My newly arrived LC575...

[maceffects]

Interesting; makes sense. I wonder how the sellers offering repair services work around this...

The way they get around this is by having longer shipping dates and accept lower search results as well.  They can say the handling time is 1 week.  However, for someone selling a LC/Performa, once it is already listed and has bids you can't change the handling time. 

 

[tommijazz91]

Using a expanding foam method like this with the tube face down should remove much, but certainly not all, of the risk.  But yes, regardless of the feedback it can still hurt sellers.  If I recall correctly, eBay always changes things, but last I recall late shipments will decrease top rated seller status and result in lower search placement.

Nice! I didn't even know about this method.

Also, the problem was that I won the auction on Buyee (Yahoo Japan). Communicating with the seller is quite difficult as it goes through Buyee support, translated in Japanese and sent back as reply, and must be done some days in advance. I tried with other items but it was too late as the auction closed. 

 

[maceffects]

@tommijazz91 This method isn't offered at every shipping store and is considerably more expensive.  So, in some cases it could be better to mail a premade one to the seller. But as you mention if buying something from Buyee or elsewhere language and logistics are a problem. 

 

[tommijazz91]

I just received news from Buyee Support: they asked a lot of photos and details of the package and content, but after that I got a full refund. I just thought some of you might want to know in case something like this happens to another member in the future. Make sure to always pay for insurance. It costs almost nothing and can change everything.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

I received a Mac Pro last February that was destroyed in shipping. I sent photos of it on the box and outside being destroyed. After sending photos to UPS they failed to pay insurance because they claimed there was no proof the damaged Mac was inside the box without damage to begin with. 
 

In other words the seller had to have taken photos of putting the Mac inside the box and showing it’s condition before shipping, and I had to have photos of the box on my end without being opened first and then photos of each stage of opening until revealing the damage. 
 

This was on a box that had no apparent outside damage to it. So in the end I was left with a damaged Mac Pro and the seller gave me back $50 towards a replacement aluminum case. 
 

Insurance varies by carrier it seems. 

 

[tommijazz91]

I am sorry to hear that!

By writing emails to Support, it was clear they were not happy at all to proceed with a refund - luckily in this case I had the seller's original pics. It is absurd to think every time to take pictures at every step of the unboxing process, but probably it is just as you say, the more proof the better.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

This was on a box that had no apparent outside damage to it. So in the end I was left with a damaged Mac Pro and the seller gave me back $50 towards a replacement aluminum case. 

I've had that happen before.  The stance the shipping company takes is that if the outside of the box wasn't visibly damaged in some way (punctured, crushed, wet, etc.) then the fault was with the sender not preparing it adequately for shipping.  So far, I haven't had any problems getting FedEx or UPS to pay for damage when it was clear they didn't treat the box well.  I also wouldn't personally package a 5xx/5xxx series, TAM, G3 iMac, or any of the other super fragile machines, since all of those can break if you breathe on them wrong, but if UPS or FedEx boxes it up for me and it still arrives damaged it's guaranteed that insurance will cover it since they were the ones to package it.  More expensive up front, but much safer later.  You either end up with a fully intact machine or you get your money back and maybe some salvageable parts.

It is absurd to think every time to take pictures at every step of the unboxing process, but probably it is just as you say, the more proof the better.

You've got it.  With anything fragile I have shipped to me I take pictures of the box as it was received on my front porch, as I open the box lid, and as I take things out of the box.  Saved me more times that I care to count.

 

[LaPorta]

Are G3 iMacs that fragile? Never shipped one, and mine are boxed originals.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

I don't know about the tray loaders but the internal frame on the slot loaders seems to be really brittle.  I've seen a bunch that have ended up like the one linked to below where the outside case is intact but the internal frame that holds everything together goes to pieces.  At least this seller was good enough to point that out and not try and write it off as "the machine has scratches" as I've seen from other sellers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333740309586

 

[Torbar]

From what I've heard, the internal plastic is pretty much the same as what they used on the older Powermacs.  

 

[LaPorta]

That stinks, at least I have the boxes and won't be shipping them!

 

[Nev]

You just can't ship LC575's. You barely need to touch these cases and they break.

 

[LaPorta]

My LC520 is still in pretty good shape and holds up well. It is reasons like this that if I move, I transport all my own stuff. Can’t trust anyone or this will happen.