posted on January 21, 2006 11:25:15 AM new
I was checking my feedback today and saw that a buyer left two positive feedbacks that read "Fast service but poor pkging". I emailed him and asked what the problem was and explained that I take the upmost care in my packing. He emailed me back these two pictures.
http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/mi/mikes4x4andtruckrepair/MVC001F.JPG
http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/mi/mikes4x4andtruckrepair/MVC002F.JPG
I emailed him back and explained that is in no way the way that I packaged and sent his two sets of diesel fuel injectors. When I packaged it I put one small gray plastic trash bag in the box, filled part way with shreaded cardboard and sealed. Placed in one set of injectors, then two layers of bubble wrap, then the next set of injectors. Then placed a second small gray plastic trash bag in box and filled the rest of the way with shreaded cardboard and sealed that bag. I put the invoice in the box with the note that reads to not open the bag (trying to prevent the customer from making a mess) and then sealed the box top and bottom with 3 inch brown kraft reinforced gum carton tape, down the seam and on both ends.
Well needless to say other than the box looking to have been droped off the sky scraper "all" the packing materials is also missing. I also did not seal the box with Priority Mail tape and must have been done by a postal employee.
Why would someone remove all the packing material? Was there someone desperate to get two small bags of shreaded cardboard and two sheets of bubble wrap? Is shreaded cardboard now a high dollar item? Just seems strange that they left a couple of hundred dollars worth of injectors and removed the packing. I informed the customer to report it to his post office and I plan on doing the same on Monday on my end. Luckily the injectors were unharmed and all 12 were still in the box but this, to say the least "Pisses Me Off!!!" It looks like the Postal Service is getting as bad as the United Package Smashers (UPS). Doesn't do much to safely package a item if the box is going to be ripped open and all the carefully placed packing material removed. Grhhhhh, just hit's a sore spot.
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
[ edited by mikes4x4andtruckrepair on Jan 21, 2006 11:29 AM ]
posted on January 21, 2006 12:36:16 PM new
I lost a valued long-time customer because of rifling.
What annoys me is not only the loss of product but the fact that the first I heard of it was in a letter from the postal inspectors' office. Instead of letting me know what had happened (that the package arrived empty), the customer went right to the Postal Service and filed a complaint.
Apparently, even after buying hundreds of items from me, she still felt there was a possibility I had sent her an empty mailing bag on purpose.
posted on January 21, 2006 01:21:24 PM new
I got lucky on this one fluff. At least the items were still in the box. They just removed the packing, very strange, very very strange. I just wish the buyer had let me know it had happened. The only reason I knew something was wrong was because of the feedback comment. If I had not emailed them and asked what was wrong with my packing job I would have never known. Makes me wonder how many other packages this has happened to that I was not contacted about.
I lucked out that it was two sets of diesel injectors and they would be very hard to damage, even with no packing. I'm just glad it was not a box with a fragile glass item in it. If it had been they would have gotten a box of glass dust.
By the way fluff, I'm glad your back. We need someone here to keep us straight Don't let the nasty hobgoblins run you off again.
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
[ edited by mikes4x4andtruckrepair on Jan 21, 2006 01:24 PM ]
posted on January 21, 2006 02:39:22 PM new
Looking at that box I am surprised all the parts arrived with it. Very strange plus your note is still there. Bet they wondered what that was all about.
Let us know what the post office said if you got a response. I'd be curious what tale they spit out.
Did you comment on the feedback to say it was postal rifling not your packaging?
I got an arm of a desk chair that had broken on a new chair replaced by Company and all that came was the arm with part of priority box that the address was on taped to the arm part, all scratched up and sticky tape remnants left on metal had to clean off. I was a bit perturbed to say the least.
**************
Can't touch this! uh huh, uh huh.
posted on January 21, 2006 02:50:00 PM new
USPS will open packages if the content is heavy (as in metal) and rattles .
I have a much smaller package of a solid iron daruma bell inspected and resealed,the bidder gave me a neutral for lousy packaging.
It is not me who is a lousy packer,it is the USPS inspector.
Israeli customs officer does the same thing with incoming package.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on January 21, 2006 04:02:33 PM new
This was a domestic shipment and traveled only in the US Cont.48 states. And I can assure you that there was no rattle when it left me. I had it very tightly packaged and there was no possibility of any movement of the injectors. The only thing I can figure is that the box was droped from a rather high height and burst open. Still does not explain why "all" the packing material was removed. Must have been those USPS gremlins at work here
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
posted on January 21, 2006 04:30:15 PM new
Did your priority boxes have EBay on them. None of my boxes I ordered from the P.O. have the ebay name on them. This would give it away for sure.
n
posted on January 21, 2006 07:51:41 PM new
No, I never use the ebay/usps cobranded boxes. I order all my USPS box's directly from the USPS via phone order.
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
posted on January 21, 2006 09:52:38 PM new
I would be freakin amazed, totally un-amused and ready to do battle with a bulk mail facility on Monday.
Accidents do happen, but I don't understand why they did not replace the packing material. Also, since it was a flat rate box to begin with, why did they not just pack it into another FRB?
Someone on this board has a spouse who is a postal worker. Perhaps they could shed some light on this for us.
Just out of curiosity Mike, how much did that box weigh?
posted on January 22, 2006 09:09:45 AM new
I checked my shipping info, the box weighed 14 pounds 7 ounces. Not very heavy for me. I have pushed the 70 pound limit on more than one occasion with those box's before and never had a problem with them opening up on their own
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
posted on January 22, 2006 01:17:33 PM new
Mike, you "heard" my thinking process. 14 pounds is easily within the burst rate for that box, so you are probably right about them dropping it from a high place.
Maybe it was delivered airmail? Right out of the airplane door at 30,000 feet, lol.
Don't let the nasty hobgoblins run you off again.
