Minor shipping damage to new panels

Greetings.
Today I received a pricey pair of Shell SQ-85s from my friendly UPS driver( and I do know him by name and usually I like him) and he handed me the boxed pair which I briskly shook to ensure no clinking and as he quickly drove away I rotated the box and noticed the corner which was down and farthest from my line of sight was torn open and the cardboard corner which is supposed to protect them was gone.
Yikes. I quickly unbox them and quietly swear at Larry the-man-in-brown as I reassure myself that they are intact -they are.But then on careful examination I notice wrinkles at two corners of each panel where they obviously have been dropped - the glass is perfect no cracks or chipping but the aluminum frame is scraped and bulged about 1/4" on 2 ends of each panel.
I haven't opened the J-boxes yet to confirm output and while I feel quite certain they are functionally perfect - just the idea of $1000 for these two beauties and they come scarred grates me.
I will call the distributor tommorrow -but until then??
Any suggestions on what else or what one of you would do if one of your PRECIOUS panels came so obviously mishandled and underappreciated.
Thanks
Chris




:-P

Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    sorry to hear of this happening to you. if it were me i'd also see about taking some pictures of the damage to show the distributor/manufacturer or whoever would be in charge of the warranty. the pvs were sent insured i'm quite sure, but they are supposed to be delivered in one piece and working so push the issue.
  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    thats ups for ya my supplier usually wont ship panels ups says they have to much damage. but i think you get it anywhere the drivers are over worked and under paid
  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    I would try calling whomever sold you the panels. Assuming they're a regular dealer (as opposed to an eBay or Craigslist person that only had those 2 left over), most likely, they have dealt with such issues, before. It might fall under the category of "concealed damage". Especially if you paid for your panels with a major credit card, you have some leverage, as you could go to the credit card company and complain. But do check with the dealer, first. I have only dealt with a few dealers so far (NAWS included), and have yet to meet one that will not bend over backwards to resolve issues (no matter what the scare stories say).

    I would also not hook up the panels or unpack them any more than I already had, before asking the dealer what to do.

    Good luck!
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    Thanks everyone who replied,
    The dealer who was Backwoods Solar was great-the called their distributor-Alternative Energy Engineering-I assume- who called UPS -who sent the driver back the next day to pick up the panels. No unfortunately I wasn't home to scold the driver who my daughter tells me wasn't Larry our usual guy.
    I have also been told that 2 new panels have been shipped to me so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
    Chris
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    jeez dude...I can't be sure but I think there could have been other at UPS besides Larry that handled, or mishandled the panels....but if "scolding" the UPS guy makes you feel better....
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels
    webrebel wrote:
    jeez dude...I can't be sure but I think there could have been other at UPS besides Larry that handled, or mishandled the panels....but if "scolding" the UPS guy makes you feel better....
    Kind of hit me the same way, having been in the business of "serving" the public for almost 40 years, I've had my share of abuse from irate "customers".
    One of the many that popped into my mind:
    One guy had his item in to several shops for repair, but they weren't able to help him, so he finally decided to take it to where he should have in the first place, the warranty repair depot - us, where we would repair it for FREE- and when he presented us with the item, he informed me that if I didn't repair it (after it was butchered by others) he would be back to smash my head in with a lead pipe.
    People who "serve the public" go the extra mile for reasonable customers, who ASK for help. Threats and abuse just don't cut it. Never did, never will. Those cases result in just the bare minimum that's required to shut the customer up and NO effort is given to "help" the customer.
    It's human nature.
    Wayne
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Minor shipping damage to new panels

    Excuse me,
    I wasn't blaming Larry the UPS man for the damage merely for what I assume to be his part in concealing the damage. The box was handed to me in the position where the damage was most concealed and Larry left in a hurry. Usually he stays for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes and we talk about poltics( which we usually are in agreement about), his daughter , his divorce, my daughters, etc. I also worked for UPS in college loading trucks so I am aware of the grueling conditions and low pay . My scolding of Larry will probably consist of cutting back on his pizza ration which he receives on a regular basis when his deliveries coincide with our pizza making night.
    I guess I should have offered a little more background info on where I live and how our lives are probably radically different from others. We live 8 miles outside a small town and often go days without getting in the car or seeing anyone outside our family. Our closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away . Larry the UPS man and Clifford our mailman aren't just workers to us -we interact with them and when we ask questions like how are you? we really want to know and will wait and listen for the answer.Larry may have just been in a hurry and didn't notice the damage. I will ask him the next time he comes out. I was probably just venting a little bit here and unfortunately the nature of the web leaves important emotional cues out .