As the world transitions from a Brick & Mortar to an Internet shopping society, the shipping companies need to keep pace. I probably receive more parcels from UPS, Fed Ex, and others simply because of the number of items I get for reviews.
Then again, perhaps not. Not only is the consumer becoming more Internet shopping savvy, quite often B&M stores don’t stock certain items; they ship it to you in lieu of stocking.
Once again, the shipping companies need to keep pace. Most packages come to me in very good condition. Every once in awhile, I get one that was at the bottom of the pile. For example, I got this package from Plaster Networks last December. The contents were just fine, although the shipping box had seen it’s last days.
Then we have what I would simply have to call the “Let’s hope they open it and then we can deny any responsibility” mentality.
Case in point: this week I received an item from Icy Dock for a review. The box came in what might be considered reasonable shape, as long as one did not look at very closely. I opened the box up, looked inside, and was rather shocked at what I saw.
From a cursory first glance of the item, it appeared that the device was OK. I informed Icy Dock of the condition of the item as received and made a mental question of how to *not* include any unboxing shots.
I also decided to take a closer look at the box.
In the following picture, you might notice the ripped-looking shipping label. You might also notice that the box was originally larger
until it was cut it down to more closely match the size of the contents.
Upon removal of the item from it’s package, you might notice a few packing peanuts in the rear corner of the package.
That was the sum total of the packing material in the shipping box.
Remember earlier when I said “From a cursory first glance of the item, it appeared that the device was OK…”? Upon closer examination of the device this morning, I found pieces of the fan. Not only were there pieces knocked off, the whole fan frame was broken clear through. Not only was the fan broken, but the casing had been pushed in to the point where the rear side of the casing was almost up against the backplane.
Of course, based upon the normal policy of shipping companies, once opened it is no longer their responsibility. I guess that they don’t care about most consumers, as they must figure minimal bad press will result from a single package.
Hopefully, We Got Served has a bit wider sphere of influence then just a few friends and family that a single consumer can complain to.
Hey, I have no problem with a package being tossed around and “smooshed” a bit. It happens. But to blatantly repackage an item that is obviously damaged in a different box and send it on it’s way is, well, nothing short of outrageous!
Shame on UPS. When shipping something yourself, please remember this little article. When buying something from a company, you just might want to look a bit closer at the shipping options.
Of course, it is possible that the alternatives may not be any better. But like I said at the beginning “As the world transitions from a Brick & Mortar to an Internet shopping society, the shipping companies need to keep pace.” They simply need to do better.
I can accept an occasional “smooshed” package. Like I said, it happens. A blatant attempt to cover their mistakes is something I cannot accept.
By the way, you will have to wait a bit for a review of this Icy Dock module. I just do not see it happening with this sample.
Got a similar story? Let’s hear about it and send them a message.
