Why oh why can't most online sellers learn to pack/ship comics????

[gradejunky]

it is not as simple as --- "oh they packed badly-- instant negative feedback". A responsible buyer should communicate with the seller and tell them if they had a problem with the shipment/packing whatever. THAT is the correct process of events. Giving negative feedback and poor scores immediately impacts a sellers ability to sell and can also impact discounts they get from eBay. By contacting them-- you open a dialogue which explains to the seller what they are doing wrong and gives them a chance to correct the current situation as well as future ones. Simply slapping them with a negative/poor scores is not a good way to operate. I have had some buyers who had an issue with something in a sale I've made. They sent me a message and we worked it out. Granted it had nothing to do with packing (usually they didn't read the description correctly and were upset about some flaw that was not only pictured but described in detail).

 

I once had a buyer contact me saying the old game boy I sold him was not perfect. I read the description and in no way did I say it was perfect. In fact the problem he talked about with the screen was pictured. He was angling for money back from the start clearly -- and I came to the conclusion that it was easier to give him $10 off on the price than having him send the entire collection of games and accessories back. I don't recall if he gave me feedback or not-- but I didn't get negative that much is certain. And the system worked.

 

Feedback is important and those who continually pack things terribly should get dinged eventually. One of the boardies here and I bought some items from the same seller and experienced the same level of terrible packing. We both talked to the guy and convinced them to start packing better or risk negatives and being referred to on the ebay block listing here. I think they listened and I got a few bucks back for the over charge they made on the flat rate shipping they used.

 

This is how I think pretty much. I opened a dialogue with the seller about the packing in the returns menu only to be met with 2 ignorant responses. I didn't chime back after that. They are sending me a return shipping label and will refund me, but I do think neutral feedback might be in order. I've never left any to other sellers, but that is why others have probably had bad experiences with the same sellers I have. This as others have pointed out IS a problem.

 

However, in my own selling on ebay I have only just got my first neutral feedback because I taped a loose board on top of the book to prevent forward bending, but folded the ends on the tape to make tabs so it could be easily pulled off. This was of course in conjunction with bubble wrap and 2 pieces of thick machine cut cardboard from papermart.com. Buyer left me a neutral and just said I had "taped board to comic and that he bought book before movie announcement", which was a lie. The books were BH6 1st mini-series complete, and the movie had long been announced already, hence the price I had sold them for.

[Buzzetta]

Simple reason. Most people are more than willing to try and save $1 then wrap it securely to ensure that the item is delivered in the condition promised.

 

Top three things that stand out in my mind:

 

Throwing a copy of Batman 47 in an envelope. No bag, a piece of shirtbox cardboard thrown in. Had the book pressed and it came back a 6.0 but still. What could it have come back as?

 

Piece of commission artwork... sent in a soft mailer with minimal cardboard. Item came bent.

 

Vintage Carded Star Wars figure. It survived laying around in mint condition for about 20 years until this guy threw it in a bubble mailer. It came smashed.

[GeneticNinja]

It's easier, quicker, and possibly cheaper to ship the wrong way than the right way. I always ask about a seller's shipping methods before ordering. Basically telling them the method to get comics to me undamaged. Bags, boards, taped down to a larger piece of cardboard that will protect the edges, in a box if possible. That way I'm not surprised at what I get.