ramzilla

What a heartbreaker! I'd go after the shipper. They have the deepest pockets. Demand to be provided with a replacement frame. Good luck.

nesteel 

Shipper will just refuse, and rightfully so. The bike was improperly packed. Only recourse is through the seller or Ebay.

himespau 

Hope you get made (more or less) whole.

catonec 

I would absolutely return this bike.

whether the dent happened before shipping or during shipping does not matter. I would not ride it. nor would I pay for someone elses incompetence.

$800 is alot of money for a broken bicycle thats only worth $600 in near perfect shape.

do not take no for an answer.

bikor 

Update: Bike has been returned, seller has credited the purchase price. So that'so good. Now I just have to try to reclaim the return shipping costs.

Most of the comments here, and my investigating the costs of repair convinced me that return was the best option in this case, so kudos bike forums people!

Regarding the purchase price: My question was clearly posed to determine the value as now damaged for purposes of negotiating possible repair, return etc options, not "did I overpay". I've been outbid even higher on a top-quality 720 before, and even at what I paid I was thrilled with the bike (absent the fatal dent) and would have happily ridden it for the next say 20 years.

Regarding eBay: I've only bought a few things on eBay, haven't had any problems, and what a fun way to browse other people' junk. This experience was less than enjoyable however.

Wasted approximately 5 days trying to get their 'generate a return label' link to work, it just repeatedly failed with an anonymous error. Over and over again, on multiple browsers and OSs. Customer service said give it a day or two, try again, no change. Return window clock ticking the while.

Finally after getting 'elevated' a couple times somebody in their 'high-value item' customer service dept says the return label link breaks with items over $750, and that I'd have to ship it back on my own dime and try to recoup the return shipping on my own. Which I did. Now I see buried in some fine print that I may not get the shipping cost refunded if I ship, only if eBay or the seller provides the shipping label (their help files still say eBay provides the label, only that $750 triggers a signature requirement).

End of EBay rant, it's just here for the benefit of other eBay newbies.

So that's caveat-emptor-on-ebay then. It all would have been different with say an extra $3 of packing material and 20 minutes spent applying it with a more thoughtful placement of the handlebars.

Poguemahone

For a 720 sans dent, 800 is a good deal on the bay. However, there are plenty of these around-- they're uncommon, but nowhere near rare. Keep your eyes open, another will show.

bikor 

That's my hope, thanks!