Look what the Customs did

[gobble]

Hi
No I am not talking about social customs and manners

My new tube amp DIY kit arrived this Monday and I found an valve tube broken. Then the sockets you see are for 8 pin to 5pin adaptors to substitute a variation of the 6L6 tube called the 807.

Smashed!! Can you see the crushed pieces of bakelite from the socket? The packaging was double carton 3+mm thick each. Is it feasible for products like bulb holders for example or this socket to get crushed like this when inside the carton?!! Even with rough mishandling if they break, it should not get crushed like this. There were more tiny particles from the socket that I swept away. Definitely the customs person has removed them for inspection then placed a heavy object on them by mistake and careless attitude.

What steps can I take now? Is it worthwhile to make a complaint with Customs dept and claim penalty? Or should I ask for insurance claim since the parcel was insured?


I will post details of the kit on a new thread as I don't want this discussion to show up in search results with actual kit details for a snooping govern-mental officer to discover the real pricing vs declared


Thanks
--G0bble

 

[Hiten]

Sorry to hear that gobble. But difficult to tell whose fault it is. Wasn't thermocol or sponge used in the packaging. if not 'properly' packed with massive weight of different items in the cargo it is possible. I guess Even if you decide not to make a formal complaint it would be prudent to tell the cutoms in charge (sometimes they do take care ). Don't know about insurance bit but hope you have kept all the packaging material+broken items.

 

[sgmane]

Sorry to hear that!!
Yes you can go ahead and claim it with relevants documents to support with. Do not waste more time! These officals - i dont see in near future they gonna change!!! For atleast last more than 20 years they have not changed.
I sent a registered parcel (internal - inside india) (including some new clothes, DD etc) from rajasthan to (then) madras 20 yrs back. It did reach in 10 days time! Well what was inside it - oops! A magazine, DD. Well the DD was intact. Probably it was a DD they could not encash. But the clothes missing/replaced with a magazine. Seems they had repacked the registered parcel with the same tape material. But only contents changed!!! Typical postal department.
I don't think customs offical (those who are actually handling your material - i think these are unpacked, opened in the ground floor of the office in museum road with lot other packets - mishandled and what not!!) will be any different than what i experienced decades back!!!
One is lucky to receive the items intact!!
Do take it foward for claim - neverthless it should take couple of months to resolve the matter!

 

[Bluu]

Damn! Was this the amp kit we planned to audition? If the damage is not worth too much money, I wouldn't bother with complaints and insurance.