A call to arms--? And a passionate plea to all who mail comics...PLEASE pkg SAFE

[nochips]

Agree with Johnny G.

We should have a "Bad sellers Forumites I've Worked With!" thread.

 

Now, who'll dare open it ?

 

I have been the shipper of packages and I have been the reciever of them as well. There is NO safe way to ship. Insure the package and if it's damaged file a claim. I have shipped over 3000 packages on ebay and some get lost or damaged. Prepare for the unexpected and everyone is insured a safe transaction.

 

A month or so ago a board member bought some books from me. He claimed I did a great packing job, but the USPS ruined the package anyhow. He asked me for a refund. I declined. How is this my problem? The books cost 30.00 so heres a refund. I do not think that helps me in any way, does it? What did I do wrong, infact what did the buyer do wrong? He did not insure the package for loss. Plain and simple.

 

Whether it's 10.00 or 1000.00 it's still a loss, so insure the package against damage. Insurance is not something we can see or feel, it's intangible, it's something we need once we have a loss. If you choose to pass on the insurance don't blame anyone but yourself.

 

I offer insurance for just these occasions. I would say less than 10% of the people insure their purchases with me. The other 90% take a chance. Good luck to them.

 

It's true that many ebay sellers pack poorly, but even the best packers have items ruined in transit. It's a numbers game, a certain amount will get banged up, ripped up or lost. Cover you own a@$ and insure the package!

[jonjesper]

Agree with Johnny G.

We should have a "Bad sellers Forumites I've Worked With!" thread.

 

Now, who'll dare open it ?

 

I have been the shipper of packages and I have been the reciever of them as well. There is NO safe way to ship. Insure the package and if it's damaged file a claim. I have shipped over 3000 packages on ebay and some get lost or damaged. Prepare for the unexpected and everyone is insured a safe transaction.

 

A month or so ago a board member bought some books from me. He claimed I did a great packing job, but the USPS ruined the package anyhow. He asked me for a refund. I declined. How is this my problem? The books cost 30.00 so heres a refund. I do not think that helps me in any way, does it? What did I do wrong, infact what did the buyer do wrong? He did not insure the package for loss. Plain and simple.

 

Whether it's 10.00 or 1000.00 it's still a loss, so insure the package against damage. Insurance is not something we can see or feel, it's intangible, it's something we need once we have a loss. If you choose to pass on the insurance don't blame anyone but yourself.

 

I offer insurance for just these occasions. I would say less than 10% of the people insure their purchases with me. The other 90% take a chance. Good luck to them.

 

It's true that many ebay sellers pack poorly, but even the best packers have items ruined in transit. It's a numbers game, a certain amount will get banged up, ripped up or lost. Cover you own a@$ and insure the package!

 

 

BRAVO!!!!

[OldGuy]

I've sent hundreds of comics via the "sandwich between two pieces of sturdy cardboard and stuff into a flat rate Priority envelope" method and only ever had one that was damaged. That one happened to be a sale to a board member. Their mail carrier bent the entire envelope in half in order to fit it into the mailbox! If a mail carrier is intent on damaging a package, there is no amount of packaging that can prevent it.

 

The end result? I offered a full refund. The buyer wanted to keep the books so we worked out a partial refund that was amicable to both of us.

 

I think it's important to pack well, but the most important thing is how a seller deals with this kind of problem when it comes up, because it's not a matter of if a package will get damaged, but when.

[Johnny G]

Whether it's 10.00 or 1000.00 it's still a loss, so insure the package against damage. Insurance is not something we can see or feel, it's intangible, it's something we need once we have a loss. If you choose to pass on the insurance don't blame anyone but yourself.

 

I offer insurance for just these occasions. I would say less than 10% of the people insure their purchases with me. The other 90% take a chance. Good luck to them. --- How true???

 

It's true that many ebay sellers pack poorly, but even the best packers have items ruined in transit. It's a numbers game, a certain amount will get banged up, ripped up or lost. Cover you own a@$ and insure the package!

 

Great post! I too offer insurance with all auctions that I sell. I also state in my listings,that if the USPS is to blame for a damaged package, I am not responsible. I think that is only fair. I have stayed away from the envelope thing. I ALWAYS use a box. I have purchased a special 8.5 x 11 box that has variable depths. I pack the books between 2 pieces of cardboard pads (purchased as well) and then place into box, then I tape up all edges of the box to provide an extra sturdy corner structure. I have yet to have a damaged packaged on over 300 shipments. It would take quite a bit of force to bend or damage the package.

 

All that being said,we still have people who haven't a clue on how to ship! They want to make up for that dollar they think they should have gotten on the item! So into an envelope it goes and on it's way to the dumpster once it hits the postal system. I say dumpster only because that will be the end result! And it is these people that should be outed! ESPECIALLY when they refuse to do anything about it afterwards!!! I wouldn't blame anyone else but myself for a proper packaged item being damaged in transit; if I don't insure... my bad! I also wouldn't "out" a seller if that were the case.

 

C'mon people, this is a forum; a "COMMUNITY" and a community is supposed to look out for each other. There was a post stating that someone should start a thread for negative comments . It was followed up with the question of who would have the guts??? I'll tell you what, if it happened to me, that thread would be started in a HEARTBEAT! Would I be worried about what others thought? Not a chance! I'd be happy in knowing that I saved a fellow "community" member some money and heartache!

 

John

[joeypost]

Thread started at:

 

Bay ebay sellers/buyer

[joeypost]

Agree with Johnny G.

We should have a "Bad sellers Forumites I've Worked With!" thread.

 

Now, who'll dare open it ?

 

I have been the shipper of packages and I have been the reciever of them as well. There is NO safe way to ship. Insure the package and if it's damaged file a claim. I have shipped over 3000 packages on ebay and some get lost or damaged. Prepare for the unexpected and everyone is insured a safe transaction.

 

A month or so ago a board member bought some books from me. He claimed I did a great packing job, but the USPS ruined the package anyhow. He asked me for a refund. I declined. How is this my problem? The books cost 30.00 so heres a refund. I do not think that helps me in any way, does it? What did I do wrong, infact what did the buyer do wrong? He did not insure the package for loss. Plain and simple.

 

Whether it's 10.00 or 1000.00 it's still a loss, so insure the package against damage. Insurance is not something we can see or feel, it's intangible, it's something we need once we have a loss. If you choose to pass on the insurance don't blame anyone but yourself.

 

I offer insurance for just these occasions. I would say less than 10% of the people insure their purchases with me. The other 90% take a chance. Good luck to them.

 

It's true that many ebay sellers pack poorly, but even the best packers have items ruined in transit. It's a numbers game, a certain amount will get banged up, ripped up or lost. Cover you own a@$ and insure the package!

 

How many of us have considered making insurance manditory? Or explicitly stating you are on your own if it does not arrive without ins?

[Crackandpresstoan11]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! I just received a envelope w/ the books sandwiched between cardboard and once again, all books damaged. Not once have I ever received comics mailed this way that were not damaged. Since the books were purchased from a board member, I assumed he would know how to ship comics. I almost always request shipping in a box from Ebay purchases. I guess I will go out of my way to do the same here.

[nik]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! .

 

Fully agree, and if anyone knows the answer please share it with the rest of us.

[october]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! .

 

Fully agree, and if anyone knows the answer please share it with the rest of us.

 

It's more expensive. First class with sandwiched cardboard runs $1.50-2.25 and boxed priority is $5 and up.

[Anfield Fox]

Well i've never had a complaint with my packaging but with regards to boxes, their not free here. Now as to those saying that all packages should be insured, im not sure how it works in the States but here in the UK if you have proof of posting you are covered for £32 ($50) without paying for any additional insurance. I thought it was the same there too. Everything is covered up to that amount as part of the service.

[Jeffreykli]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! .

 

Fully agree, and if anyone knows the answer please share it with the rest of us.

 

It's more expensive. First class with sandwiched cardboard runs $1.50-2.25 and boxed priority is $5 and up.

 

Ditto. I usually ship comics out in envelopes, and haven't had a problem. The last package that got damaged in the mail was a slab to Canada.

[ArAich]

Not once have I ever received comics mailed this way that were not damaged

 

That's because you've never bought a book from me...

I ship raw comics in flat rate envelopes and I have yet to hear of a book being damaged ...it's all a matter of sealing the comic correctly between stiff cardboard, sealed in plastic and taped to the hilt...if a carrier bends a book that I send via flat rate envelope then that carrier should be fired!!!....

[HouseofComics.Com]

We have specific boxes for comics and all domestic orders go in a box unless it is a rare case where we're selling a GN or magazine and in that case it's priority envelope or box with good protection.

 

At sixty cents a box plus free shipping with $33 order plus free insurance on all orders $75 and up, we eat a lot of costs!

 

Marc

[Johnny G]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! I just received a envelope w/ the books sandwiched between cardboard and once again, all books damaged. Not once have I ever received comics mailed this way that were not damaged. Since the books were purchased from a board member, I assumed he would know how to ship comics. I almost always request shipping in a box from Ebay purchases. I guess I will go out of my way to do the same here.

 

Yet again!

 

[towards2112]

And if Marc is selling the one's I used to use a few years back, I will

testify to their sturdiness. I still have some that I keep my Tom and Jerry

collection in, using them as storage bins inside Magazine boxes.

The picture below is the only reason NOT to ship Priority Mail in the

50 states. Bought 350 ct long box of Xmen off a non-board member

and paid $5 flat rate shipping fee. And with all the rain around here lately

I am glad it was shipped media rate and taped up to the hilt. Must have

used nearly a whole roll of tape on this thing. Letter Carrier told me it's

been sitting at the PO for almost a week. Glad they waited until after

all the flooding.

[OldGuy]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! .

 

Fully agree, and if anyone knows the answer please share it with the rest of us.

 

It costs less, but I take your point. From now on I will offer two choices:

 

1. Envelope (I've only had comics dammaged one time this way) for $4.55.

 

2. Boxed for $6.00.

 

I guess I really don't care, I'm not paying for it either way.

[buttock]

re: Shipping in envelopes - i agree with ArAich and Jeffreykli that if you do it right, it's almost foolproof. The keys are:

 

1) As large of pieces of cardboard as you can - simply more room for dings at the edges

 

2) 3-4 pieces total - less opportunity to bend

 

3) books should be placed in another bag (e.g. magazine bag or slab bag) and then taped on 4 sides to one side of the cardboard to prevent sliding.

 

4) tape it all as tightly as possible.

 

5) use good tape (i.e. not scotch tape)

 

If you do that, you're golden. If not, watch out. I shipped a book in a mylar and didn't tape it down/tight enough and it slid out and tore the cover on the mylar.

[uclapeterg]

The whole "lighthouse" situation would never have happened if everything was out in the open.

 

[uclapeterg]

 

How many of us have considered making insurance manditory? Or explicitly stating you are on your own if it does not arrive without ins?

 

I make insurance REQUIRED with all my purchases but I haven't heard one complaint about my shipping procedures.

[uclapeterg]

I'll never understand why people continue to ship in envelopes. The [embarrassing lack of self control] boxes at the post office are FREE!!!!!!! .

 

Fully agree, and if anyone knows the answer please share it with the rest of us.

 

I ship non-CGC books (up to 4) in a flat rate envelope with VERY thick card board in between and haven't heard a complaint yet. I ship all CGC books in a box.

 

Usually about a $3 difference in postage. If people are buying $10-$20 in books, I find that people don't want to pay the difference.

 

If people request a box, I will most assurely ship that way but they have to pay me the few extra bucks.