I'm getting very annoyed

[*madison]

at sellers who over pack items so they can get rid of their trash.

Last year, changes were made to our refuse collection day. Trash was collected once per week, but now it's once per fortnight ( two weeks)

Since the change, I have noticed more and more sellers are over packing items.

Example..I bought a small table lamp, it was packed in a very large box, wrapped in old clothes, with tons of news paper, peanuts, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, and other stuff. Aside from it taking me ages to unpack the lamp which was buried inside all the trash, the contents of the box also filled up my refuse bin.

This type of packing is happening almost every time I buy an item, and I am now starting to dread buying anything on ebay.

I'm going to start leaving neg feedback on sellers who do this, because it is a very negative experience..

[rocklen60c7]

I love it.

Great idea!

[mudshark61369]

@*madison,

I'm glad our trash collection is still done weekly.  I'd hate to think of what would happen if it were only collected twice a month.

I can understand a seller over packing a possibly fragile item, but old clothing, cereal and shoe boxes with the other materials?   I'd probably leave a neutral mentioning that, but if you buy from other countries where trash collection isn't a problem, those checking your f feedback left might not understand why it was an issue if the item arrived safely and on time.

My comment would be something like "old clothes cereal & shoe boxes increased weight so I paid more for shipping"  My inclination at first would be to write "I had to pay extra shipping to dispose of your trash for you #!!??"

[*madison]

The lamp wasn't even fragile, the shade is fabric, and the base is wooden, so it was quite obvious the seller was getting rid of their trash.

I meant to take a photo of all the packaging before I disposed of it, and post the pic here, but I forgot. The amount of junk in that massive box was unbelievable.

Other sellers are doing the same thing too though, but the lamp packaging is the worst so far.

[myboardid]

Many sellers overpack simply because they are afraid of breakage and loss.  But that is different than loading a package with trash.   I don't blame you for being upset about that.  But I'd bet that you could find a new home for any reusable packing materials among your neighbors who might be eBay sellers themselves or businesses who ship to their customers.  Then you wouldn't have to keep it or pay to have it removed. 

[hercroft]

Equally annoying is the 'precious and darling' overpacking of jewelry and other small items- little box, wrapped in polyester fill, wrapped again in plastic, tightly taped around and around and around, wrapped again in fabric, taped again, put into a cheap, tacky Chinese polyester bag with a "personal note", knotted (!) tightly, anclosed in a box, taped again...

[hawkwind5454 · Accepted solution]

My thought would be, do I need to unpack this wearing a hazmat suit? I mean usually, we have no idea who these people are that we're purchasing items from, let alone, what has the purchased item been exposed to, but what has the trash packing been exposed to?? Where has it been.... what has been crawling through it?  I totally agree with you.

[hercroft]

Remove the lamp & mail the box of trash back to them.

[*madison]

Most of the packaging I've been getting isn't really re-usable, otherwise I would re-use it myself. It shouldn't have been used in the first place..

I'd be too embarrassed to send out an item with the packaging I've received, and I don't get embarrassed easily.. Tbh, it just shows me what kind of people they are, and I've got more pride..

Oh, and the clothes used for packing were dirty, the seller didn't even have the decency to use clean clothes.

[*madison]

I thought about mailing the packaging back to the seller, but it was an after thought after I had disposed of the packaging, so it was too late..

 Next time it happens, I am going to mail the packaging back..

[epowerbargains]

Yuck, I agree with you that is tacky.  I am an avid recycler having worked for one of the largest US landfill companies.  That said....there is common sense that should be at work here - I reuse clean envelopes and clean packing material - emphasis on clean..... no seller should ever use unsanitary items as packing material and unwashed clothing is a double nono in by book - first who wants someone else's clothing....and dirty clothing ugh.

[bach4231]

Hmm, having received jewelry lots all smashed together, tangled and hence some broken. Doesn’t sound so bad to me.

[airsheep]

Meh. I wouldn't waste postage money on it. OTOH, dinging the seller that finds it cheaper to mail a box packed with rubbish under the guise of 'secure packing'...! and as another poster has said, probably jacking up the postage to accommodate it.