My first shipment from Japan - all smashed up

[Kvart]

So much for the joy of collecting Japanese medals. I got my first parcel today. The boxed looked like someone had used it as football. And the medal cases like someone had jumped on them...

This is so sad

Has anyone claimed compensation from EMS before? How are they do deal with?

[Ed_Haynes]

How very sad. I'd start with the dealer. (I assume it is a reliable dealer?)

[Guest Darrell]

Has the box been opened by customs or messed with (other than banged about)?

Were the individual cases wrapped up or were they all thrown in helter skelter?

[Kvart]

I think the seller is a good guy. I trust in him. But the problem is that he is sort of a middle man, or how to say it in English. He bought the medals in Japan from different sellers. I paid all his expenses. I think it will be tricky to get compensation for the local shipment in Japan and the different fees for all the bank transfers.

I had to pay to the customs, but I'm not sure they ever opened the box. Perhaps they just looked at the papers. The customs did not notice that some of the medals are antiques, and the tax therefore is only 5%. I had to pay a full 25%. So I must also file a complaint to get some of my tax back. I thought that was bad enough, until I opened the box.

All the cases were packed in the plastic with bubbles. There were also a thin lay of this plastic inside the cases, to prevent the medal from jumping around. The plastic coated cases were placed in the box's center. Around them, at bottom, sides and top, there were newspapers, but not to tight. It all looked good to me.

There is even a hole in the box, made from the outside. The same kind of hole you would get if you poked it with a spear I wonder what has happened?

Now I must start all over again getting the WWI medals

[Guest Darrell]

Do you have any original pictures from the seller? This seems rather suspicious that anything wrapped in bubble wrap and insulated by newspaper would allow the medals to be smashed like this. Some of those wooden cases are delicate ... but not that much. You'd have to take them out of the bubble wrap and do some heavy crunching to damage these that much. I would compare the pictures you received before they were shipped. Compare the "marks" on the medals and cases. Are they the same as the ones you received?

Like you say, the guy that sold them is honest, but, you never know.

[Kvart]

Yes, I have original pictures. I've studied them, and to me it looks like the cases pictured are he cases sent. Of course, I cannot be 100 % sure.

But my guts tell me this was not done by the dealer. He opened every shipment he got, and re-packed the medals before they were sent to me. When I opened the plastic of the 1914-15 medal at bottom left, all the pieces lay just like if it was complete when sealed in plastic, and smashed afterwards.

Also there are some impressive stressmarks on the inside of the box. Do you see them on this photo? There must have been quite some force in order to make marks like this. I personally think it was run over or hit by a truck or something. I doubt the dealer did this. As you say, they should be safe enough with all that plastic and newspaper. But against those marks on the box, I don't think anything would be safe.

I'm going to the post office this evening to file a complaint. Hope their maximum compensation is higher than the medals value.

[Paul L Murphy]

It looks as if they had too much room in which to move, rattle around and hit each other. The good news is that you could probably repair the balsa and lacquer boxes since the breakages appear to be in the normal joining seams where they were originally stuck together during manufacture. If you carefully glue the panels back together it will be almost un-noticable that they were broken, since effectively you are replicating the original manufacture process.

The pastboard red cross box looks beyond repair, but this should have been the cheapest item.

The moral of the story is buy from reliable dealers like me I have never had a package get damaged like this in transit.

[Kvart]

It will be quite some job to glue the balsa wood cases. The black lacquer ones, specially the 1895 medal, are easier. The red cross is not so much to worry about.

I don't think they've had much space to move in. The box was filled up with wrapped newspapers and the damages looks like typical made from pressure: short and long sides pressed out while flat top and bottom plates mostly unharmed.

If dealers like you Paul sold medals collectors like me is looking for and the prices were right? Then this would never have happened.

I went to the post office in Friday afternoon. The clerks didn't know much about damage claim. Told me to come back early Monday morning.

[Guest Darrell]

I can remember many stories about damaged items arriving in the post. Not sure, but unless you are suspicious and you open the package up in front of them to see inside, I'm not sure they will be able to do much.

[Paul R]

I cannot imagine the heart sinking felling when you saw this...

Are you going to try to repair those cases?

[Kvart]

Thank you for all your support in this thread.

Yes, I should have opened the box in the clerk's presence. I was told that on Friday. However, due to lacking customs paper, failed door delivery etc about 4-5 clerks were in direct touch with this box and me at the very same time. The box was clearly damaged then and they all must have seen it. It would have been elementary service and very easy for them to inform me that I should open it at the post office. When they did not do this, when 4-5 clerks did not see a red flag, how can they expect me, a humble consumer, to see a red flag? This was not a problem at the post office today.

I simply filled out a damage claim form. Form and parcel were then shipped to a different town, where the damage claim office is located. I'm not particularly happy with separating myself from the medals once again, but I suppose I'll get them back later down the line.

Now I must wait? For about two weeks, then I will call them.

One of the WWI medals can be glued easily I think. Also the 1895 medal. With the right tools and only two thumbs I also think the Ribbon Merit medal can be repaired, but it will not look good. It's hard to replace the black lacquer. The Red Cross and other WWI medal are beyond repair.

Has anyone repaired anything like this before? What kind of glue should I use? It must be a type of glue that does not leave gasses to harm the medals.

[Paul L Murphy]

Use a glue that is designed specifically for fixing wood. I think the original glues used were vegetable based but I am not sure if it is possible to get these any more.

[Laurence Strong]

I have used Elmers White glue on a couple of cases. Works good as it dries invisible and excess wipes off with a warm damp rag.

[Ed_Haynes]

I have used Elmers White glue on a couple of cases. Works good as it dries invisible and excess wipes off with a warm damp rag.

Same here, probably the safest and best on all levels, at least for the balsa cases. The enameled cases may be gone. But, at least the medals survived.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Kvart]

Thank you for telling me about this glue. I will buy a bottle of it if I get the opportunity to glue the boxes.

Rumour on the street now is that the Post service will most likely pay me what the parcel was insured to. But then they will keep the medals and they will most likely end up in a garbage bin!!!

[Guest Darrell]

Rumour on the street now is that the Post service will most likely pay me what the parcel was insured to. But then they will keep the medals and they will most likely end up in a garbage bin!!!

WHAT? :banger:

[Kvart]

A friend of mine bought an optical gasmask or something like that (German equipment is not my table). It came in a small steel container, extremely good condition. The post service managed to destroy it completely. Since he was given compensation, they refused to give back the item. I understand this is common in the insurance business; if my car is destroyed the insurance company keeps the damaged vehicle after paying me. And for small items I assume the garbage bin is the most common place to store damaged items. What a shame!

But today I got a call from the post service. They will return the medals to me and file a complain at the Japanese post service or the universal postal union. Eventually the seller will be paid the insurance sum, and I must discuss further actions with him. So everything boils down to how serious the seller is.

Anyway, I got the medals back. Now I shall test my patient and gluing skills?

[Kvart]

It turns out I'm a horrible gluer...

But the good news is that the seller was paid the insurance sum, and he has now handed it over to me. Shipping cost Japan - Norway and the registererd value of the box were paid by the Japanese post service.

So this whole thing ended pretty well after all.

[Eric Gaumann]

Looks like you next to best case scenario. And at least you've got the medals. I once got a photocopy from the seller showing a signed receipt for delivery. Trouble was it wasn't my signature and the medals of course I never received. Filed a complaint with the Post Office and they just totally blew me off.

Be very thankfull you got any type of feedback from them, especially positive (aka money).