The Royal Mail can sometimes get things very wrong!

I recently ordered some painted figures from an eBay seller, and they sent them to me once I had returned from our recent cruise. The seller made sure that everything was securely packed in bubble wrap and cardboard, and placed into two substantial cardboard boxes that were taped together with loads of white parcel tape marked with the word ‘Fragile’ in red letters. They then passed it over into the care of the Royal Mail.

That is where things seem to have gone wrong.

I have no idea what they did to the parcel before they delivered it, but it looked as if the word ‘Fragile’ was not just ignored but acted as a trigger for them to treat the parcel with little care. When it was delivered, the corners of the parcel looked crushed and there was an ominous rattle when one picked it up. When it was opened, most of the packaging had burst open, and I would estimate that between 30% and 40% of the figures - which had been based in threes on plastic bases - were loose and quite a few were damaged.

This should not have happened … but it did. The seller did everything to ensure that the parcel and its contents were properly packaged, but the Royal Mail seems to have failed to do its duty to deliver the parcel in the condition in which it was given to them.

Is there any possible redress? Well, I could ask the seller to pursue the matter as the Royal Mail insists that  it is only the person who posts an item who can initiate a trace … but that seems to me to be rather an imposition on a seller who sold me these figures at a very reasonable price. Furthermore, the compensation would be negligible.

I’ve decided to see if I can make the best of the situation and repair those figures that are repairable. Hopefully there will then be enough of them to form the basis on a further Belle Époque army.