - not even a strip of paper over the roof!

I have yet to contact the seller regarding their highly inadequate packaging, but I will certainly keep you posted on developments. I will get satisfaction I assure you!

ah david thats cr_p!! really hope you get satisfaction eventually on this one m8, its not usually easy....

Yeah, CR4P indeed Billy. The thing is, I actually won it for a bargain £16 (+£2.50 P&P) so he hasn't got much scope to give me much of a refund but a complete one has he? I still want the model, so I'll just have to wait and see what he offers...

...and all it would have needed was a paper strip over the roof, or a bit of bubblewrap!

prob a dumb question m8, but is it repairable?

Yes Billy, although (as you know) I wouldn't have to repair it if it had been packaged suitably.

yeah, with you on that one m8, just thinking from a couple of similar experiences i have had, to repair it and put it down to 'list of dodgy ebay transactions' can sometimes be the better decision.....less hassle for you too...

Always put a little something inside when I sell to avoid this - sellers know when the have 'gaffed'.

Good Luck with your resolve mate! If it was me I would give you the model and cut my losses and spare embarassment as a seller

Cheers guys! I have sent the seller a message including a link to view the above image, so let's see what he has to say for himself.

But the situation of you giving me the model as a goodwill gesture would never occur Gary - you know how to package models to prevent this scenario happening, as virtually everybody else on here does as well! However, that is very reassuring, and maybe the next time you have something for sale I will give it a little more attention!

Same happened me with a model bought from a forum member. Is it because the screw was overtightened. Luckily there was some packaging which saved most of the paint but not the spoilers.

Cowley wrote:Yes you're right, my recently acquired Tony Pond 1986 Manx Rally winning car seems to have suffered a multiple roll en route to Derbyshire! The screw fixing the shell to the base didn't just come lose, it literally pulled a big chunk of black plastic out of the floorpan! There was of course no packaging whatsoever inside the display case - not even a strip of paper over the roof!

I have yet to contact the seller regarding their highly inadequate packaging, but I will certainly keep you posted on developments. I will get satisfaction I assure you!

Oh No....Really do hate this problem...also hate models been sent out with parts missing and filthy boxes/models..! Hope you get it sorted David...!

the dreaded rattle when the postman hands you a box!

mcm motorsport wrote:the dreaded rattle when the postman hands you a box!

Should be funny but it's not Paul.......

It's just so frustrating though isn't it guys!

If you look at the photo again, the parcel must have been launched across some Post Office area by a force equal to the Hadron Collider! Look closely and you will see that the nearside rear suspension turret has completely snapped off, and is lying to the end of the box with a section of rollcage attached to it!

Have you heard about the Post Office's new employee Postman Arnie!

flupin hell.. sorry to see that david.. hope ya get sorted man

sometimes just sometimes i think the sellers blame the postmen for damagin the models they post damaged in the 1st place!
i received a model last year that was total destroyed!!!!! but no damage to the outer box it was packed in....lucky for me it was only rims i needed.
hope you get some joy from the seller DC.

How can the model rattle around in the case for that much damage to occur?? part of the roll cage is lying in the box so even if the mounting screw came loose how did the other two screws holding the shell to the floor pan come apart for the insides to fall out. Also it's hard to tell from the pic but the case doesn't look to be marked too much

Bad luck mate, hope you get it sorted. I got nowt from a seller when similar happened to me.

Speedy wrote:How can the model rattle around in the case for that much damage to occur?? part of the roll cage is lying in the box so even if the mounting screw came loose how did the other two screws holding the shell to the floor pan come apart for the insides to fall out. Also it's hard to tell from the pic but the case doesn't look to be marked too much

I know Peter - it confused me to hell as well!

The floorpan is still fixed securely to the base with the big screw and the plastic lug still fully intact. I'm guessing what happened was that the model must have been literally launched somewhere with such force, that it pulled out the one screw that fixes the steel shell to the plastic floorpan! The 6R4s only have one screw holding the model together at the front, and a tab that fits into a slot in the rear bumper. The one screw has pulled through the floor, removing a 5mm x 8mm chunk of plastic, and leaving a similar sized hole in the plastic floorpan! Whether the rear suspension turret was broken off in the same incident, or whether that happened during it's journey is unknown obviously.

Apart from the large gaping hole in the floorpan, and the broken rear suspension turret, other damage also includes...

...both mirrors, both exhaust trims, rear spoiler, full rollcage, engine crossmember, and both rear locating tabs (near the suspension turrets) have all broken off. There are also numerous black plastic shards from around the gaping hole, and near the rear suspension turret as well. The rear numberplate decal has come off - as you'd expect. However (as you pointed out Peter), there is still very few marks to the inside of the display case, and no damage whatsoever to the case, base, cardboard sleeve or anything else - in fact the exterior packaging was very good indeed.

It's a real mystery how anything can cause so much damage to the model seeing as the display case is in such good condition, and virtually blemish free?

Wow that's some serious damage there David. I hope you get some joy from the seller.

I had a model damaged in a similar way a couple of years back, the model came off the base with the screw still attached, snapping the floor pan of the model into 2 pieces, but like you said it looks like yours must have been hit with some considerable force to cause that amount of damage.
it's so annoying because all it needs to prevent this is just a bit of bubble wrap or paper band over the model.

Cheers guys for all the mutual 'love' in the air tonight! Your powers must have had a positive effect, because I have just had a message back from the seller...

That's a great shame. Over the last few years I have sent about 40 such models through the post without incident, but c'est la vie! We live and learn, in future I will put bubble wrap inside as you suggest. However, I have refunded your £18.50 via Paypal, and perhaps you can effect a repair that will suffice for display purposes.
Best regards
XXXXXXX

Well, what a nice surprise that was - a 100% FULL REFUND including P&P! Not that there was much packing of course!

I really did think that I'd end up with a broken model, and no word at all back from the seller. OK, it's not the guys fault that the Post Office seemingly launched it across the Sorting Office with such force, but it could have possibly reduced the damage if he had packaged it properly.

My faith in ebay sellers has been renewed somewhat.

Nice one David. Happy days (sort of) for you then. I do think though, the model might have been broken before it was sent. No matter how hard you could through the package around i don't think it would break up like that. Any way all ended in your favour, well done m8

RESULT!! David, well done m8, chuffed for you!

Result!

Great news, got a spare chassis here if you require one mate

Hi David,

I've only just seen this thread and followed it through to its conclusion yesterday. Very glad to hear you've had a positive outcome. The photo looks familiar in that I've had the occasional parcel problem before. The best I've achieved is to have the purchase refunded but I've not kept the box of bits and the seller never did compensate me for the P&P I incurred returning the debris to him! Grrrr!

He sold it again a few weeks later!! Caveat Emptor, once again!

I expect that some time taken to gue bits back in place will give you a suitable donor car to 'Code3' it, but the problem there is it might come apart again if posted on to someone else. Ho hum! Cheers, Steve