If you order a product online that arrives broken or damaged, you have rights. You can ask the seller to either fix it or replace it, and if they won’t help you out, there are steps you can take to get your money back. If this happens often (or even once) with a particular seller or type of product, I’d definitely consider not buying from them again — but at least while this is happening on your first order with them, I wouldn’t say that it’s fair to judge the entire business based on one bad experience.
First, try to fix it.
The first thing to do is to try to fix it yourself. If this is not an option, then take it back and ask for a replacement. The company should provide you with a free repair or replacement if your product cannot be fixed or has been damaged during delivery.
If the company does not offer any solutions or does not respond at all, then there are still steps you can take before returning your product. You can file a claim with PayPal and other dispute resolution services that allow buyers to dispute orders made through their platform by contacting them directly via email or phone call (if available).
Take a photo of the damaged item and your shipping packaging.
Take a photo of the damaged item and your shipping packaging. Not only will this provide you with useful documentation, but it can also help you determine if the damage occurred during shipment or after delivery. If the box is crushed, smushed, or torn apart in any way, you know that something happened to it during transit that wasn’t related to rough handling by the shipper (and therefore isn’t their fault).
You should also take photos of the item before you open it—that way, if there are additional damages inside, they’ll be documented as well. Then again on top of all that: just get some good photos!
Notify the seller.
If you bought from a third-party seller, contact them directly. If the seller doesn’t respond or offer to fix or replace your product, contact the online marketplace where you purchased it.
It’s hard to say how long it will take to get answers and results if you contact the marketplace first—it depends on how busy they are and whether it’s peak shopping season for them (or not). They might put all of their resources into fixing things before they deal with systemic problems in their process that could cause all sorts of issues for their customers—so there may be delays in getting information back to you. But if they do respond quickly and work with the seller to make things right, then this can be an efficient way to resolve problems like these before they escalate further out of control!
If you can’t get it fixed or replaced, ask for compensation.
If the seller offers to repair or replace your item, and you can’t get it fixed or replaced, ask for a refund. You may also be able to negotiate a partial refund if the item is not returnable. If the seller doesn’t offer any compensation at all, request a credit from them instead.
If the seller refuses to give you what you’re owed, contact your bank or credit card provider and explain what happened. They should work with you on this issue so that it doesn’t negatively affect your credit score.
If you paid with a credit card, you may be able to dispute the charge.
If you paid for your order with a credit card, it’s possible that your bank may be able to dispute the charge. This is especially true if you’re within the allowed timeframe for disputes, which is typically about 60 days from when you made the purchase.
If you don’t have a credit card or gift card on hand, and feel like your product was broken on arrival and want to return it before the merchant has issued an official refund (which will show up in their system as “void”), then there are ways to get around this problem so that you can still dispute the charge. The reason why this works is because by disputing with PayPal instead of your bank directly (eBay/PayPal) they will send out another item. This allows time for Amazon’s return policy window to expire while we take care of getting everything correct internally before issuing them another shipment through our warehouse services department
You have rights when an item is damaged in shipping.
If the product is damaged in transit, the seller is responsible for replacing it or offering a refund. You may be able to file a claim with the carrier or take legal action against the shipping company if you think it was their fault.
In order to file a claim, you have to report the damage as soon as possible. You should save all packaging materials (including boxes) and take photos of each side of the package so that your claim can be properly assessed. You may also want to take pictures of any other evidence, like broken glass or dents in metal.
Conclusion
If you’ve been a victim of shipping damage, it may be time to contact the seller. They may offer compensation or a refund in exchange for returning the item. If they don’t respond or give you what you need, you can file an official complaint with PayPal or your credit card company. The best way to avoid this scenario is by always taking care when purchasing an item online—and if it does happen anyway, then remember that there is help out there for you!
