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The CRPF "Bad Packing" awards

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

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JorgeAmely

#210
The ratcheting sound indicates you have one of the early editions Type 24 dials. Rumor has it that complaints from customers caused AE to redesign the dial to eliminate that sound. I prefer the sounds: it seems to indicate the phone is doing "some work" when dialing.  ;D ;D ;D

In this picture,

https://picasaweb.google.com/Amelyenator/AutomaticElectricDialOverhaul#5335110216912982210

you can see what they did to get rid of the sound.
Jorge

NorthernMan

Two in a row for me . Whats wrong with these Ebay sellers ... this one has had 500 sales . When i saw the box i knew it was too small  ... when i picked it up the phone moved within the box ... not a good sign. On opening there was one layer of small bubble pack on the reciever and housing. I am sure everyone knows where it broke and how.

LarryInMichigan

That's an awful shame!  What do people think ???

Larry

Jester

#213
My heartfelt sympathies to you, NorthernMan.  I haven't bought as much off eBay this year, but I've noticed that alot of sellers seem to be packing their items out of the recycle bin.  Most of the items sent to me since January have been in reused boxes with crumpled newspapers sporadically placed around & over the item, and they never use enough or place any under the item --they just set the item right on the bottom of the box.  I almost never see bubble wrap anymore, and I've noticed that some boxes aren't taped very well.  I know times are tough, but, seriously, packing an item well makes more sense to me than buying insurance.  It actually is a kind of insurance.  

Since we're discussing this, I should mention that there are sellers who routinely sell phones & intimately know how to pack them.  I recently received a phone from Doug Rose, & it was not only well packed, but the shipping was cheaper than some of the badly packed items that were sent to me.
Stephen

old_phone_man

Arghhhhh (As Charlie Brown would Say).

Fortunately for me my luck with e-Bay has been good, but seeing things like this just keep scaring me.

Was this shipped via U.S. Postal to you??  I know I have had Canadian Post sent to me with no problems.

But of course as always, "Safety Begins At Home" with the guy packaging it up.

Sorry man.

Adam

I've posted this here before, but if it helps someone, here it is again.  I send this text to every eBay auction that I win when I pay for the item:

-------------------

IMPORTANT!  PLEASE READ!  When you box up this phone for shipment, please DO NOT pack the phone up with its receiver sitting on the phone's cradle.  The receiver will knock into the body of the phone during shipment and it is GUARANTEED that the phone will be received broken into several pieces.  PLEASE wrap the receiver of the phone separately. Thank you.

-------------------

Perhaps I've been lucky, but since I've been sending these simple instructions, I haven't received a broken phone.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

Doug Rose

Since we're discussing this, I should mention that there are sellers who routinely sell phones & intimately know how to pack them.  I recently received a phone from Doug Rose, & it was not only well packed, but the shipping was cheaper than some of the badly packed items that were sent to me
.

Thanks for the kind words Stephen, but I can take 0% credit on packing. The lovely Janet does the thankless job of packing. She thinks any idiot can do it, but I tell her it is just the opposite. She does a first class job! I can't wait to see the pictures...Doug
Kidphone

old_stuff_hound

I bought a Galion recently of eBay (photos in "Collector's Corner" thread) that was shipped with and interesting idea of packing. It was placed in a box then the box was half-filled with packing peanuts. That's it. Nothing else. When I paid for the item I put a note that said "please pack so that the handset cannot bang into the base of the phone". Obviously that didn't help.

The bigger problem (though the above exacerbated the damage) was that the ringer was not screwed to the base, so it was loose inside! These photos show the result. Really annoying, as the ringer was a straight-line ringer. Something as simple as stuffing some paper towels inside woul have prevented this -- better still install two, even one, screw to hold down the ringer! But the ringer and the coil are useless now (unless maybe somehow I can rewind the ringer bobbin -- doubtful). Miraculously though, the Bakelite is intact. There is some damage to the handset caps, but it looks to be old damage. I don't think it happened in shipping. The missing pieces weren't in the box.

The seller and I went back & forth and eventually reached an agreement whereby I get enough of a partial refund to keep the phone (I didn't pay much to begin with). I've got an inductor on order with Adele (which the seller's refund to me covered).

Doug Rose

#218
Is the only damage in the back? If this is a good displayable phone, maybe you might reconsider and keep it. Want to post the auction so we can look at the phone. When displayed, it is the back. Lets see what it looks like. Is it cost effective to keep it over giving away $35...Doug
Kidphone

LarryInMichigan

This may be a silly question, but why should the buyer have to pay for shipping when the seller was at fault for improper packing?  If the seller was explicitly instructed to keep the handset off of the shell, and he/she disregarded the instructions, in my opinion, they have shipped an item other than what was purchased, so the buyer should not be liable.  It should not be much different than the seller having shipped a different phone (or something else entirely) than what was purchased.

I have made references to such an argument on an occasion or two when I received a damaged phone which was packed contrary to the way I requested.

Larry

AE_Collector

Quote from: NorthernMan on August 16, 2011, 02:48:40 PM
Addendum to this file ...... out of the blue the seller has agreed to pay the shipping back to him. Maybe Ebay doesn't suck after all.  Until the cash arrives i will reserve judgement.

Wait until he remembers that you are in CANADA!! (home of Canada Post)

Terry

GG



What I've lately started doing about this:

When buying, I send a note saying "Extra good feedback given for proper packing" and describing the basics: bubble wrap handset & base separately, use a strong cardboard box with lots of stuffing. 

Then for phones received well-packed, giving extra credit in the feedback notes, and for those received poorly-packed, saying as much even if leaving positive feedback.

Worst-packed recently:  Red RWT Elektrim desk set from Poland, that looks almost identical to a German type 611 set, and interestingly had a USA alphanumeric dial that was produced in Poland.  Missing its line cord (no big deal).  Packed in a box with a few handfuls of newspaper and that's all, and was rattling around when I got it.  Miraculously it didn't suffer any damage.  However, seller still got the "poorly packed" note in their feedback comments.

If enough of us start doing this as standard practice, sellers will get up to speed on packing. 

stub

#222
Well this phone made it 60 something years on a ship and one USPS trip killed it !!!   stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

paul-f

Too bad.  Hate it when that happens.

Looks like the "Bad Packer" has struck again.

>:(
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

stub

#224
paul-f ,
          I called and told the shipper what happened and I told him that it wasn't a total loss. I said that I could still use the parts and would just fix it . I said that half the price would make me happy . Just checked and they gave me a full refund. :o Very NICE people!!!! ;D    
           It was packed very well, turns out to be weak spring inside phone housing letting the handset move every time it was thrown!!   stub
Kenneth Stubblefield