Breakages during post- who is responsible

[luxandco]

I've recently come across some nasty buyers when it comes to breakages. I pack items very well, I always have a fragile sticker on packages etc. it seems like a buyer can lie and say something isn't as described, that it wasn't packed properly...file a claim and get their money back! Extremely frustrating that because out of fear of negative feedback we sellers have to give in and lose money in the process. Even after offering the buyer the option of insurance and clearly stating I'm not responsible for breakages in the post....I'm still on the losing end
Any advice from sellers please in best way to protect myself from bully buyers?

[i-love-my-sheep]

Yes, I do, with one example being given in my previous post. As you well know, people pay a small fortune to send packages, they expect them to get there intact. Hence if I have or see an issue, I report it, so it can be dealt with.

The nice lady at my local PO gave me a wad of damaged item claim forms when I was getting a run of smashed up AP boxes sent to me. Turned out there was an issue in the sorting centre as there were a lot of complaints being laid, and they dealt with it. Some boxes looked like something had been dropped on them, others had big holes in the side of them. All bar one of mine were in AP mailing boxes. 

[thecatspjs]

Thats the points Chooks there is a process that AP do have in place re damaged parcels.

I actually do not believe that AP turn a blind eye to these matters if they get multiple reports.  Indeed if I saw I a contractor mishandling a post article I would snap with them my mobile and post it on their facebook page, or lodge a complaint and outline when, where and what exactly happened and feel confident that the result would be that contractor would be held accountable for their actions

TBH I do believe though that a proportion of sellers or buyers get off their butt and go through the process that is in place, as painful as that might be, it is nonetheless the one that should be followed to have a system problem, such as mail centre mishandling, dealt with appropriately.

[lyndal1838]

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@i-love-my-sheep wrote:

In my experience, couriers are more guilty of it than AP. I've known a few people that worked for different courier companies who said it was common practice.

I watched a local courier drop kick a parcel into the back of their van one morning when I was at work. The item was a delicate piece of medical equipment. I rang the company and they were promptly sacked (as I found out from a friend who worked there).

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You did the right thing in reporting that courier.

I was a subcontract courier for over 20 years....my OH is still a courier after 25 years and my daughter has had 27 years in the industry and none of us have ever seen couriers acting like that.  Between us we have worked for 15 different companies and if any courier was ever reported for mishandling a parcel they would be sacked on the spot, no questions asked and no excuses listened to.

Couriers and AP contractors for the most part are not cowboys regardless of the stories that you hear.  And certainly not if they value their jobs.  Most of them take pride in a job well done, not go out of their way to destroy things.

I wonder how many people have actually seen these "football games" that are so legendary?

[tonalidesigns]

You have to bear in mind that most parcels are delivered by Road. That could mean several days of being vibrated constantly. Anything that is not well  packed has a great chance of breaking. Tightly packed is essential but so is double boxing as it can absorb the shocks, bumps and vibrations. Without the double boxing tight packing by itself is woefully inadequate!

Whilst the "parcel football" claims are largely/entirely an urban myth (or so rare) it pays to pack things so they can survive that sort of treatment.

The other issue of course is that if too much stuff is breaking, if buyers won't pay for insurance and if your feedback is being hurt as a result it's maybe time to find something else to sell??

[lyndal1838]

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@tonalidesigns wrote:

You have to bear in mind that most parcels are delivered by Road. That could mean several days of being vibrated constantly. Anything that is not well  packed has a great chance of breaking. Tightly packed is essential but so is double boxing as it can absorb the shocks, bumps and vibrations. Without the double boxing tight packing by itself is woefully inadequate!

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That says far more about the state of our roads than it does about to actions of couriers/Australia Post.

Most large professional companies have a clause in their contracts that proclude the use of vehicles over 5 years old so couriers are not using rattly old rust bucket vehicles.  If a parcel cannot survive a road trip in a reasonably modern vehicle then it is not well enough packed, or the government needs to do some roadworks.

[viewmont1071]

worked as a dock hand for TNT...Toll.. Ipec...think thirty trucks backed in to docks with hundreds of metres of rollers.

Dockhands man the corners and manually sort freight as per postcode/destination. Roller fingers eventually leading to

a roller door,truck and dock.

If your "finger' has a lot of freight then packages fall off the end of the rollers (1 metre) on top of one

another....relentlessly......

If you get a run of tyres they are hurled from the corner sorter straight down the rollers...hopefully... hitting the front

package wall in the truck...... lucky there's only 60 today....

Suddenly a "forkie' turns up with a stillage and you need to makea pallet space for it.... while you are making room

...plop...plop...plop... "little 'boxes" (LITTLE BOXES' little boxes made of ticky tacky.... little boxes) drop off the end of

the rollers on top of one another willy nilly.......

You hear a whizzz.... whizzz.... bang.. whizzz  a little square package is caught on a roller edge...... bang..... the corner

sorter belts a big box (clutches are good) into it a couple of times he has save especially for the occasion....yay!!!.... The

little box that jammed is free.... now pentagonal shaped, with a decided tinkle and a little flatter... but it's free.....

Trust me there is minimal time to select a fragile box to play footy with..... in fact you hardly have anytime  to

scratch your rrr's let alone play the vindictive dockie

[millj40]

My comment about the fragile stickers was partly in jest. 

Actually I think fragile stickers are simply not something AP pay attention to.  With so many parcels passing through the sorting facilities they all get treated the same, so stickers are probably a waste of money, although it may make buyers think you have made an effort to ensure it's treated gently. 

I use thicker cardboard than the cardboard boxes supplied by AP.  They are really rather flimsy (they will dent if something heavy is thrown on top of them).  Using a craft knife you can cut thick cardboard to fit exactly around the parcel you are packaging.  It is slow to begin with, but soon becomes very quick and easy with practice. 

[thecatspjs]

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@millj40 wrote:

My comment about the fragile stickers was partly in jest. 

Actually I think fragile stickers are simply not something AP pay attention to.  With so many parcels passing through the sorting facilities they all get treated the same, so stickers are probably a waste of money, although it may make buyers think you have made an effort to ensure it's treated gently. 

I use thicker cardboard than the cardboard boxes supplied by AP.  They are really rather flimsy (they will dent if something heavy is thrown on top of them).  Using a craft knife you can cut thick cardboard to fit exactly around the parcel you are packaging.  It is slow to begin with, but soon becomes very quick and easy with practice. 

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Agree and I am very aware that AP do not provide a fragile service, and have a policy to ignore fragile labelling.  BUT I am also confident that there are many AP staff, posties and couriers who do take extra care in handling items marked fragile, seen it several times, they take pride in the work they do and are accordingly respectful of the goods they are entrusted to deliver.

Buyers are the ones that know when they receive a parcel from me, that I have made EVERY effort possible to package appropriately so that it has a high chance of being safely delivered in the condition it was sent, this includes marking it as fragile (using the fragile tape I purchase at my local Post Office ), so if it is crammed without care into their letterbox, at least my buyers know it was by no fault of mine.

[5kazam]

Couldn't agree with you more.

Credit where it is due to AP/courier staff to DO take note of an package marked FRAGILE.

[5kazam]

Whoops!! That was meant to say 'who' not 'to'