Thanks.
Yes, I don't think I will ever buy a guitar online again.
There are two things working against you:
1. The seller's motives.
Right now, given you observation that seller's asking if UPS will pay for damage, my suspicions are aroused, because:
The last I heard,
a damage claim must be filed by the holder of the UPS account used for shipment, I assume that was the seller.
Is the seller an active on-line seller? Then you'd think they'd be well aware of that.
2. UPS/shipping.
If you get past #1, you still have to deal with #2. It's just a headache.
Right, there've been threads dedicated to showcasing UPS horror stories that generally wind up as UPS-bashing parties.
Dropping that temptation for the moment, and with the observation that all 3 of the most common carriers (Fed Ex, UPS, USPS) have been the subject of "horror story" threads here, let's just say that UPS understandably limits its liability in a couple of ways:
1:
Shipper responsibility for "safe" packaging:
They offer packaging services at their retail outlets which comes at a hefty price but makes it hard for them to claim the packaging was inadequate.
2: $ limit on liability for undeclared value, otherwise insurance for declared value is available, again at a hefty premium.
SO:
IF they weren't involved in the actual packing of the piece, and no value was declared, I'm doubtful of the chances of any claim being honored, despite the condition of the box.
We try to share a list of details of "safe" packaging, when a new member lets us know they're about to have something shipped, but in this case I think "the cow was out of the barn" before anybody could give you pointers, in case the seller wasn't experienced in shipping guitars.
But coming back full circle, the initiation of the claim is the shipper's responsibility.
Ideally the driver's record of a damaged box being delivered plus the couple of days being lost may wind up getting his claim approved.
I think this is going to work out. I will likely return it, but the seller did ask inquire whether UPS would cover any repair bill. If they would, I might consider that option (though probably not). The guitar plays nicely, so it has that going for it and makes it tempting.
Vintage Guilds in good shape're incredibly consistent with playability from what I see here all the time. All 3 of mine were perfect out of the box.
Gotta admit I'm in the camp that'd hold out for the next one and you'll be better prepared for the possible pitfalls of shipping.
And there're times when I realize that if I ever needed to replace my F65ce, for instance, I'd probably have no choice but to use the internet.
Same goes for a DV52 right now.
Let us know if and when you need the "packaging a guitar for shipping" post, and good luck!