Package Items Like Their Lives Depended on It

by: etectra

The big eye-opener for me is this: all those "FRAGILE," "THIS SIDE UP," or "GLASS" stickers we painstakingly place on our packages are widely disregarded.

Much of the process is automated equipment, which does not optically read fragile stickers or have a process to more gentle deal with them. You should not need fragile or glass stickers if you properly package your items. Your items should be packaged so that only intentional vandalism or a major accident such as being stabbed by forklift tine or being run over will cause damage. Fragile and glass stickers are a waste of money and time - never used them in 26 year son eBay.

I recently packaged a fragile hand made art mug via a triple box method and it arrived safely half way across the country without any fragile stickers. In order to damage the item you's have to stomp on it or hit is with with a large roof hammer several times. If you are lazy them eBay is not for you.

You should always put the required surface mail only, consumer commodity and uprights arrows to meet regulations and avoid being sued by the carrier for damages due to your negligence. You want to be responsible for killing the crew of a cargo plane, and whoever they kill on ground, because you shipped flammable materials via air when they are only allowed ground or not at all?

"Unless a parcel contains a hazardous or toxic chemical that necessitates special handling by federal law, these stickers and notices are, simply put, ignored."

These often require additional handling fees. The wholesaler I worked for in the mid 1990s shipped a lot of GoJo hand sanitizer for restrooms. Since it contained a trace amount of alcohol it was considered flammable so UPS slapped a $5.00 per case surcharge and they needed to be specially marked with labels.

The carriers pay attention be carefully as if they are not handled property state and federal government agencies can fine them!

Do not copy packaging techniques of many so called "experts" on YouTube. Based on multiple decades of experience myself, many of these people are lazy, incompetent and ignorant of properly packing items. Some are engaged is outright criminal behavior such as misusing Priority Mail supplies for internal packaging or hiding Priority Mail boxes in paper to ship them via other services. Some post videos of shipping surface mail only items via air, which is illegal.

I've been on eBay for 26 years and only had one package damaged a number years ago. The outside box, product box and custom foam insert cradle were stabbed by a UPS forklift tine. The customer kept the product as the items inside were not damaged. Not much you can do about that as I've seen forklift driver easy punch through the side of a semi truck trailer or even take out a metal support pole in a building by shearing off the bolts that attach it to its footing.

by: Rexford

Someone is really starting to sound like Marie.   And we know why Marie doesn't post here anymore as "Marie".

by: CBW

I've heard that there are some employees that see FRAGILE as a kick me across the room stickers.

by: Allen1853

Agree here with Rexford. Enough already "Marie". I have SEEN USPS employees look at a package marked "Fragile" and literally throw the package across the room into a cart full of packages. Now that they group everything together under Ground Advantage what was once a First Class Package can now be crushed by a 70 pound box. I no longer sell or ship any glass or delicate items. I cannot charge a buyer $30 to $100 to package and ship a $50 item to guarantee against breakage. Triple boxing is not going to protect anything from the sharp corner of a 70 pound box dropped from the top of the cart to that package sitting on the bottom.  

by: Steverd

@CBW "I've heard that there are some employees that see FRAGILE as a kick me across the room stickers. "

YEP, I can confirm this from family that worked at USPS.
It's almost like it puts a target on the package. I never used a fragile sticker again after I learned this. I'm picturing Ace Ventura delivering my package.  

by: ChathamCenter

I would much rather spend more time and a little extra money packing  and shipping boxes the absolute best I can.  It's much less costly and less stressful than fighting with an insurance claim.

The primary reason I use a FRAGILE or GLASS label is for a warning. If there is any question about damage, they can't claim they ''didn't know'' it was fragile or glass was involved.  Probably not worth much, but when asked if the item is fragile - that means, if I don't warn them, they can use it against me fighting a claim.  

I pack to prevent damage if I threw my package out a second or third story window. I am lucky but have had only two of the USPS packages I shipped (since 1998) incur damage to the item(s) inside. One customer sent me pictures of the box smashed to smithereens but the china sugar bowl and creamer set inside was unharmed. Packed with lightly wadded kraft paper so they stayed put in the center but could shift a bit if one side or the other was pushed in.  

I used to ship UPS packages through a local business, where I was warned to never put a FRAGILE sticker on a UPS box - it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull, I was told.  So I haven't. I did open a UPS account but the provisions on the back of the waybill about ''fragile'' items scared me so much I canceled the account.

A few years ago a business friend told me he had shipped a carousel horse via UPS freight (customer demanded the service despite his protests); he built a wood crate for it, and a fork lift worker drove both forks right through the middle of the body. UPS fought the insurance claim stating ''Poor Packing.''  I really should ask what happened with the $14,000 lawsuit they filed to recover damages.