Online Purchase - Jaw Dropped

Cut that tape open, toss the box, plug her in and enjoy. 

J 611 posted:

Cut that tape open, toss the box, plug her in and enjoy. 

Hey, I feel your pain and share your incredulity, but at this point J 611's advice is about all you can do!

I always thought all the shipping companies and the post office wants a corrugated cardboard box or something sturdier than a cardboard box. Plus they don't want a bunch of writing or lettering on the box, they want the shipping label and thats it.

Dennis Rempel posted:

I always thought all the shipping companies and the post office wants a corrugated cardboard box or something sturdier than a cardboard box. Plus they don't want a bunch of writing or lettering on the box, they want the shipping label and thats it.

I agree with your comments however I've found it depends who you deal with at your choice of shipping carrier.

Steve

You may be able to get the tape off. I have had success with placing the box in a very (VERY) damp area for a while until the tape releases. Try leaving the box in the bathroom while several people take showers. Caution...the cardboard will absorb some moisture, and will be permanently affected to some degree.

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

You may be able to get the tape off. I have had success with placing the box in a very (VERY) damp area for a while until the tape releases. Try leaving the box in the bathroom while several people take showers. Caution...the cardboard will absorb some moisture, and will be permanently affected to some degree.

Good idea.  Should several people take a communal shower ?..... More steam can be created that way.....LOL

It is annoying when they ship with the item in the item's box within a box; yours is a real killer. 

I would have been totally PO'd!!

I typically ask the seller or shipper to  double box,even on new items,  just because most outer boxes are trashed when you get them. I feel your pain, but hope you enjoy the item.

Joe Gozzo

Another way to get rid of tape is to blow hair dryer on the tape and it will peel right off after a few minutes.

Mark 

What a shame that this happened to you especially since the USPS will send shippers priority mail containers free for the asking.

I have found the ‘shoe box’ size to be ideal for most ‘O’ Rolling stock. Pack with newspaper to cushion the item and you have in essence a free and quite sturdy shipping container.

I always thought all the shipping companies and the post office wants a corrugated cardboard box or something sturdier than a cardboard box. Plus they don't want a bunch of writing or lettering on the box, they want the shipping label and thats it.

Plenty of Postwar accessories came packed in corrugated cardboard boxes.

I have had similar things happen, but it's always been on small items. I try to remember to explain to the seller that I am buying the item because of the box. I suggest you try the hair dryer, as has already been recommended. It often works.

As mentioned, a hair dryer will do wonders on removing very sticky tape, UPS labels, etc.  I'm also into RC airplanes and use my hot air gun to remove tape and labels from boxes when I need the box to send an item to someone. 

The air is quite hot so I use some tweezers to grab the tape/label and, slowly, remove the tape as the hot gun precedes the tape to be removed.  You'll be surprised at how effective this is.  I've also used the hot gun to soften epoxy and other glues to remove parts but this has been for wood.  I'm sure plastic parts would melt or deform.

Hopefully, you only cut the tape and, now, can easily remove it, after opening the box.

When removing the tape, move towards the ends of the box lids, etc to avoid, accidentally, lifting the card board from each other.  Same with any rips in the cardboard, move towards the ripped end.

The hobbico version that I use can generate over 400 degrees.  I've never used a hair dryer but a hair dryer probably doesn't generate 400 degrees due to safety and may not be enough heat to easily remove the tape (just a guess).

It appears Hobbico no longer make it but top flite and hanger-9 make them:

https://www.amazon.com/Hangar-...at-Gun/dp/B0006N6XZW    

https://www.towerhobbies.com/c...mp;I=LXHZ16&P=ML

OMG, give them EBay buyer hell.

If the seller pointed out that it came with "the original box", and your willingness to pay that price depended on the original box, you could ask for a partial refund...or forget it. I'd probably forget it, especially since I'm not a "box person". When you hit 75, it's amazing how your priorities change.

Hair dryer.

Been there.

Done that.

Glue residue will perhaps remain.....no solution there.

.........

But, J611's advice is my recommended solace.  

Life's too short to lament the folding, spindling, and mutilation of a PW box.

"Seems to know their Lionel trains well"????? .....Methinks rather, a BS (!) graduate of the P.T. Barnum Academy for Sophistic Chicanery and other Thespian Talents, perhaps?

Since you never indicated to the seller that you don't want the original box marred and/or you ask him to make sure the original box is packed in a shipping container in water resistant packing, you are partially at fault.  Live and learn. When I buy on line , I give every seller, regardless if its a store or not, packing instructions. If the seller doesn't like it, then they can refund my money- cause I know when it arrives, chances are good it will get damaged.... been there done that. So far that has only been less than 1% of complaints that I have received and that's fine with me.

NOte, You should give notice to the seller [abeit- not a nasty notice but an informative notice] that the box constitutes 30% of the value of the item. By him being cheap -taping up the oem box and shipping it as and counting on a 20-30 year old box as a safe way to ship is a big gamble! Without a shipping container to prevent damage to the original box, you automatically lost value in that item.

Then I would leave a neutral feedback so the seller will be reminded time and time again for his mistake and hopefully not do it

again [abeit a "***** slap" in his face].  

Feel your distress.  Disappointed myself, as an unabashed collector, when original shipping carton is not placed inside another box but realize expectation may be extreme and never complain to the seller.

What, me worry? 

    I got a 4 driver motor sent in a ratty looking box that was big enough for a large cake with candles, but only a ¼ to ⅓ filled with peanuts. It was fine, but the packing was a laugh. Not too much else has gone "wrong" for me really.

  You need to send the seller a link to TCA site's section on box grading.

 Or that may have even been the root of twisted thought, since item and box are graded individually.

  I worked in shipping and receiving. It was amazing how some folks packed things. I've received boxes stuffed so neither end closed. Flaps were wrapped over the loads (usallly  mounds and mounds of paperwork) and held shut tight with a half a rolls worth of loops of tape. The end result was anywhere from a giant square-ish muffin in a "cellophane bow", to a square football if they really pushed their luck ,wrapped both ends and used a side as the bottom.

  These were some ultra cheap, depresion influenced, old time sales folks. The multi millionaire founder still scrounged paper clips and rubberbands from the streets around the offices as he inspected the building outside and walked around the block before dumping them in the mail box as he went home every day Took me a year to figure out where they came from!

Being OCD, I would have returned it and asked for a refund plus return shipping! If the seller complied, I would not give him/her a negative feedback.