This is not happening... $%#@

[Cuda Dan]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I can not believe that happened! They are not going to understand what you did just to get the kettle. I'm so sorry to see the damage.

[Yuminator]

Oh hell no!!!  WTF.  Sorry this happened to you.  I'm feeling the pain. Dang it!

[argentflame]

I'm so sorry. Total carelessness and negligence by the carrier.

[pbe gummi bear]

Sorry buddy. That's a damn shame. Take a lot of pictures for your claim and don't give up until you are compensated. I hope that mt lives to grill another day.

[mcflash]

I read the story of how you got the MT and this really mad me happy and smiling.

But this story now nearly makes me crying ... If it would be mine I probably would have cried .

As already said before it's not replaceable but maybe UPS will offer you something that eases the pain a bit.

[Tim in PA]

Wow...

[mike.stavlund]

No. No. No.

[SixZeroFour]

OMFG

I feel sick.

Godammit!

It's a simple thing. Put box on truck. Drive truck. Remove box.

Where the hell does slam something into it come into play? I know I spent at least an hour packing it and shoving every conceivable cardboard and bubble wrap possible into it. There was no way it jostled around loose in there. They attacked it.

I don't know what to say, 604. I'm so sorry!

I'm here with my sister (who was the Agent on Duty who picked it up from the seller) and my dad ... I won't even show them the picture. They're also pissed.

You have absolutely nothing to apologize about! Thank you again - It's very clear that you put a lot of time into packing each piece individually so UPS just beat the hell out of it on the way here. Such a shame... I'm still worried about how they are going to place a value on something like this? Obviously I want all my money back for shipping which was just shy of $200 once the brokerage was included. I feel at VERY LEAST they need to refund the $140 I paid (Which I feel was a bargain) and I should get to keep what's left. What do you guys think a showroom new Red MT would fetch on eBay?

The kettle is by no means a write-off, just not the crown jewel of my collection it was supposed to be. I can obviously replace the damaged leg and the chip in the lid is fairly small. The lid handle was also slightly tweaked so the clean "wet" look to the red paint all around the handle welds has now cracked around the perimeter. I'll get a bunch more photos later once they come and have a look. It hasn't moved an inch from where they set it down, nor will it until they come inspect.

I don't have the heart to tell the previous owner (81!) what has happened. I had promised pic's once it arrived - is it wrong to get creative with the photos I send so it still looks minty?

I did take pictures before I even cut into the tape and throughout the unboxing as you could tell the box was deformed. I will be showing the "inspector" the handful of red porcelain that came along in the bottom. 

Still in shock.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Thanks. I'm still gonna feel like shit regardless, but this certainly isn't about my feelings.

When I was at UPS they asked for its value and I said $150 because it needed to at least cover your purchase price, so that might already be a non-negotiable because it's gotta be in the shipping manifest somewhere.

I think I read that up to $200 (USD) worth of insurance is already included automatically. But as for eBay or any other CL purchase, I think all any carrier (or insurance provider) would do is reimburse purchase cost, not someone's appraisal. So I wouldn't spend a lot of time speculating on its value, if for no other reason there wouldn't be enough of a supply to make one?

Very strange about the lid handle. I inverted the lid into the kettle, so did they deform the lid and cause the handle to reach the kettle interior bottom???

Did any wood handles survive? I know I removed one of them, probably that side handle for fear of physical exposure on that side. I probably should have left it on if it could have been sacrificed instead of the metal. Fuck, I don't know.

Overall is sounds as if the box got supremely squished since there's both top and bottom damage. If they'd shipped it on its side, perhaps the kettle bowl would have instead been squashed into an oval.

[1buckie]

Don't know if it could have been somehow different with some other carrier?

FedEx, might still have happened......some kind of common carrier......never know what other kinds of freight would be travelling w/ it & heavy stuff sometimes crashes around even with those types of shipping......

I've seen Bretheren do tag team ships across the country, as members passed thru an area, one to the next to the next to home......we might take some kind of look at that, but I don't know that there's quite enough of us to be able to do that yet?

[Tim in PA]

This never happens with the other shippers....




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKUDTPbDhnA

[Jeff]

This is horrible.  How do you replace something or put a value on something that is no longer made?   Ask that question to UPS!
I've seen too many instances, and had several happen to me, to where I will no longer use UPS.  Its just not worth it anymore.  I truly feel horrible about this.  I hate seeing it.   I do like Buckie's idea from the Brethern with cross country country tag teams with members, but I understand that would still be a logistical nightmare. 

[5280Jeff]

OUCH!! that sucks! I know it can't be replaced, but hopefully everything works out as well as it can. That's painful to look at.

[Camp]

I'm at a loss for words.

My deepest sympathies.

I hope someone at least has the courtesy of saying Sorry.

[Dan NY]

     There is no excuse for this! I cant even imagine what you are going through, I am so sorry.