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

[Cold Water]

Yep, it was a wish list order for Xmas requested by my brother. I ended up ordering a book, The Complete Essex County and All I Need Is Kill. They were all generally the same size so they were stacked and wrapped in plastic. It was strange too, because it looked like it was custom wrapped to that specific size and not haphazardly rolled up in plastic. The box was the perfect size to. I almost took a picture, but wasn't in the mood at the time. Too late sadly, as it's trash now.


My order before that had a rubber band wrapped around it lol. It held Planetary Omnibus and a random book together in a slightly too large box.

A rubber band? Really?
I'd have to contact Amazon just to let them know how poorly their packaging job was. Did it leave a ring around the books where the rubber band sat?

[ShooCat]

Really???
I have NEVER had a book purchased directly through amazon arrive wrapped like that.

That's how they usually (not always) send them to me, as long as the book is big enough (otherwise it ships within a cardboard envelope) or there are only a few more or less thin books. Otherwise they just dump them all in there. Hence my fear when several of my pre-orders end up being shipped together. And spending the extra dough just to have them shipped individually to Europe is a luxury I can't (don't want) to afford. It's expensive enough as it is.

[danmar85]

A rubber band? Really?
I'd have to contact Amazon just to let them know how poorly their packaging job was. Did it leave a ring around the books where the rubber band sat?

It didn't leave a ring. I should really start reviewing my orders. Once I get a package I just lose all interest lol.

[Cold Water]

It didn't leave a ring. I should really start reviewing my orders. Once I get a package I just lose all interest lol.

I would at least review them for us.

[ultimate jezebel]

Why would someone in the USA charge $9.75 to ship 2 comics to a USA address?

That is just plain disgusting

[danmar85]

Why would someone in the USA charge $9.75 to ship 2 comics to a USA address?

That is just plain disgusting

Care to elaborate? Ebay?

[ultimate jezebel]

Care to elaborate? Ebay?

It's a comic store in Springfield, MO that has a brick and mortar comic store, on-line site and ebay store. I wanted to order 2 comic books at approx $5.50 each but $9.75 shipping?

I only bite my lip and pay heavy postage when the books acquired make it worth it. Like ordering one pricey high-grade back issue comic from England that I got for about 35% guide but had to pay £12 shipping by Royal Registered Mail.

[Deviskan]

Starting to get increasingly frustrated with The Book Depository!

I'm used to about 50% of their deliveries turning up with an element of damage, normally due to inadequate packaging resulting in crushing damage to one or more corners of an Omnibus/Absolute.

But, and this is why I continue to use them...they always look after you, and send out replacements free of charge (and allow you to keep the original damaged book).

It normally does get me fairly annoyed that companies like Amazon, Speedy Hen & the Book Depository take so little care when packaging expensive books (normally the book is placed in the book and some brown thick paper is crumpled on top of it (or maybe a couple of deflated air bags are added)...However, the delivery today really has angered me.

I knew something was seriously wrong when I opened the cardboard wraparound packaging, and the book wasn't sealed in shrinkwrap...first time that's ever happened.

Have a look at these images, and tell me what you think:

DSC00947.jpg

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I'll continue in the next post!

[Deviskan]

More images:

DSC00950.jpg

DSC00956.jpg

DSC00957.jpg

Now, baring in mind this was actually a replacement of the first damaged copy they sent me...hopefully you can see why I'm ever so slightly annoyed!

Points to note:

There appears to be water damage on the inside cover at the back of the book
The spine is broken
There's a tear on the back cover of the dust jacket
Various area's of crushing damage to corners
The back cover (under the dust jacket) has drag marks all over it

And so on...at a guess, I think they have tried to palm me off with a second-hand copy...what do you guys think?

[Dark-Flux]

Yeah, no, id raise hell. Send em those picks and demand either another replacement or a refund.

[coughlanio]

More images:

DSC00950.jpg

DSC00956.jpg

DSC00957.jpg

Now, baring in mind this was actually a replacement of the first damaged copy they sent me...hopefully you can see why I'm ever so slightly annoyed!

Points to note:

There appears to be water damage on the inside cover at the back of the book
The spine is broken
There's a tear on the back cover of the dust jacket
Various area's of crushing damage to corners
The back cover (under the dust jacket) has drag marks all over it

And so on...at a guess, I think they have tried to palm me off with a second-hand copy...what do you guys think?

That really sucks, I had some Y: The Last Man hardbacks arrive during the week, and they had some minor damage, slight denting on the top and bottom of the spine. Not bad enough to make me want to return them, but enough to annoy me. Neither were as bad as yours though. I'd definitely return it.

[Iron Fist]

While I agree book depository's packaging leaves a lot to be desired, I think their customer service more than makes up for it.

Every time I've had a problem, they either refunded or sent a replacement and I just sold the damaged copy and kept the replacements.

There are people on amazon like SpeedyHen who are really terrible at customer service.

[Deviskan]

Yeah, I'd definitely agree...noted that in my first post, they are really good at sending out replacements free of charge (unlike Amazon or Speedy Hen).

It just really annoys me that these companies don't take care of the books and pack them they way the deserve...and also the fact that you know when you order that it will be a complete lottery if you receive a damage free copy (but their pricing is normally fairly competitive for the UK).

[Deviskan]

Haha, believe me...I just gave them it with both barrels via an email.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Yeah, I'd definitely agree...noted that in my first post, they are really good at sending out replacements free of charge (unlike Amazon or Speedy Hen).

It just really annoys me that these companies don't take care of the books and pack them they way the deserve...and also the fact that you know when you order that it will be a complete lottery if you receive a damage free copy (but their pricing is normally fairly competitive for the UK).

Yeah, the mind boggles. You can tell companies like amazon, Book Depository and B&N about packaging until you're blue in the face but they won't change anything.

Haha, believe me...I just gave them it with both barrels via an email.

Good for you. That FF Omnibus was nasty.