Packaging
Summary: g218-97 expressed frustration over excessive packaging from sellers, making it difficult to open parcels without creating waste. Respondents explained that secure packaging, including taped flaps and reinforced envelopes, prevents damage and theft during transit. Some acknowledged the challenge faced by those with limited hand strength due to age or health conditions. The discussion highlighted differing perspectives on packaging, with many sellers emphasizing the necessity of rigorous packing methods to protect items, even if it causes minor inconvenience for buyers.
Sometimes it can be a real challenge opening the envelopes and packages sent by sellers. After cutting, un-wrapping and un-sticking all the layers of cardboard, paper and plastic employed to secure and protect the postcard or other item being sent, then one must fill a trash bin with unwanted materials.
But the deliveries received that irritate me the most are those envelopes tightly filled with material taped to the inside of the envelope. Or, the Seller utilizing those nice ebay heavy paper envelopes having a simple, easy to open draw string - securely taped over.
I hate to put people on the spot by mentioning these things in the review comments, but I sure hope some of those Sellers might read this and sympathize.
albertabrightalberta
·3 weeks ago@g218-97
Sellers are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
You say, "paper and plastic employed to secure and protect the postcard" so clearly, you understand that your sellers are trying to make sure that your postcard is arriving safely, not dinged, folded, torn or otherwise not as pictured and described.
What if the seller just stuck a postcard in an envelope and sometime between when they mailed it and when you received it, it got caught in one of USPS's sorting machines and got ripped? Or what if the glue or clip on the manila envelope didn't stay secured and it opened up and you received an empty envelope.?
If either of the above happened, would you be happy? Would you say that at least, the seller didn't over-secure the package?
You can't have it both ways. Be happy that you have sellers who care enough to make sure you get your purchases in the excellent condition as shown and described in listings.
deltilogical
·3 weeks agoI've had customers ask for the item to be taped to the envelope so it doesn't slide around - now I do it generally because it seems to be more stable.
The solution to avoiding packing material is to shop retail!
bolensparts-360
·3 weeks agoI'm a seller but feel the same you do about those types of packing on envelopes! . We always leave the pull strings active on the outside but tape the center just in case it does pull away in shipping. Since we are a dealer and sell new parts mainly we get to reuse alot of boxes and packing paper from the distributors my one pet peeve is peanuts! Cant stand when I get them and never will send them to a customer!. To ship gaskets we cut up larger boxes and use a gum tape dispenser to seal the corners totally eliminates the need for all the extra envelopes. The worst types of packing is when a item is left rolling loose around in the box , a proper packaged item should have ZERO movement when you try to shake it around.
pj895
·3 weeks agoThanks for posting. Always have room for a new friend.
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@g218-97 You'd likely feel differently about it if you were the seller. Sellers are held financially responsible for whatever they ship until it arrives at the buyer's address. So it needs to be packaged well enough to survive the trials and tribulations of the Carrier and travelling.
How do you feel when an item arrives poorly packaged and damaged? What do you tell the seller then? Do you file a claim and expect the seller to refund you?
bashort
·3 weeks agoI really really dislike packing peanuts,
chapeau-noir
·3 weeks agoSometimes they're necessary, though (I'd rather use something else, too). I try to get the ones that don't get bits all over the place.
gurlcat
·3 weeks ago · EditedThe way they static-cling to stuff, oh my gawwwdddd. 🤬
Just a few days ago I was trying to dump some out of a box, and I swear there were ones floating back up AGAINST GRAVITY to get back in, and get on my hands! I have neither trust nor patience for things that defy physics.
catjewels9876
·3 weeks agoI try to pack well and probably over tape sometimes. Just afraid of rain and inclement weather.
I just had an order with three semi fragile items. Packaged them up with bubble wrap in a sturdy box. Wouldn't you know one was damaged?
I could kick myself for not using peanuts. It is not as if I don't have any!
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoToday I received a pyrex bowl wrapped in a prayer. It was a miracle it arrived intact. It was just rolling around inside of a box. I can't get on board with this compaint, sorry.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoPlease tell me it was a new seller and not someone experienced.
I hope you're going to add FB to warn the next buyer?
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoI need help with writing feedback. I really do.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoThe level of your FB might depend on whether you use your selling account for buying.
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoI kept it professional and sent the seller a messsge
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoseller has 325 feedback score, Member since: Dec-19-21
christworks
·3 weeks agoWas this a YouTuber who did that? There is someone who videos from time as they pack their orders. It is horrible. One layer of bubble wrap tossed over a large Pyrex dish, then tossed in a box with the least amount of packing material possible. How their stuff arrives undamaged I do not understand. Sadly, they are teaching new sellers this is how you pack.
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoThis sounds EXACTLY like how my bowl was packed!
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoThe golden rule means zilch to a LOT of people.
sassykzt
·3 weeks agoI received 4 bone china serving bowls like this from a well known manufacturer! All 4 were broken. Their customer service was "shocked" to find that they arrived broken. Ea. bowl was shoved in thin paper box. with NO padding material whatsoever then this box was put in a huge box ( 20 x 24 x 24) so it had plenty of room to bounce around. Their shipping dept must be trained by YouTube!
authentic*vintage
·3 weeks agoWas it Lenox? My mother orders from them often and is always having to get a replacement for broken pieces.
sassykzt
·3 weeks agoNo, Rosenthal. It was their Versace line. Had to go to Visa and get refunded. They explained that they always pack this "securely" and I am the first person to have this happen. If I did re order, they would be packed the same way. Adding padding to either box was environmentally unsound and shame on me for asking! No apology whatsoever said it was fed Ex's fault. I will have a local store order and then I will pickup from them.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoHello -- You can either complain about receiving packages damaged for lack of proper packaging or complain about receiving packages maybe over-protected, in an abundance of caution, but not both.
Pick one.
hartungcards
·3 weeks agoNext time you start to worry about the packing material you have to discard from your postcard, go have a look at a landfill for some perspective.
yeswayrecords
·3 weeks agoA great environmentally-friendly solution is to reuse and/or repurpose the packing materials you are sent whenever possible.
Bubble wrap, cardboard, packing peanuts, and more can be used multiple times, saving them from ending up in the landfill too soon.
aeparts1
·3 weeks agoIt sounds like you bought something from me!
Sorry, I always pack that way. Always have, always will.
fern*wood
·3 weeks agoDo you experience the same frustration when you receive a damaged item or has that never happened?
terrycece62
·3 weeks agobetter to have your item packed so that it survives shipping process so that you receive an unbroken item
As long as the packaging used it clean no need to complain imo
muddylas
·3 weeks ago · EditedOver the years, I have found that those buyers who complain about my using too much bubble wrap, or tape or tissue are the loudest to complain if something arrives damaged.
stuff4divas
·3 weeks ago · Edited@g218-97 because you can only please some of the people some of the time, i really don't think any seller will feel 'put on the spot'
better to overpack to keep items safe and packing 'perfectly' or 'just right' is in the eye of the beholder
as far as the easy open string thingy, some sellers have experienced buyers saying the string was utilized, leaving them with receipt of an empty envelope
soh.maryl
·3 weeks agoAnd somewhere on this forum today, there will be a buyer with exactly the opposite complaint: Not enough packaging and my item is ruined!
yeswayrecords
·3 weeks ago"You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time."
arraus
·3 weeks ago · EditedI'm a seller... I think the "unboxing experience" influences Buyer satisfaction (and feedback).
I don't think hand written notes do much (at least not for me), but secure packaging that will transport the item safely AND is easy to open without feeling like I'm going to hurt myself or the item, is important.
I agree! But, I'm sure I've shipped some bad ones myself. Some this are odd and hard to pack.
monroe67
·3 weeks ago · EditedeBay sellers are expected to pack their sold items so they are delivered intact, unbroken, safe, and secure.
Over the years, people have posted horror stories here of receiving items such as porcelain plates which were mailed inside empty cereal boxes, with no padding, and arriving shattered. Or vintage magazines or comic books being delivered soaked and ruined beyond repair because the seller did not wrap them in plastic inside a paper envelope, to areas where thunderstorms or hurricanes were predicted.
It occurs to me, though, that people of a certain age may have real challenges in opening some packages. Loss of muscle tone, arthritis, etc. You might have a friendly neighbor who would be happy to open envelopes or packages for you. Maybe you could even pay a neighborhood teenager a couple bucks to open the more complicated things.
pickapaper
·3 weeks ago@monroe67
"It occurs to me, though, that people of a certain age may have real challenges in opening some packages. Loss of muscle tone, arthritis, etc."
Sadly, this is true. Ask me what my most important tools/utensils are and I will tell you a pair of scissors, a small box cutter, and a pair of pliers. I can't open packages of any kind without "help", and I have to use pliers to help me open small bottles like nail polish or small medicine bottles.
With that said, I am another seller who wraps "to survive a tornado".
sassykzt
·3 weeks agoI had a buyer send message last month that she was incensed that she had to borrow scissors from a neighbor to open my well taped box. I use the good 3 mil thick tape - horrors! She then said she would never purchase anything from me again if I insisted on taping boxes with this tape. I forgot to put her on my best buddies list and an order came through this morning from her asking to pack the perfume very well since she has received many broken items from other sellers.
jonathanbrightlight
·3 weeks agoYou could try using scotch tape and see if she's happier with that.
thriftyfiftyfifty
·3 weeks agoYeah! I hate it when Sellers make the packages as secure and well protected as possible...disgusting!
chapeau-noir
·3 weeks agoUgh - try to pack securely and there are complaints. Try to keep the package somewhat easy to open and there are complaints.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoAlways love finding new best buddies. 😍
squinkercat59
·3 weeks agoI have received packages like this also. But I would rather it arrived safe with extra packaging or tape than half-ripped open or damaged.
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 weeks agoTbf, they may be taping over the 'easy to open' tabs/strings so they DON'T get opened easily by other than the buyer.
sin-n-dex
·3 weeks agoDitto. I tape over the flaps of envelopes to make it difficult to get caught on machines, or opened by someone else. The drawstring is easy to use, but the flap can lift up. Some things (like photo mailers) don't stick so good that they can't be lifted up and contents stolen. I put lots of tape on the flap to keep it securely shut until the buyer gets it.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoSure hope OP is reading these comments to educate himself.