posted on July 21, 2001 08:49:52 AM
Overkill on packing?
Well I have to wonder sometimes if I overkill on my packing jobs.
Granted only 2 times in the 3+ years of selling did items(glass)get damaged in shipping. It should be noted that I sell about 80% glass.
BUT...I work for the PO, I'm PMR in our little hick town, a year and a half now and I've gotten to where I can spot an eBay package. It is frightening how some people send their stuff eBay or otherwise.
It sure seems to make it ok.
What prompted this post was this AM while sorting mail & packages I ran into a package that was 3 videos wrapped in a plain brown wrapper(paperbag)no plasic protection just paper wrapped around them. It was ripped a little but the videos seemed intact. Another item that I knew was an ebay sale ~ rattled ~.
The way I pack my items for shipping I'm sure adds weight that may not be nessesary.
I usually double box, use paper, peanuts, foam board, egg cartons. And, I don't care if its not breakable, I make sure it does NOT rattle.
I've only received praise on my well packed items, NEVER anyone saying "you probably could have saved me $1 or $2 bucks with less packing".
In these times of HIGH postage rates I'm wonder if saving a buck or 2 may be more inportant then something that arrives that don't rattle?
We walk a fine line where breakables are concerned but is more really better and nessesary?.
posted on July 21, 2001 09:03:57 AM
Everytime I've received something where the packaging was "overkill" I've appreciated it. What it shows is that the seller cares about the item they're selling, and that the buyer will get the item in the condition that it was before it was sent.
I've also recieved items that were under packed. For example, a 20 inch monitor for my computer. The seller sent it in a flimsy cardboard box with about an inch, maybe two of peanuts. The box split open, and most of the peanuts spilled out, the monitor was damaged. I returned it and said "NO" to the sellers offer to send another.
IOW, overkill is far FAR better than the other extreme Your buyers appreciate you, even if they don't mention it. I get maybe one out of every ten feedbacks mentioning 'good packaging' or something of the sort. It's enough to make me realize that the other nine appreciate it as well. Sure, I spend a bit extra money and time making sure everything is secure before I send it, but in the long run I think I'm saving time and money. No returns of damaged merchandise, fewer lost items, no compaints about poor packaging, more repeat business...
posted on July 21, 2001 09:10:08 AM
packer
I sometimes sell jigsaw puzzles and note on the package "Rattle OK" - am I wasting the miniscule time it takes to do this? The note is meant for the postal employees so they don't give me a strange look when they pick up the package.
posted on July 21, 2001 09:10:39 AM
>>Well I have to wonder sometimes if I overkill on my packing jobs.<<
As do we!
>>BUT...I work for the PO, I'm PMR in our little hick town, a year and a half now and I've gotten to where I can spot an eBay package. It is frightening how some people send their stuff eBay or otherwise.<<
Same here again, only we have a 22 year postal employee in the house. It is amazing how many people carelessly ship their items.
>>I've only received praise on my well packed items, NEVER anyone saying "you probably could have saved me $1 or $2 bucks with less packing".<<
posted on July 21, 2001 09:16:54 AM
I agree that too much is WAY better than too little! My office at home is up a full flight of stairs. I pack my breakables so that I can throw the box down the stairs and nothing gets hurt. Even if it's not breakable I pack it well. And tape, well there can never be too much tape!
posted on July 21, 2001 09:28:55 AM
As a buyer myself, if I'm buying something breakable and they are only charging me ACCUAL shipping I will add $1.00 or $2.00 and ask them to pack it extra well. (its usually if they are pretty new to selling).
So I quess thats why I make sure everything is packed well. And I do charge anywhere from $.25 to $1.00 for packing supplies.
In my TOS I don't mention how well I pack, but with almost 1100 feedback I feel its really not needed.
About 80% of my feedback mention the packing.....they get a kick out of the "egg cartons"
posted on July 21, 2001 10:30:38 AM
I sell -- you guessed it -- books. All are wrapped first in brown kraft paper, then in bubblewrap, then enclosed in a sturdy brand new shipping box. I started out doing this because I was mostly selling coffee table-type books, where appearance really counts, but I give the same care to five dollar paperbacks.
So far, out of about 1700 books shipped, I have zero damage claims (and zero lost packages). (Knock on wood.)
As with packer, I get lots of praise from customers, no complaints about having to spend the extra buck or so. (On occasion, when someone complains that I charge more than actual postage, I explain what it includes, and they're fine with it.)
From a purely financial standpoint, it would probably be more profitable to ship in a bubble wrap envelope and replace or refund the items destroyed by the postal service, but that's not how I want to run my business.
posted on July 21, 2001 10:39:39 AM
booksx3,
AMEN to that.
I quess a serious bidder(which I seem to have consistantly) don't mind paying the little extra weight or minor packing fee if they can get their item the first time around without hassle.
So in conclusion if and when my praises turn into complaints about shipping charges I guess I'll stick to what I'm doing.
HOWEVER......it still makes me wonder that if we don't spend so much time in packing and weight(to drive postage up), would we get MORE bids for our stuff?
Its just something that I wonder about after seeing how poorly things are wrapped and shipped and they still make it to the buyer.
posted on July 21, 2001 02:21:33 PM
my favorite to date is a laptop I received stuffed into a priority box no padding other than the case. It was to long for the box so they just used a bunch of tape on the end!!!
No damage it worked fine...says a lot about IBM thinkpads.
spock here......
posted on July 21, 2001 02:38:38 PM
Packer... love the egg carton idea. Now I have one more thing for my family and friends to save for me. Great idea. That is what makes these boards worthwhile!!!
There's no danger of developing eyestrain from looking at the bright side of things!
posted on July 21, 2001 04:55:22 PM
I packed two cameras for shipment, double boxing them, swathes of bubblewrap and peanuts...and some thin foam white wrapping that I found yards of in the dumpster of an office supply store...and then at the PO the "lifer" who lectures me on his great customer service skills, dumped it into the container.
Just pitched it in like it was so much garbage. I am so glad I go overboard when I pack. I guess it happens all the time, but to actually see him dump it in, was disturbing. Fortunately they are users and the fellow is buying one for parts.
Rethinking triple boxing.
posted on July 21, 2001 05:18:01 PM
I guess I'm the only renegade willing to suggest that some of us try lighter packing for lighter postage fees. Some of the packing I see is excessive and unnecessary, and now that rates are going up we should all try to minimize (except for fragile items). I'm from California--and have been in "shell shock" for two days since I got my $450 electric bill (mobile home). So now the thermostat is up to 85 and I've invested in more fans. Kind of a weak analogy, but I think most of us can "cut" when the need arises!
posted on July 21, 2001 05:38:13 PM
I received a shipment of silverplate flatware yesterday. It came in a liquor-size box, filled with peanuts and crumpled newspaper. The actual flatware was wrapped in tissue and was basically a cylinder that measured about 8" long by about 3" wide. I didn't note how much postage the seller paid, but it must have been extraordinary! All this for something that he could have sent via priority mail (probably in the large video box) for $3.95. Now THAT is overpacking! I suspect he didn't have the right size box, so he used what he had and filled it up with peanuts.
BTW, there is such a thing as "too much tape." I've received several shipments of silver that have been wrapped in bubblewrap then taped solid with priority mail tape. Getting that stuff off without scratching what's inside is nearly impossible! If you must seal bubblewrap, use a couple of rubber bands or some regular household tape, that does not form an immutable bond.
That being said, I do err on the side of overpacking if there is any question at all about the item arriving safely. I usually sell stuff that is pretty undamagable, but when I do mail glassware or china, it goes with all the bells and whistles.
posted on July 21, 2001 06:50:24 PM
Packer,
Reading your first post, I was amazed that you were describing exactly how I pack, right down to the egg cartons!! It's neat that those 30 egg flats fit perfectly into the #7 priority boxes. I plead guilty to "overkill" when it comes to packing. I too sell about 80% pottery and glass, and there's no such thing as "too much" protection. After more than 40 years in the moving and storage industry, I can assure you that there are people in this world who could break an anvil if it wasn't packed in bubblewrap and double boxed.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on July 21, 2001 06:54:41 PM
I think you are overpacking. I aim to have damage in about 2 out of 1000 shipments. Thus, on 998 shipments I save on both postage and packing material. If you charge a flat fee for postage/handling, the cost savings far outweight the loss of replacing two damaged shipment.
I find some sellers way overpack. Especially, using large priority mail boxes on everything with extra paper to fill in the box. End up costing couple of dollars extra to send an item worth about $10.
Of course, I am talking about items selling for less than $25. I think one should use more packaging for more expensive items. But to use the Fort Knox approach for items worth a couple of dollars is an overkill.
posted on July 22, 2001 10:10:15 AM
You know, packing something well doesn't mean you are adding poundage to the parcel! If something sitting in the box weighs 4.1 lbs I can add a very large amount of packing and still keep it at 5lb or under, thereby NOT increasing the ship cost at all. So, it doesn't mean that those of us who pack items well are gouging the customer for more shipping costs in the process! Using styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap add very little to the weight of the package and, if you know what you're doing, you are still keeping the cost where it should be. I, also, would rather receive something well packed, even if it added a pound to the weight, than receiving the item broken because it was inadequately packed. Not one of my customers has ever received a broken item from me and never have I had a complaint that something was packed 'too much'!
posted on July 22, 2001 10:32:06 AM
Hi Triggerfish,
First off if I have a package weigh in at 4.1 lbs, I'd do some box shaving to eliminate the 1 oz to reduce the shipping cost. I've shaved inside flaps many times to get that extra oz or 2 off. If it goes 3 oz into the next lb its pretty hard to get rid of.
I too have screamed at times when I buy something and they have the item bubblewrapped and tape every which way but sunday. You can't even save the wrap to reuse it because it gets all ripped up trying to get the tape off.
I buy those 5" wide rolls of that strechy shrink wrap type stuff(I get it at Menards)and band that around the bubblewrap to hold it on the item. It works really great to wrap and hold things together. No tape at all to mess with and its cheaper then tape. I'd NEVER use priority tape(from hell) to bind an item. YIKES!
Your buyers appreciate you, even if they don't mention it. I get maybe one out of every ten feedbacks mentioning 'good packaging' or something of the sort. It's enough to make me realize that the other nine appreciate it as well. Sure, I spend a bit extra money and time making sure everything is secure before I send it, but in the long run I think I'm saving time and money. No returns of damaged merchandise, fewer lost items, no compaints about poor packaging, more repeat business...