Retail box used for shipping. I am so angry. Currently contemplating mass genocide.

[lordnikon]

I am going to try and keep this very short. I could easily write a huge rant here.

I bought a complete barely used Steel Battalion on ebay, complete in its original retail packaging.

The seller shipped my package via UPS. However guess what?

He shipped the goddamn thing AS IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE DIDN'T SHIP THE THING INSIDE ANOTHER BOX!?!!?!?!

Possible nightmare scenarios:

1.) Box is completly trashed and covered with shipping labels
2.) Box is trashed, and poorly handled resulting in the controller being broken
3.) Item is stolen at UPS
4.) Item is stolen off my front doorstep before I can get home to bring it inside
5.) Item is completly trashed by rain or snow

The thing is he emails me to let me know it shipped, and this is like the day after I paid. I reply saying I hope he shipped it inside another box. Assuming that he had a shred of common sense!!! Then he emails me back and breaks the bad news to me.

I am so frustrated right now I could kill everyone at the office. I am about to go completly insane. Are people just moronically goddamn stupid!?! FCK!!!!!!!

[s1lence]

Not to piss you off anymore but this is probably the incorrect forum, but I agree thats a bunch of bullshit.

[jajaja]

Damn.. he didnt even put paper outside the box? This reminds me of another guy here who got his Dreamcast shipped in its original box, thats it, not even paper outside the box. I hate when people dont protect the stuff good, especialy when you ask for it (i always do so to say) :(

[Anthony1]

Are you sure the guy didn't at least wrap the box with the paper bag stuff you get at a supermarket? Man, if he just shipped it as-is, that is fecking horrible!

[Neil Koch]

Stuff like that is why I don't use Ebay.

That's just idiotic, especially given the size and price of the item.

[lordnikon]

Are you sure the guy didn't at least wrap the box with the paper bag stuff you get at a supermarket? Man, if he just shipped it as-is, that is fecking horrible!

I am 100% sure. He brought it to UPS and just gave it to them and said "ship this". He got concerned after he read my first email talking about how I hope he shipped it inside another box. So he called UPS about his shipment and they verified that they sent the thing out "AS IS".

Apparently this person was naive and assumed that UPS would package the thing. UPS has no damn idea what you are shipping. If you give them a box they ship it. For all they know he is shipping picture frames inside the steel battalion box.

So basically this person was fcking clueless.

What a waste of time, and money. I am so frustrated.

[sisko]

I bought a complete Concept 4 racing wheel for the Dreamcast (pretty darn hard to find boxed) and he shipped it the same way.

The sticker label absolutely destroyed the box, as did the wear and tear from being tossed and squished by other boxes.

I was pretty miffed too.

[Darth Sensei]

I've had this happen to me as well. Annoying as hell.

[FantasiaWHT]

I have shipped systems in their original boxes but ONLY:

a) if the box contains lots of internal packaging- formed styrofoam, etc. and everthing is secure

b) with the box covered in heavy-duty brown wrapping paper

and I let people know that beforehand and offer them an upgraded box for an added fee. Those big boxes (plus the extra weight of the box and packing) get expensive :(

[slip81]

well if it arrives fucked up and ruined just file a complaint with paypal and make him refund your money, then you can ship him back a usesless broken SB.

[lordnikon]

Where I go from here all depends on what the item is like when it arrives at my house. That is IF it even gets there.

I have already sent a long drawn out email to the seller earlier. He replied and is willing to work towards a solution.

I will report as soon as the item arrives, and take some pics.

[kainemaxwell]

File a complaint when you receive it. Guy deserves an automatic neg for stupidity.

[evil_genius]

Mass genocide is nothing to joke about. It is an awful thing. Especially since it is being fueled by your selfish needs and wants.

[roushimsx]

I just love it when I find a large box PC game i want and the seller sends it in a fucking envelope.

The Last Express? Got smashed completely flat. Sides are creased all to hell and the box looks like shit now.

Star Trek 25th Anniversary? Got lucky and only got some dings and dents.

You got boned man. Return that shit as soon as it gets to you, get a full refund, and assuming everything goes smoothly, leave neutral feedback. If the seller gets retarded on you and doesn't want to work with you on setting things right, leave negative feedback and file a complaint.

Also, non-descriptive thread titles suck.

[sirhansirhan]

I sell a pretty good number of sealed SNES games on eBay, and about half of the people who win them send me instructions to send the game in another, padded box, so it doesn't get ruined during shipping. This always drove me nuts--it's a huge insult to my intelligence. Of course I'm going to send it inside of another, padded box.

Anyway, I guess this is why they always say that.

[jajaja]

I sell a pretty good number of sealed SNES games on eBay, and about half of the people who win them send me instructions to send the game in another, padded box, so it doesn't get ruined during shipping. This always drove me nuts--it's a huge insult to my intelligence. Of course I'm going to send it inside of another, padded box.

Anyway, I guess this is why they always say that.

Yep, you can never know about the sellers. Even if they sell alot of games its not a guarantee that they protect it good. I recently bought a GBA game from a seller that have sold alot of GBA games before. I specificly asked for good protection, but it was sent wrapped in paper only, not even 1 layer of bubblewrap. Luckily the box was 100% mint when i got it, but it could easaly been crushed. Kinda suprised that the box hadnt taken any damage.

So its better to ask for it no matter what. I say it as a standard thing to seller i even bought from many times before. Better to be safe than sorry :)

[mills]

I was at the post office and someone in line behind me was sending an apple iBook in its original retail box, I wanted to say something...but didn't want to cause a scene.

[PapaStu]

I don't think that this belongs in Modern gaming. Off to ebay insanity you go (since i'm about 90% sure that this was an ebay purchase anyhoo)

[Kitsune Sniper]

I found a sealed KOF '95 for the GB years ago. Mint. The guy sent it to me in a BUBBLE MAILER. He was lucky the box was only flattened a bit.

Since then I ALWAYS ask sellers if they'll ship items inside boxes. If they don't, or if they try to charge me for it, I block them and never deal with them again.

This is also why I always say how I'll ship items in my auctions. Priority? Free box. First class? Only for CDs and loose carts. Book rate or Parcel? A box. ALWAYS.

Peh.

[MightyMagnor]

FEAR NOT ~!

Your call for sagely advice shall not fall on deaf ears. Tis but a simple matter. Deny this item admittance into your home at the door and further send this evil back whence it came. Those who regulate monatary funds with paypal shall then adjust the matter accordingly. Once this evil has buried its way
into your home its safe removal is not guaranteed your best bet is to never allow that to happen.

--MY WORK IS DONE
THE MIGHTY MAGNOR

[Tbowl]

I've had that happen to me once, when I won an Odyssey 2 system for $2. I guess he was pissed off at the price and sent it as it was. But other than that, I guess for future reference, let them know that you want another box or at least covering.

[yok-dfa]

On the other hand, you should have told him how you wanted it shipped before he actually shipped it. I know we are all collectors and know (and care) about these things, but some people just buy games to play them.
I guess the seller just didn't realise that the preserving the original packaging is so important to you. I personally know a few people who just buy games to play them and don't give a shit about the packaging, manuals etc. They just throw them out and don't see any reason to be careful with them (or even keep them).

[Flack]

I've had that happen to me once, when I won an Odyssey 2 system for $2. I guess he was pissed off at the price and sent it as it was. But other than that, I guess for future reference, let them know that you want another box or at least covering.

Bingo. I still have a Commodore 16 "mint in the box" in my closet that now has postage labels all over it. :/ It looks like many of us have learned this one the hard way -- if you're buying a product because of the box, you should explain that to the seller and make sure they're shipping it the way you want. I'm sure a lot of sellers don't realize the importance of packaging to a lot of us.

[lordnikon]

On the other hand, you should have told him how you wanted it shipped before he actually shipped it. I know we are all collectors and know (and care) about these things, but some people just buy games to play them.
I guess the seller just didn't realise that the preserving the original packaging is so important to you. I personally know a few people who just buy games to play them and don't give a shit about the packaging, manuals etc. They just throw them out and don't see any reason to be careful with them (or even keep them).

Yea, but sirhansirhan stated above that he sometimes gets insulted when people explain every little detail about shipping the package and that it was an insult to his intelligence. I guess this is where I was coming from. I assumed the person had a shred of common sense, and would have made sure it was packaged properly. The person knew I wanted the box preserved. The problem was that he took it to UPS and assumed they would package it for him. He was naive and inexperienced with shipping packages I guess.

Well, I guess this is a learning experience, as every single order I make in the future I will be including specific shipping instructions whether is insults the other persons intelligence or not. As I don't ever want to risk something like this again.

[jajaja]

Its not a insult to ask for better packing. If the person thats being asked for it feels insulted its his/her problem, not yours. For a collector its natural to protect it good, but as mentioned above, there are so many that dont know that the condition of the box really matters. Its impossible for you to know if the seller is a collector or not :)

[bangtango]

Yea, but sirhansirhan stated above that he sometimes gets insulted when people explain every little detail about shipping the package and that it was an insult to his intelligence. I guess this is where I was coming from. I assumed the person had a shred of common sense, and would have made sure it was packaged properly. The person knew I wanted the box preserved. The problem was that he took it to UPS and assumed they would package it for him. He was naive and inexperienced with shipping packages I guess.

Well, I guess this is a learning experience, as every single order I make in the future I will be including specific shipping instructions whether is insults the other persons intelligence or not. As I don't ever want to risk something like this again.

What did the game look like when it arrived or did you ever receive it?

[Predatorxs]

I was gunna ask the same question, how did it arrive?? I hope it all worked out for you.

[Zadoc]

You think that's bad... I bought a 1972 Magnavox Odyssey off of eBay once. Included in the auction was the original shipping box. Guess what? The asshole tapped up the original shipping box and tapped a label onto and sent it off.

I am talking about one seriously fragile box.

That motherfucker!

[GM80]

ARRRGH. Just paid the going eBay rate ($100+) for a NIB Hori Dead or Alive 4 Arcade Stick for Xbox 360. It arrived today.

Flippin' idiot wrapped it in packing tape, stuck on a perm-o-stick address label and Delivery Confirmation tag and dropped in off at the Post Office. It arrived new in a crushed, ripped, discolored box covered in adhesive (NICRDBCIA?)

This was AFTER I asked in the PayPal Note field for him to put it in a second box, and sent a Message to Seller with the same request. Idiot.

What kind of feedback do you leave someone like that? Neutral? I've never had reason to leave anything other than "positive with a side note" before and don't want any retaliatory negs from the guy.

[FantasiaWHT]

Ebay needs blind feedback... you don't get to see what the other guy left you until you leave him something.

[coreycorey2000]

Stuff like this happens all of the time. I received a Dreamcast that was still in it's original box. The sender didn't put it in another box so the box was completely covered in packaging tape and labels. I've also received a Sealed PS1 system that was simply wrapped in paper and mailed. It arrived with a hole in the corner. What good is a sealed system with a hole in the box? I have been lucky every other time though. Received rare boxes such as Bubble Bobble Part 2 mailed only in a bubble mailer. I think I've been pretty lucky.

[sirhansirhan]

Received rare boxes such as Bubble Bobble Part 2 mailed only in a bubble mailer. I think I've been pretty lucky.

Just a couple of weeks ago I got a Little Samson box in a bubble mailer. It looked like it was in good shape in the picture in the auction, but it certainly did not arrive in good shape...

[lordnikon]

Here is the conclusion to this story:

Steel Battalion arrived a few weeks ago. I knew when it was going to get there, and was walking home in the RAIN knowing it was sitting on my front steps in the weather. I jogged / speed walked all the way home from the train station trying to void flipping my umbrella inside out. I get to the house and notice the UPS guy was smart enough to place it in a dry spot. Thank god!

I take it inside to survey the box. The corners were ruffed a bit, and there were some sliced indentations. The plastic strap was broken, and the top lid of the box rippled due to the moisture outside. The cardboard itself didn't ripple, but Steel Battalion is packaged in a box that has a slight plastic venere to it. So that is what rippled. There are straight line air bubbles basically.

The worst thing that happened to the box though is that UPS sealed the box up with packing tape. This is why there was such a long delay in resolving this issue. I had to find time to carefully peel off all of the packing tape without further damaging the box.

The UPS labels that were originally on the box I peeled off very easily.

So, I contacted the seller and requested a $15.00 refund due to the damage the box received. I paid $152.50 total for the boxed barely used Steel Battalion with both the original game and Line of Contact. I figure the value of just the controller and games loose is about 120, since that is what it could go for on eBay. So the $15.00 refund for the box was fair to both me and him. he received positive feedback in return.

Unfortunatly I can't even test out the controller to see if it works. I do not own an xbox console yet. I can't pay more than 100 shipped for that beast.

-nikon

[FantasiaWHT]

Hope he refunds you! Let us know

[SegaAges]

I feel your pain man. I bought an N-Gage QD awhile back (when it was still expensive), for like 100, and it arrived in the original box and nothing protecting it on the outside. I was pretty pissed. I just kinda bit my lip and ealt with it since I didn't say anything, but seeing as SB prolly cost way more than 100, I would start talking with paypal dude.

[Princess-Isabela]

actually happened to me once, - with Onimusha Katana, - being sent as is in the original box, though it came pretty much perfect, ups labels came off easily.
and many times when people were sending gba games(with original boxes) in a standard envelope.
oh well, you have to advise some sellers quite carefully prior to payment.

[dracula]

Where I go from here all depends on what the item is like when it arrives at my house. That is IF it even gets there.

I have already sent a long drawn out email to the seller earlier. He replied and is willing to work towards a solution.

I will report as soon as the item arrives, and take some pics.

you know, if he kept all the materials and packaged it up with everything in the same position, it will have plenty of packing. the controller or game would not take any damage, but the box would. that said, he should have at least covered it in paper so that no one would see what it was.

As someone mentioned, shipping gigantic things like that can cost a fortune, and adding a lot of packaging makes it all that more expensive. while i feel you, i think his only real mistake was not covering it in paper. the original packaging that came with the sb is pretty heavy duty(assuming he kept all the original packaging, if he took it all out and just threw the controller in there any old way, then yeah he is a total moron)

[lordnikon]

He was a nice guy so I don't think there was any foul play involved. I was honest, and he was honest so it worked out well.

His mistake was that he assumed UPS would package it before mailing it. He didn't consider the fact that UPS would ship the box AS IS.

For those who asked, I should have mentioned it in my conclusion post:

He promptly refunded me $15.00 and said that was fair. I then gave him positive feedback on his ebay account and all was settled.

I am glad it all worked out in the end. I did not want to have to try and win another auction.

[rik1138]

I bought a complete barely used Steel Battalion on ebay, complete in its original retail packaging.

At least it's a thick box... I bought a boxed Fairchild Channel F system one time, nice condition too. The almost completely covered the actual box in Priority Mail shipping tape, and stuck a label on it with my address. Naturally, the flimsy cardboard box didn't really survive shipping- one side had ripped open and some of the game part came out. The post office was nice enough to force everything back in and tape it up some more...

The game survived, but of course the box was almost unusable...

I wanted to mail-bomb the guy. I'm amazed people are that stupid. He even made it a point to advertise in the auction that it still had it's box in great shape!

Rik

[RetroReserve]

Glad to hear you resolved the problem okay.

I bought a PSone on ebay last year (the small version). It arrived in a plastic bag with only a layer of bubble wrap on the console itself. Suprisingly it works fine and nothing was damaged.