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An all new experience in stupid packaging!!

KC9UDX

KC9UDX

Space Commander
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
7,468
Location
Lutenblag
I just received in the mail a piece of computer equipment with enough mass that it just doesn't be dropped on the floor. It arrived wrapped in bubble wrap inside a plastic shipping bag (the kind meant for documents or maybe cloth items, I think). Here's the kicker: The bubble wrap was wound back on itself and not taped. So upon firmly grasping it to remove it from the bag, it squirted out of my hand, sending said computer device shooting into the floor with great force. The way the bubble wrap was wrapped, there was no way to prevent this.

Of all the stupid packaging methods I've seen, I think this one takes the cake.
 
"a plastic shipping bag"

I've gotten two things in the past week where eBay cheapskates took six Priority Mail bags and some Fedex Plastic bags
and packed one inside of another, and wrapped it in with clear tape.

Now, how the heck are you supposed to OPEN this without cutting into something inside?
 
Al Kossow said:
"a plastic shipping bag"

I've gotten two things in the past week where eBay cheapskates took six Priority Mail bags and some Fedex Plastic bags
and packed one inside of another, and wrapped it in with clear tape.

Now, how the heck are you supposed to OPEN this without cutting into something inside?
Click to expand...

Turn them into the post office. This is clearly misuse of their free mailers.
Dwight
 
Well, picture this: The bag was completely covered in what looked like ground up bug carcasses! So in addition to carefully slashing at it with a sharp knife without slicing the internals, I had insect parts and the kind of dirt that always goes with them getting all over the place!
 
How about those USPS padded bags that use finely shredded paper as a layer of padding? If you cut or tear anywhere except a specific spot designated for opening, crap will get everywhere and make a huge mess. I regularly have to cut off mailing labels for a specific purpose, and I have to waste time cleaning everything up each time I get one of those.
 
KC9UDX said:
This is very true. It's actually a federal offence!
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You have to have a major hate to do that. I don’t know how many things I’ve received off of Ebay with that type of packaging. I would not have a problem with them charging something reasonable AND still keep their policy to get people to stop being wasteful.

Everyone here no doubt has their own shipping horror stories. EVERY SINGLE THING I’ve received damaged was due to idiotic/careless packaging, and the rarer (not necessarily the most expensive) stuff is always the worst.
 
I once sent a brass handmade model steam engine to Japan wrapped in only bubble wrap. What was I thinking?!! Granted it was inside a box with it's own molded soft styrofoam. It looked kind of like a Nerf football. It arrived intact, buyer left positive feedback.
 
tipc said:
I once sent a brass handmade model steam engine to Japan wrapped in only bubble wrap. What was I thinking?!! Granted it was inside a box with it's own molded soft styrofoam. It looked kind of like a Nerf football. It arrived intact, buyer left positive feedback.
Click to expand...

I’ve done that also, expensive on a large object, but it works. But I’ve received 10 pound objects wrapped in a SINGLE SHEET (1-ply) of bubble wrap, as though it was a magical force field against harm.
 
My PET 2001-N came in a giant cardboard bag (big enough to put 4 PETs in) full of packing peanuts and a pile of dead C64s. When I came home and saw it on the porch I thought for sure it would be destroyed. But upon opening it, the PET, laying on its side, was unscathed. If it hadn't been USPS it would have been a total loss.
 
The worst I got was a ASR33 teletype. It came in a seller fabricated box, wrapped with a limited amount of duct tape. The padding was a number of old throw pillows and such junk. When the package came, part of the teletype was hanging out and the case was cracked.
I originally asked him to remove the motor and ship it in a separate box because I expected him to do the typical popcorn and box. Shipping with such unbalanced weight is not a good idea. Because the print mechanism was not clamped down, the H coupling between the keyboard and the printer came loose. Luckily, it hadn't fallen out of the wads of packaging and I found it in some of it.
When I requested the motor to be shipped separate, he stated that it was very well packed and I shouldn't worry.
I was astounded that he could think the packaging was even close to enough. I had no idea that his idea of well packed and my idea of minimally packed were so completely different. It makes your mailer packing look professionally done.
Dwight
 
I once received a TRS-80 model 3 in a large cardboard box. The only padding it was given was half a dozen sheets of newspaper inside the box. With the bast will in the world thats one sheet of paper per face.

Needless to say the case was cracked and the tube was rattling around inside.

I did manage to repair it though and in the end, it looked fine.


Cheers,

Andy.
 
I received what was before shipping, a pristine Gonset Communicator IV. It arrived in a thin cardboard box exactly the size of the radio, no packing material at all. This is a very heavy piece of equipment, and there was just no chance in the world of it not getting damage. I did get my money back and got to keep it. I spent the purchase price on parts to repair it. It's pretty ugly now but it works.

I just got this today, UPS. Do you think it was dropped?
IMG_20191115_163012396.jpg
The foam corner protectors in one corner collapsed.
 
Stories like these are why I now always ask sellers for photos of their packaging job before they send anything. I recently had someone who thought a good way to strap a Teletype to a pallet was to wrap it in cling-film and twist the edges around, tying them to the pallet's boards. Needless to say I (and the shipping company) refused to have it picked up like that. It's since been strapped with actual straps (although for some reason the seller screwed them in place...) and had a wooden frame fabricated around the pedestal to stop it from sliding around. Hopefully it will arrive intact, although just yesterday I got a call from the courier saying they can't find it in the warehouse...
 
KC9UDX said:
Ouch. Look for it on eBay...
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Good plan! It apparently went from Houston to somewhere in Florida, rather than its intended destination of LA :crazy:
I dread to think what the extra 3,000 miles could do to it... :-?

If anyone was thinking of using Pilot Freight, let this be a warning.
 
I received a 50lb PDP-11/05 shipped internationally from the USA that arrived with a layer of bubble wrap and piece of cardboard taped around it. I had mistakenly assumed the seller would actually take some care in packing.
Damage done was a broken plastic front grille and the rear metal (handle-shaped) spacer bent. Both repaired now, but shouldn't have been that way.
 
1944GPW said:
I received a 50lb PDP-11/05 shipped internationally from the USA that arrived with a layer of bubble wrap and piece of cardboard taped around it. I had mistakenly assumed the seller would actually take some care in packing.
Damage done was a broken plastic front grille and the rear metal (handle-shaped) spacer bent. Both repaired now, but shouldn't have been that way.
Click to expand...

Eesh. Still, that's better than I would've thought it would turn out. No damage to the front panel or cards?
 
I had an over 100lb (with the dual 500W PSUs and all the 9 slots filled) IBM 8274-900 shipped from Canada. Despite being well packaged and built on a steel frame with thick alloy side and back plates, it arrived crushed on top. Someone must have stacked a small outline but extremely heavy object on top of it to buckle both the top, side and back plates and twist the frame members to which they were attached.
 
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