Amazon & those stupid yellow envelopes!

[srinivas1015]

Has this happened to anybody else? Amazon send blu-rays in yellow paper envelopes which more or less destroy the slipcover and sometimes the case gets broken.
I usually tell the customer service repeatedly before the order ships to pack them in a hard cardboard box and sometimes they listen and forward the message to the shipping dept. Most of them end the conversation saying 'Amazon packs every item securely'.

But the following response caught me so off-guard.I took a screencap of it ( I had provided my order number in the beginning, I omitted that from the screen cap):

[bigbadwolfe911]

With Amazon being as big as it is and so spread out with multiple shipping locations I would imagine it would be difficult if not impossible to track down and request special packaging for one individuals order. I personally have never received any blue or DVDs that were damaged from amazon and I order pretty much weekly from them. But I know others have complained of this problem as well but generally speaking I think they do pretty good and they are always easy to deal with if there is a problem.

[SpaceMind]

I order Blu-ray's from Amazon weekly as well. I have never received any damaged. They come in a variety of packaging from yellow bubble envelopes to cardboard boxes to their cardboard sleeves.

Not sure why you seem to always be receiving damaged cases.

[Lemmy Lugosi]

I'm one OCD-afflicted picky bastard, and I've returned only 2 or 3 items out of several hundred (perhaps over 1,000) during all my time doing business with Amazon.

Sounds like the problem might be of a more local nature on the OP's end (postal workers?).

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by ScooterMan

I'm one OCD-afflicted picky bastard, and I've returned only 2 or 3 items out of several hundred (perhaps over 1,000) during all my time doing business with Amazon.

Sounds like the problem might be of a more local nature on the OP's end (postal workers?).

He's in India so it gets sent a LOT farther and transferred a lot more.

[jm149]

I have asked twice, and Amazon is clear that they don't take special requests as far as packaging goes (and I guess we shouldn't expect them to). Of course they don't want items arriving damaged, so they pack everyone's order in a manner that they deem sufficient - but their goal is to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I just think it would be nice if there was a way to make a note on your account, that would then alert the person packing to use a box.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by wormraper

He's in India so it gets sent a LOT farther and transferred a lot more.

You know what'd be funny?

If the Customer Service lady was also in India.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by wormraper

He's in India so it gets sent a LOT farther and transferred a lot more.

This exactly.
I don't have to worry about postal workers though as Priority shipments are always delivered by DHL Express.
I'm not even that OCD that I complain to Amazon about a few roughed edges. What happens is that during transport other parcels are placed on mine and seeing how most blu-rays these days are housed in eco cases, the damage is severe.
Amazon won't even have to track down the specific warehouse and inform them. All they have to do is attach a note to my order (on the computer obviously ) saying that the items have to be packaged in a cardboard box.
WHoever handles the order will see it and take the appropriate steps required.

To avoid all this, Amazon should simply do away with yellow envelopes. They offer no protection what-so-ever. Just for the record, I don't go out asking them for replacements or refund. I've already bought loads of empty amarays to replace the damaged cases but one would get fed after a certain while.
For Example,

Avengers :
25$(item cost) + 10$ import fee + 20$ (priority shipping. This is much less per item as I've pre-ordered 11 more blu-rays)

It's 45$ total and I end up getting a damaged slipcover and case. It can really frustrating after a while especially when it can be avoided by using a cardboard box.
Amazon UK doesn't use these envelopes thankfully.

[srinivas1015]

What actually pissed me off was the cust service rep.She actually told me to expect a damaged parcel and to deal with the matter later. Usually they tell me they're gonna inform the shipping dept even though nothing changes in the packing method. Although one or two times, they did listen and send my blu-ray in a cardboard box.
With a yellow envelope, it's a 50/50 chance of it arriving properly.

I've told other cust reps to pack it in a box and they told me that they shipping dept has been notified. Let's see what happens. I'll post pics once I receive it, which should be this Saturday.

[lefty23]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

What actually pissed me off was the cust service rep.She actually told me to expect a damaged parcel and to deal with the matter later.

That's not what i got from her statement. What i got was that she had no way of being responsible for the way in which your package was shipped. But if there was an "actual" problem once you did receive then you could contact them to have the problem solved.

I, like others, have ordered hundreds of items from amazon without any common issues with damaged discs/cases.

The one issue i did have recently was with a very bent/damaged box of the forever marilyn blu ray set, but that came in a cardboard box, not a yellow envelope. It probably would've been less damaged in the yellow envelope as it wouldn't have been moving around as much as it was in the box

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by lefty23

That's not what i got from her statement. What i got was that she had no way of being responsible for the way in which your package was shipped. But if there was an "actual" problem once you did receive then you could contact them to have the problem solved.

I, like others, have ordered hundreds of items from amazon without any common issues with damaged discs/cases.

The one issue i did have recently was with a very bent/damaged box of the forever marilyn blu ray set, but that came in a cardboard box, not a yellow envelope. It probably would've been less damaged in the yellow envelope as it wouldn't have been moving around as much as it was in the box

Again, srinivas1015 lives in India, so his packages are out in the wild for a lot longer than customers based in the U.S. Bubble mailers provide zero protection when hundreds of pounds (or kilograms) of stuff are thrown on top of his Blu-rays.

[mayankcse10]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

You know what'd be funny?

If the Customer Service lady was also in India.

Well that is certainly a possibility . I know for sure there is a Help Desk in India for UK Amazon. However they use their real Indian names.

Also starting 1st Oct. I will also be working for Amazon, not in customer service though.

[Scottie]

I have never received a yellow envelope from Amazon for a DVD / Blu-Ray.

[obssessive]

Originally Posted by iscottie

i have never received a yellow envelope from amazon for a dvd / blu-ray.

+1

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by obssessive

+1

Consider yourselves lucky then.

[Monterey Jack]

Maybe it's because I never order anything from Amazon unless I'm over the $25 free shipping threshhold (meaning multiple Blu-Rays, CDs and/or books), but I always get packages from them in sturdy, secure boxes instead of envelopes.

[Lemmy Lugosi]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Consider yourselves lucky then.

Yeah, I get stuff sent in 'em, too. They do suck, quality-wise, but I've been lucky enough not to receive anything too damaged.....


.....................yet.

[MoulinBlu]

I live only one state away from a shipping center and have received three damaged Blu-rays in the past 8 weeks. All shipped by themselves in padded mailers. Each arrived in badly broken cases, via Fed Ex smartpost, delivered by the USPS (even though I'm a prime member).

It's also worth noting that all three were bare Viva Elite cases, which have more brittle plastic and a more fragile design than even Vortex ecos. Two were eco-cases, one was a 3-disc solid viva. Also, none had the added protection of a slipcover, which seems to make a difference.

I've actually had better luck with the thin mylar envelopes BB uses lately, than with amazon's padded mailers. Go figure... Gohastings has been shipping in the same unpadded mailers as BB for months now, but my damage rate from them is probably about 40% (new BDs) to 60% (used BDs). I only comlain when it's a new BD order, as I've come to expect damaged cases from their used inventory. I even buy replacement cases by the hundred just for hastings orders. Point being: 10% damage rate (just guessing, I didn't really do the math) from amazon doesn't seem so bad by comparison. But, it's still disappointing when my damage rate was still nil early this year, when they were still shipping all my prime orders via 2-day UPS rather than economy Smart Post.

That's the main reason I didn't cancel my prime membership as I had planned: at the rate of returns, if I had a standard membership, I fear they might close my account, as has been reported by others. And for the last damaged BD they sent me a replacement and told me to keep the original shipment too, as I was such a "long standing" and "good" customer - their words, not mine, hence the quotation marks. That kind of consideration helps justify the membership, when their shipping no longer seems to.

[Mr. Cinema]

The closer we get to Christmas, the more likely you'll get padded envelopes for packaging.

I've gotten several of those recently. My Alien set was delivered in one of those.

[Another_Dude]

I'd suggest the crowd that flips out over bumps and bruises on slipcovers and such just buy locally, and if that isn't an option learn to deal with it.

You price shop, they package the items as cheap as possible to get your business, they ship the items as cheap as possible to keep your business, items spend time in trucks which are still held to the laws of physics, and nature happens.