I would love to be reporting about how I received my new SOB pilot coach and how lovely it looks attached to my Voralpen Express or SOB coaches.
Unfortunately, this model, which was ordered a few years ago, was delivered in a crushed box and the model was seems to have shifted around in the box, causing damage to the details on the front and rear of the model. It sounds like there is also something loose inside the model, but I have not yet inspected it closely enough to ascertain the full extent of the damage.

This is not some 100 EUR Maerklin model, but a handmade model that cost almost 10 times that amount. It is one of perhaps 50 in existence and because of the variations that I requested, it might be unique. Unfortunately, after all that time to manufacture, paint and detail the model, the manufacturer could not properly pack the model so that it could survive overseas shipping.

I thought about declining the parcel, but then it would be sent back to the manufacturer in the damaged box and who knows what would happen. I don't know whether the model can be easily restored (how the railings/details were mounted?) nor do I know whether the manufacturer has any parts or a spare model that he can send me as a replacement.

I am livid at this moment.

On top of that, due to the way that the box was packed, it is possible that a postal claim may be denied as improperly packed.
The model needed to be packed in such a way that the model could not shift inside it's box. The box needed to be packed so that the box would not shift inside the carton.
No matter how much bubble wrap you put a model in, it will do nothing if the box is not properly packed.

At this moment, I am waiting for the manufacturer to reply.

I will update, but at the moment I will not identify the specific manufacturer, even though some may have an idea based on the nature of the model itself.

I cannot stress how furious I am about this at the moment. Livid does not describe it.

UPDATE: Having had a little time to calm down, I had a moment to examine the model. Most of the damage is relatively minor at first sight. The footboard on the front of the coach is detached. Most of the steps to the doors and baggage door have bent legs. The Roco coupler at the rear needs to be replaced and some hoses and other parts need to be reinserted. From what I can tell, the legs of the steps would most likely break if I tried to straighten them out. The footboard could probably be reattached by somebody trained as a jeweller. I do not have the dexterity to do such work, nor do I know how the part was attached to the model in the first place, be it glue or some kind of jeweller's bonding. I still have not checked to see what is loose in the interior nor tested the coach on the rails to ensure the lights and functions are intact.
I still wonder whether the manufacturer can restore it, but I expect them to do it.

Packaging Job:

Front View:

Close up:


Regards

Mike C

Edited by user 27 June 2018 16:34:18(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Sorry to hear that Mike. I now only buy from one dealer who I know will get my goods safely to me. Bought some HAG from A Swiss dealer some time ago and the loco came in a show box with insufficient packing.

Hope you get some success here Mike and keep going until you do.

The AE 8/14 with plastic box inserts/cradles are a famous disaster, and only gets worse as the plastic ages. That locomotive is way too heavy to not be using styrofoam...

Sometimes the manufacturer does not realize that the purpose of packaging (box) is to protect the content during shipment.
They simply put the box as a formality or an ornament to their product. Marklin's grey plastic insert (vacuum formed plastic) is an example. This kind of plastic become brittle over time, and easily crack due to vibration. It does not offer any protection.
Below is a photo of Marklin Rheingold coach set which I received sometime ago:

It was shipped from Germany. There is no damage to the outer box, but the grey plastic insert was shattered.

Hello Mike,

I believe we all experienced a heartbreaking moment when a damaged parcel arrives. When I first started collecting Marklin I was buying from Ebay and I had a Märklin H0 - 33592 - Electric locomotive Ae 8/14 in Technology Edition of the SBB sent to me from the USA. The package had no signs of damage but when I lifted the Marklin box I knew there was trouble. The gray plastic tray was in a million pieces and the locomotive was in two separate units instead of one and damaged beyond repair, what a loss! Luckily for me the seller was kind and understanding and after I sent pictures to the seller he refunded the money through PayPal.

We play a dangerously expensive game with the ridiculously high prices for shipping now. But I must say that I almost exclusively buy from roundhouse.ch for my Swiss trains now and they are the best at sending parcels which are packaged for the journey!

Edited by user 09 June 2018 19:30:04(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

A while back, I ordered the 29850 set. Unfortunately the dealer packed it without care.
Maerklin still uses the same design today, a cardboard cover which sits on a styrofoam base.
The bottom of the styrofoam cradle is not even, as there are cutouts on the underside.
This created a void underneath the styrofoam and due to shock during transit, one of the locomotives was able to crash through the styrofoam and was then demolished by bouncing around inside the shipping carton.
The set was sent back to the dealer. He did not have a replacement, so I settled for a full refund.

In all of the cases above, it would be possible to send the item back and to manage to find a replacement either from factory (if new) or from the same or different dealer if used or NOS.

In my current case, we are speaking of a unique item or at best 1 of 10 worldwide, so it will be much harder if not impossible to replace.

Regards

Mike C

Update:

When I received the damaged package/model, my first reaction was to take photos. I then proceeded directly to the nearest US Post Office. I was told to complete a damaged mail claim online.
Once I was home, I went to usps.com and read about international claims and downloaded the current version of the USPS IMM (International Mail Manual), which, as I recalled from earlier versions, stated that damaged mail should be brought to the nearest USPS facility where it will be inspected and the proper forms will be completed.
The manufacturer asked me to send the model back to him for repair. He specified that I should send back the original package so that he could file a claim to obtain compensation for the repair work.
I don't care whether he gets compensated for the repair work. All that I care about is that I am not out of pocket for the return shipment and that I get a model in proper condition.
I replied to him that I did not think that it was a good idea to send the model back to him in the original shipping box. I suggested that it should be sent back in a properly packed box to avoid additional damage and that the original package would be sent back separately. I am now waiting for his reply. The return of the box and model separately will likely cost around $100 US total.

This seems to be turning into frustration at every single turn and this is the last thing that I want from the hobby that is supposed to give me a break from the everyday stress of life.
I have cancelled my plans to make it to Plattsburgh today and will have to wait until early next week when I can take time off to make the trip.

Regards

Mike C

Isn't the US Postal Service such a great organization. They don't know their own processes and like most non-professionals, when confronted with things they are not sure about, make up stuff on the fly.

If the exterior box was crushed, it won't much mater what the interior padding was like, because its padding, not an internal rigid frame, and would surely contribute to the crushing of the interior packing materials which would then no longer be effective. Styrofoam sheets, air bladders and newsprint can absolutely be adequate padding in a packages if they hold the contents in position, and the container they are all in is not massively deformed in transit.

Good luck; my experience with claims at the US Postal Service have not generally gone well. Hence the use of more expensive delivery services like UPS for expensive items.

Mike you got lucky. Imagine getting this with no recourse :

I hope that you are not trying to compare a 119 EUR set (4284) of 5 Ruhrkohle Fals or a 69 EUR set of 2 (46241) with a 800 EUR handmade model of which there are perhaps 10 in existence.

Your model can easily be replaced while my model will have to be repaired and will likely not have the same value as an intact model if the repairs are visible or can be detected. I may get the model back, but it will not have the collector's value that it would have had as a "mint condition" model. I guess I should take into consideration that I ordered the model to have a model of this coach and not for it's monetary value, but please don't compare it to a model that can be replaced with a minute's effort on ebay or online.

That said, did you ever manage to get compensation or to replace your damaged models?

Regards

Mike C

Sorry for the mini-snap. My problem is not any less important than yours.

Some countries now allow for the recipient to file a claim for loss/damage. It used to be that only the shipper could file a claim, which, as I painfully remember, can result in the post office holding on to the goods, the seller getting his money back and then you having to try to get your money back from the sender…

You can search for your country's mail procedures. In the USA, you can download the Domestic or International Mail Manual (DMM/IMM) from the USPS.
You can access the UPU (Universal Postal Union) guidelines that all member organizations are supposed to follow.
You can also access information from the shipping postal authority.

If you paid with PayPal, you can file a claim with PayPal. If your PayPal is backed by a credit card, you may be able to file a claim with your credit card company.

If you paid by credit card, you may have protection from the issuer.

Keep pushing and complaining. You will find that eventually, somebody might offer you a goodwill adjustment and cover your loss.
Even writing a letter to Maerklin complaining about how their models did not withstand shipping might get them to pressure the dealer to settle or they might make a goodwill gesture of their own.
I can attest to this happening after an order was destroyed twice and the dealer refused to do anything more and Maerklin issued a replacement from factory and probably settled with the dealer on their own.

Regards

Mike C

Hi John,

Thanks for the offer but they went into the bin many moons ago. For me it is perfect or not in my collection at all. But that is just me. Throwing them in the bin was my expression of disgust & not wanting to have the damaged items around to rile me up again. Photos were the only memory of the disaster.