Hello Dale, 'Sorry to hear about the condition of your EBay item due to shipping. Having worked for the Postal Service for well over a decade I've seen too many examples of bad packaging and shipping by innocent people who assume that their parcel is going to be handled the way one passes a child from one person to another. Unfortunately most of us know this isn't the case. Even parcels labeled 'fragile' may get special treatment until they are set down into a hamper somewhere but the next unlabeled package may get tossed on top. I once had to deliver what started out as a case of fine wine but ended up as a fermenting box of broken glass.
What I ask of my EBay sellers when I win an auction is:
1 - Think about what your luggage goes through when you fly, and pack accordingly (i.e. use heavy cardboard or better). 2 - Thoroughly protect each of the items with padding (bubble wrap works best and is re-usable). 3 - Fill all empty spaces so that no items can move even when you shake the parcel vigorously. 4 - Place a copy of the sender's and receiver's address inside the parcel. 5 - Do 'not' use a water soluble ink when writing the addresses (it could be raining somewhere during transit). 6 - If you tape a label to the parcel first write the address on the box where the label will be placed (labels sometimes come off during transit). 7 - If you are re-using a box make sure all previous addresses are blacked out, and also any label suggesting the box contains alcohol or any other liquids. 8 - Obviously use tape that will actually stick even in heavy humidity, and make sure that there is an 'un-taped' spot on the parcel to apply the postage (and never place tape over stamps)
I am probably forgetting something here but this will take care of almost all packaging errors. Most people know these guidelines just through common sense, but we still deal with a lot of packages where some simple task was unfortunately overlooked.
Say 'hello' to "monsterdog7" for me : )
Rob Bowman
Santa Cruz CA
All:
Last month I purchased the refinished green Griffon offered on eBay that a few of us were talking about (180312938620.) This is the one which had had a very nice cycleart re-spray, unfortunately it was scratched up during s hipping. The seller wrapped the frame in ONE layer of saran wrap around t he tubes (!), and removed the fork and wrapped paper around it and put it l oose in the box (!!!) The threaded headtube of the fork naturally migrated to the space between the chainstay and the inside wall of the box, threads cut through the paper, and scratched the frame. Mostly clearcoat damage, bu t it cannot simply be polished out. Oh, and he didn't ship one of the heads et bearings. Legit mistakes I suppose, but the seller did not even return m y email messages until I said I did not want to escalate my concern, at whi ch point there was a lot of blame-placing but no responsibility taking. I w on't diatribe the details, but this is a seller who obviously has (or had) no clue about packaging, and if you get enticed by his (many) on-topi c offerings, "buyer beware."
Dale Phelps
Montagna lunga Colorado USA=0A=0A=0A