The Needle ...

Having bought and received many items of railway stock via mail order, I have noticed a recurring problem - the cardboard boxes that enclose Graham Farish stock are easily crushed in the mail. A common cause of this problem is the use of padded bags to ship these items.

I have nothing against padded bags; they are very useful for shipping certain items and I use them extensively myself. However, I do not believe that they are the right solution for shipping items that can crush easily, such as these types of boxes.

The people who most persist in shipping stock in padded bags are private sellers on eBay. No shop that I have bought this kind of stock from - whether through an eBay auction or direct from their website - has shipped with padded bags; they have always used boxes. These people are the professionals; they do this for a living so presumably they know what they are doing.

When I raise this point with people who have sent stock in padded bags, the usual response is to blame Royal Mail for the package becoming crushed and to take it up with them. While I agree that the carrier has some responsibility for the package not becoming damaged while in transit, I would also argue that the sender has the responsibility for providing suitable packaging for the journey. You wouldn't send a porcelain figurine through the mail in a padded bag, would you?

I am growing tired of paying (as an example) �2.00 shipping for an item that turns up in a padded bag with a 46p stamp on it and damage to the stock box when if I were selling the same item I would charge �1.50 for shipping and send it in a box.

In my own experience, I have sent out hundreds of examples of this type of stock in shipping boxes and to date have only had one (unsubstantiated) claim of damage to the contents. Many people have also commented on the quality of the packaging used, therefore I must be doing something right.

If you are an eBay seller or are thinking of selling stock that would be distributed by mail, consider shipping stock in boxes and not bags. You'll elevate yourself above a lot of sellers by doing so and your customers will appreciate your efforts as well.

NOTE: In the interests of balance, I have had stock arrive in padded bags with minimal or no damage to the box at all. It can happen, but is very much the minority of cases and I would suspect more by luck than anything else.

... And The Damage Done

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I've just spared you from reading nearly four thousand more. Something that arrived recently -

From the top it can be seen that the ends have been pushed out and the upper side has been significantly crushed.

This view of the upper side shows the true extent of the crushing damage.

The lower side is not so badly damaged but is still unacceptable for what was a 'good' box.

The insert has punched through the back of the box as well.

I swear I haven't sat on this - this really is how it emerged from the padded bag. The box was also wrapped in additional bubblewrap too, for all the difference that made.

Disclaimer

NOTE: My only affiliation with shipping companies or suppliers of boxes or other suitable shipping containers is as an occasional customer. I am simply someone who likes to receive the goods in the same condition that they were sent out in.

Rant over :-)

Last updated 09.07.2005.