My first ebay fail. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

[SMKS]

I order a lot of stuff on ebay, and I've never lost an item...until now.

Someone at Cripe Distributing packaged a 3/8" drive flex head ratchet in the new USPS padded Flat Rate Envelope with no additional reinforcement.

Attached are pictures of the empty envelope I got today.

EDIT- I sent them an email with pictures of the envelope. Hopefully that is all it will take to get a refund.

If not, I guess I'll be filing an ebay dispute.

UPDATE--After a few emails and a call, Cripe refunded my money. I would order from them again, but I'd include a note to make sure the item is well packed.

 

[Grumpy365]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

I wouldn't call it a "ripoff" .

Rip off implies malicious intent and their is no evidence of it.

 

[Ritter4.0]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

I would send an e-mail first. If they don't replace/refund it, then do the e-bay thing. At least give them a chance to make it right.

 

[mybuick6]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

also go through the us mail and tell them "this is how i got it"...

 

[ETravis]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

Seems like you should be able to go to the post office too. I can't believe they would deliver an empty package!!

 

[mrholeshot]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

They didn't rip you off. **** happens, give them a chance to make it right. Poor packing for sure. If they don't make it right then go ff the deep end

 

[kc-steve]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

There's a lot of unhappy postal service workers these days. I cringe every time a seller wants to use USPS. And it's nearly impossible to get the item back. I lost a package from Amazon a while back, delivered to the wrong address I'm sure, because I keep getting other people's mail. Amazon was good enough to send the package again using Fedex the second time around. Just a thought.

Steve

 

[johnnybentwrench]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

contact the seller. most times 99 times out of 100 they will do right. The 1 percent that do not get dealt with by Pay Pal and E bay. It was more than likely pulled out by a postal USPS employee. Let us know what happens, JBW

 

[jeffk14]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

I wouldn't call it a "ripoff" .

Rip off implies malicious intent and their is no evidence of it.

Exactly. I can't believe how some people will whine on a public forum before they even give a seller the chance to make things right.

While the packaging was piss poor, you were not "ripped off".

 

[fringeofinsanity]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

I'd call this more of an accident as sometimes chit just happens. I've dealt with them a few times and they've always done right, even when an order was incorrectly shipped they reshipped me the right stuff right away. I'd contact them about your issue and give them a chance to make it right, I'm sure they will.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

Exactly. I can't believe how some people will whine on a public forum before they even give a seller the chance to make things right.

While the packaging was piss poor, you were not "ripped off".

Exactly....seems a whole lot of people think companies do this stuff just to "get them".....lighten up people, things happen. The important thing is that the company makes it right, AFTER you give them a chance to do just that.

 

[chadster1]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

The post office ripped you off, not the eBay seller

 

[thrifty bill]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

+10 Not a rip off, but pisspoor packaging job. I am sometimes amazed how poorly stuff is packed that I buy on ebay, often no packing material what so ever.
Contact seller, they should make it right.

 

[Jeff]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

Alert the seller and the Post Office.

Cripe didn't rip you off. But after seeing your picture they might learn to pack their items a bit better.

 

[mixxmstrmike]

Re: My first ebay ripoff. Cripe Distributing. What should I do?

Cripe Distributing is guilty of poor packaging. I'm sorry but they did not rip you off, rather someone opened the package while in transit. The person that opened your package ripped you off, not Cripe Distributing.

-Mike

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I believe packages are insured up to a certain amount by the Post Office..

 

[street131]

i actually ordered a 27mm combination wrench from them this last week and it came in the same packaging and part of the open end was ripping through the package, but other than that, ive never had a complaint about cripes. In fact, they ship faster than probably anyone else ive dealt with on ebay.

 

[Gtamazing]

I've recieved and empty box one time. It was supposed to have leaf springs in it. It was made right by the seller and I'm sure Cripe Distributing will do the same for you.

 

[472scout]

I had a problem with Cripe on ebay but they made it right. Still annoying as they wasted a bunch of my time.

 

[crankshaftdan II]

The po knows they have problems within their system. They also have some very alert thieves that check the envelopes and cut them open on the seams and try to disguise it as a tear. I lost a 3/8" drive "Big Dog" ratchet within a shipment with two ratchets from another member not very long ago. They were both shipped in two of the cardboard envelopes and cut open in both seams the same as this purchaser was sent his! Envelopes are a dead giveaway for the tools thieves-unless cleverly disguised

 

[Skin]

i'm sorry but i dont buy for one second that someone "stole" a ratchet. Its illegal and the worker would be fired on the spot for even opening a piece of mail. Would you risk that and your nice fat pension to steal a ratchet? Of all the valuable items, many far more so than any hand tool, the evil postal system is currently just focusing on stealing your ratchets! Just the thought makes the laugh.

Most people have no idea what the automated machinery that items go through do to packaging. Suffice it to say, pack your items well. Sticking a heavy tool into a thin bag is a joke.

 

[bmwpower]

They've lived up to their name. Cripe!
Definitely the seller's fault. That package should not have left the building without something to prevent it from bouncing around inside. Or was it merely too long for the envelope? Either way, bad shipping.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Welcome to the US Postal System where criminals are paid and allowed to take whatever they want.

TheGrooveking

 

[Borrego]

I would still contact the local Post Office for a few reasons. I can give some inside information on the nature of the Post Office.
1) If a Postal employee removed the ratchet, probably not the first time it has happened. They receive enough complaints about missing mail items in the same area, they are going to look into it. They can trace that package from the moment it was scanned entering the mail stream until the time it was delivered.
2) Does not look like the package was stamped with something along the lines of "RECEIVED IN DAMAGED CONDITION". As a mailman, you are putting your **** on the line by delivering an empty envelope. At a bare minimum, you alert a supervisor to the empty envelope and cover your **** before you deliver it.
3) The P.O. has many people working for them that are temporary - not career employees that will one day receive a pension and retirement benefits. These people, can develop "light fingers".......just as easily as a 20 year career employee can.
4) Contacting the P.O. will not bring this ratchet back, but it may save someone else the aggravation of receiving an empty envelope in the future.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

That was a rather poor way to ship that package... That should not have been done like that.

I am sure they will make it right.

For the USPS detractors, I think they do a pretty fair job, considering the volume of mail that is sent.

I have only had three packages I have sent via USPS not make it to their destination (I have over 1,000) ebay transactions. Not a bad rate... One was my fault (poor packaging, when I was starting selling).

The one I got pissed about was when they lost a Snap on torque wrench (Well packaged in large box). I did not ensure it... It went through Denver, then disappeared. Never to be found... Lost like $150.00 on that deal....

I believe packages are insured up to a certain amount by the Post Office..

USPS won't give you anything other than the postage price if it is lost, unless it is insured.

Takes a few months to get back the money, but is doable if you keep at it.

Oh, also filing insurance is fairly quick as well. I had an item damaged in shipment and had my insured amount ($300) in less than a month.


-BWP

 

[Teken]

They've lived up to their name. Cripe!
Definitely the seller's fault. That package should not have left the building without something to prevent it from bouncing around inside. Or was it merely too long for the envelope? Either way, bad shipping.

That was a rather poor way to ship that package... That should not have been done like that.

I am sure they will make it right.

For the USPS detractors, I think they do a pretty fair job, considering the volume of mail that is sent.

I have only had three packages I have sent via USPS not make it to their destination (I have over 1,000) ebay transactions. Not a bad rate... One was my fault (poor packaging, when I was starting selling).

The one I got pissed about was when they lost a Snap on torque wrench (Well packaged in large box). I did not ensure it... It went through Denver, then disappeared. Never to be found... Lost like $150.00 on that deal....




USPS won't give you anything other than the postage price if it is lost, unless it is insured.

Takes a few months to get back the money, but is doable if you keep at it.

Oh, also filing insurance is fairly quick as well. I had an item damaged in shipment and had my insured amount ($300) within 3 weeks.


-BWP

 

[65 Malibu SS]

I've never thought about it but I guess envelopes aren't a good way to ship tools which have a value of more than a few dollars. It would probably be better to pay a little more to have it shipped in a box.

Somewhere a postal employee has a new ratchet, I suppose.

 

[need more tools]

I would contact the post office.The postman or woman may have found that ratchet in the bottom of his bag latter in the day and had no idea where it came from and turned it in at the post office. might be at your local branch.

 

[mossyboy6]

I've never thought about it but I guess envelopes aren't a good way to ship tools which have a value of more than a few dollars. It would probably be better to pay a little more to have it shipped in a box.

Somewhere a postal employee has a new ratchet, I suppose.

a little bubble wrap does wonders.

 

[JMLoughrey]

be happy it was just a ratchet. My room mate ordered a set of new rims. Seller shipped one front and one rear in each box. Identicle boxes. Both equal weight. One box arrived perfect, the other box looked like a bear had attacked it. Needless to say, they somehow lost a giant shiney chrome rim. Of course the rims he ordered are extremly rare to come by as they havent been in production for quite some time now. Now we've got 3 rims sitting in our living room. Sweet coffee table here I come. He just doesnt know it yet.

Long story short, good luck! Post office probably wont be of much help, hopefully the seller makes right one way or another for you.

 

[jay50]

One of the biggest thief rings in the US is operated by the goberment....it is the USPS...
This told to me by a USPS LEO

 

[need more tools]

One of the biggest thief rings in the US is operated by the goberment....it is the USPS...
This told to me by a USPS LEO

yep that is the only reason there in bussiness is to steal rachets.

 

[OldHarley]

It might have been stolen by the last person you would suspect - a thief!

I remember seeing a video around Christmas taken by a home surveillance camera at a local residence of a thief stealing UPS boxes off a front porch.

It is possible someone just took the wrench out of the envelope after it was delivered! As I recall you said you were not at home.

 

[mrb]

i love the new padded mailers, i used them to ship some outlets that would have cost $10 otherwise. they are not suitable without inner packing however. see my suggestion here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91589 i just got 100 9x12 poly mailers and will be shipping alot using this method. might want to forward it on to cripe. an extra $0.10 saves ALOT of trouble.

 

[Teken]

One of the biggest thief rings in the US is operated by the goberment....it is the USPS...
This told to me by a USPS LEO

There are thieves in every company, agency, and business . . . Don't paint all of the USPS workers with all the same brush!

This is coming from someone who lives in the 51st state . . . USPS is one of the best mail systems in the world only second to Canada Post.

Their flat rate service box's are the best and in 4623 parcels and counting I would use them in a heart beat compared to UPS / Fed Ex any day.

Problem is the sellers choice of piss poor packaging material and lack of common sense, end of story.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

I had a similar experience last month.

Bought a 3/8" locking extension at 24" long in Jan. Seller shipped me a Cabela's box with a hole in it. I got the box, found nothing in it, and then sent the seller a polite email with snapshots of what I received. They replied telling me that they were investigating the case with USPS.

??

OK.. We both agree that the box got here, but had a hole in it and nothing but air inside.

They ended up not doing anything about it, so I had to start a claim with eBay. eBay had me return the empty box with a hole in it to seller, and at that point I got my money back.

Seller got all pissy, bad attitude, etc.

I wish that they would have said something like "I am sorry, I didn't pack that well and now it is lost. Here is your money back"

Sigh....

Whenever I ship something, I use peanuts, bubble wrap, styrofoam, fresh boxes, tape, etc....

Adam

 

[seagravedriver]

I have sold and bought hundreds of items on ebay. Never lost a thing. I had an M1A National Match get shipped via UPS to me from Springfield Armory. It was sitting on the doorstep with the barrel out the end. I am not a fan of large government agencies, but my experience had been good.

 

[treasureseeker]

USPS started interpreting the rules for the flat rate paper/cardboard priority envelopes as it can only be .75” or less. They just came out with the bubble flat rate priority envelopes that tear just by pushing on them as the option for thicker items. Post offices are charging addition postage on route randomly depending on the person who handles the packages and being delivered postage due. I have read someone had to pay Nine dollars which is crazy. I don’t know what the OP paid for postage but I ship ratchets all the time in the flat rate envelopes but it is extremely reinforced. I first make a flat box out of cardboard with layers of tyvek and some layers of the paper flat rate priority envelopes and last the new bubble envelope which I am out of, and still waiting on some more from the USPS. I have yet to see rules for the bubble envelopes but I saw a rule on a non USPS site that insurance wasn’t an option on them. There is weight limit of less than the other envelopes but so far no one I talked to knows what it will be. How much the OP paid for postage would determine how upset I would be if I was the new owner of the empty envelope followed by how the seller handles the situation.