my base toy BTP incident vehicle arrived this morning 

the box it is in measures 7 x 4 x 2 cm 

the box that it, a pile of bubblewrap and 6 air bags arrived in measures 26 x 14 x 11 cm 

have they never heard of jiffybags 

I realise they use standard size boxes, but for heavens sake this is  ridiculous.

rant over

Do they still use brown paper wrapping and string ?

Best regards,


Joe

Quote from: joe cassidy on September 26, 2015, 11:28:51 AM
Do they still use brown paper wrapping and string ?

Best regards,


Joe

Nope, not done so for a while now.

In my experience things are always exceptionally well packaged by Hattons to protect them in the post. I suspect there would be many others that would complain about the inadequacy of a jiffy bag to similarly protect contents and in most cases I'd probably be one of them.

Given volumes they shift I suspect a standardisation of shipping processes might also dictate a single type of packaging.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't probably...

Regards

Roy

I'm with you Roy. I think they could probably do with a smaller standard box for the Oxford diecast, but I am very happy when my rather expensive loco turns up well protected in all that air packing. A jiffy bag might get through some of the time, but is no protection for the ravages of the postal system on some occasions. I am happy for them to pack so well; I like that they haven't cut any more corners since the days of brown paper and string.

Agreed. Having had an item that I've sent in a box damaged in such a way that it can only have been jumped on, I'd be (and have been) extremely unhappy if a shop-fresh box turned up in a Jiffy bag.

As one who sends out the 3D cab fronts purchased by forum members I initially put one set (wrapped in bubble wrap) in the post in a padded bag only to find they reached the recipient in a smashed state.
All subsequent despatches have been made in what most would consider an 'over packaged' manner but at least there have been no further instances of breakage.
Any spare packaging from my purchases (e.g. Rails of Sheffield boxes) are cut down for use again.

I too have recieved shipments from Hattons where the packaging was at least X3 the volume of the items.  The space filled with bubble wrap and air bags.  They seem to use a standard minimum box size.
I have no idea if it increased the postal costs.  If it did, I doubt if by more that the cost of a beer, and to me was worth it.  And I get to pop the bubble wrap 

while I agree with the comments made with regards to protecting the items in the parcels, it just seems absolute waste to me to use such a large box for this size item.

perhaps they could do with a smaller box as their minimum, perhaps 25 x 5 x 5 cm to cater for smaller items.

I bought some Metcalf kits the other week, and they came in a huge box, with bubblewrap round them, then air bags on top and underneath, because they were packed diagonally in the box.

again I would have thought a smaller, more appropriate box size would have been better.

it just seems to me to be a waste.

Speaking as a postman I can assure you that the packaging Hattons use is right for today's mechanised sorting.

No doubt with the volume they send out Hattons have at least two collections a day if not three, these parcels are put into large sacks, I can say from experience that these bags get thrown around quite a bit, both manually and mechanically.

The packets are then thrown, and I mean thrown into larger transporting containers we call skins, there could be packets weighing up to 25kg on top of your packet from Hattons.

On arrival at a mail centre they are manually sorted again, and then taken by road to the delivery offices, where they are sorted to the destination. The rough treatment probably only stops when it gets into your posties van !.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BVHPmGIxBQ

Mental note made to self - no point putting a 'Fragile' sticker on parcels

Quote from: newportnobby on September 26, 2015, 03:38:25 PM
Mental note made to self - no point putting a 'Fragile' sticker on parcels

I've heard rumour that a "Fragile" sticker is tantamount to writing "kick me!" on a packet.

I think that it was a Jasper Carrot stand-up routine where he said that, in his short time working as a post office sorter, they used to like writing "Oh yes they do" on any envelope that had a 'photos do not bend' sticker on it... 

Quote from: Paul B on September 26, 2015, 05:24:24 PM
I think that it was a Jasper Carrot stand-up routine where he said that, in his short time working as a post office sorter, they used to like writing "Oh yes they do" on any envelope that had a 'photos do not bend' sticker on it... 

To be honest once they are in a drop bag, they get treated the same as all the other packets, they are not sent or treated in a different way.

Quote from: Paul B on September 26, 2015, 05:24:24 PM
I think that it was a Jasper Carrot stand-up routine where he said that, in his short time working as a post office sorter, they used to like writing "Oh yes they do" on any envelope that had a 'photos do not bend' sticker on it... 

Oldie but goldie that one.

One supplier just puts "Do Not Bend" on their pcitures, we always comment "Yes it does".

Another one that crops up now is contact lens boxes and BT hub boxes, they are marked "fits most letter boxes" we get loads returned to the office with "No It **&&!! Doesn't" written on it.

Quote from: Graham Walters on September 26, 2015, 11:21:57 PM
Another one that crops up now is contact lens boxes and BT hub boxes, they are marked "fits most letter boxes" we get loads returned to the office with "No It **&&!! Doesn't" written on it.

Now now, be reasonable ... odds are the postie only tried a single one ... if it fits most he should have tried others too !