Crushed bottles?

[Cyia]

So got my order from a vendor today. The juice I ordered was perfectly fine, but it looked like the free sample bottle was not so lucky and had gotten crushed just enough, the cap cracked and juice ended up all inside the baggy it was in.

Thank goodness there was baggies holding these juices. I'm kinda bummed but it starts to bring up questions. Bubble wrap. Would that help this issue? Maybe a fragile stamp on the package somewhere? Obviously this isn't the vendor's fault per say. Usps employees tend to just throw things everywhere and sometimes it can't be helped.

So what do you think? Should vendors try and invest in better packaging of the bottles by adding things such as fragile on the package or wrapping the bottles in bubble wrap to help? Or am I just wishful thinking this?

 

[djezewski]

Although I am a vendor of other products I do write things as do not bend on mine..I really though am not sure if the post office pays attention though. I had a couple of customers get their items bent anyway. If there is more packaging for your item I guarantee you shipping price will go up. We have to pay actually pretty high costs for bubble wrap and those things do get passed to the buyer. It also makes the package heavier so another increase to your postage cost. I would guess most items that are sent priority get the free priority boxes. Also with priority they are not in those huge shipping hubs..less time that the postal service has it the least time for it to get damaged.

 

[Cyia]

Although I am a vendor of other products I do write things as do not bend on mine..I really though am not sure if the post office pays attention though. I had a couple of customers get their items bent anyway. If there is more packaging for your item I guarantee you shipping price will go up. We have to pay actually pretty high costs for bubble wrap and those things do get passed to the buyer. It also makes the package heavier so another increase to your postage cost. I would guess most items that are sent priority get the free priority boxes. Also with priority they are not in those huge shipping hubs..less time that the postal service has it the least time for it to get damaged.

It's quite aggravating but, personally I'd pay the extra for better/safer shipping. Better to have your item come intact and usable rather than broken and abused. Cause then comes the extra cost of shipping out replacements if it comes to that.

 

[GaryInTexas]

I think every package in the USPS truck has fragile written on it. It' probably completely ignored when the loaders and sorters handle it. I think the only improvement would be if vendors could get some very small double walled boxes to ship in. Those of course would cost more.

 

[Barbara21]

For things like juices, the additional cost/weight for being wrapped in bubble wrap is very very small.

 

[Cyia]

I think every package in the USPS truck has fragile written on it. It' probably completely ignored when the loaders and sorters handle it. I think the only improvement would be if vendors could get some very small double walled boxes to ship in. Those of course would cost more.

If only right?

 

[shatner]

Fragile sticker is bad. I've had so much art glass that I've made and sent out with a 'fragile' placard. It's the ONLY glass I've ever had a client receive broken. And I'm talking $5-6k pieces. Luckily they were insured.

Bubble wrap would help. So would foam tubes.

 

[Zipslack]

Not sure about USPS, but UPS starts unloading their planes before they land. Pretty sure USPS has similar quality processes.

 

[Stratman]

If it says do not fold, spindle or mutilate on it, you can pretty much bet on both USPS and UPS folding, and mutilating. Keep the packaging free of temptations like that and it flies under the radar.

 

[djezewski]

A non-juice vendor speaking here again, if insurance is offered for an additional fee buy it or upgrade to priority. If insurance is not offered it is a vendors responsibility to replace. If can say with certainty that the vendors are going to use the free USPS small flat rate priority boxes instead of using the bubble envelopes that they have to pay for if you upgrade to priority. A vendor really doesn't want the hassle of having a customer contact them with any kind of problem with their order. Now if on the other hand we are talking about ordering from China, I have seen orders coming both in boxes and in bubble envelopes and I seriously doubt they are going to change their packaging methods.

 

[shatner]

A non-juice vendor speaking here again, if insurance is offered for an additional fee buy it or upgrade to priority. If insurance is not offered it is a vendors responsibility to replace. If can say with certainty that the vendors are going to use the free USPS small flat rate priority boxes instead of using the bubble envelopes that they have to pay for if you upgrade to priority. A vendor really doesn't want the hassle of having a customer contact them with any kind of problem with their order. Now if on the other hand we are talking about ordering from China, I have seen orders coming both in boxes and in bubble envelopes and I seriously doubt they are going to change their packaging methods.

I agree with insurance when something costs a lot. But a bottle of e-juice? Eh, just call the vendor. Most will ship another out.

The only time I use postal insurance is when mailing guns and expensive glass art that I've poured my bloods, sweat and tears in to. Still sucks when it breaks, though. And USPS insurance is a f'ing joke. Took 6 months to get a $4k payout from them for a chandelier they broke.