Beware Amazon fulfillment of Ilford Paper order

Kino · Feb 25, 2023

Now does this look like the proper way to ship photographic paper through the mail? All adhesive tape sections are broken, only the manufacturer's label has not torn.
That's what I get for not purchasing from a major supplier.

K&M Camera was the seller on Amazon.

Tried to get a bit of a discount, wound up getting burned...

faberryman · Feb 25, 2023

Kino said:
Now does this look like the proper way to ship photographic paper through the mail? All adhesive tape sections are broken, only the manufacturer's label has not torn.
That's what I get for not purchasing from a major supplier.

K&M Camera was the seller on Amazon.

Tried to get a bit of a discount, wound up getting burned...

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How did you get burned? The paper inside is in a sealed plastic bag, so even those broken adhesive strips are not going to cause the paper to be exposed. Obviously not optimally packed, but not a disaster.

Kino · Feb 25, 2023

Not sealed, folded. Back it goes.

Not even an envelope? Not acceptable.

aparat · Feb 25, 2023

Thank you for that. It's good to know. I never bought paper from Amazon, but I prefer to buy film from Amazon and Freestyle over B&H. I always get fresh film from Amazon, well in date. I got burned a couple of times getting out of date film from B&H.

Kino · Feb 25, 2023

Adorama and Freestyle have been the best to me.

wiltw · Feb 25, 2023

"K&M Camera was the seller on Amazon." Therein lies the explanation... it is NOT 'Amazon fault'...it is the retailer's fault, in this case Amazon was not the retailer, it merely provided a sales vehicle for a separately owned business entity!

ic-racer · Feb 25, 2023

Does Amazon have anything to do with that (or anything else on the internet) other than providing a web link and picture?

logan2z · Feb 25, 2023

wiltw said:
"K&M Camera was the seller on Amazon." Therein lies the explanation... it is NOT 'Amazon fault'...it is the retailer's fault, in this case Amazon was not the retailer, it merely provided a sales vehicle for a separately owned business entity!

Not sure of the case here, but it is often Amazon who fulfills orders for 3rd party sellers and they would be responsible for packing/shipping. I've purchased many things from 3rd party sellers that were fulfilled by Amazon, but the item always came packed in an Amazon box - usually one that was way too big without any packing materials inside, but at least it was in a box

Craig · Feb 25, 2023

The paper inside should be fine, as was mentioned there is an inner bag.

Pieter12 · Feb 25, 2023

Amazon and the marketplace sellers have a spotty history (at least with me) of improperly packing. Sometimes—although not as much recently—I will receive a small item in a much too large box, with or without padding. Other times an item is shipped, as yours was, with no or minimal packing at all, and arrived damaged, needing to be returned. Once, I ordered a book as a gift and had to return it 3 times before getting one that wasn’t damaged in shipment because it was just in a thin plastic bag.

Sirius Glass · Feb 25, 2023

I buy from Samys [in person],Freestyle[in person], B&H[internet] and Adorama [internet] so I have not had this problem. While the paper was probably well protected by the plastic bag inside, returning it would be putting the seller on notice to train their employees better. Your choice.

logan2z · Feb 25, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Amazon and the marketplace sellers have a spotty history (at least with me) of improperly packing. Sometimes—although not as much recently—I will receive a small item in a much too large box, with or without padding. Other times an item is shipped, as yours was, with no or minimal packing at all, and arrived damaged, needing to be returned. Once, I ordered a book as a gift and had to return it 3 times before getting one that wasn’t damaged in shipment because it was just in a thin plastic bag.

I've stopped buying books from Amazon for that reason. Their packaging is abysmal and more often than not the book arrives damaged. Sure, they have a great return policy but it still means taking the book to UPS to be shipped back and then hoping the next one is better - which it often isn't. I now buy all my photo books from specialist retailers or directly from the publisher. It's generally more expensive that way, but it's worth it IMO.

AnselMortensen · Feb 25, 2023

Some eBay sellers don't know how to package items for shipping properly, either.
I think "proper packaging for shipment" should be an additional feedback category.

BrianShaw · Feb 25, 2023

The label looks like it shipped from the camera store rather than fulfilled by Amazon. Looking at their Amazon listing, they handle their own shipping. Yet it indeed originated from an Amazon fulfillment center. I'm surprised as Amazon generally overpackages, as mentioned by others. I'm with you, @Kino... return it.

Pieter12 · Feb 25, 2023

I once received a box of 100 sheets of photo paper from B&H that was packed inside a larger box, but arrived with the corners of the paper box torn. It could have been that way when they sent it, it could have happened from a strong impact on the corner of the box. It made me leery of the condition of the contents, so I sent them a photo and they promptly exchanged it.

Kino · Feb 25, 2023

Craig said:
The paper inside should be fine, as was mentioned there is an inner bag.

You are welcome to take that chance yourself.

cmacd123 · Feb 25, 2023

Marketplace seller. so that camera store thinks that the paper can go that way. Fufilled by Amazon is sometime Iffy, But I have never seen them do that sloppy of a Job (their could always be a first time)
Attempting a return may be in order for waht is a 100 dollar item these days.

Kino · Feb 25, 2023

To Amazon's credit, they have issued a UPS Store return shipping code and the paper has already been dropped off for return; credit will be issued upon arrival.

I immediately went to Adorama and made a new order; it will be here Wednesday. Won't save the planned weekend of printing, but I will have paper soon.

BrianShaw · Feb 26, 2023

Amazon is really great about returns. Especially when one has a return center, like a Kohl’s store, nearby. Basically no questions asked.

Glad to hear it’s working out for you.

BobD · Feb 26, 2023

I sell lots of photo items online and I would never ship paper like that.

relistan · Feb 26, 2023

Appalling lack of packaging. Sorry that happened to you. Like you, I’d definitely return it so they might learn to do better. I recently ordered an expensive hard back photo book on Amazon and the seller shipped it with no box, in a tyvek bag. You can imagine the condition in which it arrived. Back it went.

Jude the Obscure · Feb 27, 2023

I expect it had already been sent to someone before you, opened, and then returned after they got as far as at least getting the inner bag out. Amazon are very tolerant with their returns policy (which extends to their Marktplace) so there is a good chance that what you get from them has already been through someone else's hands (or more than one) and has had several postal trips already. I have seen people boast that they exploit this policy effectively to "hire" things, like a scanner to do a small job.

I won't use Amazon on principle, they are are a main factor in the demise of brick-and-mortar shops. And when I do mail order (as there are now many things impossible to buy any other way) I make sure it is what I want before I order it.

Don_ih · Feb 27, 2023

I actually expect it got thrown into a truck, three sections of Scotch tape broke, the box opened, the bag flew out, the paper scattered like confetti, the guy loading the truck cursed and rammed the paper back into the bag, the bag back into the box, closed the box, then it resumed its journey.

I would've tested the paper. If it was good, I have a stack of MGIII that I could swap into the box before I returned it. (I wouldn't actually do that - but their stupid way of shipping the box encourages that kind of retaliation.)

logan2z · Feb 27, 2023

relistan said:
Appalling lack of packaging. Sorry that happened to you. Like you, I’d definitely return it so they might learn to do better. I recently ordered an expensive hard back photo book on Amazon and the seller shipped it with no box, in a tyvek bag. You can imagine the condition in which it arrived. Back it went.

I just received a book from Amazon yesterday that had considerable damage (sold and shipped by Amazon, not a third party). The outer box was fine but the book was thoroughly trashed. Without exaggeration, it looked like my dog had used it as a chew toy. The shipping box was much larger than the book and contained zero packing material, although I'm still not sure how all of the visible damage could have occurred. In addition, the book was sold as 'New' but was not shrink wrapped.

I had given up on buying books from Amazon since they often arrive damaged, but this particular book was out of stock everywhere else so I took a shot. My mistake.

faberryman · Feb 27, 2023

logan2z said:
The shipping box was much larger than the book and contained zero packing material, although I'm still not sure how all of the visible damage could have occurred. In addition, the book was sold as 'New' but was not shrink wrapped.

That is my experience as well. I think they have run the numbers and concluded that they save more money by not using packing material than they lose on damaged merchandise that is returned. I am not sure if they factored in the value of customer satisfaction.

Beware Amazon fulfillment of Ilford Paper order

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