"Opening items, shipping items, and so forth" Topic

(1) EZ open pull tabs on mailers that rip off in your hand without doing anything to open the package.

(2) folks who mummify miniatures in tape that needs to be surgically removed so as not to damage the figure while cutting the packing.

(3) painted minis sent without protection whatsoever.

(4) books, pictures, CDs etc. sent in soft mailers with no stiffening added – particularly if it isn't a bubble package. I've gotten all of the aforementioned items looking like they've been crushed, cut, bent, broken, and otherwise mutilated. Even if the seller will correct the problem, you shouldn't have to have a preventable problem in the first place.

(5) if you ship something, and there is a problem, the Post Office cancels your paid postage when they return it to you. So even though you did what you were supposed to, and have already paid for postage, you now get to pay postage again to ship the item they never delivered in the first place.

How about you? Stuff to add to this list?

JJ

Hi JJ,

Pertaining to your #4, I've shipped 8.5x11" books/booklets in standard Priority envelopes for about 15 years and never had a problem. Even if it slightly smaller if you fold the envelope to match the width of the contents you don't have problems. This also includes international shipping the same way.

Hard cover books I can definitely see you point or very flimsy books. Those I ship in bubblewrap or stiffen with cardboard.

In all cases writing "do not bend" helps.

Painted mini's – used to ship in cereal all the time
just pick a cereal that isn't too dusty or scratchy
(grape nuts do not work – Cheerio's does)

Anything no matter how well packed can and will be destroyed at one point.

For example. a year ago last Christmas I ordered some D&D books from a guy on Ebay. a 2 inch thick stack was added to a priority box, voids filled shipped to me.

The post office somehow folded the box contents and all completely in half. It had to be driven over by a forklift to do the damage they caused.

Do not mark as fragile, do not bend, etc… that is a red flag to angry postal workers to pitch around.

As a former UPS loader, I must agree with DZtoe… FRAGILE means nothing to me… seen it too often on overstuffed and overloaded boxes. And a shout out to the guy who shipped a standard bedroom pillow in a box marked FRAGILE, sorry, it was me who fell on it… no blood no foul, right?

Mark it "DANGER – Live Fish!" or someting else eye-catching instead…

"Do not mark as fragile, do not bend"

The best line I heard from a UPS guy, "Scanners and machines do not read English, so don't bother marking them like they do."

When I worked for TMP Parcels, a polystyrene box marked 'Live Bees' was an irresistible invitation to rattle…

"Biological Samples" is vague and disturbing enough to make most handlers think about how they handle it.

I don't mind the overprotecting of minis in a package so much. I don't think it was necessary, but it doesn't set me off.

The suggestion to meet in person at IHOP for miniature and cash exchange to save a couple bucks on shipp… er … waitaminit … I think that was my suggestion to Terrement, so, never mind … it was obviously a good idea.

Actually, I have had good luck with the one person that I shipped stuff that got broken in shipping (and I made a reasonable effort to protect it), to mention it but not complain or ask for a refund.

I do dislike when I schedule for a pick-up and it doesn't happen.

TMP Parcels?! I meant TNT Parcels… :)

I believe Dragon magazine once defined "protective mailing cover" as the only part not to get damaged.