Packaging, Shipping, Refunds and Replacements - Share your Experiences!

[ob1er]

I think you're looking at it the wrong way. And I don't think that's a UPS problem.

Everyone who has ever sent anything in the mail knows or should know that whether its USPS, UPS or FedEx, things are going to get dropped, tossed, tumbled, etc.

It's up to the retailer/sender to use sturdy packing material and to use it properly. InStockTrades is perhaps the best example of this because they use double thick boxes or the thick Diamond boxes. They thoroughly tape the box at all flaps. Inside they use packing peanuts or foam inserts that completely fill all free space. They always bag/seal regular sized trades together so they don't shift during transit. They have the best packaging for anything I've ever ordered ever.

If Barnes and Noble stuck three Omnibuses/large hardcovers in one box, and somehow the entire bottom ripped open, it was likely B&N's fault. They probably didn't properly seal the bottom of the box and they probably didn't secure the books. Books that freely tumble inside boxes not only damage themselves, but they can escape the box. I just had this happen to me with a different crappy company. They stuck a dozen trades and hardcovers in a box and didn't seal the bottom other than 1 piece of tape along the main flap. So all of the books shifted during transit and three escaped by shifting under the bottom flap on the inside and out the side. A fourth was hanging out when the box was delivered on my door step. When I opened the top along the main tape line, the entire box spilled open because the shifting books also ripped the cardboard and glue apart from the sides of the flimsy box. I'm lucky anything arrived at all since the box was literally held together by two pieces of tape. So my point is, BN probably packed it like shit. And their boxes are awful at BN. Cheap and flimsy. Nearly all of the ones I receive from them are on the verge of falling apart if they've contained Omnibuses or Absolutes. I can't even make decent scrap out of them and just toss them into the recycle bin right away.

Compared to the way USPS handles packages, UPS is far more delicate, relatively speaking. But when the name of the game is shipping, none of the delivery services are going to treat your package like a carton of eggs. It's up to the sender/retailer to protect the goods inside.

I do blame B&N as much in this instance, and it certainly was the books' banging around in the box that made the bottom fall out, but in my experience (and I've gotten a LOT of heavy books mailed to me in the last few years), most of what comes via UPS is beat up way more than what comes to me through USPS or Fed Ex, regardless of how well (or not) the books are packaged. I've cringed in negative anticipation whenever I see that a package is coming via UPS for awhile now, and I've rarely been pleasantly surprised by the condition of one of their deliveries. Most of my ordering is through IST, though, and these do always come via FedEx or (more usually) USPS, so IST boxes'/packages' ability to weather the journey probably contributes to my more positive opinion of the carriers they use.

[kodave]

The bent TPB is a Christmas gift.
As for IST and TFAW, I'd like to order from them, but their prices really aren't as good as people say they are. If you're getting 40% off, but still paying $6-$10 on shipping, it brings the price right back to retail price.

I think you might need to recheck your math or change your buying methods. If you don't hit the $50 free shipping threshold at IST, shipping is only $4 for the entire order. That's pretty damn fair considering the actual cost of shipping USPS Media Mail is $3-4 for under a pound to 2 pounds. And it certainly doesn't bring the price right back to what big retailers offer and its certainly no where near cover price unless you're literally only buying one single $10 cover price book. Even then you're not going to find anyone to ship that one $10 book to you for free, as A.mazon has a $35 threshold or you have to pay for Prime, and BN has a $25 threshold. So IST is absolutely as good and as cheap as people say. The proof is in the math. Unless you're literally buying one single $10 or less book. Usually your best bet is to buy a bunch of lower priced books at one time, or throw them in an order with a large book/higher priced purchase (like Omnibus, Absolute, etc.). It makes no practical sense to try and buy that $5 Image Vol. 1 book all by itself online if you're concerned about the discount. But even if IST offers ones of those $10 cover price Image volume 1s for $5 on release week and you buy only that, your grand total is $9, still $1 under cover price and still cheaper than what a BN physical store will charge. And cheaper than your LCS if they charge cover too.

TFAW is fair with their shipping price usually, but their base discounts are not usually that great. They can offer 70% off some nick and dent book a couple times a year, but often that book isn't even worth that much, especially not after you spread out the shipping costs. CGN's $6.99 shipping per order is pretty steep if you're not placing a large order.

[Captain Craig]

My B&N order from Black Friday w/the B2G1 offer came in...sort of.

I got the Free item, it shipped separately. Is this something that others have had happen as well? I'm still waiting on the other two.

The item was wrapped in cardboard, larger than the book, taped up and then sent via a bubble envelope. I can report that happily no corners were damaged. Whew! Close call. Now to await the other two books!

[danmar85]

My B&N order from Black Friday w/the B2G1 offer came in...sort of.

I got the Free item, it shipped separately. Is this something that others have had happen as well? I'm still waiting on the other two.

The item was wrapped in cardboard, larger than the book, taped up and then sent via a bubble envelope. I can report that happily no corners were damaged. Whew! Close call. Now to await the other two books!

Probably just random. They sent me two shipments as well, but my free book is part of the two item shipment. The other took an extra day to ship out for some reason. I feel like it had something to do with Paypal, but not sure what.

[kodave]

BN has different warehouses across the country, just like Amazon. So if one book isn't in the same warehouse as the others, then they'll ship at different times.

I received two BN packages today. Both boxes with inadequate bubble mailers. One had three oversized hardcovers that arrived fine. The other had an oversized hardcover and an Epic Collection. Thankfully that arrived fine too despite the room to slam around. Still waiting on my replacement books from that first damaged BN order.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

My first B&N order consisting of 3 Omnibuses from 27 Nov was shipped on 3 Dec as one package. My second order from 30 Nov had one Omnibus and one Absolute shipped on 5 Dec but as 2 separate packages. The 3rd book, an Omnibus has not yet been shipped.

[zaboraviti]

placed BF order with B&N on 29th, the estimated shipping date was December 19 for all three. but now, just in case, i went to check on the order status and it turns out two of them (Sleeper and Animal Man) were shipped yesterday, by UPS Express again (hopefully, those will arrive undamaged again), while the estimated shipping date for Absolute Top 10 remains December 19. i wonder why i never got any e-mail saying the items had been shipped.

[Cold Water]

I order my TPBs and GNs from Amazon.com 99% of the time. I have only had a crease on one cover of one book out of the several I have ordered from them.
Another place I have ordered TPBs from is: https://www.cheapgraphicnovels.com/
I had a great experience with them.
I order my singles from mycomicshop.com.
Their packaging is superb.

I've ordered from a couple ebay sellers as well with excellent service.
I do NOT prefer ebay, though.
I prefer ordering from Amazon.com because I can get my books in two days.
I have no patience and probably mail-stalk entirely too soon.

[Cold Water]

My first B&N order consisting of 3 Omnibuses from 27 Nov was shipped on 3 Dec as one package. My second order from 30 Nov had one Omnibus and one Absolute shipped on 5 Dec but as 2 separate packages. The 3rd book, an Omnibus has not yet been shipped.

B&N can be terribly hit or miss (I totally forgot I've ordered from them as well).
If I recall, some of my orders arrived way ahead of others. But this is probably due to what was in stock at the time.

Also: Their "Buy two GNs, get 1 free" sales (or whatever it is)? I get sucked in everytime.

[danmar85]

Amazon.com order placed on Dec 1st and received on Dec 6th. U.S. order shipped to Texas. Shipping via UPS and handed off to a local USPS location a few towns over for final delivery. I usually get most Amazon packages in good to decent shape. The worst book I've ever received from them has only slight bumps or dents. No more damage than a book would get from normal shelf wear.

The two books are Planetary Omnibus and a book by VE Schwab titled Vicious. Further detail below.




Box arrived in good shape with only one corner being loose. Image on the right is me pushing corner in to show it.



Box looks fine other then above issue. Image on right is box open with books rubberbanded together. Not a huge fan of that, but it was loose so it wasn't putting much pressure on edges. Other book in order is not comic related, but a super-hero themed book I've been wanting titled Vicious by VE Schwab.




Image is 3 cropped and combined as one showing the lack of any real damage to book. Planetary only has very slight bent corners. The book (Vicious) is slightly more beat up on the dust cover, but minor (still annoying).

[Stormcrow]

I'm having an issue with my latest order from mycomicshop.com, previous orders always arrived within two weeks to Mexico but for this one it's been almost two months. They're saying there's a delay because of a postal strike but the post office didn't have record of it.

Has anyone here ever had an order not reaching them from this shop? What could I do?

[danmar85]

B&N B2G1 order placed Dec 1st. Shipped Dec 2nd and received today on Dec 6th. Domestic package shipped in the U.S. to Texas. Package was transported via UPS and dropped off at my local USPS post office for final delivery. Items arrived in great condition.


This package contains only 2 of my 3 books and I'm still waiting on the 3rd, which should be deliver by UPS on Monday. The two books are Powers Definitive v05 and Kick-Ass 3 Premiere HC.


Further detail below.




Not boxed, but showed up in good condition. The edges were beat up a bit, but that's about it. Books are in great condition.



Pics of the books in side view. Nothing wrong with them at all.

[Cold Water]

I'm having an issue with my latest order from mycomicshop.com, previous orders always arrived within two weeks to Mexico but for this one it's been almost two months. They're saying there's a delay because of a postal strike but the post office didn't have record of it.

Has anyone here ever had an order not reaching them from this shop? What could I do?

Do you have tracking info?
I always do the cheapest shipping, and I still get a tracking number.
If you are waiting for it to reach Mexico, it could be held up in customs.
Also, they were moving recently, not sure if maybe that might have delayed things?

[Stormcrow]

Do you have tracking info?
I always do the cheapest shipping, and I still get a tracking number.
If you are waiting for it to reach Mexico, it could be held up in customs.
Also, they were moving recently, not sure if maybe that might have delayed things?

I do the cheapest shipping as well, but no tracking was provided. The order was mailed out on October 14, I think that was before the move. How long could it be held in customs? I've ordered plenty of times before from them and it's always been delivered within two weeks.

[Iron Fist]

VE Schwab titled Vicious.

I really enjoyed that book, just saying :P

I'm glad Planetary wasn't damaged, I ordered mine from a US amazon store and it came with the corners all dented. I had to sit and straighten them out, yours look largely unaffected.