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15" vase, 14-1/2" quasi-box

Categories: Rants; Experiences and daily life

Word count/read time: 702 words; 3 minutes

The internet has opened up markets for everything. What was once a hidden network of peddlers is now a quickly found electronic posting. A seller need not be a collector, expert, or interested in anything except making a buck.

The goal of packing is to ensure the item survives the casual drop-kicking or opportunistic mistreatment. Responsible sellers pack their items so that any damage is 100% the fault of the carrier. Others make lots of excuses and call you names.

BAD PRACTICES:

Put FRAGILE, GLASS, or HANDLE WITH CARE on the box - this is an invitation for abuse!
Send glass without enclosing it in a cardboard box
Send without insurance or tracking
Use more than two strips of tape to secure bubble wrap or wrapping paper
Use a padded envelope unless the item is in a cardboard box inside it
Using stinky packing materials
Styrofoam bits, glitter, and shredded paperlings leave a horrible mess
Over-packing is unnecessary and not fun as a buyer
Using more than two padding methods haphazardly (bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, etc.)

PREMIUM SERVICE:

When your packing is negligent, accept responsibility for your error. Lose the excuses, scapegoating, and pay up.
Use a rigid cardboard box with crushproof ratings
Use at least 1" of padding in all directions (3" ideal)
Make the package as small and light as possible without compromising its integrity
Valuable items should be photographed before, during, and after packing
Every external box seam should be taped. The address label should be fully covered in tape.
Items may shift during transit. Centrally position them within the box.

I've basically stopped asking or making shipping suggestions. Sellers are insulted easily and react accordingly. They all think they know better but ignorance breeds arrogance and they do what they want anyway regardless of how much it is stressed. I'll file fraud complaints and reports if it arrives "not as pictured or described." Ignore my suggestions at risk of being on the FBI and USPS fraud watchlists.

Here are some gems:

1. Delicate porcelain plate measured 12-1/4" wide. Seller used a box that was clearly marked as being 11-3/4" wide. Using a box that is smaller than the item itself should trigger a "Something's wrong!" response even in a hamster. 'Nuff said. I have received no less than 15 damaged plates due to boxes that were smaller than the plate's diameter.

2. During shipping, ingot or medal sets often end up being the most expensive maraca imaginable. Some quick instructions on my part make for a safe transit. However, this person went double-overboard by wrapping each of the 200 ingots separately in a 1/4 sheet of newspaper and tightly securing it with a few yards of invisible tape. Super safe but super duper overpacked.

3. A metal flask came wrapped tighter than a mummy. It was layer of cardboard, broken bubble wrap, and sticky packing cardboard sheets repeated until it was about one inch thick. Each layer was generously secured with clear packing tape in all directions. There was no rigid box so it got dented.

4. A creamer and sugar set was stacked inside a paper box and crammed into a padded envelope. The envelope immediately crushed the box but apparently this went unnoticed. The seller slathered the box in tiny, metallic glitter that has since colonized my carpet.

5. A 120 year-old vase packaged inside a bubble wrap envelope that barely closed. Two separate times! Immediately into the scrap pile.

There's a fine line between re-using packing materials and grabbing a handful of trash. I've seen adult diapers (unused, thankfully), veneered hardwood reinforcements, old rags, etc. Newspapers are the go-to material as they can be crumpled into any shape and density; it's more work but better than damaged goods.

For once I'd like the post office to contact me when a package arrives damaged so they understand it is nearly always the fault of the seller due to inadequate packaging. I'd like their name to go on a list that says, "Do not pay any claims from this person because they are idiots who can't package items properly." Just once.

Posted by M: March 31, 2018

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