Postage responses - real-life examples

[*CountessA*]

Recently I bought a gorgeous Victorian brass letter rack from a seller on eBay.co.uk.

I paid within 24 hours of my bid being accepted (i.e., 8/2/2011).

Seller messaged me 2 days after sale to say he would be posting "in the morning". I noticed the next day that the "sent" icon was showing in My eBay.

Today I received another message from the seller: "Just to let you know the letter rack has been returned to me as the parcel was damaged and they could not read postal address only the return address. So repacked as its fine and will be posting again in the morning. Fingers crossed should be there in severn days!
Please accept my oppoligies,"

Well, I suppose it's possible! (Bad Royal Mail for destroying the address label, hmm?) In that case, it's good luck that the return address was still legible.

What stories do you have of parcel adventures and postage responses?

[*Brum6y*]

I had one (on behalf of my seller friend).

Items purchased, paid for and sent all within 48 hours.

Delivery address about 7km away, as the crow files.

About two weeks later, the buyer contacts my seller friend inquiring about their purchase, as it hadn't arrived.  My friend checked the tracking for the registered item - but it was no record was found. (This was not uncommon - as registered items consistently did NOT show up until they actually arrived at the delivery centre. Note - current Australia Post practice is that domestic registered items are scanned on lodgement - if you put them across the counter at a post office. You will then have a tracking event available within half an hour - from my experience.)

The seller apologised for the delay (even though it wasn't their fault) and organised to re-send the items... via pony express (me).

I drove over the next day with the items and knocked on the door at the appointed time.  A lovely lady answered the door with some news .... the postie had delivered the missing package about an hour earlier. Apparently the postmark was very clear, so she knew it had been posted quite promptly.

She apologised to me for having made the trip, but I said that was OK - the important thing is that things were sorted out.

I am certain she appreciated the no-fuss service - since she has been back to buy more.

[*wheels*]

I've received some badly damaged cartons but usually the contents have survived unscathed. Some cartons have arrived with Aus Post stickers saying something like 'Parcel received in this condition at Distribution Centre'. Some overseas sellers seem to think their flimsy cardboard boxes will be able to cope with the delicate handling of the international and Aus Post services.

I've also received some thin books in the mail, just in an envelope or padded bag, that have been rolled up by the postie to fit into the letter-box!

[*CountessA*]

Oh yes... flimsy cardboard boxes. Buying things from Germany and France and Italy reveal the WORST packaging I've ever seen, but also very good packaging from other sellers in both Germany and France.

Do the sellers just not realise that Australia isn't a simple motorbike ride away from them?

[low-enghooi]

A collector friend who stay in Singapore once bought a nice perfectly new (uncirculated) banknote from a Venezuela seller.

He is extremely lucky the banknote arrived in perfect condition inside the envelope protected by a piece of paper.

[lacey]

The only thing I can add is, I bought a coin of a seller on ebay some time back.  The coin arrived in a plain ordinary long envelope that had the corner tor off it, that was just a tad smaller than the coin. 

Luckily the coin was still inside, but the seller had not bothered to stick it between cardboard and put it in a plastic bag.  it was just loose rolling around and left little to the imagination of what was inside.  If I remember rightly, that coin cost me about $20.

[*FluffyDuckee*]

I've heard chicken nugget boxes make good packaging and yes I have also been the recipient of a chicken nugget box from Ebay.

[HellWest'nCrooked]

A few years ago it took 5 weeks for parcel from Melbourne to get to me,  even for me that was Waaaaaaaayyyy too long, think it went on a sight seeing tour around Oz.

Anything I buy off ebay usually takes me a week to unwrap, they are  so well packaged and taped up.  Only ever had the one item "smashed" and smashed it was........the seller disappeared from ebay not long after, his feedback was excellent so I guess "stuff" happens.

The very few items I have bought from the UK  have arrived very quickly and well packaged.

Chicken nugget boxes  .........really?

[*Yibida*]

A few years ago it took 5 weeks for parcel from Melbourne to get to me,  even for me that was Waaaaaaaayyyy too long, think it went on a sight seeing tour around Oz.

Anything I buy off ebay usually takes me a week to unwrap, they are  so well packaged and taped up.  Only ever had the one item "smashed" and smashed it was........the seller disappeared from ebay not long after, his feedback was excellent so I guess "stuff" happens.

The very few items I have bought from the UK  have arrived very quickly and well packaged.

Chicken nugget boxes  .........really?

{ Including a satchel of sweet & sour sauce believe it or not ! }

[*Brum6y*]

I've heard chicken nugget boxes make good packaging and yes I have also been the recipient of a chicken nugget box from Ebay.

.... I started thinking about chicken nugget boxes too - when Wheels commented about packaging.