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The CRPF "Bad Packing" awards

Started by Dan, March 01, 2009, 04:54:43 PM

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WesternElectricBen

Grr, thats too bad I'm sorry!

Ben

AE40FAN

#346
Thanks everyone!   I am definitely bummed by the situation.   This should hopefully be the last of my string of bad luck with phones over the past few months.   There's a silver lining somewhere.   Hopefully, this phone doesn't end up in the trash somewhere.  Bad packing/damage was always my worst fear with phones but, now I can add theft to that list.

***Every now and then I'll open my door and peer outside in hopes it magically appears***

Haf

Now this happens to me too, first time but very annoying. Bought three WE 1C1 phones from same seller, $75 each. That's cheap I think. Every Phone was packed separate in one box, total shipping to Germany was $628,80 , wow, that's quite a number for me. When they arrived today I was rather disappointed, the boxes looked damaged from outside, one even had to be re-taped by USPS. The seller only put some of those flakes into the boxes, no bubblewrap or anything else protective. And as a payphone is quite heavy it literally grinded all flakes to something like dust. So during shipping the phones got dings and dents from loose handsets, and one is totally without function now as smashed from inside, when opened it there were lots of chips from the networks plastic. So I did my very best to change chromed front covers and handsets etc. to get at least two phones look acceptable, what to do with the last one, damaged from inside..I don't know. Spare parts have to wait now, I can't spend more money and shipping costs this month. Same with the missing instruction cards. Maybe someone here has one from Cincinnati bell, really like the one with the Cincinnati Bell handset, took me some time to polish all scratches out but now looks fine again.
All sellers before did outstanding packing jobs but it was only a matter of time until one doesn't.

Sorry for the pics, bad light and only smartphone cam.

Haf
Telephone:
0049-030-55474418
1-415-449-4743
1-604-757-7474

poplar1

You may want to ask for a refund for at least one of them since the seller did not pack the phones properly. Unfortunately, you would still probably have to pay the shipping charges for the broken phone, unless the seller feels generous.

If seller is uncooperative, you can file a case; Ebay usually sides with the buyer. Ebay then requires that the seller refund the purchase price + shipping. However, the buyer has to send the item back at his own expense. In that case, it's usually better for both buyer and seller just to negotiate a partial refund.)
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Haf

I wrote the seller a mail but as he has a feedback less than 10 I don't report at ebay. I'm kind and everyone has the chance to learn. As you mentioned, sending the item back is no option, as expensive, refund or partial refund on $75 in contrast to the shipping costs will only help very little. It's annoying and make me feel sad for the phones but I guess that's part of life. It can't be always like it should be. Luckily, for doing ebay for more than 10 years, it is very rare that this happens, in this case with the shipping costs being that high on a not so high priced item it's bad luck. But always, could be worse,  I don't like to think what might have happened if  this wasn't a WE C1C but a 1930's two piece pay station. Even if every phone has his historical and personal worth of course, no matter how old or rare.

Haf
Telephone:
0049-030-55474418
1-415-449-4743
1-604-757-7474

JorgeAmely

Quote from: mycjobe on July 09, 2013, 03:19:38 AM
I just wanted to thank everyone for the advice on this thread; as a very general vintage seller on ebay I had no idea that the 500 series phones were so fragile or that it was a bad idea to mail them with the handset secured on the cradle. I guess I've just been lucky with the dozen or so I've sold over the years.

One problem I've had from a seller's point of view, not with phones in particular, but in general, is that buyers refuse to pay what it costs to ship an item properly. I've had many buyers demand I ship items cheaper because "it shouldn't cost that much" and refuse to accept the explanation that extra packing material adds size and weight to items... It makes it very difficult to balance packing methods. I have to say though, I love it when the buyer tells me how to pack the item properly, I certainly don't want to see any amazing pieces of history damaged in transit!
It could have been delivered to the wrong house in the same street. FedEx did that to me. A week later a neighbor delivered the goods to my house.
Jorge

tptech302

AE40FAN - I have had very bad experiences with FedEx to the point I will offer to pay extra to have something delivered by another method. The most recent was I got a confirmation email that I had a package delivered at 2:49pm when I arrived home there was no package from FedEX, but I had 2 packages from USPS (which come around 9am or 1pm. I called FedEX and they said it was delivered and there was nothing they could do since it wasn't insured... Now myself forgetting I have cameras at both doors that record 24/7, I went and checked the DVR, I searched for 1/2hr before and after the said delivery time, and there had been no FedEx guy at my house or even a FedEx truck on my street. I called FedEX back and immediately asked for a supervisor, and then asked for his supervisor. I explained the situation and with in minutes I had a cal back from the Pittsburgh regional manager (and it was well after 5pm) from his home. I gave him all the information again. The following morning, the seller contacted me (who I had made aware of the issue) to say he had a check for the price of the item and shipping delivered to him by FedEx before there truck are normally even on the road. Aside from this I have had FedEx destroy 2 other packages and lose 3 more. They are the worst in the business as far as I am concerned.

gpo706

I don't know much about FedEx, but here in the UK I specify the seller I will not accept TNT courier service, had a 10 day delay with phantom deliveries, utterly incompetent and downright rude staff, being passed from pillar to post.

Now that our Gov has privatised the Royal Mail, it has been mooted TNT may buy it over - please God no!
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

twocvbloke

Quote from: gpo706 on October 21, 2013, 11:35:24 PMNow that our Gov has privatised the Royal Mail, it has been mooted TNT may buy it over - please God no!

Could be worse, could be Hermes, they put packages in the safest of safe places, in the bin, like the power supply for fixing our plasma TV, couldn't leave it with a neighbour or under the table outside where it was sheltered and hidden from view, but rather in the recycling bin by the road, thank goodness it was bin day the previous day or that would have been £40 down the pan and into the nearest landfill!!! :o

As for TNT taking over the RM, well, that wouldn't be much of a surprise, a lot of regular post is sent via them but delivered by RM posties, all they really need to do is just rebrand everything to TNT, and like its explosives namesake, blow the nation's postal service to kingdom come... :o

Matilo Telephones

Here is my crappy packer of the month, Ericsson type 1931. In fairly good condition, before sending. Marked with the logo of the Amsterdam telephone company. Fairly rare.

Of course I gave packing instructions. Seller said she had followed these instructions. Well, she didn't.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

twocvbloke

Sad thing is, a lot of sellers are trying to save as much money on postage as possible, so when it comes to sending them instructions, it's a case of leading a horse to water, you can do it, but you can't make it drink... :-\

Matilo Telephones

It's not even a question of cost. The postage is the same for upto 10 kg. Holland is not that big.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

twocvbloke

Quote from: Matilo Telephones on November 25, 2013, 10:16:42 AM
It's not even a question of cost. The postage is the same for upto 10 kg. Holland is not that big.

Problem is, most sellers are looking at the cost of the packaging itself, using what they have rather than buying something more suitable with some decent wrapping material, so whatever money they save on that they can take from the actual postage cost... :-\

I'm guilty of doing the same, but not on packing techniques, if I can't use what I've got though I will go buy the right stuff... :)

Doug Rose



Problem is, most sellers are looking at the cost of the packaging itself, using what they have rather than buying something more suitable with some decent wrapping material, so whatever money they save on that they can take from the actual postage cost...

[/quote]

Holy generalization Twocvbloke. This is a statement I take umbrage with.  MOST SELLERS. Really??

We use Medium Priority Flat boxes for most phones with bubble (that we pay for, not the buyer). We do not use second hand boxes and our quotes include insurance in the auction. You know what you are paying before the auction ends. No Surprises.  Shipping quotes are in every auction!!  We quote all overseas transactions before auction ends.

We DO NOT make money on shipping. We want you to get the phone pictured in one piece. I am a collector first and a seller second.

Where do your facts come from?

Have you ever sold one thing on eBay?

It's really cool to spout out these alleged facts, but you couldn't be more wrong. Don't make one bad seller experience a one size fits all.

Trust me, sellers have bad buyer experiences.

Kidphone
Kidphone

twocvbloke

Yes, MOST sellers, not most sellers selling specifically telephones, it's the few that do the job by the book that usually are the exception, so there's no need for such an outburst like that... ::)

The facts come from buying many items on ebay since I joined that site in 2003, most if not all of the items I've received have arrived in re-used packaging, occasionally badly packed, sent by postage that was a lot less than was stated on the auction (when the sellers forgot to hide the actual shipping cost), so, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can say that those are facts... :)

And I have indeed sold one thing on ebay, over 50 things actually, so I have experience of selling and packing with new or decent re-used boxes & padding, and only charging for the shipping, so to claim I'M generalising, yeah, you might want take a look at what you just posted in detail, cos you've just done what you're accusing me of there...  ;)