IVE ABSOLUTELY HAD IT! I just got what would have been a beautiful philram 131w SOX lamp from a bloke in the UK today, who BTW are the nicest folks I've ever dealt with on eBay, and it is glass DUST. He packaged it very well and the packaging looked perfectly fine on the outside (FRAGILE is ALL over it), the shipper must've played cricket with it first and then sent it over here to play baseball with it before it arrived. Over the last year I've bought around 6 lamps and fixtures from the UK via the global shipping program In which all but two the packages are smashed (I mean SMASHED) on the outside. All but two lamps have arrived broken, of which one is slightly damaged (200w Thorn SLI). I've called eBay before and their only recourse has been for the seller to send me another... well gee whiz ITS A !@#$ COLLECTORS ITEM NOT A !@#$%^&*()_ IPHONE THEY CANT JUST SEND ME ANOTHER! In addition, how is that good for the relationship between the seller and I if they keep sending me items and they arrive broken? Who wants to do business with someone if you can't even get product to them intact? There's not many folks selling these things to begin with so souring a business relationship with them means at some point I can't even buy anything from the UK anymore even if I want to. I don't believe it to be the local shipper on either end as both the sellers and I have hardly ever had an issue with our local shippers. Its who's between and that is EBAY. If anyone knows how I can get in contact with someone in the ebay global shipping program that would be fantastic. Thank you guys for being the best on the net, I don't think anyone else would be able to understand the feels right now..

Be like Colin and post a picture, the ebay wall of shipping shame...

Oh, I know how it feels. Had a cobrahead arrive with the refractor in multiple pieces last year... fortunately got a new one.

Thanks guys,

Thats a grand idea Lodge, hot off the press just for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw4_stfUe_c&feature=youtu.be

It looks like the seller actually packed it pretty well, so it was the shippers that busted it..

Thanks guys,

Thats a grand idea Lodge, hot off the press just for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw4_stfUe_c&feature=youtu.be

Well damnn. Sorry about your lamp man, I don't know how you sound so chill in your video, I'd be furious... I think someone literally tossed it off the truck...

Oh believe you me, I was furious (calmer today). I just get really quiet or cold when I'm angry.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with eBay vendors.  eBay usually has great customer service and the vendors are obliged to replace items that are damaged in transit.  If the vendor does not cooperate and offer compensation to the buyer, then their eBay ratings will drop and dissuade others from doing business with them.  However, like you said, some items like the vintage lamps are irreplaceable collector's items that could be really valuable.  It had to have been handled roughly if you say that the lamp was securely packaged.  I hope you find another SOX lamp that arrives in perfect shape

It's just a light bulb.  not a collectors item.  At least that is how they see it. 

It's just a light bulb.  not a collectors item.  At least that is how they see it.  

If only they understood  Anything that matters to you or that you're nostalgic about can be a collector's item.  It doesn't matter what's being shipped, it's the eBay's customer's right to receive an undamaged item upon spending their money.

Not in this day and age