|
In
the next few articles, we are going to look at a topic that really
transcends ebay. We are going to discuss safe packaging techniques.
One of the biggest complaints I have heard form people who buy on
ebay, is that when they get their item, it has been broken in
transit, or was not properly packaged.
Before
we discuss packaging techniques, I am going to relate a couple of
stories as to why items need to be packaged properly. It is common
knowledge that courier shippers (who wear brown uniforms) are
notoriously hard on packages, well here is my personal story on that
one. I packaged up a large format computer plotter for shipping. I
went a little overboard on the packaging, and used a wooden crate
with foam in place Styrofoam as well. To me this looked
indestructible. Well not to the shipping company. About 3 weeks
after I sent the item, the buyer contacted me and let me know that
he had not received the item. I checked with the shipper and they
had lost the package, even with their online tracking. Then a couple
of weeks later, I got a call from the local shipping office that I
needed to come down and pickup the package. I went down to the
office and almost fell off my feet. The wooden case was completely
gone, there was no packaging material left and the plotter was in
small pieces, held together with some plastic wrapping. It looks
like it literally fell off the truck and was run over by a number of
other vehicles. It was a useless pile of junk. The reason the online
tracking lost the package was because the shipping labels were on
the box, which was destroyed and lost.
I thought, its all OK, because it was insured. Big mistake.
The company refused to give up any insurance claim on the item, and
there reason was that it was not properly packaged. I even provided
photo proof of the packaged item in an indestructible wooden crate.
There argument was, “OBVIOUSLY the packaging was not good enough,
because the item got damaged!! Your fault, no insurance claim!”
Granted no amount of packaging would have prevented this situation,
but good packaging will prevent most minor damages.
Another
fact that most people are not aware of, not even most Canada post
employees, is that Canada post has a written policy called a “safe
drop”. This means that any package they take MUST be able to
withstand a drop from a height of 3 feet onto a concrete floor! YES,
you read right, a 3 foot free fall onto concrete! This is a common
occurrence in Canada post sorting plants. All their package conveyor
and sorting equipment is at a height of 3 feet, and it is common for
the sorting lines to get backlogged and force packages off the
conveyor onto the concrete.
At
the airport we have all seen those baggage handlers toss the luggage
like firewood. Well the also treat the mail and packages the same
way if not worse. I have actually heard stories about shipping
company employees who hold contests to see how far they can throw a
package without is busting apart. They also are known to keep
trophies in their work rooms. The one I heard about was a package
which obviously held a glass breakable item. It was smashed and now
they used it like a rattle to show newbies on the job how to do
things.
I
want to point out that these stories are the exception rather than
the rule, and that generally most packages get delivered safely and
promptly. In reality I have found that less than 2 out of a 1000
packages get severely damaged. Despite all the horror stories we
have all heard about Canada post, I still consider them the safest
and most reliable shipper out there. I consider courier services as
shippers of last resort, and ONLY use them when an item is either to
large or to heavy to go through the postal system.
The
next article will look at actual packaging techniques and what
materials to use in order to properly package an item for shipping.
Then in another future article I will tell you some of the secrets
on how to source cheap packaging materials, in order to minimize
your packaging costs. Again, please let me know if there are any
specific topics you would like me to comment on or discuss. Thanks
for reading.
|
