items lost during shipping.

[Rickster]

Yup! I use the $5 flat rate mailers for ratchets and wrenches. But I tie wrap them all in place onto some cardboard to keep them from shifting around and reinforce any place they might break through. I also try to reinforce the mailer with some packing tape but my local post offices are pretty strict aboiut just how much I can get away with. They've called me out on that several times in the past. Some of the stuff I buy off ebay amazes me it even arrived! I had a package arrive once with the entire ratchet handle hanging out of the package.

 

[Eddie Hudson]

If you want to use a USPS Flat Rate Envelope, first put your tools inside a USPS Tyvek envelope. Put the buyers address and your return address on it and then place it inside the flat rate envelope. Tape up all four edges and tape the length and width (a cross pattern in the middle). The Tyvek does not break open during shipping even if the outside envelope gets damaged. Works every time

 

[Skyline]

Hard items (wrenches) are fine in a flat rate envelope IF you package them properly, I ship up to three or four wrenches in a flat rate envelope. I stole Rickster's wrench packaging method, tie wrap the wrenches to a stiff piece of cardboard.

The problem with the flat rate envelopes is that mid last year they changed the cardboard to much thinner stuff. It now tears very easily.

 

[Identaltech]

use ups only with insurance, forget the us mail
ups will get it there faster and if lost you have the insurance

 

[SocketDeviler]

This week I gave a box to our UPS driver so that he could ship a small game system back for repair. When I saw him the next day he thanked me again, saying the box was the perfect size, even showed me the package. The box was wrapped in tape like a mummy. I didn't have to ask why.

Years ago, I worked for UPS for a few months unloading trucks. When I first got there a bunch of people were busted for stealing. They were unloading in the parking lot and filing their cars. Theft aside I'm amazed any of us get our packages in working condition. It's a madhouse in there. We would open the truck doors and have to get out of the way fast as the front boxes would come tumbling down. And they stack as high as they can. The only way to get at the higher boxes deeper in the truck is to pull one out from a lower spot and let the top rows fall. This is part of why they push styrofoam when shipping electronics.

 

[LoneGunman]

The problem with the flat rate envelopes is that mid last year they changed the cardboard to much thinner stuff. It now tears very easily.

I thought I was imagining things, I had a whole bunch of older flat rate envelopes, I finally ran out, when I received the new ones I ordered I thought they were much thinner.

 

[Rigmaster]

use ups only with insurance, forget the us mail
ups will get it there faster and if lost you have the insurance

This is all well and good, but the price is at least twice what it is for USPS priority mail, at least for packages weighing 3-4 pounds or less. UPS and Fedex both charge a residential surcharge of ~$2-3 per package.


But, UPS and Fedex both say that any package is automatically insured for up to $100 without any additional insurance charge, whereas USPS has -0- coverage unless you pay the extra $$$.

 

[cruiser808]

Yup! I use the $5 flat rate mailers for ratchets and wrenches. But I tie wrap them all in place onto some cardboard to keep them from shifting around and reinforce any place they might break through. I also try to reinforce the mailer with some packing tape but my local post offices are pretty strict aboiut just how much I can get away with. They've called me out on that several times in the past. Some of the stuff I buy off ebay amazes me it even arrived! I had a package arrive once with the entire ratchet handle hanging out of the package.

Rick, when it comes to shipping, you are God.

 

[jerk_chicken]

I finally found the pics of how my gearwrenches were delivered from a fleabay dealer who now has a suspended account.

Lucky my mailguy is really good with my dad.

 

[SocketDeviler]

I finally found the pics of how my gearwrenches were delivered from a fleabay dealer who now has a suspended account.

Lucky my mailguy is really good with my dad.

I can't stress enough, sellers need to use more tape. Get to the dollar store if need be. At least you have your Voivod, Artillery and Metal Church CDs.

 

[jerk_chicken]

Testament, Coroner, and Cathedral somewhere there, too

 

[posaune]

And yes, I'm amazed that people will use envelopes and large envelope bags to send hard items.

One of the first tools I got from ebay was a Proto combination wrench set. It was the big one (that goes from 1/4" to 1 1/4"). This particular set didn't come in the roll so what did the seller do? SHE wrapped them in plastic wrap- like sandwich wrap/Saran wrap/whatever and stuck them in a regular manilla envelope with only the closure taped! Even better, there were three different sets of wrapping so the big wrenches could make a hole and the little ones could easily fall out.

Somehow they all got to me, but when I pulled the package out of the mailbox, the small wrenches fell on the ground. I felt very lucky that day...