Unbelievable! Who needs packaging anyway!

That was Amazon by the way, of all people...

Glad to hear it survived the journey intact but have you ever seen the workload of amazon warehouse employees? I did and I can understand that some of them might go for the bare minimum type of packaging. Sometimes it's even mentioned on the site that the item will be send in the original factory packaging. 

Tony2011 posted:

That was Amazon by the way, of all people...

Amazon or Amazon Marketplace?

Oh and I've had a bag of dog food delivered "as is" (from Amazon) - just the label attached - but thats a different proposition and I really think they don't need to put the Andrex in extra packaging.  Too much packaging already (but not in your case).

It does deserve a plain brown wrapper.

Eloise posted:

Tony2011 posted:

That was Amazon by the way, of all people...

Amazon or Amazon Marketplace?

Oh and I've had a bag of dog food delivered "as is" (from Amazon) - just the label attached - but thats a different proposition and I really think they don't need to put the Andrex in extra packaging.  Too much packaging already (but not in your case).

Market but Prime service with Amazon fulfilling the order. It is a 200g heavy duty vinyl so the Amazon employee probably thought the  packaging was good enough. Amazon was very apologetic and realised that was a mistake by one of their employees. Another month added to Prime membership as an apology. Mind you, once  I had a set of 12 AAA batteries sent off in a packaging the size of a shoe box wrapped around in loads of brown paper. 

"once  I had a set of 12 AAA batteries sent off in a packaging the size of a shoe box wrapped around in loads of brown paper"

In the USA Amazon is directly responsible for the increase in parcel rates because of the phenomenon you describe here. I have likewise not infrequently ordered a few small items and had them arrive in a box that could easily hold 50 to 100 of them. This is because instead of optimizing shipping container size, just grabbing anything to get it out the door is the M.O.

When shipping rates were determined by weight, this practice resulted in full trucks generating insufficient revenue because the weight was far below what would be expected for a full truck. So now in the USA the rate is determined by adding the 3 linear dimensions of the box size. That was why "free shipping" was no problem for Amazon.

My Naim dealer, who ships a lot of large double boxes and felt the increased shipping costs, was the one who pointed it out to me. And I know I have seen a decided increase in cost to ship large items; I used to be able to ship a guitar for around $35 to $50, now it is pretty much double that. Thanks, Mr. Bezos...

Tony2011 posted:

 Thankfully, the record did survive its journey intact and is now happily being played. 

What.....you mean you bought a record to actually play....like, on a record playef? Weird!

ChrisSU posted:

Tony2011 posted:

 Thankfully, the record did survive its journey intact and is now happily being played. 

What.....you mean you bought a record to actually play....like, on a record playef? Weird!

Now you are being silly, Chris. I am  going  to transfer it  to an 8-track tape  and listen to it on my recently refurb Akai.

DrMark posted:

"once  I had a set of 12 AAA batteries sent off in a packaging the size of a shoe box wrapped around in loads of brown paper"

In the USA Amazon is directly responsible for the increase in parcel rates because of the phenomenon you describe here. I have likewise not infrequently ordered a few small items and had them arrive in a box that could easily hold 50 to 100 of them. This is because instead of optimizing shipping container size, just grabbing anything to get it out the door is the M.O.

When shipping rates were determined by weight, this practice resulted in full trucks generating insufficient revenue because the weight was far below what would be expected for a full truck. So now in the USA the rate is determined by adding the 3 linear dimensions of the box size. That was why "free shipping" was no problem for Amazon.

My Naim dealer, who ships a lot of large double boxes and felt the increased shipping costs, was the one who pointed it out to me. And I know I have seen a decided increase in cost to ship large items; I used to be able to ship a guitar for around $35 to $50, now it is pretty much double that. Thanks, Mr. Bezos...

DrMark,

Point taken. Amazon definitely has a practice of delivering products in larger-than-needed boxes. I suppose this results from their highly automated packaging and prompt delivery infrastructure. Software driven no doubt, and I have to suppose an Amazon employee has no choice in the process. An order of size X comes in and there are currently containers of size Y immediately available to ship it in. So simply ship it now in the larger container with a bunch of virtually weightless, inflatable air pillows to surround it. Pennies more for Amazon's already low-cost commercial shipping rates, but more paramount are the satisfaction ratings Amazon will receive for prompt shipment.

I pop the Amazon air pillows and throw them in my recycle bin along with the collapsed oversized box. FWIW - I find Ebay sellers more pragmatic for their shipping box selections, plus I don't pay the sales tax Amazon charges. I doubt a reputable  Ebay seller would ever ship an LP without a rigid external cover.

joerand posted:

I pop the Amazon air pillows and throw them in my recycle bin along with the collapsed oversized box. 

I like to divide them up and squeeze them at the bottom so they go POP. Well, we all need hobbies.

tonym posted:

joerand posted:

I pop the Amazon air pillows and throw them in my recycle bin along with the collapsed oversized box. 

I like to divide them up and squeeze them at the bottom so they go POP. Well, we all need hobbies.

The modern tension sheet... 

joerand posted:

DrMark posted:

"once  I had a set of 12 AAA batteries sent off in a packaging the size of a shoe box wrapped around in loads of brown paper"

In the USA Amazon is directly responsible for the increase in parcel rates because of the phenomenon you describe here. I have likewise not infrequently ordered a few small items and had them arrive in a box that could easily hold 50 to 100 of them. This is because instead of optimizing shipping container size, just grabbing anything to get it out the door is the M.O.

When shipping rates were determined by weight, this practice resulted in full trucks generating insufficient revenue because the weight was far below what would be expected for a full truck. So now in the USA the rate is determined by adding the 3 linear dimensions of the box size. That was why "free shipping" was no problem for Amazon.

My Naim dealer, who ships a lot of large double boxes and felt the increased shipping costs, was the one who pointed it out to me. And I know I have seen a decided increase in cost to ship large items; I used to be able to ship a guitar for around $35 to $50, now it is pretty much double that. Thanks, Mr. Bezos...

DrMark,

Point taken. Amazon definitely has a practice of delivering products in larger-than-needed boxes. I suppose this results from their highly automated packaging and prompt delivery infrastructure. Software driven no doubt, and I have to suppose an Amazon employee has no choice in the process. An order of size X comes in and there are currently containers of size Y immediately available to ship it in. So simply ship it now in the larger container with a bunch of virtually weightless, inflatable air pillows to surround it. Pennies more for Amazon's already low-cost commercial shipping rates, but more paramount are the satisfaction ratings Amazon will receive for prompt shipment.

I pop the Amazon air pillows and throw them in my recycle bin along with the collapsed oversized box. FWIW - I find Ebay sellers more pragmatic for their shipping box selections, plus I don't pay the sales tax Amazon charges. I doubt a reputable  Ebay seller would ever ship an LP without a rigid external cover.

Hello Joe:

I re-purpose all that shipping material; just sent my dad a computer and used Amazon (or Ebay or Reverb) provided bubble sheets between the inner and outer boxes. My shed is a box and packaging material disaster, but that stuff is costly, so at least I get some of my increased shipping costs back! Especially guitar-sized and unusual shaped boxes are worth keeping. Whenever I move I am sure my recycle container will get a workout.

Last evening I received delivery of a "Zojirushi - CD-LFC50 Micom Water Boiler and Warmer, 5.0L" and it came in the manufactures box as if I went into the store and picked it up off the shelf. 

No damage to box or what was inside. Perhaps Amazon has negotiated new guarantees with their shippers tand they are cutting back on packaging for cost savings and possibly being environmentally responsible. Normally I would have expected a box in a box with the possibility of styrofoam chips, plastic air wrap or bundles of paper to protect the inner box. 

These times they are a changing..........

I'd certainly be unhappy to receive a vinyl LP without packaging.

I've ordered several LPs from Amazon and all have come in fairly sturdy cardboard packaging just larger than the LP.

It's not just the record but risk of damage to the cover that I'd be concerned about as I hate any dents in LP covers or books - many years ago I was very annoyed when some moggie used a shelf of LPs as a scratch post when I was renting a flat and I suspect 20 or more LP covers got shredded on the edges :-(

For the most part Amazon does a pretty good job I find especially when ordering several smaller items that can be packaged in a larger box.

I tend to try to buy things that can fit through my letter box in separate orders to things that won't and are likely to be boxed and arrive when I'm not in.  Not sure if anyone else uses Safestore for storage but I found a great feature I'd been unaware of for years whereby they'll accept parcels on your behalf - great at christmas time or when you don't want to hang around all day long.

I suspect it's the small in-between packages that are the biggest nuisance - too big for the average letterbox so they get put in more commonly used larger boxes perhaps?  I've certainly had some small items delivered in ridiculously large boxes but most of the time they get it reasonably correct.

I've not ordered bare hard drives for a while from Amazon having heard horror stories on their site of bare expensive hard drives being packaged in jiffy bags or thin cardboard and posted through a letterbox rendering them DOA.

tonym posted:

joerand posted:

I pop the Amazon air pillows and throw them in my recycle bin along with the collapsed oversized box. 

I like to divide them up and squeeze them at the bottom so they go POP. Well, we all need hobbies.

Tony you have a shredder bubble wrap is good fun to shred and some shredders are good with air pillows and larger bubble wrap.

My wife just received an Epson scanner bought on Amazon, and it was exactly as your LP, the bare box with a label stuck on it. No packaging.

Most unusual.
I recently ordered 10 fuses and they arrived (from RS Components) in a box measuring around 12" x 8" x 4"....

seakayaker posted:

Last evening I received delivery of a "Zojirushi - CD-LFC50 Micom Water Boiler and Warmer, 5.0L" and it came in the manufactures box as if I went into the store and picked it up off the shelf. 

No damage to box or what was inside. Perhaps Amazon has negotiated new guarantees with their shippers tand they are cutting back on packaging for cost savings and possibly being environmentally responsible. Normally I would have expected a box in a box with the possibility of styrofoam chips, plastic air wrap or bundles of paper to protect the inner box. 

These times they are a changing..........

SK, I agree with the environmental spirit of your post. and wholeheartedly with the Amazon cost saving notion. Question being whether the "savings" are being passed-on to the consumers or the stockholders?

This is a site full of audiophiles, and I assume most purchasers prefer their LPs to be shipped in an external sleeve. While the vinyl itself might arrive undamaged, I'm not tolerant of any level of damage to the LP jacket. A dinged corner would result in me sending the LP back, at which point any environmental savings would be lost in the associated carbon footprint.

Then there are privacy issues to be considered for certain "discreet" items. Opaque, recyclable shrink-wrap at the very least .

And what of a surprise gift found naked at the door by the intended recipient?

Jimi Hendrix original electric ladyland sleeve perhaps.

Lewis’s in Birmingham folded the Hendrix album inside out* to avoid offending us young lads. Had to buy it elsewhere.

* They also did this with We’re Only In It For The Money. We think they thought it ought to show the Pepper spoof rather than men in dresses. Sigh.

Nick Lees posted:

Lewis’s in Birmingham folded the Hendrix album inside out* to avoid offending us young lads. Had to buy it elsewhere.

* They also did this with We’re Only In It For The Money. We think they thought it ought to show the Pepper spoof rather than men in dresses. Sigh.

When the Sex Pistols released their well known album, my local record shop owner stuck bits of paper over the cover, so that it read 'Never mind.......here's the...Pistols.'