posted on July 11, 2002 04:26:02 PM
What would you do in this case?
Just looking for the right advice, to help me decide!
At the moment I'm a little HOT, and don't want to do the wrong thing!!
Over the weekend I bought something on EBAY so this is the right thread!!
I paid a good price so I wanted it Virgin!
(The problem is with shipping),he didn't charge too much I would have been willing to pay more!
Upon paying him I asked him PLEASE do not fold or roll.
He said he would ship in a padded mailer and would put in cardboard so it would not get bent!
Padded mailer: Trying to save money! Well there's nothing wrong with that,I'm not against anyone making money!
Well it came today,shipped in a padded mailer,wrapped in an express mail letter flat(which is against the law) which only encased it 3/4 of the way around,and was folded in half in my mail box!
It was stamped ( DO NOT BEND)
For which I intend to go to the P.O. in the morning and talk to the Postmaster! For the pay increase they got they could at least follow their own instruction's!
BUT what would you do about the seller?
He really did nothing to protect as asked!
When I ship thing's like this I encase in cardboard, then put in a box,NO possible way to get bent,unless someone mutilates it through sheer carelessness,they couldn't even accidently bend it removing from box.
What Would You Do?
posted on July 11, 2002 04:53:54 PM
If I had done that, which I wouldn't have, I would want to know. I always wonder how my packages are when they get to the buyer and obviously they are okay because nobody says anything. If I was that seller I would want to know so he doesn't do it again and also that seller should refund your money with no questions asked. Take a picture of your package, if you still can, and send it to him with your email. Then go talk to the postmaster not just your everyday postal clerk.
posted on July 11, 2002 05:27:43 PM
i have the same problem with pretty much most of my packages. i live in an apartment community and we have tiny mailboxes at the end of the road. the post man somehow manages to fold and bend them so they will fit in the mailbox. even the ones that say "do not bend" or "do not crush". the contents have yet to be damaged but i find it amazing what they will do to say the time to drive to my door and leave the package there. oh well.
posted on July 11, 2002 05:28:39 PM
You can be sure I intend to talk to the postmaster! Why was a package marked (Do Not Bend) folded in half in my mailbox!!
The mail man used to bring them to my door, said he was instructed to do the same as UPS when it came to deliveries.
But what you do about the feedback for the seller, He really did nothing to prevent this!
[ edited by dadofstickboy on Jul 11, 2002 05:39 PM ]
posted on July 11, 2002 06:59:41 PM
The item was not damaged!
But it could have been!
I asked for consideration in advance but did not receive it.
That's what burns my BUTT!!
posted on July 11, 2002 07:44:48 PM
As someone who has spent the last eleven years in shipping, I can tell you all of the carriers (the USPS included), specifically, warn in the fine print (the Domestic Mail Manual in this case) that they are not obligated to honor warnings on the box. So adding fragile, do not bend, this side up, etc. is no guarantee of special handling. All of the shipping carriers indicate in their fine print that individual shippers are responsible for adequately packaging the goods to avoid any potential damage. If you have ever toured a USPS, UPS or FedEx mail processing facility, you know why these disclaimers are made. All of the packages are mechanically pushed and shoved and also thrown by employees multiple times. Consequently, you were right to ask for better packaging. In all honesty, a padded envelope should only be used for large stacks of documents, inexpensive books, low cost clothing and such. Anything of much value should ALWAYS be packaged in a box with the proper padding (bubble wrap, packing peanuts, foam sheets, etc.). Thankfully, you got lucky so try to educate the seller rather than berate him/her. Odds are, like many other folks, he/she is, simply, not fully aware of carrier shipping requirements. Good luck!
posted on July 11, 2002 08:25:05 PM
This is a copy of the E-mail I sent him, names omitted!
Am I being too hard or not enough?
Start:
First off let me say that I am not a hard A$$!
And that you did nothing wrong trying to make a profit!
But I asked it not be rolled or folded!
When I received it today it was folded in half stuck in my mailbox!
I am going to the P.O. in the morning to find out why I received it in this condition!
You told me you would put it in cardboard!
You did NOT you folded it in an EXPRESS FLAT MAILER which is against the LAW!!
And was only enclosed 3/4 of the way around!!!
Which did nothing to protect it.
I'm up in the air at the moment as to the feedback I will leave, you can rest assured I will not leave NEG. but you need to learn to satisfy your customer's wishes a little better
While you did mark it do not bend,you did not take into consideration that it would run into an idiot who could not read!
If you HAD put CARDBOARD in it, they would have brought it to my door since it would have not fit in the mailbox!
Had I not asked for consideration in advance I would have not expected it!
But I did!!
posted on July 12, 2002 08:33:37 AM
Herein lies yet more support for insuring packages.
While carriers may state in their TOS that they are not liable for damages that occur contrary to "instructions" (e.g., Do Not Bend, Do Not Fold, Do No Crush, etc.) entered on the actual package, a carrier who accepts, without expressly and specifically stating upon acceptance any directly applicable caveat(s) or/and exclusion(s), a package that contains specific handling instructions can be held liable for damages to said package.
In such cases, the insurer takes over...assuming the package has been insured.
Small consolation for a damaged collectible. But at least costs/losses can be recovered. That is, if the package was insured.
posted on July 12, 2002 08:58:22 AM
Dadofstickboy,
I think you really need to decide who deserves the brunt of your anger. In my opinion, it should be the Post Office. I am a PowerSeller of magazine ads. I ship all of my ads in specialized Stay-flat mailers that are made of heavy-duty cardboard. I also notate "Please do not fold or bend" on all my envelopes. This method of shipment is without a doubt one of the safest and effective methods for shipping paper collectibles. Regardles... there is NOTHING anyone can do to stop the postal carrier who is determined to shove a 9x12" inch envelope in a 3x3" space.
What I'm trying to say, is even if the seller had followed all your shipping instructions, it is likely that the same result would have occurred. The seller in this scenario did show that he was at least trying to ship it properly. The positive actions he made were:
1) Marked it "Do not bend"
2) Attempted to protect it with his idea of cardboard
His mistakes were:
1) Didn't use enough cardboard
2) Used USPS supplies illegally
3) His choice of cardboard was less than adequet (those envelopes are really just the equivalent of heavy paper)
These points, considered, I think you can see that the seller WAS making the effort.. but may have not had the proper experience to ship the item correctly. Now... that said, I think your e-mail to this seller was very unprofessional, rude and not helpful in the least. You have a very negative tone in it. A more effective e-mail would have been to explain calmly the mistakes the seller made, and make suggestions on how he could avoid them in the future, and express how thankful and lucky you are that your item was not damaged. People or much more willing to listen when approached in a positive manner. Not everybody on eBay has the same level of experience. Personally, I would think it would be nice if those of us with more experience could help those who have less.
posted on July 12, 2002 09:25:55 AM
eauctionmgnt:
My Email:
Unprofessional- maybe.
Rude- I didn't think so.
Helpful- I pointed out what he did wrong.
Negative tone- I wasn't looking on the bright side.
Make suggestion's to prevent this- If he had acctually done what he said he was going to do this more than likely would not have happened.
Anyway, after a few back and forth Email's we smoothed it over.
I left him POS. based on his responce to the Email's and the fact that he did ship quickly!
As for the P.O. I went this morning talked to the Postmaster a (JOKE).
( I can't be with my drivers, on the road they are on their own to use their best judgment.Also if it was that fragile it should have been packed in a box or the like.)
posted on July 12, 2002 10:47:36 AM
dadofstickboy!
Relax! Take a chill pill!
Look at what you are saying!
You are going to go complain to someone about something that did not result in any damage!
The postmaster will not care!!!
This incident does not deserve a neg! And you will undoubtedly get one back for being difficult, unrealistic and demanding!
Yes, the guy did not package the item as you instructed! He is an idiot! You got your item but it was undamaged anyways! You are really mad because the guy was an idiot and did not respect your request! Do not let this guy ruin your day or your feedback!
