Watch your packaging

soolin

I bought a book last week from ebay at a cost of £2.50.

It has arrived safe and sound this morning but due to the attempt to save costs with packaging it has ended up costing seller a lot more than it should.

The book weighs 228g, in a jiffy envelope it weighs 241g and is borderline for a large letter, possibly one of my POs would have allowed it as a large letter as it does pass through the slot. Even if it went as a packet the weight means it would have cost £1.41 second class.

However the buyer who states in their auction that they recycle packaging to keep costs down has used bubble wrap that has tons of sellotape on it, plus thick brown paper on the outer, this has pushed the weight over 250g and also due to the many folds of paper at end of packet means there is no chance at all it would go as anything other than a packet. They have therefore paid £1.85 to post it.

So with a cost of only £2.50 they have barely broken even with ebay and paypal fees.

Brown paper weighs a lot, so be careful!

Zazen999

Interesting; I've only ever wrapped my books in a brown paper and just sealed all edges with tape; it's a book so it doesn't need bubblewrap!!!

soolin

Zazen999 wrote: »

Interesting; I've only ever wrapped my books in a brown paper and just sealed all edges with tape; it's a book so it doesn't need bubblewrap!!!

The brown paper is also reused in this instance and has some sort of bare patches where a previous label has been removed, so I think they wrapped the book to make sure it wasn't exposed to the elements en route.

trrk

Zazen999 wrote: »

It's a book so it doesn't need bubblewrap!!!

Although it may not need bubble wrap it is a good idea to use some sort of waterproof (i.e. plastic) wrapping as it can get exposed to the elements. Was reading the Readitswapit forum the other day and someone was complaining their postman always leaves packages outside their door even when it's raining so brown paper alone is not really sufficient. I use those plastic pockets if I don't want to increase the thickness of the package.

soolin

The Amazon lot would also have kittens to think of a book going with no protection against bumping.

Zazen999

trrk wrote: »

Although it may not need bubble wrap it is a good idea to use some sort of waterproof (i.e. plastic) wrapping as it can get exposed to the elements. Was reading the Readitswapit forum the other day and someone was complaining their postman always leaves packages outside their door even when it's raining so brown paper alone is not really sufficient. I use those plastic pockets if I don't want to increase the thickness of the package.

I've never had any problems and I've sold hundreds of books. Perhaps if it was an antique I'd be a bit more worried.

Ames

I had this problem with my first GM sale. I usually send books in a freezer back inside an A5 thick envelope, but I panicked and sent it in an A4 one folded over, which took it into the next price bracket. Alternatively I use a special delivery bag inside out.

Soolin, what do Amazon buyers expect? I was planning to try and sell some on there.

soolin

Ames wrote: »

I had this problem with my first GM sale. I usually send books in a freezer back inside an A5 thick envelope, but I panicked and sent it in an A4 one folded over, which took it into the next price bracket. Alternatively I use a special delivery bag inside out.

Soolin, what do Amazon buyers expect? I was planning to try and sell some on there.

The boards can be quite aggresive and they never agree on anything much, however they do like all books bought to have some sort of protection, either a jiffy bag or else some bubble wrap inside a plastic mailer. Some sellers use those corrugated cardboard mailers but they are far too expensive for most of us. Most sellers also buy and can be nasty where they think packaging is poor, so be warned.

On their advice I don't even use jiffy bags for thicker paperbacks anymore as they cna still get bumped, instead I bubble wrap and use a plastic mailer .

Oh and asking about recycled packaging may get you lynched, although I have definitely bought some books that have been in recycled packaging.

Baileys_Babe

Just for info when library authorities are lending books to each other they end them in jiffy bags, as small as the book allows. This includes rare books. The packaging is always reused.

soolin

Baileys_Babe wrote: »

Just for info when library authorities are lending books to each other they end them in jiffy bags, as small as the book allows. This includes rare books. The packaging is always reused.

The difference is of course they can write off any losses or damage as it makes no difference to them, it isn't their money. Working for the Government I have been shocked at how little they care about wastage and loss.

Amazon sellers are subject to all sorts of nasty penalties just because a buyer might be in a bad mood. Also, as any buyer on Amazon can return a book for a full refund with no reason at all, or even get a full refund for any small amount of damage and not have to return the book it pays to take extra precautions.

kiwi_fruit

And post office sometimes are at fault as well. My OH buys a lot of books and we've had parcels arriving occasionally that had "packet" rate sticker on them but were actually large letter size. I believe new sellers may get very confused by this, but I can't believe PO assistant charged them for packet instead of large letter! If I see smth like that I usually email the seller advising to be carefull next time and check for themselves(large letter slots available at any PO aren't they)