mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@postcardcountry wrote:In another lifetime....I had a customer question packaging of a post card because his mail carrier seemed to bend everything in half before delivering it. I promised I would take care of that.
Since my own mail carrier was totally incompetent, I decided I would get even with the customer's mail carrier. I had took a thin paint stirrer, broke it into two pieces and formed an X before putting that and the postcard (between two sheets of cardboard) in the envelope. Yes, it cost more to send but revenge....
Customer received his postcard unbent. I could hear his laughter in his feedback referring to "creative packaging". And he sent a message thanking me.
Sometimes a buyer has to take the initiative. When their mail carrier is consistently doing something that damages their pick up or delivery of the mail, they should contact their local PO and talk to the Postmaster [manager] of that office and explain the issue. The carrier may just need a bit more training. This can often resolve a problem easily. I've done it myself.
I too had issues with our mail carrier when we first move to our current address some years ago. I tried working things out with her directly, but that didn't work at all. So I contacted my local PO and things got resolved quickly. Fortunate for all of us, the carrier retired about a year later, her replacement has been AWESOME.
@itsjustasprain wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:Keep in mind that the cardboard is cut the right way for strength. That would be the ribs running horizontally and cut the cardboard at least 6" tall and about 8.50" wide. The ribs should run the 8.5" wide direction.
Cardboard is strong in one direction but weaker in the other. If you are sandwiching the item between two sheets of cardboard then cut the pieces so the corrugations of each will be at right angles to the other (so cut one with ribs running the long way and the other with ribs running the short way). Tape them together around the item and you will have one seriously rigid package. (I will also fold over one end of each tape so the buyer has a pull tab to take it apart without having to resort to sharp knives.)
We each have to find what works best for ourselves. If a seller want to do it as you describe, there is nothing wrong with that. As long as your way works best for you, I say continue on. You don't need to change.
I try to prevent buyers having to pay additional shipping for the weight of the cardboard. The way I've described in previous posts have served me well for over 24 years and I believe in that time I've only had 2 or 3 books damaged during shipment. So for me, the way I do it works well.
I'm not trying to convince anyone to change the way they do things if their way works for them. I shared how I package my books because in my experience it allows the item to arrive at my customers address in the condition it was when I sent it about 99.99% of the time.
Again, each of us needs to decide what is best for them. I neither said or imply that anyone needs to do it the way I do. I just provided info for consideration.
So basically just pack it very well and hope for the best. I wanted to include a recent picture of a package I got in. Not the sellers fault but a example of just how bad shipping service from all companies like USPS, UPS & FedX have became. Flat envelope where the customer shipped button batteries.
While I don't have a pic, a few years back I received a package, I don't think it was Media mail but First Class, it actually had dirty tire tracks on the envelope.
