Help with an eBay Buyer! Opinions needed! **MY PONY IS BACK!**

[Tiggums6]

Stormness it's being too nice that lets scammers proliferate You don't have to be nasty but communicating with the seller is good instead of feeling sorry for them. That stuff needs a new thread!

[rayedelsol]

I'm jumping on this last part of the conversation of gracious buyers: I've recently purchased a MIB Blossomforth, that was shipped in a bubble mailer. When I got her the box was ALL smashed up. The pony is fine, and I'm not a MIB collector [she was just the only one available]. I gave positive feedback, but sent the seller a message explaining that some collectors probably wouldn't have taken this too kindly. If the purpose of my purchase had been for her to remain MIB, I would not have been happy....

Oh! And I'm glad this whole thing seems sorted out. That pony looks so cute and amazing, I'd be delighted to take her off your hands No complaints at all

[Marigold]

Ray,

I have had that happen with something and I did the same thing.  For some items (dolls mainly) I want them mint in box.  So when I received a crushed box I contacted them and explained why they shouldn't have used a bubble mailer.  Luckily, this was the one situation where I was going to open the doll so it wasn't an issue, but any other time and I would have requested a return.

I also warned someone not to ever use duct tape.  Although it is wonderful for most everything else, it does not hold well on boxes.  In fact it melts off and if it gets wet your whole package might come apart.  A seller once sent me a heavy costume taped with duct tape and all I received was the box minus dress.  Lucky for the person I warned the box still held all its contents, but they came close to falling out as one seam was open and the tape was flopping about.

[rayedelsol]

Ray,

I have had that happen with something and I did the same thing.  For some items (dolls mainly) I want them mint in box.  So when I received a crushed box I contacted them and explained why they shouldn't have used a bubble mailer.  Luckily, this was the one situation where I was going to open the doll so it wasn't an issue, but any other time and I would have requested a return.

I also warned someone not to ever use duct tape.  Although it is wonderful for most everything else, it does not hold well on boxes.  In fact it melts off and if it gets wet your whole package might come apart.  A seller once sent me a heavy costume taped with duct tape and all I received was the box minus dress.  Lucky for the person I warned the box still held all its contents, but they came close to falling out as one seam was open and the tape was flopping about.

I think this is just good practice. It's us helping out new or inexperienced sellers and we are hopefully saving other collectors from missing out on what they purchased. Hopefully this good karma will come our way, I just hope that when I ship stuff, that I get reasonable and understanding buyers.

Thanks for the heads-up about duct tape. I had always thought it was water-proof [if not resistant] I would never have thought it wouldn't have held a box together! Thanks for the warning!

[Marigold]

You're welcome!  Duct tape fixes everything...except packages for shipping. 

I agree, I hope that people are understanding when I sell to them too.  It can be stressful worrying about it!

[NoDivision]

Wow, you had boxes come apart with duct tape? That's the first of heard of anything like that happening. I've shipped with duct tape a few times and received things with duct tape plenty of times. Heck, we use duct tape on cardboard signs out in the rain at work. Now, I know masking tape is useless for packages, but I've never had an issue with duct tape.

[RockinPrettyBeats]

Wow, you had boxes come apart with duct tape? That's the first of heard of anything like that happening. I've shipped with duct tape a few times and received things with duct tape plenty of times. Heck, we use duct tape on cardboard signs out in the rain at work. Now, I know masking tape is useless for packages, but I've never had an issue with duct tape.

I didn't know it was bad either but it makes sense. I have to say, it does look unprofessional too.

[NoDivision]

It does look pretty bad, obviously real packing tape is preferred, but I've used it for boxes among friends or arena swaps and the like. But I've received packages from costume makers and a few other places wrapped with duct tape with no problems.

[Marigold]

It's fallen apart on at least three packages I've received.  Each time it was during rainy season so I think that had a lot to do with it.  It was enough to make me decide never to use it. 

[NoDivision]

Yikes! Well I guess it's hit or miss, which is certainly enough to caution against it.