Another seller that believes bubble envelopes are great! • Page 2 • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Another seller that believes bubble envelopes are great!
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JasonZavoda
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 2:59 pm

I just had another idiot send an item with a bubble mailer. I asked for thick cardboard and Do Not Bend written on both sides of the package. No Do Not Bend and he cuts up a small priority box, the kind used for vhs tapes it looks like, smaller than the book and with fold lines all through it.

Frankly bubble mailers on their own are freaking useless. A seller needs to use a flat box at least, two thick pieces of cardboard with the module or book sandwiched tightly inbetween with the corners and edges taped shut and secure. Might as well use paper or a manilla, the bubble does nothing.

A box doesn't need width it needs thick cardboard and padded edges, though the post office can still beat the hell out of any package.

As for feedback, most buyers don't bother leaving any, and many buyers just accept damaged goods. But a bubble mailer on its own should rate the seller a negative feedback and rock bottom DSRs

simrion
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 4:32 pm

I've always been leery of "Do Not Bend..." Call me paranoid but I feel like it is an open invitiation to a disgruntled postal employee to bend away..........I concur that some stiff cardboard inserted in the bubble mailer is a must, perhaps wrapping in plastic wrap, poly or a grocery store plastic bag to avoid potential moisture damage too.

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JasonZavoda
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 4:53 pm

simrion wrote:I've always been leery of "Do Not Bend..." Call me paranoid but I feel like it is an open invitiation to a disgruntled postal employee to bend away..........I concur that some stiff cardboard inserted in the bubble mailer is a must, perhaps wrapping in plastic wrap, poly or a grocery store plastic bag to avoid potential moisture damage too.

Packages without Do Not Bend are an open invitation to being shaped to fit a mailbox.

Pipswich
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 6:45 pm

The do not bend argument is circular. It is dependent upon the mailman doing your delivery and will vary. Some are mean spirited and will fold stuff out of spite. Others are considerate and will not bend things marked do not bend. Some probably barely pay attention to what they are doing and are inconsistent. (My guess is that's the norm).

Clear communication before the transaction ends or before payment is made is probably the best solution. It is not unusual for my wife to get special packing requests after things have already been packed and/or shipped.

I would also think that if you have a problem with a seller, that contacting them for resolution is the primary step. Getting your money back or a discount is a reasonable remedy. Harming someone business (hobby or livelihood) when they are willing to remedy an error is... mean spirited.

It appears that some think they can dictate the terms of shipping after the fact. That's unreasonable unless they are willing to pay for any excess charges. And, are there advocates for dinging someone for a scenario that didn't get damage. That's ridiculous.

If someone packs so poorly that items are getting damaged, the people getting damaged goods are going to demand refunds and/or ding them fast enough to solve the problem. Negatives and dsr dings for things that "might have happened"... or that represent prophetic pronouncements about what will happen to someone else are out of line. If your stuff gets damaged... contact the seller. If nothing happened but you are a nervous ninny.... go have a beer and calm down, lol.

That you is not directed at anyone in particular here, btw. More conceptual.

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Badmike
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 6:49 pm

Pipswich wrote:The do not bend argument is circular. It is dependent upon the mailman doing your delivery and will vary. Some are mean spirited and will fold stuff out of spite. Others are considerate and will not bend things marked do not bend. Some probably barely pay attention to what they are doing and are inconsistent. (My guess is that's the norm).

.

Writing "Do Not Bend" is basically a "CYA" move on the part of the seller. If you write it on the package and it's bent, clearly it's the fault of a psychotic mailman. If you DONT write it on the package, it will be your fault and the buyer will complain the reason it was bent was because you didn't write "Do Not Bend" on the package. So everything being equal, it doesn't hurt (and could help) to put that on every package you send.

Mike B.

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Pipswich
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 6:57 pm

That makes good sense to me as a CYA strategy.

Frankly, most bubble wrapped packages with cardboard included to help make it rigid won't fold easily and will only bend a modest amount. Packed well, some of the P.O. employees would strain themselves trying to fold many of them.

I do understand that not everyone can just go get a bigger mailbox, but that's an easy solution for many of us. Bigger box can equal no folding and a collecting problem solved.

Pipswich Peddles (and trades) for his collection!
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JasonZavoda
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:08 pm

Pipswich wrote:The do not bend argument is circular. It is dependent upon the mailman doing your delivery and will vary. Some are mean spirited and will fold stuff out of spite. Others are considerate and will not bend things marked do not bend. Some probably barely pay attention to what they are doing and are inconsistent. (My guess is that's the norm).

Clear communication before the transaction ends or before payment is made is probably the best solution. It is not unusual for my wife to get special packing requests after things have already been packed and/or shipped.

I would also think that if you have a problem with a seller, that contacting them for resolution is the primary step. Getting your money back or a discount is a reasonable remedy. Harming someone business (hobby or livelihood) when they are willing to remedy an error is... mean spirited.

It appears that some think they can dictate the terms of shipping after the fact. That's unreasonable unless they are willing to pay for any excess charges. And, are there advocates for dinging someone for a scenario that didn't get damage. That's ridiculous.

If someone packs so poorly that items are getting damaged, the people getting damaged goods are going to demand refunds and/or ding them fast enough to solve the problem. Negatives and dsr dings for things that "might have happened"... or that represent prophetic pronouncements about what will happen to someone else are out of line. If your stuff gets damaged... contact the seller. If nothing happened but you are a nervous ninny.... go have a beer and calm down, lol.

That you is not directed at anyone in particular here, btw. More conceptual.

The main problem Ive seen isnt the buyer, its the seller trying to scam a few dollars with inferior packaging and just not giving a damn till they are forced to. Im just cleaning out stuff and frankly Im sick of scam artists sellers, so Ive given two negs in the last week. Thats more than I usually give in a year.

If a seller wants to skimp on packaging so they can undercut other sellers and/or make a few bucks through inflated shipping costs or just so they can save time and toss a book in an envelope rather than spending time with cardboard, bags and tape, then they are going to reap what they sow. I keep seeing sellers say that they arent responsible for lost or damaged packages. Well, they will learn what the paypal policy is to their loss.

TheHistorian
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:51 pm

JasonZavoda wrote:I keep seeing sellers say that they arent responsible for lost or damaged packages.

I find this piece interesting. Their saying that doesn't make it true/binding.

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JohnGaunt
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:11 pm

TheHistorian wrote:
JasonZavoda wrote:I keep seeing sellers say that they arent responsible for lost or damaged packages.

I find this piece interesting. Their saying that doesn't make it true/binding.

*nods* Some sellers also claim to not give refunds, which disturbs and amuses me.

JasonZavoda wrote:Well, they will learn what the paypal policy is to their loss.

Like Jason said.

smarmy1
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:02 pm

For most items I win on eBay, I will send a message to the seller after the auction is over asking if he will take extra care when packaging the item for shipment. If the item will fit in an envelope (bubble wrap, manila, flat rate, etc.), I request that he place stiff cardboard on both sides of the book, or if the item is more expensive, I ask if he will ship in a box with bubble wrap and/or packing peanuts to prevent bends, tears, and dings, or god forbid rips in the shrink

. With box sets and the like, I always request extra packing materials in a larger box to keep the box from getting crushed, dinged, or flattened. Since I am requesting a little something extra from the shipper in terms of time and/or materials, I generally offer to pay for the service. As a majority of the sellers are not collectors or even professional sellers/shippers, I find that most people will agree without charging me extra.

I'm sure most of us have had horrible shipping experiences one time or another so unless I'm dealing with one of you guys, I make a request. Obviously, it is more time consuming, but I have found it minimizes my own shipping calamities like the time I won a shrink box set and the seller wrapped a brown paper bag around the box and stuck it in the mail..... :cry:

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Pipswich
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:21 pm

The good news is paypal doesn't mess around with the bozo sellers anymore. If the worst we have to worry about is losing a couple of bucks and some time sending something back, at least we don't have to worry about getting completely skewered for the full price. I am not saying it isn't frustrating when the sellers are so clueless.

And, for those of you sending detailed packing notes, it dawned on me that they probably do work well. The problem with most inexperienced sellers is not that they ship so quickly that they don't get the message.... They are not only the ones who pack poorly, they are also the ones who sometimes forget they even put something on ebay for a week.

If I have a pet peeve, it is the sellers who completely forget that they listed something on ebay or put something up and leave for vacation without access to email.

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Busman
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:56 am

Doug Williams wrote:
I think this pretty much sums it up.

Adding a snide remark in your positive feedback for a transaction you are satisfied with is poor form, IMO. This would have been better handled in a private message to the seller. "Hey bro. I got the items I won in your auction and they arrived in good shape and I left you positive feedback. You might want to reconsider the way you package though. I don't think the bubblewrap mailers offer sufficient protection. In my case, it worked out fine, but it might not next time. Word to the wise..."

Just my opinion.

I think you opinion is totally valid. I didn't intend my remark as snide, merely factual. In the future, I'll try the email on the side, but I suspect it will be relatively fruitless, but maybe met with more open minds.

ashmire13
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 1:08 am

From recent sales I've made, most items have been sent (where they fit) into bubble envelopes, with stiff card to protect the book/mag/mod. This includes stuff to guys sent to the US from this site via Surface from the UK and it still made it ok.

I've received no complaints and the boxset and larger books I've sold recently have gone into boxes packed around with egg cartons or similar to prevent bumping. I think I've learnt as a new seller, that I prefer to get my items safely, and so would others who have bought from me.

(Bizarrely, the last shippings I made received a comment from the PO counter worker - If I packed them less, or folded the envelope down more, I could cut down costs and make more money... :roll:

)

That said, I also gave a seller +FB a while back and noted that packaging could have been better in the FB comments, as I feel that was a true and open note worth advising.

The seller didn't comment back, so maybe no harm done..

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puterdragon
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 1:16 am

The bottom line as I think of it is:
The consciencious sellers will rise to the top of the heap--by avoiding ambiguities, as a matter of practice.

FormCritic
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:54 pm

JasonZavoda wrote:I keep seeing sellers say that they arent responsible for lost or damaged packages.

Yes, I still see this a lot.

It's roughly like saying, "Not responsible for things that are my responsibility."

I suppose, as a seller, it can't hurt to try to protect yourself as much as possible.

However, when I see this it makes me wonder if the seller will try to cut corners or be dishonest with other things.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

Badmike
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 1:22 pm

FormCritic wrote:
Yes, I still see this a lot.

It's roughly like saying, "Not responsible for things that are my responsibility."

I suppose, as a seller, it can't hurt to try to protect yourself as much as possible.

However, when I see this it makes me wonder if the seller will try to cut corners or be dishonest with other things.

Obviously, when an idiot postman stomps or bends your package, or a piece of machinery takes off a corner of a box, it isn't the sellers FAULT. However, the seller is (unfortunately) RESPONSIBLE for the package until it gets into the buyer's hands. That is the disconnect I often see with sellers who try to disavow all "responsibility".

Mike B.

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"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
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deimos3428
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:59 pm

Badmike wrote:However, the seller is (unfortunately) RESPONSIBLE for the package until it gets into the buyer's hands.

is that eBay policy or something? There are various shipping terms for a commercial transaction, and "FOB origin" is actually by far the most common -- ie., it is the buyer's responsibility once it leaves the loading dock, and the buyer pays for shipping/insurance. That's how it works on the other electronic stores I frequent, anyway...unless I elect to pay extra for additional coverage/ rapid RMA services.

Badmike
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 4:33 pm

deimos3428 wrote:is that eBay policy or something? There are various shipping terms for a commercial transaction, and "FOB origin" is actually by far the most common -- ie., it is the buyer's responsibility once it leaves the loading dock, and the buyer pays for shipping/insurance. That's how it works on the other electronic stores I frequent, anyway...unless I elect to pay extra for additional coverage/ rapid RMA services.

It's Ebay's policy, to the point you can't even ask a buyer to pay for insurance anymore...it's the SELLER'S responsibility to have the item insured, regardless of what the buyer wants it or not.

Basically, whatever condition the item arrives in, it's the seller's job to make it right, per ebay's policies.

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

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