Why do people go so cheap on packing and shipping?

The answer to your question: because it is not theirs any more and they don't care about it like you do.  They just want to get rid of it and get your money.  Having done that . . . 

Yes and no. Obviously I'd like to get rid of it and get my money but I also have a conscience and unless I'm comfortable with it's packing, I don't send it off. Odd shaped/sized items sometimes go to my local UPS store for packing as they are a great group of guys. 

 

Shake the box. If you hear movement, you didn't pack it well enough. I've never had a complaint with my packing and only once did an item arrived damaged (car step ladder broke off) which I offered to make right but was told to not worry about. Plus, I don't want to go through the hassle of the insurance paperwork or have someone annoyed at me. I treat people and things (usually) the way I would want to be treated. 

Unfortunately I think Lee has hit the nail on the head.

 

I'm sure trying to deal with an insurance claim on such an item would be quite a headache.  (not that it would help since you obviously can't just buy another one at WalMart or Amazon)

 

Sorry to hear of your problem....

 

-Dave

Did the field and commutator survive?

It really is a shame. I would send a note back, but it comes down to some people really don't care...

I've had the same situation one to many time, so much that when i order anything anymore i automatically tell the seller with my shipping and payment notice that i have had to many broken train items and ALWAYS as the seller to bubble wrap the trains or parts and also package peanuts around the bubble wrapped trains!

Since i have started doing this i very rarely get anymore damaged trains,i should not have to do this bit i find it helps get the point across and very rarely have had much trouble anymore because i ask nicely for proper wrapping and packaging for not non-movement to prevent damaged arrivals of my orders!

I find it works for me!

Good luck all who order anything!

Alan Mancus

Jeff,

Despite what you may have heard. YOU DO HAVE RECOURSE ON YOUR SIDE.   Maybe next time. 

 

Get photos and a statement from Carrier. Be sure condition of box and contents is noted. Ask the Carrier to make note of packaging and type of protection provided for the contents by the, shipper. Next, ask for your Postmaster to do the same. If your Postmaster agrees that damage was a result of negligence by the shipper ..........I hope you understand the direction I'm headed? Please, don't say I'm just babbling on. I know what I'm talking about. 

 

I packaged everything, presented it to my CC. Anyway, the seller received the expensive damaged watch that HE was responsible for. The USPS Postmaster  took care of me. The entire claim was caused by the shipper(seller). I don't know or care about the person. I received my refund and I'm happy. BTW, the seller is no longer a registered seller on eBay. 

Been there myself. Very irritating. The other side of the coin is people bulk at high shipping charges. I get a lot of offers on my auction items with free shipping or a tiny amount offered for shipping as a condition. Irregardless, I always pack with bubble wrap, peanuts, paper etc so the item is protected and cannot move after the parcel is sealed. 

 

G

I have had a couple of things I sent break over the years and it is usually the couplers. They are the weakest point, IMO. I take great care to wrap and pack carefully. You want the box to be solid as a brick; item movement is a killer. Reinforce packing around couplers.

 

Claiming insurance is a dicey proposition. I find the shipping company usually claims it wasn't packed properly even when it clearly was. I think they think of insurance fees as just extra profit.

Another answer to your question is that they have no clue how the package will be handled/abused in transit. Even if they did, they still might not have a clue as how to deal with it. 

 

I firmly believe that anyone who packs things for shipment should apprentice for six month by receiving things that other people have packed and shipped.

 

This is one of the biggest problems with buying used items on the Internet, besides out and out fraud by selling you something that does not work and claiming that they did not notice it. Or saying it does not work, but not saying that they tried to fix it and now it is completely FUBAR.

Well, I'd be apt to give people a break and say that some  just wouldn't know good packing if it came up behind and bit them.  Consider that years ago, it wasn't all that necessary to pad your items as thoroughly as they should be now.

 

Case in point.  I have a plastic Kusan Kannonball ALCo dummy that was available from one of the cereal companies in the 1950s I believe, with its original box, which was ALSO the shipping box.  It has the address and U.S. postage right on it, and there was absolutely no packing material inside:  The diesel fits snugly in the box, and both arrived with absolutely no damage.

 

Try shipping like that in today's environment. 

 

Jeff, as for the purchase of the now destroyed item, take plenty of pictures of everything--package used to ship, all packing materials, contents damaged, etc.

Initiate a dispute via eBay, Paypal or credit card company, etc. to recover your costs.

 

As for future purchases, establish a dialog with the seller regarding your expectations and his commitment to meet them regarding packaging standards:  fresh box, box-in-a-box, bubble wrap, etc.  eBay provides a feature to ask questions of the seller, so use it.

 

Hope you find and receive what you are looking for.

 

 

 

 

 

As if it is not bad enough that the vast majority of people have no idea how to properly prepare an item for its harsh journey.  

 But in regards to the UPS store, "the ones that are supposed to know how to do such properly", well Unfortunately they do not pack things properly either.

 Sorry but placing your item is a huge box packed with peanuts is Not proper shipping. Why, because if you do such with a heavy engine, it just works its way to the side and gets damaged anyway.

 

I can not even count how many ups store packed items that I received that were damaged throughout the years. I would NEVER entrust anything that I ship with them.

Is it possible the shipper was inexperienced and did not know better, or that someone handling the package in transit opened it to check the damage and did not replace all the packing materials?

 

 

 

 

What, me worry? 

my wife has been getting railroad china and these items come very well packaged.

 

it falls on the shipper to package the item well enough withstand handling and shipping.

I sell trains on eBay.  I can tell you from experience that it takes 15 to 30 minutes to pack something without a box properly.  If I was paying someone minimum wage to do this I would be paying someone $5 to $10.  The box cost another $1 or so plus bubble wrap peanuts, etc. add another $1.  Then is costs gas to get to the post office plus the cost of the postage.  When it is all added up it costs the shipper about $20 for a typical package.  

 

Buyers, however, insist on perfect packing and free shipping.  This is part of the problem. 

 

Another problem is that shipping company - USPS, UPS, Fedex, etc., handle packages as if they are basketballs.  They are just thrown into containers like a basketball player going for a slam dunk.  We have all seen the videos.  No amount of good packing can protect a package that has been slam dunked.

 

It is not always the packers fault that something arrives damaged.

 

Joe

 

 

 

It reminds me of  a purchase I made on ebay of ten complete train set. The guy wrap them in newspaper and put them in a boxes. Being postwar train and great set  and heavy in shipping a number of them were cracked. One box was delevered and it was broken open.  Thank goodness every thing was there. I did get it for a good price so I didn't complain.  If you collected them for over 50 years........  If I sell something I packed it right

 

i have had a few items arrive broken the worst was a 763e the seller wrapped in newspaper and stuffed in a flat rate box it arrived a very rare convertable model hudson

Another thing to consider is that the conveyor belt systems at these shipping facilities have drop off points. These drops are something like three or four foot. So think of a fragile item dropping down and then a huge heavy package dropping on top of it. 

If is was not packed properly to take such a harsh hit, then it doesn't have a chance.

That is another thing. Crumbled up news paper IS NOT a proper packing material. It may look all nice when you pack it, but it flattens out along its travels and then you have nothing  but an item flopping around in a box with paper.

When I get an item and open it up and see news paper packing I am already expecting to see damage. 

I sent off a LionMaster Big Boy today in its original Lionel shipping box, ensconced in packing peanuts in an oversized box which UPS treated differently, size not weight, and for 22 lbs. to Tennessee from California was north of $100.  Well north.  In good conscience I cannot expect the buyer to pay the whole amount.  We will split the shipping cost.  What I am trying to say is that it costs a lot more to ship it right, with the expectation that the item will make it there intact.

Sounds like it was ebay.......if so....submit a claim and get your money back.....EZ....

Joe Barker, I'm surprised that someone in the business may not appreciate the importance of creating a great first impression with their customer.

 

I'm not "in the business" but I've sold a lot of train, Harley, and audio items and always believed that creating a great first impression started with packaging--fresh box--even if was used once by my HD dealer's shipment from the HD mothership--bubble-wrap--also from the HD store, and so forth. 

 

Why go to the Post Office to ship items?  They offer free p/u, at least in my location.  Couldn't be simpler:  print the postage at home and schedule a p/u--no lost time driving to and from the p.o.; no gas, etc.  Heck, USPS will even supply free boxes.  And even if you don't use the boxes to ship an item, they are great protection for items inside the box you ultimately use for the item.

 

For all of the packages I've received, I am very hard pressed to remember a box that was damaged by the carrier's handling of the package--in fact, I cannot remember a single one damaged by the carrier.

 

A seller who packs poorly is a stupid seller.

 

 

How about an MTH engine shipped in it's box with just brown paper covering it! No outer carton!

I bought the lionel rotary coal unloader from a guy and he put cardboard around one side. 3 sides were exposed. Don't people know how important the box is to the value of a item.....

Yes. Those are intact much to my surprise. The brush holder is missing a brush.

 

The brush can be reattached. Should not be a major deal at least for that.

How about an MTH engine shipped in it's box with just brown paper covering it! No outer carton!

While the train would be fine as it is in its proper styrofoam packing, the mth box may take an extra beating. It is best to wrap another box around the MTH box. Meaning if you flatten out a larger box you can use it and wrap the cardboard as if it was paper. That way you don't need to fill in any extra space as you would if you put it in a larger box. Also don't have to pay the extra shipping for a larger size box

Okay, well all of the motor parts are there including a pick-up, center gear which looks to be metal and not fiber. Wheel sets are rough but might work. I just never thought this Dorfan engine thing would be so tough.

I need to compare the gears on the commutator with your other one at my house. Not sure when I'm getting home though. They are telling me this bug I have can be a nasty one.

Bummer on the bug. Hopefully all will go well and you can be home soon.

In all of the mail order train packages I have received I have never had a problem due to poor packing or abusive handling by the shipper. I think you have generalized the problem a bit. When I got my EM-1 in the mail I discussed shipping beforehand with the seller. I also take special note of comments like, "well packed", or "great shipping", and etc.

 

Yet, I know it does happen - very sorry.

Paul, I think we purchased from the same seller. I had 2 MTH, NH DL 109's and had been searching for years to find the 3rd rd. no. . I'm guessing the gentlemen purchased a large collection of trains and was weeding out what he didn't want. He had a large listing of early MTH Proto 2 Diesels. I had to explain what to look for as far as a rd. no. . He called back and confirmed he had the no. I was looking for as well as a matching B unit. A smart seller wouldn't have broken them up. The deal got done and I gladly paid his asking price. Item was shipped wrapped like a present in brown paper Covering the purple box. Thought the worst when it arrived. Luckily it was okay. Placed it on the track, loaded into the remote. Fired it up and it had no miles on it. Ran fine. Next day it showed as engine not on track. As the engine was 10 years old I figured I better swap out the battery. The big surprise was the fact that there was no battery to be found. I'm guessing the engine was displayed and the battery was removed. But thought it was odd that the body shell screws seemed to be factory tight.

I don't buy train stuff on eBay, but I DO buy a lot of other stuff (archery bows, antique fishing pole and reels, old photographs, etc, etc). For the most part, I find them OVER-PACKAGED. People who sell a lot on eBay worry about their feedback ratings. Most I've bought from have a 100% positive rating, and want to keep it that way. The only thing I ever got that was damaged was thanks to the Canadian Postal System. This 1:43 car model  was packaged well, but looked like it was run over by a truck before it crossed the border.

(1) Cost of shipping and materials (if not on hand).

 

(2) Inexperience in packing things safely.

 

These are the two main reasons for poor packaging.  I do0n't believe anyone just packs poorly without a care if the item arrives safely.  Most folks just don't realize how stuff is treated by the carriers.  I often go out to the delivery truck and hear the driver/delivery person throwing things around.  I have taken items to the P.O, marked FRAGILE, and watched as the person drop the box into a bin.  Not placed, but dropped, 3 or 4 feet, or tossed over to a bin.  FRAGILE, I wonder sometimes if the rough treatment is deliberately done when that word is present.  

 

I often said, mark it FRAGILE, and they take it to mean, only drive over it with one wheel, not two.

 

Sure, many things are packed poorly, but if handled more carefully, perhaps the damage would not occur.  There is no excuse for packing things better so they arrive safely, but sometimes, s..t happens, no way around it.

Does anyone else grit their teeth when you open a box packed nicely with the Styrofoam or the peanuts that cling like weed seeds?

This is a why ask why subject.Most people care…a very few don't.When it goes good it's good.When it goes bad,you have little or no recourse.The battle will NOT be worth fighting.Move on.Nick