Help! Delta airlines dispute!

[tsnashville]

I recently had my F47-M Blonde D-Tar smashed by Delta. They are insisting on proof of purchase to honor financial reimbursement.
It was purchased in 2011 and the company has since been sold so there is no access to old records, the guy I bought it from resigned in 2016 and obv the paper trail is also lost.
Any one know of how I can provide replacement value on this guitar so delta will honor the damage?
My suitcase was also cracked and broken and needs to be replaced from the same flight!

 

[awagner]

Will they actually pay replacement value if the claim is accepted? If so, then proof of purchase should not be necessary, just ownership.

Often, insurance claims are based on depreciation value, which is based on the original purchase price.

 

[tsnashville]

Thanks for the reply!
Do you have any suggestions as to how I can prove ownership? The serial number and records with Guild only go back to 2014 due to company selling, and I’m unsure if it was even registered back then.
I wonder if a certified value of the instrument might help.

 

[awagner]

An affidavit, photos of you with the guitar, schedule on your homeowner's policy, repair receipts (if any work has been done on the instrument), etc.

As an aside, these types of claims are covered by musical instrument insurance policies from companies like Clarion and Heritage.

Although too late in this instance, everyone with an instrument worth insuring should have one of these policies, especially if they travel or gig with them.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I find that pretty crazy on their part. Proof of ownership should logically go no further than your name being assigned to the tag they put on the handle when the guitar was checked in (like any baggage!) Do they also require a proof of purchase on the suitcase they also damaged? I bet not! In a just world, proof of instrument serial# dating, it’s condition and 3 provided examples of that same year/model aftermarket sale prices “should” have them instantly honor reimbursement of the middle sales price. To have to document ownership is asinine.

 

[Guildedagain]

Come fly the friendly skies...

 

[Rocky]

To have to document ownership is asinine.

Exactly. If you had borrowed the guitar, would it be any less their fault?

 

[Brad Little]

An affidavit, photos of you with the guitar, schedule on your homeowner's policy, repair receipts (if any work has been done on the instrument), etc.

As an aside, these types of claims are covered by musical instrument insurance policies from companies like Clarion and Heritage.

Although too late in this instance, everyone with an instrument worth insuring should have one of these policies, especially if they travel or gig with them.

Even though I'm not gigging these days, I keep up my Heritage policy, better coverage than what my homeowners would be.

 

[Roland]

I recently had my F47-M Blonde D-Tar smashed by Delta. They are insisting on proof of purchase to honor financial reimbursement.
It was purchased in 2011 and the company has since been sold so there is no access to old records, the guy I bought it from resigned in 2016 and obv the paper trail is also lost.
Any one know of how I can provide replacement value on this guitar so delta will honor the damage?
My suitcase was also cracked and broken and needs to be replaced from the same flight!

Did they specifically say "proof of ownership?" Because when Delta broke my SKB case they wanted a copy of the receipt to determine purchase price. I sent them a copy and got a check two weeks later. That was it, no hassles, they paid up. If you throw away your receipts I don't know what you do, but that is all they want.

 

[GAD]

I recently had my F47-M Blonde D-Tar smashed by Delta. They are insisting on proof of purchase to honor financial reimbursement.
It was purchased in 2011 and the company has since been sold so there is no access to old records, the guy I bought it from resigned in 2016 and obv the paper trail is also lost.
Any one know of how I can provide replacement value on this guitar so delta will honor the damage?
My suitcase was also cracked and broken and needs to be replaced from the same flight!

Guild wouldn't have a record of your sale anyway. They (Fender, back then) might have had record of registering it for warranty, but that's not what Delta is asking for.

I would push back. Not a lot of people keep receipts from 13 years ago and they're trying to strong-arm you into giving up which is standard business policy for any big company.

 

[Midnight Toker]

Guild wouldn't have a record of your sale anyway. They (Fender, back then) might have had record of registering it for warranty, but that's not what Delta is asking for.

I would push back. Not a lot of people keep receipts from 13 years ago and they're trying to strong-arm you into giving up which is standard business policy for any big company.

Correct. Besides, what if the guitar was, say, from 1974 and you DID still have the original reciept. Would you honestly accept the 1974 price you paid for it...now? I think not. (I get the policy for typical replacable items a person might bring on a trip, but an instrument should be an exception to their "rule".) Again, I'd show them proof of make/model/year via pics of the label/serial...and not current used asking price of that same guitar, but an actual sold price (several examples, if possible) and tell them the only way to make this right is for you to be able to purchase another of the same make/model/year. That's only fair.

 

[chazmo]

First of all, welcome aboard, ts... I'm a little confused. Did you buy the guitar new? Can you contact the store you bought it from to (potentially) get a receipt. If not, do you have any records of your purchase, either from a bank or check stub?

Anyway, good luck. As GAD said, keep pushing back. Insurance companies don't want to They should honor the claim with replacement value since they already know they busted it.

Before we leave the subject, is it repairable? I mean, most damage is. You should get some pictures and keep throwing it in their faces if you can.

 

[davidbeinct]

I hope you get satisfaction. Maybe making them a video would help?