Why don't online booksellers wrap their books in plastic?!

[rip2017]

Just purchased a book from ebay that was water damaged when rain soaked the cardboard parcel. The parcel arrived on a day we got rain. Just upset as the book was rare and I got it cheap. I even tried to let it dry out but pages still tore away from each other obscuring text when I tried to open it, after it seemed to have dried a few days later. Just annoyed as the book is perfect otherwise, but is now competely worthless as a collectible or even just a mundane read. It also has water stains on pages. The book is over 20 years old, but was in otherwise new condition, why did it have to get wrecked now?!

I can't just replace the book as it is out of print and because there are no other copies of this book left for sale on ebay or amazon or the publishers website.

This all would have been avoided if the seller had wrapped the book in plastic!

I have noticed nobody who sells books wrap them in plastic- even amazon doesn't. My question is why? When everyone knows books are wrecked once wet. 

I left the seller 5 star feedback, as I know it was not their fault. And I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of messaging them over something that should be common sense.

Booksellers please start protecting books you send in plastic. I waterproof everything I sell by wrapping in a plastic bag and sticky taping it closed to ensure it is water proof, I thought it was common sense.

A lot of booksellers ship from the UK, one of the wettest places ever, yet never protect their books in plastic. Tip to sellers, Australia's east coast has abundant rainfall year round. Parcels routinely get wet.

For the cost of a plastic bag and sticky tape, save someones sanity.

[kopenhagen5]

Well it's kind of their fault.

They should have packed it better.

Giving less feedback may have taught the seller to pack in plastic in future.

I regularly message sellers saying they ought to wrap in plastic or have item in a bag in case parcels, envelopes get rain soaked.

I collect banknotes and this used to be a regular problem but most sellers of notes have learnt now.

[twyngwyn]

for what it's worth, I wrap everything in plasiic....then newspaper,,,,you have to....because you have to allow for weather conditions??

[brerrabbit585]

It's not just book sellers who don't bother. Lots of sellers don't. My postmaster is usually brilliant but I was really disappointed when he told me one day that he posted some magazines without waterproofing them and basically thought it was the buyer's problem when they get wet. We don't have street delivery of mail in town but he also does a mail run and he should know better than anyone that mail often gets wet!

The UK may be a wet place but unless things have changed over there, their mail gets pushed through a slot in the front door so it doesn't get wet. Maybe they don't realise that mail doesn't get delivered "to the door" in other countries.

Of course it's the seller's fault.  They need to pack it adequately so it arrives in original condition, just as china sellers need to use bubblewrap and other padding.

[the4masters2013]

Agree with you completely.

Everything I sell is bubble wrapped and then mailed in a pre-paid satchel , which I state in my listings (the bubble wrap at least is mentioned).
You can buy water proof padded bags at the post office.

I take care with the items I sell and it annoys me very much when I receive items in a paper envelope. Even if it's not wet, the envelope is badly damaged in transit (just general wear and tear).

[shoppingbag*]

Unfortunately "common sense" is not common.

[go-tazz]

I always wrap in plastic freezer bags for that reason,(you never know if it's going to get wet).

Books,DVD's and everything else that I've sold/will sell will always be in a freezer bag,(low cost and it avoids

the items getting wet).

[straybooksoz]

I wrap everything in clingwrap.

If space permits in an envelope, newspaper. half a tabloid newspaper page is the perfect size for a mass market paperback.

If going in a satchel, bubblewrap.

So, your accusation generalisation is demonstrably false in at least several cases.

Tip: Most of Australia's East coast is drought declared.

[Anonymous]

If you ever get a book wet ...

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Put it in the Fridge

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NOT the freezer !!!!!

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What happens when you leave uncovered food in the fridge ?

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It dries out

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So will a book

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Leave it open, and if some pages are not stuck together. turn them over every so often

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Depending how wet it is, it can take some time

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But it works !

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A tip I picked up from a book restorer many years ago

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[straybooksoz]

I didn't know that.

Thanks.