How I got burned for 410 dollars, and my quest to get it back

[freeride53]

It looks like Babi vivi's teething toy

[CrusherCurtis]

Sorry didn't read the entire post but isn't this something you take up with usps or ups or whoever. Did you make sure he shipped with insurance?

[george graves]

File a paypal dispute. End thread/

[delatlanta1281]

Install it and drive with it. New stanceworks trend? I think so.
I bet it was run over and the box was replaced or something.... the blinker return tab is broken off.

[Vivek]

Wow, I'm with everyone wondering how the FUCK you even do that. That's insane damage on a wheel. I've never intentionally tried to damage a steering wheel, but i've definitely put all my weight on multiple with zero damage.

I'd almost feel a little bad filing a paypal dispute and taking the seller's money if it wasn't really his fault though. Is there anything you can do through the shipping company? Although, now that I think of it...if he's not replying to you, it's dispute time. Especially if you have like a phone number and he's ignoring your calls/texts.

[5Toes]

Good thing you didnt gift the money!

[ZinnoBerrotEta]

Wow. Thank you for all of the responses guys. It means so much to me, you have no idea.

I was hesitant to start a thread because I don't deal with confrontation well. I spend a large majority of free time on this site and would like to be a good person, learn things, and make connections with like minded people. I just felt lost after sending pics to this guy weeks ago and him responding with, "that's awful, I'm calling USPS" After that, he was gone.

He completely ignored my polite demands for my money to be returned.
I've sent three msgs since. All have not been responded to.

Regarding the box, It said on a sheet of paper on the inside of the box that it had to be repackaged because it arrived damaged.

I don't mean to raise doubt about this guy. In all respects, in our brief exchanges, he seemed like a good guy. I believe deep down in my heart that no one would send a damaged steering wheel. My goal was not to cast aspersions about him.

He has just disappeared and not responded for my repeated pleas to be refunded. This was right after I sent him some of the pictures that I posted in this thread.

I believe that I should be reimbursed. There needs to be recourse from this.
It was a risk he took by not spending the couple extra dollars at the post office to insure this. I believe that when he said no to insurance that he essentially taking that risk and banking on the fact that most times you don't need to worry about packages arriving damaged. That, and he wanted to save himself a couple more dollars.

These days it literally pains me to look at the steering wheel. I just shut it in my trunk. A 400 dollar + paper weight. I wanted an m tech 2 with tri stitching so badly. I counted down the days until it arrived, and when it did, and I unwrapped it, I actually cried a little.
I only say this to show how much it meant to me. In the scheme of things, it's just a stupid steering wheel, and it's trivial to a lot of people I imagine. Hell, it is to me in some ways.

To the guys who suggested trying to bend it back into place, it can't happen. This thing is impossible to bend by hand, body weight,etc. The pictures don't do this damage justice, it is bent, flattened, tweaked, twisted in very subtle and aggressive ways.
I can't budge or move this thing in the slightest.

It's just time for this guy to step up to the plate and reimburse me. Am I wrong? I don't think so.

Thank you for reading everyone. I know my posts may seem a little choppy, but it's just nervous energy about debacle.

F3AR, my man, I'll hit you up with a pm.

[Vivek]

So it was the shipping company, not the seller?

[craiggroves91]

So there is no doubt USPS damaged it now.
We don't know how, but they did. It wasn't insured so you aren't getting any money from them.

Honestly, you can't rely on the seller to insure it unless YOU TELL THEM TOO and pay for it. It's not his responsibility its yours. Just my opinion.

You are pretty much screwed and it sucks. Sorry

[MR 325]

File a PayPal dispute.

Any seller with any sort of brain is going to insure a $400 package. It costs a couple bucks.

I sincerely hope you get money back. You should really consider buying a brand new wheel from BMW, they're a little under $300.

[///digitalme]

-for some reason im leaning towards him sending you a mangled wheel....but i hope you get your money back

[mother_russia]

You have 45 days to open up a claim on Paypal. Its your best bet.
If the sale was made on the 28th of April, then you got 1 more day to open up the claim.

[jaywood]

File a paypal dispute.

Also, how "official" was the piece of paper that claimed it was repackaged? Anyone could write a note themselves, throw it in the package before they ship it out, and blame USPS, Fedex, etc. for the damage.

[freeride53]

im just wondering.....if it was damaged in shipping, would it have the leather torn at least?
with that IMMENSE amount of stress put on the wheel, that fucking leather should be torn...

[craiggroves91]

im just wondering.....if it was damaged in shipping, would it have the leather torn at least?
with that IMMENSE amount of stress put on the wheel, that fucking leather should be torn...

Thats what I thought!!

They recovered a mangled wheel