Item received damaged, but I packed it well.
I always pack my items well. This was a two piece fairy lamp that was wrapped individually in bubble wrap and then packed all around with heavy brown paper. I don't know how one piece of the lamp arrived with broken pieces. This is the first time this has happened. Please advise what the next step is. This was sent ground with no insurance.
Thanks.
42 comments
m60driver
·10 months agoBreakables like glass sometimes break even with good packing. It is not always abuse by the shipper. You will never know why. Crikey, just refund and move on.
pickapaper
·10 months agoNo one else has mentioned it, but to give @vintagefinds20 the benefit of a doubt, there is always the possibility that the buyer dropped one of the pieces and broke it when he was unwrapping it and then claimed it arrived that way. Or he might have had a broken one and found this one to replace it. No way to prove either way, poor packaging or buyer's dastardly deed. Of course, on eBay, it doesn't matter; the seller has to make it good.
idealgems1
·10 months agoIt happened to us once when we had our brick-and-mortar store. I think you're just stuck and are going to have to write it off on this one. I don't believe UPS will reimburse you because it was not double boxed. In the future, pack it well like you do now. Then put that box in another outside larger box and pack that just as well. Then, you will be fine.
mustang707
·10 months agoWhen packing glass I always use a white foam sheet (also called polystyrene) to make the box more rigid. I also use large bubble wrap, peanuts or air pillows depending on the item. So far, no breakage. Heavy brown paper does not provide protection for glass. I do hate selling glass because I'm always worried it might not make it in one piece.
bonjourami
·10 months agoSorry this happened to you. But as mentioned, if you didnt double box that fragile item, you will probably have a problem collecting any insurance, due to 'insufficient packing'.
inhawaii
·10 months agoI always pack my items well ... except when they get damaged ... then they weren't packaged as well as I thought. 😉
tools*
·10 months agoBubble wrap and crumpled paper are not sufficient protection for glass in shipping.
tools*
·10 months agoPacking peanuts or other fairly dense foam, enough space, and double-boxing are how glass should be shipped. I've never had an item arrive damaged in my 27 years of selling on eBay and my 35 years of selling online.
toysaver
·11 months agoNot all bubble wrap is created equal. There's the cheap stuff with little bubbles good for jewelry and small items and the big cell for glass and fragile items.
ltldpr
·11 months agoAnd then there's that foam stuff used in mattress covers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZioClpkHrco
She drops test pkgs from her 2nd story deck. I personally would have chucked it harder than how she did it, and would have tried to get it to land on the corner, but it still seems to do a pretty good job. I also would have secured the layers with tape - taped them all together so they couldn't shift - but that's just me.
tobaccocardyahoo
·11 months agoI am sure someone else has already posted this but I am not going to read all of the posts.
Your description of your packaging does not indicate that you packaged well.
This lamp should have been double boxed. The parts of the lap, packed as you described inside the inner box, and the inner box backed inside an outer box with 3 or 4 inches of padding between all sides of the inner and outer boxes.
This takes longer, requires more packaging material, weighs more, and is likely to trigger dimensional weight, but it offers more protection.
I stopped shipping fragile items years ago when shipping costs went up, item prices went down, and I got lazier.
If anything else has transpired it is that carrier handling has gotten worse.
Most of your pottery should also be double boxed.
Lots of luck collecting insurance claims,
meme6253
·11 months agoSo many things can happen to a package no matter how well it was packed, I once had a customer send me a photo of my package when it arrived, The box was smashed in at every corner that it looked like a ball, But it was a glass beer mug & the mug was perfectly fine when he opened it, I wrapped the mug in heavy paper & then bubble wrapped it. Paper heavy or not is not the best barrier between the box & the item., As far as what you should do, I agree with soh.maryl on this one.
jdbelt1960
·11 months agoI sell and buy fine delicate porcelain items. I pack my items so they can be thrown around like a football. I find a lot of sellers wrap the item itself then used paper for the space between the item and box. Sometimes the box is to small. Also the seller sometimes uses yards of tape around a delicate item and the user breaks it trying to unwrap. Not saying this is your situation. Regardless have the buyer send a photo verification and issue refund. It happens.
funfactorychannel
·11 months agoIs this a new account if it is, you haven't sold enough to know what is packed well. I still make mistakes time to time.
It is better than It was a decade ago but can still happen.
jerseyboymusic
·11 months ago@funfactorychannel
The account has been around for 6 years, so I assume they know what they're doing
funfactorychannel
·11 months ago@jerseyboymusic age of account is a factor? I was only looking at only 73 items sold.
jerseyboymusic
·10 months agoYou asked if it was a new account, at least that's how I read your message
powell-collectibles
·10 months agoI've bought from some regulars (or use to be regular, now sporadic) posters on these boards. One has over fifteen years selling, and he does fancy himself to be just fine at packing. I found his packing to be absolutely horrible. Minimal protection, and it didn't do any wonders for the condition of the item during transit. When asked as to why he'd send a notoriously delicate item in a makeshift box with very little structural integrity, his excuse was that he didn't have a proper box for the item. Heck, the item was actually too big on one of the dimensions, so the "exposed" part was protected by a garbage bag.
And those are the sellers that come here to complain about a shifty buyer that must be fishing for a partial refund when they bring up damage during shipment 🙂 And those are the sellers that complain about poor sales, and fail to realize that they get precious few repeat buyers.
1786davycrockett
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20
"This was a two piece fairy lamp that was wrapped individually in bubble wrap and then packed all around with heavy brown paper."
Shipping companies (including USPS) are notorious for the ill treatment of packages sent through them -- all you need to do is view the official videos which they release, to observe the pounding which our packages need to endure! Packages are kicked; dropped from high elevations; stacked in piles with bigger and heavier boxes on top of them; delivered in puddles of mud, sleet and water; and occasionally even driven over by fork-lifts and delivery vehicles.
In short -- it is the responsibility of eBay sellers to ship their items in a safe and secure manner -- imagine that each of your shipments is actually a single egg -- and pack accordingly.
While using bubble wrap is a good beginning, you need to find a way to secure items such as this from the INSIDE, and not just the OUTSIDE. Perhaps the interior of the lamp should have been filled with packing peanuts, or wads of tissue paper, or something else that would have been able to provide just a little bit more protection than was provided.
"Heavy brown paper" is insufficient protection for items which are fragile -- packing peanuts might be a better solution, or air pillows. And, for additional safety (and peace of mind!), it is a good idea to pack fragile items inside a smaller, heavier container (padded, of course), before packing inside a larger container.
And shipping via USPS Priority provides better and safer results than USPS Ground Delivery, although the shipping charge will generally be higher. But the Priority Flat Rate boxes are thicker than most other shipping containers, and Priority nearly always provides for better treatment and handling.
Or you can take such fragile items to a UPS or FedEx store, and have one of their employees do the packing for you -- which, of course, is usually more expensive than USPS.
With the USPS holiday season coming up in just a couple weeks, we all need to be aware that the packages that we ship are about to go through a very bad (but predictable) period of mistreatment, and plan accordingly: Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
jonathanbrightlight
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20
Sorry to hear that the lamp was broken.
It's unclear from your original post, so most of the comments here are guessing or providing multiple options depending on the current situation, but if you could come back and update us on 1 important detail, that would be helpful:
Has the buyer opened a return request, or taken any other formal steps? Or have they only sent you messages explaining what happened?
Either way, I would recommend you refund them in full, but it will affect whether there are other steps you need to take on eBay.
If the buyer is cooperative, having them hold onto the package and lamp so that it can be inspected by the post office might be necessary if you try to file an insurance claim. It is unfortunately very difficult to win most claims of damaged items through shipping insurance, but if you want to pursue it, having the post office see the damaged item without it being shipped back to you first is often essential.
mommaknows
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20 I'm so sorry what a shame. It is hard when you pack well and things break. I, personally, would refund the buyer and make them whole. If you feel that starting a claim with USPS is something you are inclined to do, as stated, get pictures.
Take a breath......
mtgraves7984
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20
What a shame... sellers here empathize. Next time, ditch the heavy brown paper and double box. Better luck ahead.
powell-collectibles
·11 months agoNone of us know whether or not you packed it well. Plenty of sellers that think that they do, but they don’t. And, maybe you did pack well, but the journey was rough enough that it didn’t matter.
Regardless, I would just move on and refund. Sure, claim with the USPS for the damaged item, maybe you will get lucky. Damage claims are pretty difficult to get approved.
kandf_vintage_finds
·11 months agoI'm sorry this happened to you. This is disappointing to both you and your buyer.
This is what I would do:
FULLY refund the buyer now with or without a return request.
Overly apologize. I would let the buyer keep the item. I would not want to pay return shipping nor want a damaged item back.
Probably no luck getting anything from the carrier so I would not waste my time.
Learn from this and for future paper, bubble wrap and double box as in box each piece separately and then place in another box.
Move on.
toomuchstuffagain35
·11 months agoUnfortunately a lot of buyers don't want to pay the shipping costs to ship that way.
dhbookds
·11 months agoSuch a shame.........beautiful lamp, which was mailed (according to your listing)...either GA or Priority.....both of which have $100 worth of insurance. What I do is ask if there was damage to the box and if so, ask for a picture of it and the broken items for insurance purposes, stating that as soon as I get the pictures, I will refund. I usually get a pic....which may or may not be bad enough box damage to file a USPS claim. Even without pictures, I then go to the paid/shipped listing and issue a complete refund, asking the buyer to retain box and broken items for a couple of wks, as USPS may want them, and then file with USPS (if I got good pictures)....... I've always gotten pictures and a refund, but haven't had many broken.
muddylas
·11 months agoDid the buyer send you photos? If the item was truly damaged, you need to refund for the entire order. It's on you to make sure the buyer receives what he bought regardless if it is lost or damaged. It's also on you if you did not insure it. However, I believe if it was shipped USPS ground advantage, $100.00 insurance is included.
stuff4divas
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20 don't know what the cost of your item was, but USPS GA has an automatic $100 insurance, so u can at least get that.
Once u contact USPS they will either require your buyer to bring the damaged pkg to the post office so they can determine the fault, either how it was packaged or too rough a treatment by them.
Or, they will ask u to send photos. Or, maybe something else. You won't know until you make a claim.
As for the buyer, they open a return item case, u can then send them a prepaid shipping label to send the lamp back, or just refund them and they keep the lamp.
albertabrightalberta
·11 months agoAs a seller, I had a buyer receive a damaged item (shipped by GA). When the buyer notified me, I issued a refund and filed an insurance claim with USPS using the buyer's pictures as evidence.
I received payment for the claim based solely on pictures.
(I didn't want to pay for the return of a now-useless item so I took a chance in filing with pictures. I suspect that the post office's own tracking and photographing along the way also helped prove that they did the damage.)
stuff4divas
·11 months ago@albertabrightalberta correct, that is why my next sentence after the one sentence u copied was:
"Or, they will ask u to send photos"
krazzykats
·11 months agoDogpile!
Why is it called a dogpile and not a catpile?
á“šá˜á—¢
roccotacodad54
·10 months agoNine-mile skid on a ten-mile ride
Hot as a pistol but cool inside
Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile
-Robert Hunter / Jerome Garcia (He's Gone 1972)
Cats alrady had dibs on the tin roof.............................
nyr134
·11 months agoNot so. USPS Ground Advantage comes with up to $100 insurance against loss or damage. Check the USPS website or your local post office for details on how to make a claim.
cityslickercreations2004
·11 months agoSince you are aware the lamp arrived broken, I presume the buyer has contacted you in some way.
You will have to refund the buyer if they file a case with ebay or you can do elect to do this without a case.
You may be able to negotiate a partial refund with the buyer. This is based on the premise that the lamp is still usable. E.g. I broke a glass chimney insert on my hurricane lamp but kept using the lamp. If not usable, refund in full including shipping.
toomuchstuffagain35
·11 months agoA fairy lamp really isn't much use without both parts unfortunately.
krazzykats
·11 months agoYou have two options:
1 - Refund the buyer and cover the cost to have the item returned to you.
2 - Refund the buyer and let them keep the item.
It’s not the buyer’s fault they received a damaged product.
Such a shame—it looked like a beautiful lamp.
á“šá˜á—¢
inhawaii
·11 months agoEvery seller/shipper that has ever had anything arrrive damaged says it was packaged well.
vintagefinds20
OP11 months agoYour reply has not been helpful. I asked how to resolve the problem of a buyer receiving a damaged item. I know some people are untruthful. You are rude and not a superstar. Try harder.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoYour buyer has 30 days after receipt to open an item not as described case. You will have to send a prepaid return label and refund in full upon receipt of the return. Or, if you'd prefer not to get your broken item back, you can just go ahead and refund. You can ask for a picture if you wish.
ltldpr
·11 months agoThere's also the automatic $100 worth of insurance for USPS Ground Advantage, but that would require the buyer taking the item and all the packaging to their local PO, as far as I know, and a lot of people are not interested in doing that. Also, the claim could still be rejected.
jerseyboymusic
·11 months ago@vintagefinds20
@inhawaii is right in that everyone who complains of damage in shipment says the item is packed well.... AND I do believe you packed the lamp well.
BUT these carriers seem to roughhouse packages. Items need to be packed to withstand a nuclear blast. I've sold fragile stuff in the past that I packed extremely well, but had arrived damaged.
You basically have three choices:
Refund the buyer and they can keep the item
Or accept an Ebay return request and have it sent back to you and refund the buyer
OR the buyer can do a chargeback via their credit card company, they keep the item, get refunded by you AND you get charged a processing fee from their credit card company
asset_liquidators
·11 months ago"Every seller/shipper that has ever had anything arrive damaged says it was packaged well."
And it very well could have been, but that doesn't mean it won't get damaged. If a truck runs over it, or it is dropped from the 3rd floor of a building, no amount of packaging will save it.
You can drop a package off a rooftop and if it was packed well and lands flat it will show no outer signs of damage. The contents however...😩