How Would You Ship a Reciever Hitch?

[TWG1572]

Last week, while eBay was having their 20% off everything sale I bought a receiver hitch for my Titan. I come home tonight to find it lying on my driveway. Not in a box, not wrapped with anything protective - just a hitch.

There are chips and scratches all over this thing. I get that it's going to spend it's life under my truck and is going to get chipped and rusty. But it ticks me off that it's starting off in this condition. It seems like wrapping it in bubble wrap would have been a start at least, if you aren't going to box it.

Before I get super cranky with eBay, the seller, and my credit card company...I figured I'd put it out there for comment. Is this typically how hitches are shipped? Or am I being OCD and over reacting? If I am, I'll suck it up. But it feels like they should have done a much better job of protecting it for shipping at the minimum....

 

[eyeofthetiger]

I hope they included a bottle of touchup paint. Was the shipment insured? They should have at least wrapped it in paper or plastic wrap.

I ordered a hitch once, and it came in a huge box, which it had punched a hole.through, and it also had chipped paint.

I just ordered a tailpipe for my truck (maybe 6' long, with several bends, with free shipping!), and I don't expect it to come in a box, or wrapped up. But at least it doesn't have paint to chip.

 

[bullwinkle]

Paint on those is worthless anyway-I usually sand them and paint them with Rustoleum or similar.

 

[Mr Nice]

A box and some bubble wrap or newspaper would be more professional as a seller.

 

[bdcardinal]

That is how most of the Curt and Draw-Tite ones are shipped to us. When we order them from Ford or Mazda they come like that but in a box with the hitch hanging out of the box.

 

[skyactiv]

I would ship it UPS.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

When I ordered one from Amazon, it came in a box.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Why are these painted? Should be powder coated at LEAST. I would coat with truck bed liner and call it good.

 

[SZR48207]

Open a case on ebay with the seller. If you still think it's worth using then ask the seller for some money back.

By contract, when you buy a new item on eBay it MUST reach the buyer in that condition no questions asked. I have sold many awkward shaped items on eBay and always over pack them.

The seller in this case might be gambling on you not caring or the hitch was drop shipped directly from the mfr.

Even if you had to return it for a properly shipped one, you won't be out a dime -- just the time for the item to ship back to the seller and a replacement to make it's way back to you.

 

[NHGUY]

Negative feedback....but at least you got 20% off....

 

[tomcat27]

mine arrived the same way from amazon. I touched up the paint chips; then sprayed the whole thing in truck bed liner.

 

[thooks]

Next time buy it locally.

 

[Donald]

It should be powder coated. Touch up what you can, but will never be as good a powder coating.

I bought a receiver hitch from etrailer.com and it was in a box but had beat it's way half out.

 

[TWG1572]

Thanks for the input everyone. This was a Curt hitch. It came from Jasper Indiana - I don't see where Curt has factories there so I'm not sure it was drop shipped direct from the factory. But, the address it was shipped from was a logistics/distribution company per Google. So it must handle shipping for either the eBay store or Curt. Hard telling.

I get the "paint it and forget about it" comments. And I'd probably be over it already if it was just the chips on the corners of the brackets that attach to the frame. Where I'm hung up is the damage you see in the third pic, which is all over the tube. And you can see it from the back of the truck if it was mounted. There's some heavy duty sanding needed there, and I'll be the first to admit I'm not a rattle can wizard. Although maybe the spray bedliner is more forgiving. I've never tried that.

I'm going to sleep on it tonight, but will probably open a case with the seller. They didn't take any precautions to prevent shipping damage. The hitch is still usable, and return shipping can't be cheap...so maybe we can work out some sort of discount to make up for me respraying the whole thing.

I'll contrast this to some Thrasher running boards I bought from Westin last month. They were drop shipped from the factory, were probably as heavy and much bigger, but were well packaged and arrived in perfect shape. So that's kinda what my expectations were for this purchase. Maybe my expectations were too high, but if nothing else it's a kudos to Westin for doing a nice job.

 

[Mr Nice]

I would not accept the condition of your purchase and return after speaking to seller.

 

[dishdude]

Someone in the business said this is standard shipping practice. Not sure how you much you can complain. Even if you went to a store to buy, it's most likely getting shipped to them in the same manner.

 

[thooks]

Good grief people. It’s a piece of structural steel. Hit it with a wire brush, mineral spirits, primer and two coats of Rustoleum.

It will be ok.

 

[dlundblad]

I bought a Reese for my Jeep ~9 years ago that was shipped about this way. The tube to body brackets were wrapped in cardboard, but the tube and safety chain plate sure took a beating.

Considering what it is, I found it acceptable. I had it professionally coated with bed liner though.

 

[Nick1994]

Rattle can bed-Liner is absolutely garbage, don't use it.

 

[02SE]

I wouldn't accept it.

If it were mine, yes I could refinish it, but I don't buy new so I can go through the hassle of having to fix damage incurred by shoddy shipping. Especially on a vehicle operated in a highly corrosive environment like Wisconsin in winter.

I'd buy local so I can inspect the hitch before buying it.