How does damage like this happen?

[sin-n-dex]

I shipped in an eBay bubble mailer a coin, business card and invoice. The buyer received the envelope retaped by USPS (saying "received damaged") and the envelope had been ripped in half and taped back together. The buyer got a bracelet (made of cord, not something I sell) in the package where they were supposed to get a $20 coin.

I used Stallion Express to ship and it was handed off to UPS Mail Innovations. It's apparent that USPS is the one that taped it back together, but I don't know if it got damaged by USPS or UPS when it was handed off. In any event if it's accidental damage someone attempted to pack it back up and put the bracelet in there, or it could have been intentional (although why they ripped the envelope in half, not sure about that, it's easier to slit the end).

Any idea how something like this happens? I do believe the buyer and will be sending them a replacement coin tomorrow. I'm just perplexed by how it got ripped in half.

C.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@sin-n-dex 

You may never know but I believe your buyer too. That sounds like an internal job big time but I believe cameras are in place in those sorting stations. I would believe USPS doing this dastardly deed over UPS.

    Could the coin be felt thru the package?

[wastingtime101]

Gets caught on sorting machinery and ripped in half. Gets snagged by a hook used to unload the truck. Lots of possibilities.

[sin-n-dex]

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

@sin-n-dex 

You may never know but I believe your buyer too. That sounds like an internal job big time but I believe cameras are in place in those sorting stations. I would believe USPS doing this dastardly deed over UPS.

    Could the coin be felt thru the package?

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I believe the buyer for a few reasons, one they're really angry (as opposed to pretending to be angry), they messaged me 10 times about it (because eBay's messaging makes it easy to send a whole bunch of individual messages), and they showed me pictures of the packaging with USPS tape on it, so if the tape is on it, it was damaged before the buyer got it (so that's the smoking gun).

It was handed off by UPS, and the USPS tape says "received damaged" but we don't know where it was received damaged. The buyer offered me photos to show my post office, but being that I deal with Stallion (and didn't insure this because it was only $20), having damage photos is not too helpful on my end.

The coin was in a crown sized cardboard holder, so you would feel "something" in the package, but might not know it's a coin.

It's also possible it was damaged by machinery, maybe eBay envelopes are cheap and flimsy and that's the problem. I did find an ultra padded heavy mailer in my shipping supplies that I saved for shipments that require extra support, and you for sure won't feel the coin in this package. The problem with those envelopes is that they're heavy and the coin and packaging weighs 80 grams (84 grams is 3 oz). I save a few cents shipping when I do 3oz instead of 4oz (if using UPS), I did USPS Ground Advantage for the replacement so I guess it's not a concern this time, as the weight size is 4oz.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Gets caught on sorting machinery and ripped in half. Gets snagged by a hook used to unload the truck. Lots of possibilities.

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I might not want to use eBay envelopes for mailing stuff too frequently (pending on what's inside). Seems like the eBay bubble mailers are a little flimsy. I got them as my free shipping supplies last quarter and started using them so I can empty the box of envelopes before I open the next great big box of kraft mailers.

C.

[12345jamesstamps]

'apparent that USPS is the one that taped it back together'...are you sure?

Was there a sticker stating that? 

I got a plastic bag with half of a post card from Greenland in it...showing just the address...and a sticker stating it was damaged in shipping.

I don't think USPS re-tapes as item but puts it in a plastic bag with address shown from bag with yellow sticker saying what happened.

I only know Israel opens envelopes and re-tapes them to send back to seller from experience...I had a buyer disappear from a P O Box in Israel...and stamps were quite valuable and returned to me...without doing a refund since there was no claim.

[wastingtime101]

I use those eBay padded ones all the time. So far I've never had an issue.

[sin-n-dex]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

'apparent that USPS is the one that taped it back together'...are you sure?

Was there a sticker stating that? 

I got a plastic bag with half of a post card from Greenland in it...showing just the address...and a sticker stating it was damaged in shipping.

I don't think USPS re-tapes as item but puts it in a plastic bag with address shown from bag with yellow sticker saying what happened.

I only know Israel opens envelopes and re-tapes them to send back to seller from experience...I had a buyer disappear from a P O Box in Israel...and stamps were quite valuable and returned to me...without doing a refund since there was no claim.

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Yes it did have a sticker. I would post photos, but they show the buyer's info and are probably small quality when I try to capture them. (Not really tech for this).

Whoever taped it back together put a string bracelet in the bag. I'm inclined to believe the buyer, i offered a replacement or refund, they wanted the replacement. It's not a valuable thing like 1oz of silver where it's advantageous to get a free second one. (And not a high scam item, but if it was stolen the person who ripped the envelope open wouldn't know this). The buyer is also OK with me reporting this to USPS.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

I use those eBay padded ones all the time. So far I've never had an issue.

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It might depend what you mail. In this mailer there was a coin in a cardboard holder that weighed 1oz (it was not a silver coin), so if it got caught the coin could be the reason for this.

I'm thinking I should change the packaging for small heavy things and use a different more sturdy mailer (something less flimsy), and use the eBay envelopes for bigger things, or stuff that fills out the mailer so there isn't a little heavy thing to snag.

Just a guess. This is a one off, the last time I got a "ripped open" claim was in the UK 2 years ago, and the buyer is pretty sure someone ripped it open to steal it (they're using EVRI courier for those packages and apparently they have a bad reputation, now that I ship with Stallion Express I'm able to use Royal Mail).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

@12345jamesstamps 

OK, I was able to get a picture of the sticker without the buyer's info... it appears to be USPS issued tape, so unless the buyer has connections with USPS who gave them tape to use, then I'd say this looks legit.

[12345jamesstamps]

Just to be careful with those stickers and how they are worded...easy to put them on anything from a buyer purchase.

I should sell 10 for ten bucks...LOL

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@sin-n-dex 

I guess my concern would be who put that cheap corded bracelet in that bubble mailer?

     I know packages get ripped, caught on belts, hooks etc, but obviously a employee placed a bracelet inside this package to add to weight. I would be talking to the post master General about this situation. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

@sin-n-dex 

I guess my concern would be who put that cheap corded bracelet in that bubble mailer?

     I know packages get ripped, caught on belts, hooks etc, but obviously a employee placed a bracelet inside this package to add to weight. I would be talking to the post master General about this situation. 

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The cheap cord bracelet is why the buyer thinks it was stolen (not damaged on machinery). My suggestion was perhaps it was "put back together" with the wrong thing. My invoice and card weren't in the envelope either from what I gather (although I don't want to pester the buyer with any more messages on this to confirm).

C.

[wastingtime101]

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

obviously a employee placed a bracelet inside this package to add to weight. 

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I wouldn't assume that automatically @silverstatetreasureboxes .

I can recall an order I placed with a large retailer that always uses branded packaging. My order, which would typically arrive in a polymailer, arrived in a plain brown box with no markings. Inside I found 2 items from my approx 15 item order, plus about 6 items from somebody else's order. It was obvious to me multiple packages were damaged and the person at the sort facility that repacked them didn't get the right items matched with the right shipping labels.

So I'd say it's possible something like that happened here, too. Multiple damaged packages, someone put stuff back together wrong.

Yes, fraud is also a possibility, but I wouldn't go there by default. I'd leave it in the mix with other options. In the end it doesn't really matter since there's no claim to file and the buyer appears to be telling the truth and this is a one-off occurrence for the seller.

[turtles-trading-post]

I get my shipments returned all the time just like that!  I believe that the addresses are now scanned by AI and if it gets confused it rejects the item.  It winds up in a bin, and since there really isn't a human to sort it out, after 3-4 weeks, it gets returned to sender.