Getting Stuck with Shipping

Some retailers really stick it to you with shipping. I recently purchased a Corbin seat online from Rick Roush. The site, www.rickroushaccessories.com, showed some of the best prices you could imagine on the web. The drawback was they have the highest shipping prices I've seen. Some of it is even puzzling enough that I ended up buying my chrome accessories elsewhere. I'm wishing I'd done the same for the seat. I got the seat finally and was really anxious to get home and install it. I don't get off work until 6:30 or so. It made for a long day on Thursday. I eventually got home and was puzzled. I asked my wife if she had taken the seat out of the shipping bag in the box. No. She had opened the box to inspect it as I asked, but that's all. So, there's nothing in this box (which is crunched in a couple places and the bottom has been unfolded on one side) except an upside down seat, the backrest, a bag holding 4 hex screws and a warranty, and packing material. There's no receipt, packing slip or installation instructions. I looked at the bike and the seat and immediately realize there's no way to secure the seat to the back of the bike. The front locks into the Roadstar mechanism, but there's nothing for the back, which isn't secure in any legal fashion. So, I go to the Corbin site and look for installation instructions. They are not easily found or clearly defined. It seems there is a bracket that should ship attached to the seat that replaces the fender bracket. I don't have one of those! I write a letter to Corbin and attach a photo of the area where the bracket is supposed to be. It appears to be damaged as if it has been broken off. Either way, it isn't going to work. While taking photos, I notice the seat also has been scuffed and torn in two small spots on the edge. This isn't right. I send an email to the retailer and call the next day. The "accessories" person isn't in so I leave detailed voicemail. The next day she called me back. She couldn't make out the photo real well, but it turns out the seat was returned and restocked. The guy said it was the wrong part for his VStar 1100. Whoever inspected it wasn't familiar with the seat and didn't know it was damaged. Now, I honestly can't determine when/where the damage occurred. It could have been before the first purchase of the seat. It could have been in shipping to me. Either way, I received damaged goods from a retailer. My punishment for this? I am now charged an additional $50 to ship it back to the retailer for a new order. I'm not happy. A retailer sends me damaged goods and I suffer an additional cost? That isn't right. That isn't doing right by the customer. My choices are slim and none and Slim just left town. As a person that both purchases a lot and influences the purchases of many others, I cannot in good conscious recommend places like this in spite of great prices. It gets down to the old phrase: Buyer Beware. I am awaiting the final process here. If it all works out favorably I'll definitely make comment here so you know. If not, I'll undoubtedly remove the link to their site. Let me know what you think.