(In light of new evidence, I have heavily edited this post.)
Looks like this seller specializes in jewelry, and probably didn't have a clue as to proper packaging of a fragile old radio.
Merely double boxing an item does not guarantee safe delivery. It MUST be PROPERLY packaged in order to survive shipment. And, since eBay favors the two worst shippers in the country (Postal Service and United Parcel Smashers), that makes things riskier for your new acquisition to survive.
I have taken to insisting to sellers that they package as follows:
Tune the radio down to 55 on the dial before packing.
Place bubble wrap over speaker and fill inner cavity with bubble wrap or wadded newspaper and fill snugly (not too tight). This will be a big help if the chassis is not bolted down.
Ship the radio face DOWN on a thick cushion of suitable packing material - again, 2 inches thick minimum, preferably 3.
A minimum of 2 inches of packing material completely surrounding the radio - top, bottom, sides, front, back.
Pack the item TIGHTLY so that he/she has some difficulty closing the flaps.
For added safety, put the well packed box inside a larger, outer box - again, with a minimum of two inches of packing material completely surrounding the inner box, and packed tightly.
If the seller objects, first offer them a few bucks extra for the extra trouble (a few extra dollars could mean an intact radio), then remind them that the set will not likely survive shipment otherwise, and you will take the appropriate actions if it does not.
This sort of stuff really bothers me. Why is it that so many of these schmucks do not understand the concept of
PROPER packaging? All so many of them seem to care about is getting the $$ in their hot little hands.
It is left up to you, the buyer, to hold the seller's hand and assume they do not know how to pack.
Chris, it looks like the set is salvageable despite this putz's best efforts at destroying it.
Find out how much a new dial scale costs, a speaker recone, ask someone how much it would cost to repair any breaks in the grill, and find out how much another escutcheon with glass will cost. Then
demand a partial refund commensurate to your costs of repairing/replacing said broken parts. Take more photos, including close-ups of the damage, to document your claim. Follow up with complaints to eBay and PayPal (if you used PayPal).
If you end up not getting a partial refund, then wait until the 90th day after auction's end and give the seller a big fat
NEGATIVE feedback.
