Another example of how NOT to pack a sewing machine for shipping.
 

Let's see, what I was bidding on...
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How it arrived...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]468861[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]468862[/ATTACH]the plus side is, if I keep it, more polishing towels
.[ATTACH=CONFIG]468863[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]468864[/ATTACH] How bout that nice walnut base? grrrr...[ATTACH=CONFIG]468865[/ATTACH]

On top of that, I have another one that I "won", but my communications with the seller haven't been very comforting. I described how I'd like it to be packaged. This hasn't usually had any effect in the past, but oh well, gotta try. He says he'll do what I described "accept (sic) " that he would be using popcorn instead of bubble wrap. But it would be okay because it's the biodegradable green stuff that doesn't crumble. I tried to explain that dense heavy metallic objects are going to settle to the bottom of the box, and the SM will poke thru, and the small parts will fall out. It could be expected if the shipper had only a couple sales under their belt, but you'd think sellers with more than a thousand sales would do better. Oh well, enough of my ranting... buyer beware, as usual.

Any additional charges for critters????

Jon

Oh that's heartbreaking! I see a big red negative coming on that rating.

that sucks big time. That seller deserves a big Negative feedback score on the shipping aspect for sure.

I will run thru the appropriate steps and give them a chance to make it up. I just wish there was a meddling add-on that would pop up when someone posts a sewing machine for auction, with "tips on packing a sewing machine".

I wonder what percentage of machines sold via ebay actually arrived undamaged?... It's so discouraging. On the plus side, it makes all of our machines worth more because they're slowly becoming rare or extinct thanks to dumb-dumb shippers:<

Harsh. But at least it looks like the machine itself survived.
Rodney

I'd start contacting sellers before you bid on a machine. I had a buyer do that on a machine I was selling on eBay, and we talked about packaging. His machine arrived safe and sound.

It makes me so sad to see that. .... and keeps me from trying to sell a machine on eBay. I think I could pack one that wouldn't see any damage but they are so heavy..... so many problems...... I hope everything works out fine.

From my experience, I think that a very small percentage arrive undamaged, especially the cases and bases. They always seem to arrive in pieces. I now make it a habit to email the seller minutes after I've won an auction to please follow the EBay guide for shipping sewing machines. Most sellers are glad to find the information and it has really decreased the number of damaged machines that have arrived. If they've done a great job packaging it, but there is still minor damage, then generally, I chalk it up to my own expense.

If a seller still sends it packaged, "harfe arsed," (Like the one above,) and it arrives with any damage, I go straight to EBay with a complaint. I either ask for a discount, or a total refund, giving the seller the option of getting it back. EBay will really stand behind you. (Not so with GW.) I've had to send a couple of machines back to their sellers, but I got a complete refund, including my costs to send it back.

I'm so sorry to see your beautiful National arrive in that condition. If it were me, I'd ask for a partial refund, but keep the machine anyway. (And throw out those towels...yuck!)

~ Cindy

So sad. That's why I am afraid to get a machine unless I can pick it up locally.

i don't really want to diss the auction site itself. Last time the discussion got removed for being too negative.

Makes me sad - I had that happen last year, although with a much less interesting machine. Couldn't get any satisfaction from the seller. It was packed tightly in a box with about 2 layers of newspaper around it - that's it. Didn't work, couldn't fix it, wasn't worth sending to a service shop as the machine was racked out.

Margaret

I have had both experiences from ebay buys. My little white Featherweight was not padded inside of her case and she slid and broke the side of the case. (Thankfully she is fully intact). I am considering rehabbing the case.
My 99K with bentwood case was packed very, very well. I had contacted the seller and asked that he/she bubblewrap the machine inside the case so the machine would not bang around and splinter the case. They wrapped it so well it took me almost a hour to get it out of the box and then out of the case! Kuddos to my seller.

I've yet to have a wooden base hold up to the machine sitting on it during shipping. Now I tell them to take the machine OUT and pack them side by side. I've had pretty good luck with machines, not very good luck with wood cases.

It's not the auction site that's the issue, it's the ignorant sellers that are..

I don't really think it's the fault of the site. Some sellers are clearly better packers than others. I haven't packed a vintage machine but when I ship other stuff I'm know to recycle as much packing stuff as I can manage.

I'm baffled by towels. Seems like that would add an excessive amount of weight onto the shipment. I can understand their use in between the two boxes as a buffer but to do more than a single towel around the machine to prevent scratches. Ahhhh, lost.

I think we've heard over and over that the wood cases don't ship well with a machine in them. Ancient glue and all that.

The best packaging ive seen was when i bought a vintage iMac PC they put it in bag. Then placed a three inch thick styrofoam board on the bottom of a box ,placed the bagged computer on top of the foam board then they gilled the box around the computer with that spray can expandable insulation.
I bet that would work with sewing machines too.
I got a knot in my stomach when i saw this pocture,ugh im so sorry that happened to that beautiful machine.

FYI, the Goodwill from Johnstown, PA can't pack either. One strip of bubble wrap and shredded paper.

Who was it that needed the bobbin winder spring? <grumble> It came out easily when the whole bobbin winder was cracked into two pieces.

I guess I've been lucky with all of my vintage machines...I have bought 5 from ebay and 3 from etsy and all of them were packed very well and no damage. But, then I did communicate with the sellers to be sure they knew how to pack them properly.

How sad. She's beautiful. But it looks like she arrived unscathed.


At least yours had SOME packing. The last machine I received had ONE sheet of newspaper wrapped around it. But....it arrived with only a bent spool pin. Go figure. I also ask the Sellers not to be insulted if I make a suggestion as to how to ship a 'cast iron' machine...especially if they never shipped one before. Most were most gracious and didn't know that cast iron was fragile.

it wasn't really a buffer between 2 boxes, it was just a flattened box used to cover up the fact that the walls of the carton were in no way thick enough to hold the weight. I don't know what they were thinking with the towels, but at least they'd been laundered, so now they can be car wash or sewing machine rags. The seller did refund $45 after a bit of haggling and my photos submitted to the resolution center. Also, this machine might have been a challenge to a novice shipper, partly in that it uses 2 small hinges welded to the machine that are wood screwed to the base, so they probably didn't think of removing the wood screws. It will be a bit of a challenge to reglue the base so that it's not too obvious a repair.

Yes, I think that would be a good way to do it. Just don't forget the bag!!

I bought a machine a couple years ago and had the same experience. The box was damaged and so was the machine. Broken spool pin on the back of the machine, slip on cover had several small pieces in the box, and couldn't get the on/off button to work. Lights came on wehen I pushed the button and the second I took my finger off the button it went off. Contacted the seller who had to contact her shipper who was an agent for UPS. UPS said ther responsibilty was of the shipper even though UPS was the one who banged it around. What a mess!!! Took almost six weeks to get it rectified, but finally got the check for the amount of my estimate to get it fixed. It was over $200.

not a sewing machine but still.. These are Victorian age Wiss Scissors.... Can you spot the packaging issue?

I love the sticker the Post office put on....
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Awesome choice for packing materials.... Looks like she took the shoes out and reused the paper wrapping...
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Gosh, how could THIS have happened? (sarcasm)
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BTW The scissors are fine and intact.

It's very lucky someone wasn't really hurt:<

ouch that hurts! so so sorry.

hubby packed a sewing machine to go bring home from OH to CA and he packed it pretty darn good ... too good ...it was so heavy and taped so tight the airlines thought it contained a bomb (I'm guessing) they ripped it apart, tore off the bottom, removed the wiring ... it was a mess. After we complained and they said 'not their problem', next time do not pack it let the airlines inspect it and they will pack it .. wonder how good so that the handlers don't throw it around ..

Yeah, the delivery guy warned my DD just as she was about the grab the box... Boy howdy, THAT would have made me mad.......

But the New National was definitely NOT a total loss!
 

I puttered with her for a few hours this morning. She went from being hard to turn, rusty and filthy, to looking pretty decent (except for the walnut base which I still have to reglue). And it spins so nice it quiet, hard to believe it's a shuttle bobbin.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]469369[/ATTACH]Hey how about that bobbin winder, think it's missing a little something. I do have a plan though, borrowing an idea from the Ellsworth Midget.

Yesterday, I posted in the Vintage Sewing Machine Photos thread about a beautiful, vintage Bernina that arrived a mess. So sad. I even contacted the seller before she sent it off to hopefully educate her on how to pack this lovely machine. She did not listen. When it arrived water poured out of the soggy, home-made, broken box and out of the machine as well. The case was smashed, parts missing...it's so disheartening.

I wonder how she'd feel if I took those dollar bills I gave her for the machine, out of her pocket and lit them ablaze with my old Zippo?
"Oh, it's OK...you can get replacements."

(Yes, I filed a claim with EBay.)

OK, I'm done venting now.
~Cindy

The machine head cleaned up nice Jim.

Oh, I don't think we're dising EB, or GW. It's the individual sellers that make the mistakes. It's such a common problem that I personally think that it should be addressed. Maybe we can come up with a solution by venting our frustrations and putting our heads together.
~ Cindy

One packing tip that I don't see done often enough is to put the machine, case, etc in plastic bags after they've been padded. The bags would not only help to keep moisture out, but would also help contain any loose pieces.
~ Cindy

While I'm into the tips...Home Depot and other home improvement stores carry solid foam sheets that are great for padding the box. I think that they run about $10 for a big sheet, approx. 3X6', or maybe they're 4x8. They also have rolls of bubble wrap in various sizes. Personally, I would gladly pay an extra $10 in shipping/handling charges for the seller to go out and buy these items and pack things properly.
~ Cindy

the other side, a GREAT packaging job, almost overkill!!
 

So if I'm going to vent about the bad ones, I need to give credit for a great one! This seller kept insisting in PMs that he would honor my wishes except that he would be using green popcorn. Went back and forth, and eventually I just said "whatever...". I did say, if you do what I request, I promise I'll leave exc feedback even if something goes amiss, since it was my call. Well, this is the absolute best packed 5lb object ever, pkg weighed more than the machine, and he disassembled everything and put in in a seperate padded little sealed box. And the machine itself was in a double box! Now if I could just get sellers to do half as much on the "Big Iron"!![ATTACH=CONFIG]469402[/ATTACH]
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Jim,

I'm totally envious. That package is sure a sight for sore eyes. A good idea to dwell upon the positive.

LOL...my DH just came in with a machine that arrived at our gate. "That one's packed well," (thumbs up.) You can see that at least I've got the hubby trained. :D

~ Cindy

Ha Ha! Here's a funny update to this. My husband and I were marveling on how well this sewing machine was packed. So much so, that we got out the camera to take pics in order to document how to pack a sewing machine. I was thinking, "Geez...this must be a SM collector that sent me this machine. I wonder which machine it is? I'm not expecting any fancy, high-end machine to arrive."

I carefully unwrapped it, layer by layer and when I got to the machine, I didn't recognize it...well, not at first. It turns out that this machine was originally purchased by me on EBay about a month ago. It arrived in shambles, poorly packed, with parts missing and case smashed. So, opened up a case with EB. They took my side and totally refunded me my money, including shipping. They also gave me a shipping label in order to ship the SM back to the seller. I guess the seller moved, because the UPS tracking says that they tried to deliver it, but couldn't, so it was returned back to me.

There was not a hair out of place. The box was solid and the SM came back to me just as I had sent it, snug as a bug. I know, I sound a little arrogant, but I'm proud of my packing skills and they certainly paid off. Now...what the heck do I do with this SM? (I'll post pix of the unpacking as soon as I can.)

~ Cindy

Maybe now that some time has passed, resurrecting it won't look as daunting.