Chinese Seller Cheaps Out on Shipping Ancient $1 Million Cauldron, Pays for It Dearly

One Chinese seller is in deep trouble and debt after an ancient bronze cauldron worth $1 million was broken while in transit to the buyer.

The bronze cauldron was claimed to have been from the Zhou Dynasty (1046 B.C.E. – 256 B.C.E.) and was passed down to generations by the man’s family. He also reasoned that the asking price of $1 million was relatively low compared to what the cauldron is actually worth.

After finding a buyer, the man shipped the prized item from an unknown location in Hunan Province to Shenzhen for $130. He also requested the delivery company to handle the package with care since it’s precious cargo.

Unfortunately for the seller and the buyer, the bronze cauldron was already shattered into pieces upon its arrival, South China Morning Post reported.

There were a few debatable issues that came up. The first is whether the delivery company properly sealed the box and indicated that the material inside is fragile. Secondly, many questioned the authenticity of the cauldron.

“If that piece is authentic, then only the seller can be blamed for trusting delivery couriers,” one online user said.

The courier company has since accepted responsibility for what happened but only promised to give around $4,350 as part of the insurance agreement.

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