PRR8259Yes, absolutely yes. Both Ebay sellers and legitimate, prominent dealers have shipped me stuff, packed it very poorly, and then had to deal with the return. It started a couple years ago for me, but lately the pace of defective returns has picked up dramatically for me.
John, that all sounds very terrible.
I have really ramped-down my ebay orders in the past few months now that I have no income. It is disappointing that I am making less than 1/4 of the purchases I used to, but the occurances of damage have actually gone up.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
See You 190, Kevin--
Yes, absolutely yes.
Both Ebay sellers and legitimate, prominent dealers have shipped me stuff, packed it very poorly, and then had to deal with the return. It started a couple years ago for me, but lately the pace of defective returns has picked up dramatically for me.
After well over 100 orders from MBK, a couple years ago they poorly packed an Athearn Chessie SD-60 that my son really wanted, and it arrived damaged. When I complained about the horrible packing job (in a box with only a couple bags of air and no peanuts such that it bounced around and got broken) they said that in Maryland styrofoam peanuts would be outlawed and that they could not use them anymore. Instead of sending the replacement diesel my son asked for in writing (they had plenty of them in stock) they simply refunded my money.
Other than some Kato track they had, that nobody else had all of it in stock that I needed, I have basically ceased ordering anything from MBK. Apparently my 3 total defective returns in well over 100 orders somehow upset them.
Recently I had 4 locos of 5 orders from different dealers arrive damaged.
Two were (separate) orders from a prominent dealer, not just an Ebay seller, but a legitimate website that some folks speak rather highly of. Note: The first Rapido RS-11 was destroyed in shipping because they sent it with no end cushioning in the box at all, outside the Rapido box, and the USPS clearly played football with the package, the short hood nose was broken on arrival. After waiting a few weeks, and attempting to find that scarce roadname (LV bright red) elsewhere, I gave them a second chance, and paid slightly more money for shipping via UPS. The exact same thing happened: short hood nose broken by plastic clamshell support which went through the nose due to no end cushioning in shipping box at all. I got my money back, and the dealer said he'd explain to his shipping person that this cannot happen again, so I won't name the dealer on here. He's trying and was apologetic.
I am getting more and more products packed very poorly, such that they get damaged. I have good glue, and can fix a lot of minor stuff and retouch paint with 10/0 brushes, but this is making me pre-order through my local dealer rather than buy online!
I will note that my recent orders from The Train Station in Ohio and from Lombard Hobby have been arriving intact. Lombard packs economically, but they used enough end cushioning inside the shipping boxes that my 5 recent (Rapido) locomotive orders from them all arrived fully intact. Train Station tends to pack more carefully than Lombard, so they have done an outstanding job. Also, Western Depot is doing a good job of packing, and Hiawatha Hobbies.
John
I had one a couple of years back where I did a lot of four engines- they all needed a little work BUT they needed more than that when they got to me. They had them bubble wrapped but probably not as well in the fronts of the engine on a couple. However it looked like the post office set an elephant ridden by an NFL offensive line on it...... Had damage to the pilot truck on one and some other damage- alerted post office and they had me provide pics-they refunded half the value (two were not damaged) as well as all the shipping and told me to keep them. Fortunately I had the parts and was able to fix them. Took a little bit of time but came out well.
tstageYou can still comment about it in the 80-character feedback field - e.g. "Item arrived damaged because of poor packing. Seller issued refund." Yes, it still ends up being a positive review because of the refund but it's better than not commenting about it at all.
After the refund is issued, the item disappears from my "purchase history" list.
I will need to see if I can locate it another way to leave feedback.
Ordered some framed pictures of e-bay (Iknow, not train but all my train stuff has arrived with no problems), glass was broken on one, they were bubble wraped but there is a type out there with a lot less gas in them.
SeeYou190Yes, 100% positive. Since he refunded my money I cannot leave him negative feedback. Just another example of how worthless the eBay feedback system has become.
You can still comment about it in the 80-character feedback field - e.g. "Item arrived damaged because of poor packing. Seller issued refund." Yes, it still ends up being a positive review because of the refund but it's better than not commenting about it at all.
I always comment about the packing when I leave my feedback on eBay. I think that's important for both the seller AND for other potential buyers of that seller.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Yes. I bought an Athearn Genesis GP50 from a private seller. It showed up in a padded envelope, which is bad enough, with no other filler. LOL.
The Genesis packaging kept all but a truck hanger detail from falling off. I returned it for other reasons.
The worst way to pack is to let the item rattle around in the box. The model needs to be sure in its factory packaging, and then the factory box has to be secure inside the mailing box. Skip any step and something is likely to break off
- Douglas
SeeYou190Are other people seeing this?
In general, I have not had a problem. Almost everything that I have received from eBay has been well packaged. There have been a few that were not but they arrived without damage. However, last week I got a gondola that not properly packaged at all, and there were several pieces broken off. I stated that clearly in my feedback.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I have seen that a lot over the past year. I have gotten lucky nothing damaged. Maybe they are following amazon. They never added packing and more recently barely tape the box shut.
Shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Nope. Pretty much everything I've gotten of Ebay has been well packaged.
OTOH, I've had a couple of vendors do minimal packaging and fortunately the contents seemed ok despite the lack of padding - in otherwords, they got lucky. By minimal I mean no or virtually no padding around the contents boxes. Hogtrainz and Bobthetrainguy in recent weeks.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
The Company worked for instructed staff that all packages had to be secure 100%.
When my wife sends a package thru the post she has me inspecting it.
A couple of days ago (because of Covid and lockdown) she decided to wrap Christmas presents, so if there was chance to see any family we could give them their presents.
Some of the presents were for our grandchildren. The way my wife had wrapped the parcels, they were 'bomb proof'. Little James will still be trying to open his present on New Years Day.
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
gmpullman I wonder how much rising postal rates have to do with the problem? Where a medium box would have been the preferred choice in the past, sellers are cheaping out with padded envelopes. Ebay is pushing sellers to ship faster and they are trying to get sellers on the "free shipping" wagon. Cutting corners along the way.
I wonder how much rising postal rates have to do with the problem? Where a medium box would have been the preferred choice in the past, sellers are cheaping out with padded envelopes.
Ebay is pushing sellers to ship faster and they are trying to get sellers on the "free shipping" wagon. Cutting corners along the way.
Rich
Alton Junction
SeeYou190 richhotrain Did you check the seller's feedback rating before purchasing that loco? Yes, 100% positive. Since he refunded my money I cannot leave him negative feedback. Just another example of how worthless the eBay feedback system has become. -Kevin
richhotrain Did you check the seller's feedback rating before purchasing that loco?
Yes, 100% positive. Since he refunded my money I cannot leave him negative feedback. Just another example of how worthless the eBay feedback system has become.
SeeYou190Just another example of how worthless the eBay feedback system has become.
Still, there needs to be a distinction from a product review or a shipping problem. Maybe not so much with eBay since the seller "score" is an overall performance rating but I have seen many Amazon products get a negative write-up because the box was crushed or the package never arrived.
Amazon has a separate review process for the shipping and delivery but people often ignore the distinction.
Regards, Ed
gmpullmanPacking 101: CUSHION the bottom!
+1
rrinkerCan't decide if someone could really be that dumb and not know or if they knew better but were just trying to be cheap.
I would guess they were just doing it in a hurry. I got a refund with no problem, but that does not cure the disappointment of not having the model.
richhotrainDid you check the seller's feedback rating before purchasing that loco?
SeeYou190 This was the undecorated Front Range GP-7. It was just placed into a bubble envelope and put in the mail like that. The locomotive came out of the box. The motor mounts were broken and wires pulled out of the motor.
This was the undecorated Front Range GP-7. It was just placed into a bubble envelope and put in the mail like that. The locomotive came out of the box. The motor mounts were broken and wires pulled out of the motor.
A loco, in a padded envelope? What in the actual...? Can't decide if someone could really be that dumb and not know or if they knew better but were just trying to be cheap. About the only thing model railroading that would go in a padded envelope are maybe soem decals, but even then only sandwiched between a couple pieces of cardboard.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
It always amazed me how many shipping department people would pack boxes with absolutely NO cushioning at the BOTTOM of the box yet have lots of space at the "top" with plenty of padding there.
Generally, the box is going to be tossed, often label-side-up, and if the item inside does not have 360° protection it will recieve a huge shock on impact with the floor, truck bed or my front porch.
I often get packages where the item is laid flat on the bottom of the box with lots of pillows, bubble wrap or, yuck, peanuts dumped all over the top.
Packing 101: CUSHION the bottom!
Whenever I buy an individual golf club new from the manufacturer, they put the club in a box and ship it. No insulating material whatsoever. Incredibly, the clubs all have arrived without any damage. Go figure.
This was a bummer, because these are difficult to find.
As a seller, I have all of my original boxes and foam inserts for all of my locos. When I sell a loco, I repackage it the same way that I received it when I bought it new. Then, I place it in the outer box for shipping and fully insulate it. There is no excuse for sloppy packaging.
Rich.
Nope.
The last three locomotives I have purchased on eBay, an Athearn GP-35, an Athearn GP-38-2, and a Front Range GP-7 have all arrived destroyed.
In all cases, this was because the seller put no effort into packing them correctly.
I have been an eBay user since September, 1999, and this has never been a trend before.
Are other people seeing this?