Holy shit, it looks like Waterstones ships their packages to a zoo for some heavy gnawing and then has them forwarded to their customers. That's friggen awful.
Holy shit, it looks like Waterstones ships their packages to a zoo for some heavy gnawing and then has them forwarded to their customers. That's friggen awful.
Looking for:
- Philtrum Press Eyes of the Dragon RED #165
- Fine Viking Eyes of the Dragon proof
I don't know who determined that it was acceptable to ship valuable books in cardboard sleeves.
"One day you're going to figure out that everything they taught you was a lie."
Copied from my CTCC post: Wow! There is just no excuse for such poor packaging and handling. That's ridiculous and just plain lazy on Waterstones part. Glad I had a member pick up a copy for me and will be doing the shipping.
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Looks like the package fell off a pallet, belt, etc. and was run over by a forklift, or some trailer. Definitely some form of tire track. Something similar happened to me with a brand new (first use) piece of luggage on a trip to Costa Rica several years back. Fortunately the 24 bottles of beer inside survived, and I received a full refund on the luggage.
Waterstone's offered a 10% refund.
I said I'd prefer to return them.
Waiting to hear back.
"One day you're going to figure out that everything they taught you was a lie."
OMG Brian. That is AWFUL.
This is not a bad packing job posting but a small jab at the USPS nevertheless. It seems they have been talking with my mom and now agree with her that comic books are not "media" and not eligble for Media Mail rates!
I cry foul!!!!!
"Thanks, but no, it isn't a cowboy hat. It's a fedora. And yes, Indianna Jones is still socially relevant."
Comics are not Media Mail, unless you can convince the USPS that the comic was/is a periodical (a magazine or newspaper published at regular intervals).
Per the USPS:
Media Mail® service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:
Media Mail Packages may not contain advertising except that books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. In accordance
- Books (at least 8 pages).
- Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs.
- Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
- Printed music.
- Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
- Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films.
- Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
- Printed educational reference charts.
- Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.
with standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM 300) 173.3.2, Media Mail Packages are subject to inspection by the Postal Service™. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper rate and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage (DMM 604.8.1).
For more information about Media Mail service, please visit www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Complete explanations of qualified items may be found in DMM 173.3.2.
Notice 121
July 2008
PSN 7610-07-000-4037
Saw the book in half, add real or fake blood and fingerprints, take photos, send pics to Waterstones demanding a 110% refund PLUS return postage.
No big deal really, i could have just said they were magazines.
My biggest complaint is that after all those years of my arguing with mom about the Literary And Cultural Value of comic books, the USPS decides to take her side!
Comics are Literature!!! I mean come on, did anybody else ever read all 300 issues of Cerberus the Aardvark? Goddam poetry it was!
"Thanks, but no, it isn't a cowboy hat. It's a fedora. And yes, Indianna Jones is still socially relevant."
It's only a problem if you get caught. I've had a couple packages opened (all books, no problem), and only one was ever opened and returned. It was a calendar and thus very light compared to the package size. That was 7+ years ago.
Now I just follow the rules. I have shipped an empty slipcase or two, but I either pay the higher rate, or put a PB book in the slipcase so as to qualify.
I print my own shipping labels, thus rarely interact with a USPS person at a Post Office.
Periodicals with advertisements are excluded. Most of the comics I've seen do have advertisements. This is a bit contentious since a lot of books do advertise as well but it's usually for other books.
[venting]
I know this is a well worn common complaint, but I am so sick of ebay sellers who clearly market their item to a collector by pointing out all of the condition points a collector is interested in knowing, takes all of the right pictures, knows the right points to show it is the 1st printing, etc....then mails it in a fucking bubble envelope. WTF was the point?!? You are a fucking book dealer! How do you not get this?!!?!?
[/venting]
The worst. I finally tracked down a Gene Wolfe book in fine condition and the turkey brain sent it in a bubble envelope.
I just received a S/L Stand from Canada in a thin box same size as coffin traycase and 4 deflated air pillows for padding...that is it...AMAZING thing is, book made it without damage...pretty incredible given lack of support for a noted fragile book.
Dragline : Nothin'. A handful of nothin'. You stupid mullet head. He beat you with nothin'. Just like today when he kept comin' back at me - with nothin'.
Luke : Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.