"We Care" - USPS - My surprise yesterday...

[glchen]

Originally Posted by ZachS

How would a thicker cardboard insert and/or stiffeners helped in this instance when the envelope is completely ripped open? Your extra scrutiny would have just fell out.

A thicker package may have prevented the package from being caught in the automatic sorter. Shipping tape on the edges of the envelope may have prevented the package from being ripped once it was caught in the sorter. Same thing still could have occurred, but these are typical things that many sellers do. I know when I send via Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes, I always tape all of the edges.

[timzcardz]

Pretty sure that I've posted this before, but there is only so much that you can protect against when shipping!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Pretty sure that I've posted this before, but there is only so much that you can protect against when shipping!

I don't care for that style of box - they almost always arrive bent, but so far I've been lucky and nothing broken inside. Cylinders are much better. A partial cure for long rectangular boxes is to insert some extra-thick strips of cardboard inside and to pack the peanuts in - I always mention this to sellers when purchasing pool cues, as some of them like to construct their own boxes by taping two flimsy rectangular ones together.

I also once received a bat from a major auction house that had the same type of box yours came in, bent the same way. AND it had minimal packing. If I ever win another bat from them, they will get my advance warning.

[ZachS]

Originally Posted by glchen

A thicker package may have prevented the package from being caught in the automatic sorter.

Once again, everyone is assuming that there was no additional packing inside the envelope. The card itself could have been bubble wrapped.

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by ZachS

Once again, everyone is assuming that there was no additional packing inside the envelope. The card itself could have been bubble wrapped.

Generally a box is going to provide more protection than a paper envelope...notwithstanding the picture of the broken bat above.

I am not just giving an opinion, I have shipped thousands of packages using the USPS and so far (knock wood) I have not had any problems.

Jeff

[glchen]

Originally Posted by ZachS

Once again, everyone is assuming that there was no additional packing inside the envelope. The card itself could have been bubble wrapped.

As the previous post states, it seems doubtful that there was bubble wrap used in the mailer because the package looks like it was damaged in a letter sorter. (Of course, only the sender knows if bubble wrap was used.) What likely happened was that thick pieces of cardboard was used to protect the card. This made the manila envelope thicker. However, the package was likely in that in between thickness that post office worker thought that it was still thin enough to go through a letter sorter. Which it wasn't ...

[laughlinfan]

Sorry, Leon. Very frustrating. I remember about 15 or 20 years ago I sent a postcard, an SASE, and a one page letter to a member of the basketball HOF for an autograph. About a week later, I got the "sorry/we care" plastic bag, with generic instructions on what not to do when sending something (I did none of them) and my original mailed envelope that was burned down to the top left corner that had my return address on it. (Looked a lot like a mirror image of Oklahoma, with the southern border highlighted in black.) Kept it for a while and showed it to my friends for a laugh. Nothing else I could do...

[Rrrlyons]

The assumption of little packaging is based on that someone deemed this to be a letter not a package. This kind of damage is from the letter sorting machine. No one can argue the point that we should expect better/usps should handle better and all the above mentioned. The bigger issue is if it is a letter it is going to go thru the LETTER sorting machine several times before it gets to you,know that we can't change their system. So adjust accordingly the letter machine is brutal I have seen it in person. It is for letters pwe with paper inside anything else you are putting it at risk to getting jammed in the machine. packages/ puffies are sorted Differently and are much safer. That kind of envelope can be used but you still need to thicken it with cardboard/ bubble wrap/ etc to make it a package. Rick

[RichR]

Ouch!