Rocks in the Box

I purchased an MP-11 off Ebay - it turned up in the mail the other day and I was surprised to discover two packets of gravel inside the box, underneath the figure's bubble packaging. :confused:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/233731/OTCA/MP11_gravel.jpg

On closer inspection the box appears to have been double-taped on the bottom, which leads me to suspect that these are non-standard additions.

The figure itself seems fine, aside from being slightly mis-transformed. The tape on his bubble packaging looks untampered with and all accessories and instructions are present.

Is it possible the seller is trying to screw people on shipping cost? The rocks weigh about 500g but it seems a bit odd as I paid flat rate, and why leave them in there? I do feel a little jibbed as it was supposedly MISB, though I was going to open it anyway.

Is it worth making a fuss over? Has anyone encountered anything similar?

That's really strange. I was sent some gravel as well inside a box of paint I got off ebay from HK. Why send gravel? :confused:

Wow. That is very strange. I wonder if they stick the rocks in for weighing the postage and plan to take them out later, but forgot this time...

I'd send them a message saying that it wasn't MISB as bags of rocks are not standard issue with transformers:p

Await their reply, you never know, they might go about refunding some of your money to keep you happy.
And then maybe drop him a lower mark on the feedback stars or neutral feedback.

I'd be a little bit glad it was only rocks and not something more sinister. Wow. People are strange.

Weird. It'd be interesting to see what sort of explanation the seller comes up with...

If you were going to open it anyway and everything else is fine, then it's not worth getting an exchange/refund, but if it were me I definitely would - MISB should be MISB.

Crazy - maybe to help keep the figure in position? :rolleyes: at least the figure was there - at first I thought you just received the box with the gravel in it. :o

I had a similar thing happen when I got the black Jetwing Optimus (big box)... it had in the shipping box, several small boxes of kitty litter, weighing 1.8kgs.
It had me worried at first that it was drug smuggling (I'm assuming it is kitty litter), and my home would be raided by the person knowing where it was being posted to... but nothing, and I threw it away.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/386.jpg

I think the shipping was a set rate as well, but it doubled the weight of the box, and didn't get a reply when I asked why he did it.

I have never experienced / seen / heard of anything like this before :confused: Having said that though, if you had a cat, you'd be pretty stoked about the free kitty litter ;) :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5FDP

if you had a cat, you'd be pretty stoked about the free kitty litter ;) :p

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Ha!

The gravel/litter obviously isnt for safety reasons, maybe to balance larger figures to stop them toppling over? I'd prefer them not to do it as people usually stack heavier boxes at the bottom of piles, meaning more chance of your parcel getting crushed...

Just weird!

hmmm, perhaps it's a test if these get through, something else can get through as well in the future ;P. Pretty dodgy IMO. you guys sure it was just plain gravel?

I thinks the rocks were there to keep bugs and insects out of the boxes if they somehow creeped in.;)