[78-L] eBay Packing Standards

[marimbamoods at comcast.net]

undoubtably, members of this list are familiar with eBay's 5-Star rating system. eBay feedback includes a specific rating for how fast an item is shipped, but no such rating is included for how well an item, such as a fragile 78 record, is packed. 


perhaps this encourages sellers to pack items hastily, and without regard for safe packaging, in order to get them in the mail quickly, thus protecting the criterium for which they know they will be rated. it seems to me that eBay should be persuaded to ammend the 5-Star rating criteria to include not only how QUICKLY, but also how WELL, items are packed. 


i mention this because i received once again yesterday several pieces of shattered shellac that formally constituted Emerson 10182, ca. 1920. by way of preparing this disc for the rigors of the USPS, this eBay seller simply placed the Emerson disc in-between 2 pieces of cardboard that were then taped together. that's it - no box, no padding, just a single layer of cardboard on each side of the disc; slap on the shipping labels, and leave the heavy lifting to Uncle Sam. 


this seller has 100% positive feedback for more than 100 transactions, however when i made this purchase i noticed that he has little history with 78's. therefore, when i paid for the item i immediately sent the seller a friendly and detailed email explaining the importance of thorough packing of 78's for shipment. i included in that email the following link, detailing precisely how to properly package a 78 for shipment: 


http://claxtonola.com/shipping78s/index.html 


in reply, i received an email the next day from the seller that the "album" was now in the mail. i shuttered at the term "album," as this seemed to indicate that this guy simply didn't get anything i had tried to convey in an attempt to stave off exactly what ended up happening anyway. 


typically, i am cordial and polite in my business dealings, but last night after receiving yet another destroyed record from an "eBay-genius" i dispatched the following message to the seller: 


"the fragile 78 record made of shellac that you sent has arrived. it is shattered into many pieces from shipping due to a packing job that was totally inadequate. when i paid for this item, i sent you an email wherein i explained the importance of packing for shellac 78's, and i included in that email a link to detailed info regarding proper packing. instead of packing this record properly, you chose to ignore both my email and the info provided. this recording was made in 1920 and is now gone forever. a refund will not replace a piece of history that you have stolen." 


i really do not know what to do at this point as far as making future purchases from eBay sellers. it is fine "hypothetically" to only deal with 78 specialists and to avoid those sellers without 78 experience. in reality though, the specific records i am after turn up where and when they turn up, and that is out of my control. i have been searching for Emerson 10182 for more than 30 years, so do i just ignore an eBay listing for that item if that seller looks inexperienced in terms of shipping / handling of 78's? 


surely, there are other types of products sold on eBay beyond 78's / cylinders (such as glass, porcelain, etc.) that require extreme packing measures to avoid shipping damage. could we members of 78-L as a community bring some influence to bear with eBay in order to do something about the rating system to include a new 5-Star criterion regarding packing quality? i reiterate that the current eBay 5-Star rating categories, by including promptness of shipping without mention of packing quality, may be negatively influencing safety outcomes. 


david harvey