Bad Packaging Jobs - Shipping issues - Why???

[wolfehr]

Yup, definitely learned my lesson. Media Mail + buying a box is more expensive than Priority Mail + free box, so I'm just going to use Priorty Mail going forward. I save money and buyer gets 2nd day.

Edit: The frustrating part for me is that my post office accepted the package and didn't say anything. Would have been nice to have been told the box type has to match the shipping type so I'd have an opportunity to correct.

[Br!an]

Priority Mail is usually quite a bit faster than Media Mail. The amount of time spent being thrown about is reduced.

Priority Mail also provides $50 of insurance.

*

I've used Priority Mail boxes to ship Media Mail by wrapping the box in brown paper.

[dnemec]

Priority Mail is usually quite a bit faster than Media Mail. The amount of time spent being thrown about is reduced.

Priority Mail also provides $50 of insurance.

*

I've used Priority Mail boxes to ship Media Mail by wrapping the box in brown paper.

FWIW, I used a wrapped Priority Mail box to ship Media Mail once. USPS opened the box and charged the recipient for the difference between media mail and priority - and it took media time to get there! Damn post office.

[Randall Flagg]

Priority Mail is usually quite a bit faster than Media Mail. The amount of time spent being thrown about is reduced.

Priority Mail also provides $50 of insurance.

*

I've used Priority Mail boxes to ship Media Mail by wrapping the box in brown paper.

FWIW, I used a wrapped Priority Mail box to ship Media Mail once. USPS opened the box and charged the recipient for the difference between media mail and priority - and it took media time to get there! Damn post office.

The USPS reserves the right to open packages shipped via Media Mail to confirm that they meet the requirements*

*Requirements

Media Mail® service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:

• 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.

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
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

[tippy4]

Priority Mail is usually quite a bit faster than Media Mail. The amount of time spent being thrown about is reduced.

Priority Mail also provides $50 of insurance.

*

I've used Priority Mail boxes to ship Media Mail by wrapping the box in brown paper.

FWIW, I used a wrapped Priority Mail box to ship Media Mail once. USPS opened the box and charged the recipient for the difference between media mail and priority - and it took media time to get there! Damn post office.

Yeah...I dunno.....the boxes are free if you ship Priority and pay the premium. You took a chance and got caught.......you can't really blame them.

I once saw an eBay member who received negative feedback for this.....you never know what will push a person's buttons.

[tippy4]

Yup, definitely learned my lesson. Media Mail + buying a box is more expensive than Priority Mail + free box, so I'm just going to use Priorty Mail going forward. I save money and buyer gets 2nd day.

Edit: The frustrating part for me is that my post office accepted the package and didn't say anything. Would have been nice to have been told the box type has to match the shipping type so I'd have an opportunity to correct.

Why buy a box?......there are free boxes everywhere.

Every time I am at Trader Joe's or any grocery store for that matter, I am always on the look-out for a nice book-shaped box, and if I see one, I ask if I can have it.

Same thing at work....you just need need to keep your eyes open.

[Fsmdr]

Yup, definitely learned my lesson. Media Mail + buying a box is more expensive than Priority Mail + free box, so I'm just going to use Priorty Mail going forward. I save money and buyer gets 2nd day.

Edit: The frustrating part for me is that my post office accepted the package and didn't say anything. Would have been nice to have been told the box type has to match the shipping type so I'd have an opportunity to correct.

Why buy a box?......there are free boxes everywhere.

Every time I am at Trader Joe's or any grocery store for that matter, I am always on the look-out for a nice book-shaped box, and if I see one, I ask if I can have it.

Same thing at work....you just need need to keep your eyes open.

This is the boxes I buy for shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o04_s00

I get the 9 X 12 X 3 for $12.75...it only comes out to 51 cents per box. Not bad at all. I hate not having the right sized box when I need it.

[Br!an]

The PO does have the right to open Media Mail. I've had to pay extra to receive a slipcase (no book) that was shipped Media Mail.

I now have no need to use USPS boxes for other than Priority. I purchase more books than I sell and simply keep the nice boxes I receive for reuse. I also keep good packing materials. The only thing I have to buy to ship a box is postage and tape.

[at_one]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

[carlosdetweiller]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

You don't say if the book suffered damage or not. How was the book itself?

[dnemec]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

Poor shipping pisses me off, but poor shipping AFTER I double-check to ensure that the packaging be solid and plentiful makes me homicidal. I hope you get it worked out.

[Br!an]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

[WeDealInLead]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

Funny. This seems more like ignorance than laziness/neglect.

I bet 99% of people on here would think they were doing a tremendous job their first time shipping a guitar or an amp. All those packing peanuts and reinforced corners won't save you from a negative feedback unless you loosen the strings and pull the tubes out first.

[Stockerlone]

A few years ago i bought Knowing Darkness, it arrived in a completely destroyed box, inside absolutely no packing material arround the book. But a big surprise..... only the slipcase had minimal damages....

[Randall Flagg]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

Funny. This seems more like ignorance than laziness/neglect.

I bet 99% of people on here would think they were doing a tremendous job their first time shipping a guitar or an amp. All those packing peanuts and reinforced corners won't save you from a negative feedback unless you loosen the strings and pull the tubes out first.

I shipped Taylor Cujo guitar to Canada and it arrived in perfect condition. I did however research how to properly package a guitar. The sad part on some books is that even if you get your money back, something of value to the collecting community has been damaged/destroyed. Money grows on trees, but a Taylor Cujo guitar (The Plant, a rare King proof etc.) can not be replaced.

[Br!an]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

Funny. This seems more like ignorance than laziness/neglect.

I bet 99% of people on here would think they were doing a tremendous job their first time shipping a guitar or an amp. All those packing peanuts and reinforced corners won't save you from a negative feedback unless you loosen the strings and pull the tubes out first.

I shipped Taylor Cujo guitar to Canada and it arrived in perfect condition. I did however research how to properly package a guitar. The sad part on some books is that even if you get your money back, something of value to the collecting community has been damaged/destroyed. Money grows on trees, but a Taylor Cujo guitar (The Plant, a rare King proof etc.) can not be replaced.

That is the tragedy exactly. The Cujo was fine except for slightly dirty page edges prior to the mishap. Now it's a reading copy.

I felt really bad about it. I realize it wasn't a Cujo guitar or rare proof, which would magnify the bad feeling, but still it was a collectible book that is no longer collectible.

I also think it was ignorance on the seller's part. She simply didn't know any better.

[herbertwest]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

Funny. This seems more like ignorance than laziness/neglect.

I bet 99% of people on here would think they were doing a tremendous job their first time shipping a guitar or an amp. All those packing peanuts and reinforced corners won't save you from a negative feedback unless you loosen the strings and pull the tubes out first.

I shipped Taylor Cujo guitar to Canada and it arrived in perfect condition. I did however research how to properly package a guitar. The sad part on some books is that even if you get your money back, something of value to the collecting community has been damaged/destroyed. Money grows on trees, but a Taylor Cujo guitar (The Plant, a rare King proof etc.) can not be replaced.

I remember a few years back when Shibus (was it him?) sold a GUNSLINGER proof to Bob (?) and it got damaged in the shipping...

[tippy4]

I bought a Cujo 1st/1st in NF+ condition for $25. I asked the seller to package it carefully. They put it in a padded envelope.

It arrived all beat up; crushed spine ends and all corners bumped. The seller apologized and issued a refund saying, "You even asked me to package it carefully."

I have probably posted this already.......but I keep the following in an email draft and copy and paste it into every Paypal transaction where I send money....

Please ship in a sturdy cardboard box big enough to allow for at least two inches of padding (foam peanuts, bubblewrap, etc.) on all sides of the book. Please pack tightly so book can't move at all once box is sealed. Condition is VERY important to me. THX

I then CONTACT SELLER, and send them the exact same thing....except I add Feedback will be left upon receipt (I don't put that in the first contact because there is a limited number of characters that will show up in the Paypal note email).

The reason for the "double contact" is that I have had sellers tell me "I did not see the note in the Paypal transaction (even though it comes through in the email).

Remember folks, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Rahfa]

Just sent a poster via priority mail - tracking number and all that, and it's stopped dead in its tracks and nobody knows what's up...

It's not a major loss - I'd lose the $40 profit of the sale but I'd get $50 back that covers my actual cost.

But it's so frustrating! We just think the tracking number basically ensures no problems, and nope! Gone and nobody can figure it out and with the USPS there's not much to be done...it's not like it's Fed-Ex that can find individual packages. But it's not like this was an envelope - it was a big tube.

Anyway - lame.

Going off what Tippy just posted, I should have put an invoice inside the tube with name/address - I just forgot. But obviously if the bar code is torn off or address label lost, that would be a problem. So just be aware people!

[at_one]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

You don't say if the book suffered damage or not. How was the book itself?

I have an open Paypal dispute so I dont want to comment too much, but the book has arrived in worse condition than it left the shipper. AND, it was not FedEx's fault.

[Rahfa]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

You don't say if the book suffered damage or not. How was the book itself?

I have an open Paypal dispute so I dont want to comment too much, but the book has arrived in worse condition than it left the shipper. AND, it was not FedEx's fault.

So stupid - a several-hundred dollar sale, and they don't want to take extra care with the most important part. Baffles me, it really does.

[at_one]

So, yesterday I received my EotD S/L via FedEx, from L.A. I verified with the seller that they were going to wrap it in bubble wrap and surround it in peanuts in a nice sturdy box. They agreed. I opened the box to find some dirty laundry!!! They literally wrapped my book in an old Coca Cola shirt and tossed it in a used USPS box with USPS designations crossed out and FedEx written above. And just to make sure they played soccer with my box, the seller wrote, "please handle gently" all over the box. After sending them a message, they replied, "take it up with FedEx". Needless to say, a case has been filed with Paypal.

You don't say if the book suffered damage or not. How was the book itself?

I have an open Paypal dispute so I dont want to comment too much, but the book has arrived in worse condition than it left the shipper. AND, it was not FedEx's fault.

So stupid - a several-hundred dollar sale, and they don't want to take extra care with the most important part. Baffles me, it really does.

No doubt. Bubble wrap+peanuts+a decent box would be $20 MAX.....why not spend the extra couple bucks to insure it gets to it's destination safe?

[firemonkey66]

I think one of the worst parts of at_one's experience is the fact that it was an EOTD. It's such a big impressive book that you really look forward to receiving once you've finally pulled the trigger on buying it. What a colossal let-down to open up the box and see a smelly t-shirt for packing material and a damaged book. All that anticipation for nothing. And now just the pain in the ass of trying to set it right. Sucks big time.

[at_one]

I think one of the worst parts of at_one's experience is the fact that it was an EOTD. It's such a big impressive book that you really look forward to receiving once you've finally pulled the trigger on buying it. What a colossal let-down to open up the box and see a smelly t-shirt for packing material and a damaged book. All that anticipation for nothing. And now just the pain in the ass of trying to set it right. Sucks big time.

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's a book I have wanted for quite a while, so to see this...

And the book wrapped in these...


Definitely broke my heart. The fact that the book was in worse condition than when it was sent to me was just a kick in the nuts.

[wizardsrainbow]

Dirty laundry as wrapping...just AWFUL.

I got a book wrapped in old curtains once...that was pretty weird...book was undamaged, I just couldn't believe it was curtains around the book.