E-Bay Sellers and Shipping Tape
Date: March 1, 2005
I've been doing some bidding and winning on E-Bay Lately and have noticed that E-Bay Sellers really love their shipping tape!
I just received the latest of my treasures won from E-Bay, and this one took the shipping tape record. The outer carton was completely sealed with shipping tape; every seam hermetically sealed with layer upon layer of clear tape. I opened the box and found the inner box wrapped in something, and completely surrounded with my least favorite substance - Earth Choking, Styrofoam 'popcorn' and it was STUFFED.
Once I freed the inner package from its styrofoam prison, I found that it was wrapped in styrofoam wrap or some kind, and more tape wrapped around that - this was the US Priority Mail shipping tape. There were several bands of it wrapped around the item just in case it should come loose somehow from its death by styrofoam beans. I cut through that, and guess what? ANOTHER LAYER OF WRAPPING - this was plastic wrapping, with, you guessed it, MORE SHIPPING TAPE HOLDING IT TOGETHER.
I finally got the item out, and yes, it was in great condition. I guess all of that styrofoam kept any oxygen away....I was about to take the outer carton to my recycle bin, then noticed that there was a brown envelope which served as the shipping label attached to the box, with the word "INSTRUCTIONS" written on the bottom left. The item I bought requires assembly. So, the knife came out again so I could free the envelope from its complete covering of MORE SHIPPING TAPE...
It's funny because every time I've bought something from E-Bay, it's like that. This one took the cake - and it only travelled about 100 miles to my home; it wasn't like it had to journey across America or anything.
I left positive feedback, the transaction was smooth, timely, etc. I guess it's better than having too little tape. I had that happen once - the person literally threw the item in a box without any packing material, and it was liquid paints and one spilled all over. From one extreme to another.
A final word...So, if you're selling on E-Bay, take your shipment to your local UPS or Fed Ex shipping place; they will cheerfully prepare your shipment without smothering it in masking tape!