Have you ever received damaged sheet music?

[keelan]

Hi all,

I finally purchased my own copy of the Henle Beethoven Sonatas Volume II with some money I had saved for the occasion and ordered it online through Amazon. Quite excited for its arrival, I was ecstatic when it came in the mail and promptly opened it. I found no protective packaging except for the flimsy plastic covering it came in, and inside was the book with bent corners, folds in the cover, and scratches on the sides.
I like to imagine what an ill-tempered Beethoven himself might have said in this situation.

Anyone else been there willing to commiserate and share stories?

[the_fervid_pig]

Was it purchased as a new copy or used? Either way it should have been adequately protected for transit and evidently it wasn't. I'm assuming it was a Marketplace seller as Amazon generally have their own labelled box packaging for books. If it was used, then the defects should have been listed in the condition notes. If you contact the seller within 7 days of receipt you will be entitled to a refund or a replacement at no further cost to yourself. I'm an Amazon Marketplace seller and if one of my customers wasn't happy with their purchase it would be in my own interests as well as the buyer's to resolve the situation, I'm sure if you contact the seller they will be able to offer a solution, it's not good business sense not to.

[quantum]

On a related note, I've purchased many books with known and declared defects from music shops.  It's a great way to grow your library with quality editions and save some money. 

However in your case, if the product was sold as "new" you should expect it in such condition. 

[outin]

Yes, this had happened to me a few times, mostly from a certain publisher due to their packaging material, which seems to be too soft for the heavy handling in air-mail. They have not been damaged enough for me to bother to return them though.

Amazon usually takes good responsibility and you can return a product. If you bought it through amazon website, just ask them for the return information, that should work.

The funniest thing that happened to me was when my order did not arrive even after several weeks. The publisher (in UK) sent me a new copy. After about a month the original package finally arrived, stamped with markings from an airport in Tanzania..guess it took a little side trip

[davidjosepha]

I order exclusively from SheetMusicPlus. They sent me a copy of Scriabin's op. 11 (Henle) with a crease in the spin, like someone tried to fold it the wrong way. Anyway, I just contacted SMP and let them know that I received my quite expensive score in a condition I would not describe as new.

They replied two hours later saying that my replacement was in the mail. They even shipped it at a faster rate than I paid for with the first copy. Great service.

I'd say it's worth contacting Amazon and asking for a replacement.

[j_menz]

I've bought from quite a lot of sources online and have almost universally found that they are excellent at fixing any problems.  Amazon is amongst the good guys.  Contact them and I'm sure they'll sort it out for you.

[Bob]

If it was meant to be new, report it for sure.  If it's a third party place on Amazon, I've had those places respond quickly to fix the situation -- They're very concerned about being rated down.  And if they don't respond, rate them down and see how fast they reply then.

Have them pay the return shipping, paid envelope/paid shipping label, for you since it's not your fault.  Don't bend on that.  Because.... They might tell you to keep it.  You might be sent a second copy or they might just give up and refund your money and tell you to keep it.  Free music, even if it is a little beat up.  I've had that happen before.  The part you're actually "paying" on your side is the unknown and dealing with the mess.  If you needed the music by x-date, then it's an issue.

[keelan]

Thanks for all the replies. I bought it through a third party seller at Amazon because I had an Amazon gift card I wanted to use. Otherwise, I probably would have bought it through Sheet Music Plus or a similar source.

I contacted the seller and had a poor customer service experience. They told me I had to buy another during my phone call in order to get a refund on the damaged one; if I were to try any later, they wouldn't honor it. They also refused to tell me where they were located...
Apparently, an "investigation" of sorts is underway and they are trying to blame UPS.

Needless to say, I won't be buying from them any longer.

[davidjosepha]

Thanks for all the replies. I bought it through a third party seller at Amazon because I had an Amazon gift card I wanted to use. Otherwise, I probably would have bought it through Sheet Music Plus or a similar source.

I contacted the seller and had a poor customer service experience. They told me I had to buy another during my phone call in order to get a refund on the damaged one; if I were to try any later, they wouldn't honor it. They also refused to tell me where they were located...
Apparently, an "investigation" of sorts is underway and they are trying to blame UPS.

Needless to say, I won't be buying from them any longer.

Contact Amazon directly. As a small seller on Amazon (I just sell my old electronics and stuff once I'm done with it), I've dealt with a couple pretty horrendous customers, requesting all sorts of ridiculous stuff. I basically tell them that if they are dissatisfied with their purchase, I can either give them a 1/3 refund, or, if they return the item, a full refund. Some customers think it's unfair that I won't give them a full refund on an item that IS actually what they requested without having to return the item, so they contact Amazon. Amazon has given them full refunds without charging me, as the seller, a dime. I think it's safe to say that if they'll refund 3rd party purchases where the buyer has literally no legitimate claim to the refund, they'll refund your purchase when you received the item in damaged condition. They won't even make you return the item, in my experiences as a seller not receiving any returned goods even when Amazon has refunded the buyer.

Also note that whether it was UPS who damaged the item or not, they are, as the seller, responsible for getting the item to you in good condition, whether that means using better packaging or dealing with occasional, unavoidable issues in the shipment process.

[indianajo]

Yeah, I bought a sheet music book from Amazon itself last month, not a reseller.  The new book cost a little more than the reseller was listing it, but the Amazon warehouse is 2 counties away from me and thus is a lot faster surface shipping than California.  The package came in a really superior box , that the post office would have had a really hard time damaging. they didn't try to fold teh box, they got out of the truck and left the package on my front porch, which I appreciate.   So, be sure to do the electronic feedback negatively on that resellar, and perhaps if it happens more than once Amazon will discontinue listing their products.
On the other hand, my Mother bought a 1950 edition of the two piano version of Rhapsody in Blue that she never tried to play.  It was missing a few pages in the middle, so she probably got a bargain on it.  I tried it a few times, was too green, but not anymore.  Dad threw it away with the rest of her stuff, so the books I bought last month were the replacements- I'm going to try it.  The new Alfred books aren't nearly as classy as the 1950 versions in blue cover, of course.