Why do sellers not pack things properly?

[NobleGas]

A certain seller in the UK has got hold of a qignificant quantity of Melles Griot and Omni 643 mixed gas lasers, along with PSUs, cables and cooling fans. I bought a set, which I was happy to find reached rated power after half an hour to stabilise the gas pressure, and noted that the timer only showed 52 hours run time. I wasn't happy with the packaging, and I told the seller so when I bought a few more. Sadly, the next three I bought all arrived with the plasma tubes snapped at the anode and cathode bell, they had been packed in the same way as the others - two wraps of bubblewrap, shoved in a box with a few bits of scrap polystyrene to hold it in place. I did point out that one of the sales actually had photos of the heatsinks and it was clear that they were nicely aligned (and therefore the tube was intact) before he shipped it, but he's denying that they were inadequately packed
These units were sold as untested, but were all listed as being taken from a working environment, so it's clear the damage occurred between them being pulled and arriving with me. Currently negotiating with him for a partial refund - what's a 643 worth with RYB optics and a shattered tube?

[danielbriggs]

OUCH!

I confess I put a small bid on one of those tubes, but they ended up going way over my bid for fairly serious money.

[NobleGas]

OUCH!

I confess I put a small bid on one of those tubes, but they ended up going way over my bid for fairly serious money.

Someone got a good deal, the last complete set sold for £34!!!!!

[turbohead]

I think we have all experienced the pain of receiving a gas laser that was physically intact before shipping and a pile of glass when received. I have several examples in my attic.

[hakzaw1]

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-PACK-...2325204/g.html

found this ~10 years ago--(heruursciences Chris)ebay seller-+
feel free to share it- he is still a reg. ebayer but no listings for a very long time.

- - - Updated - - -

[NobleGas]

I tried to negotiate with the seller, he offered me a partial refund, so I calculated what the remaining junk was worth and asked for the difference back; he said the stuff was worth much more than that, so he offered me a paltry sum back (10% of what I'd paid in total). He did admit that the head I sent him pictures of looked 'slightly damaged', I guess that's like being slightly dead
However, he did put 14 day return on the auction, so he's getting the lot back; I get stung for the postage, but at least I get most of my money back. Watch out though, he's almost certainly going to relist these, so avoid the UK ebay seller who has a number of Melles Griot and Omni 643 heads for sale.
The idiot could have avoided this if he's only heeded my advice to pack them properly!

[Vidal Wolf]

Speaking of shipping woes, I just shipped a SP whitelight Spinnaker to another forum member. It was packed very well however, it arrived with a broken cathode.

AVOID shipping via UPS at all costs.

It happens. this is my second shipping instance that's cost me money due to negligence caused by UPS.
The heads junk now and will be impossible to repair short of getting the tube rebuilt.
I trust the member implicitly and before the sale, asked him to test the unit when it arrived and then *pay after* testing.
Heads toast so no pay.

[mixedgas]

OOPS breaks everything. They do a lot of dumping packages off conveyors into deep, spinning, sorting bins. I've watched one of my incoming packages fall five-six feet, Here in Akron.


The trick is to tell sellers how to pack the laser and then GENEROUSLY pay the extra costs of packing to your specification.
That includes soft foam blocks under and over the Brewster stems if needed. Usually I get them on the phone if I can.

There are also tricks like bolting spherical metal salad bowls to the ends of crates so they are NOT stood on end. Or TipNTells which measure shock by breaking and turning red. The TipNTell goes on the outside so they know, with a more sensitive one on the inside.

Then ship FEDEX special handling Fragile or in the US, Postal Service with a Fragile notification. Both of these require a form or two.
Or Air Ride Electronics Van... FedEx Staff has never killed a laser I've shipped.

Some stuff just goes truck freight with TipNTells, really good packing or roadcases.. (Yes, we have to SEND shipping cases some times)
Roadcases are heavy to a certain extent, which forces careful handing.

OOPS killed two lasers, in both cases the customer insisted on UPS against my warning.

DH*LL = Doesn't Handle Lasers...

There are probably good carriers in the UK, too. You just have to find them, which can be interesting.

Most EBAY sellers have started packing better, but not all.

BUT NO CHEAP "OOPS" for lasers. NO MIBS for me...




I just prefer to go get stuff, or have another laserists pick it up.

Steve

[Eidetic]

One time I received a laser head that was too long for its box, so the seller just let it hang out there and wrapped it all with packing tape. Here's a box recently received from Ukraine, filled with broken pieces of styrofoam and an old Russian meter/timer. It came via Russian Post and USPS.

[Laser57]

Why don't they properly pack? Lazy and or stupid.