Vintage Synth Repair

> Hello Friends,
>   I recently sold a modified Casio on ebay. The buyer sent me a 
> check, I cashed it, and shipped it with insurance. Good move. The 
> buyer contacted me upon arrival, and said the box had a huge gash in 
> the side, and the end had come off. After he plugged it in, he said 
> the keyboard did none of the modifications, and only the 3 notes per 
> octave worked. So it's very damaged.
> 
>   He bought the keyboard for $200 (minus shipping) and I insured it 
> for that much. So, he's shipping it back to me, and I have to claim 
> the insurance with my receipts etc.
> 
>   So, my question is this: If I claim a total loss, will they give me 
> the money and keep the keyboard? I have a spare model, so I could 
> swap boards and repair it (which I plan to do), how would I claim 
> repair costs?
> 

I had a PPG badly damaged by UPS.  I got it back and I was going to
do the repairs myself.  They would like to see a written estimate for
parts and labor to fix the unit.  It's their option to total it or
negotiate the repair bill.  Obviously if you're doing the repair
yourself and you estimate $400 for a $200 item, they'll total it
instead.

Also, as a side note - UPS, US Mail, etc - if you have a damaged item, you
cannot (by law I think) salvage a portion of the item and then turn
the rest over to them if they total it.  It's an all or nothing thing.

(real example - guy in US Post Office bought a clock for cheap with a
really nice/unique Seth-Thomas mechanism.  The clock case was shattered
by shipping abuse.  The Post Office wouldn't let him remove the mechanism
and also collect the insurance).
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Tom Moravansky                                    tom@...