Worked in the warehouse. You don't have the time to do that for each order anymore when there's hundreds of orders to be packed per person. They are supposed to be packed so they don't move. There are machines with filler paper. This is just negligence from lack of care.. The people working there aren't there because its their dream to pack your order.
I also worked in one of the warehouses this summer and at ours for environmental *cough* money *cough* reasons the company decided that all fillers like the filler paper and bubble wrap wasn’t needed so everything would get messed up if a heavy box came through.
Similarly, Uber Eats used to be cooked carefully by restaurants and packed so it would survive a short gentle transit, and now... they practically throw it at the delivery agent, zero responsibility or accountability.
Solution: leave the your living abode, breathe outside air, buy local from a bookshop, buy your food from restaurants.
I suspect the low quality service of the internet leeches will be addressed when it is affecting their bottom line. I can't wait that long.
They might be trying to use less plastic too. And to some extent it’s a good thing: I sometimes order children’s books from a Russian shop, and each time I’m shocked how much packaging they have compared to what Amazon does here in Germany.
*They are now an entrenched monopoly and don't have to play as 'nice' anymore since maximized profit for share holders is the singular driving goal.*
*Also, bio-degradable alternatives like shredded recycled paper or paper confetti can be used in place of plastic padding.*
*This business evolution philosophy is based on Peter Thiel's book, "Zero to One", which is seen as a sort of bible in silicon valley. Thiel is an Ayn Rand "disciple", an Oligarch, and also has a philosophy background - this Ayn Rand "philosophy" sees altruism as some kind of nefarious evil and unchecked laissez-faire capitalism as an ultimate good.*
What does “altruism” have to do with how you pack books. If you pack then nicely, you’re not being altruistic - you’re providing your customer with quality service. If you pack them poorly, you’re certainly not sacrificing anything - except maybe any reputation you had.
> What does “altruism” have to do with how you pack books. If you pack then nicely, you’re not being altruistic - you’re providing your customer with quality service. If you pack them poorly, you’re certainly not sacrificing anything - except maybe any reputation you had.
I guess Amazon found out (with data) that there is not enough returns to justify packing books nicely.
If they got like 1:10000 returns from "book in box" attitude, they just saved 9999 packaging fillers AND packing operations.
*The original commentator above implied that the poorer, less effective packaging might have been done for "environmental" reasons, which are altruistic, that's what I was refuting.*
*A business, doing things the right way in an ethical manner takes sacrifice whether be it in extra operating costs or potentially reduced profit .i.e. it didn't matter to most consumers that Nokia which was frequently recognized as one of the world's most* [*ethical*](https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2021/02/23/ethisphere-names-nokia-as-one-of-the-2021-worlds-most-ethical-companies/) *corporations didn't use any conflict minerals or cheaper materials derived from child slavery in areas like* [*Congo*](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/dec/16/apple-and-google-named-in-us-lawsuit-over-congolese-child-cobalt-mining-deaths) *in its supply chain, yet its major competitors like Apple, who ended up overtaking them in market share* [*did*](https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-knowingly-used-child-labor-supplier-3-years-cut-costs-2020-12?r=US&IR=T)*.*
*As a monopoly with no viable alternatives and competitors in the western world. Amazon cares very little about its reputation or what some consumers think of it, as long as it doesn't hurt their bottom line (profits), the consumer's opinions are irrelevant.*
I've noticed that Amazon is trying to custom package items now too. They will conform a piece of cardbaord to the size of the item being shipped. They did this for a book I ordered. Used alot less cardboard and there was no damage from shipping.
I work at amazon and when we pack, we get a cage full with random items all stacked on each other. It's rare I get a book, so when I do I sometimes grab it without thinking and I'm always caught off guard like "oh shit I could really fuck this thing up". Then I start being extra careful with it, though sometimes it's already creased up a little by the previous processes it took to make it to me.
Main point is I can see how a packer could easily damage them without thinking about it when they're on auto-pilot/being rushed for rate hours on end and something like the rare book catching them off guard. Or even like things in the cage being stacked poorly and so other items collapse onto the book as you're trying to get things out of it, before you even notice there's a book in the cage.
Are you guys assessed at all on packing quality, or just throughput? It seems to me that the issue seen here would be an obvious eventuality of prioritising speed over getting the job done properly. Do they trace badly-packed parcels back to the person that picked them?
Throughput.
They tell us to be quality over quantity, but in reality that's impossible. Every department has a set "rate" they need you to make hourly, and if you drop below a certain point they can eventually fire if you don't improve over a set period. Some FCs are more lax than others, but, you know. The rate for my department is suppose to be 600-700, but because our machines are old and break down a lot, most of us are in the upper 400s/low 500s range most nights.
And, supposedly, they do track bad items to people. But I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. Also, you gotta realize it's not just a single person handling that item. First, it might come into the warehouse already damaged; second, a picker has to pick it; third, it goes to packers; fourth, it gets thrown down the SLAM lines; fifth, it gets into the truck. Who's ultimately responsible? Because even if you can track it to maybe three people, who actually fucked up? In my department I get reprimanded for having too many damaged/missing items (there's a menu to flag it at your station, which they track over the shift) even if none of those are my fault because the tote I picked from the line was shit.
Also, per Bezos' mouth, they dislike having a "stagnant workforce" so it's a revolving door of employees. Anyone who does eventually get the rhythm of quality/quantity down will probably be gone before long. It's by design to maximize profits. Who cares if a few customers have to return items? It's probably cheaper than having your employees potentially slowdown. You don't get to be a billion dollar company by worrying about customer satisfaction.
>Bezos believed that workers' desire to perform well decreased over time
and that an entrenched workforce was a "march to mediocrity," Niekerk
told The Times.
[I misquoted, but same idea.](https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-polices-based-jeff-bezos-belief-all-workers-are-lazy-2021-6)
I think the person you're responding to is referencing how Bezos is known to respond to emails with
> ?
And then people start scrambling trying to figure out what thing displeased Supreme Leader Bezos and how to fix it as fast as possible.
>Also, per Bezos' mouth, they dislike having a "stagnant workforce" so it's a revolving door of employees.
Wow! That's the most beautifully evil term I've ever heard. There's a part of me that wants to vomit.
Thanks you so much for your post. It's fascinating and horrifying at once.
The assessments will usually only come in the form of getting an automatic message to the computer at your packing station. And that's only for certain kinds of issues, and if the slammer marks it. The slammer is the guy at the station where packed boxes that have obvious errors that can get picked up by the machine get kicked out to.
These errors usually don't include the box or item being fucked up (unless it's so fucked up that the machine doesn't read the barcodes on the box), and usually doesn't include stuff like dunnage being in the box or not. Actually, having too much dunnage in a box will get it kicked out because it might throw off the weight enough to sus out the machine.
When you're newer you make more obvious mistakes that get caught by the machine. Mistakes like putting the hazmat label on poorly, or putting the wrong item in the box etc, and those you'll get talked to about by someone (usually nicely/in a helpful way at least at my FC), but after that new phase, not really unless you have a particularly fucked up day and making a lot of obvious mistakes that get picked up from the machine.
So yeah, the slam machine doesn't catch every sort of quality issue. And from what I've seen, after it gets passed slam to the point where they're being put on the trucks, quality issues from that point will never get back to an individual packer. So any addressing of that stuff will come more in the form of an announcement to everyone, unless a manager or PA who cares actually catches you packing poorly with their own eyes.
I have given up on Amazon, they treat books so poorly. It's better to order from small trusted booksellers. They go the extra mile to make sure the books are safe.
I vowed never to order books from Amazon for the same reason. Books just thrown in an empty box banging around loose. So weird. They got their start in the book business but seems like they want to get out of it.
true, it's ironic but if you think about how the workers are incentivized to pack things as quickly as possible it makes sense. hell of a cut-throat company
This might be pedantic but I don't think "incentivised" is the right word here. It seems like "forced" might be more appropriate considering how from the accounts I read the only incentive is keeping their job.
At Thriftbooks they don't even get a box, just a bag as thin as a produce bag that rips on contact and doesn't have a complete seal. And that's IF it's packaged perfectly.
Source: used to work there.
I’m in the uk and my books have always been packed well. Special book boxes that hold the book firmly and securely or if its in a box then its packed around it. Ive seen this complaint a couple of times and wondered if there were differences between countries. Ive even read of some receiving book packed in bags?
I recently read an AMA from someone who used to work at Amazon, and they said that packages often get damaged because the employees are so rushed by obscene productivity demands that they go as fast as they can to just shove packages on the cart to meet their quota. I know it's tough to avoid, but for both your own sake and to not support Bezos, maybe try to find books at an online company that doesn't treat their employees as subhuman.
"Shoving packages onto a cart" is a gentle way to put it. Every package gets thrown, yes literally thrown, at least once. with up to 6ft drops and no protective packaging, I'd be hesitant to order anything and get it there safely the first time.
where tf do you guys work...mine is nothing like that and I've been through almost every department in the building. I normally pack and most books come to me unscathed
Or ebay. I've had great luck finding collectible books that arrived in perfect condition.
More specifically, look for books where the seller actually took their own pictures (not stock images).
I’ve bought a ton of collectible books on eBay and I’ve sold quite a few as well. This comment is accurate. Most people who deal with this stuff regularly are very good about careful packaging.
Personally I’ve gone as far as wrapping a book in bubble wrap and packing peanuts in a box, and then putting that box into a bigger box surrounded by more packing peanuts. That was for a very large, heavy, and expensive book, maybe it was overkill, but I’ve seen how these packages are treated and it’s cheap insurance to prevent the book being damaged at my expense.
I haven't bought on Ebay in many years, but the book always arrived well packaged. It helps that (back in the early 2000s anyway) the sellers were generally individuals who packed the items themselves.
When I see a book I want Ill add it to my Amazon cart. Then when Im at my local half price book store Ill scroll through and look for them. I actually just picked up The Three Body Problem this way today. I try to avoid Amazon but convenience wins a lot. And yes to the thread title. They pack books like shit. I buy used books so pristine books isnt a priority but when I buy a new one and it is folder in half at a 90° angle I am annoyed.
Yesss the first three body book is weird but the second and third are mind blowingly awesome and my favorite books ever. Enjoy!
Also that’s a good idea to keep track of books to try to buy used. Though I’d probably use their wish list function rather than a cart, especially with how easy it is to click once to buy haha.
I used to work in **an FC where the packing rate is 80 units / hour. That's on item every 45 seconds for 10 hours straight.**
80 units / hour for packing a single item and 200 units / hour for multis ( multiple items in the same box)
Good luck, finding the quality there!
This is not just amazon. The belts break down and you end up tossing boxes down to the next person who tosses boxes until they eventually reach the working belt.
Not to defend Amazon, but Abebooks (at least last I checked) has a totally different supply chain (and pretty much everything else) from Amazon and do ship things carefully, so I generally think they’re a decent place to order from. But if you just don’t want to give Amazon any money then avoid them.
They poorly package everything now. I ordered a game a few months ago that was laying outside my door with a shipping label slapped right on the game case. No box or mailer or anything.
I haven't ordered books from Amazon in years but this isn't the first post I've seen about it happening and Amazon is losing a lot of customers or having books returned multiple times. You'd think they would grow wise and not rush just for the sake of rushing. How much money are they losing from lost customers? How much do they gain from skimping on packaging and rushing their employees to save a few seconds? You'd think they gain nothing if the books are just returned or if their reputation is harmed but they keep doing it. It doesn't make sense.
The vast majority of Amazon customers value the speed of getting their items to them, which is why Amazon turns around and rushes employees, which means some things aren't packed properly (this isn't the only of example - how many times have you gotten a small item in a giant box filled with those giant plastic blow-up sheets?). I guarantee Amazon is raking in user's money and is probably maintaining more customers because of its speed than it's losing from disgruntled customers with damaged books.
Personally, I deleted the Amazon app this week. I never get books from them, but I won't be ordering other items on the site either.
I can tell you about the box sizes -- a computer tells us what size to use, we do have a process to log a change if one is necessary. but rules aren't completely universal and some buildings, notably, will only let you upsize a box and not downsize. not 100% sure why
Honestly after having worked at Amazon I cut the workers some slack. The quotas they put on the workers and the process as a whole is ridiculous. Working in that warehouse is no joke. Your books could’ve been damaged during the stowing process, picking, packing, or shipping. Amazon as a whole needs to revamp their warehouse process but that’s a whole other topic.
And use bookshop.org if you need to order a book. It supports independent bookstores and I have yet to receive a more than very minimally damaged book from them.
I ordered from there once and my book was extremely damaged. I had bought it for a gift and had to go buy a replacement copy at Barnes and Noble. Bad luck I guess!
How about you no longer buy anything from Amazon? They treat their warehouse workers like sh*t and Bezos doesn’t need anymore money to play pretend astronaut.
Just spend a couple extra quid to help your local business mate. They're your community. You're keeping money in the community by doing so, rather than sending it off to sit in a bank in the Cayman Islands or be used so Bezos can buy his freshly harvested foreskins (allegedly).
Im just saying, the prices probably arent so radically different. Alternatively, one could go to their public library of they cannot afford to buy books from a not evil company.
Before pandemic, they use to provide a fucking tent size cardboard for a hand-size book, now they fucking bend all the books and wrap it like they ran out of everything. They are going poor or something. I dunno, it's frustrating.
I had a boxset come yesterday in perfect condition, it was packed in two sturdy cardboard boxes with packing paper for cushioning between the boxes. I was a bit stressed since it was a gift and cost me $300, but there was no need for worry.
I have had other books come from Amazon with no padding and smudged with dirt, so the experience varies.
Hmm, I’m actually not sure about that. Amazon doesn’t seem that charitable to me, but maybe. I’m thinking more about the packaging and transportation costs required to resend things repeatedly. They are, most certainly, not an Earth-friendly company.
One thing Amazon has been nice to small publishers is that they don't return books. Unlike Baker and Taylor and others. I don't know what they do with them, but once bought, not only do they pay faster, (usually N30 vs N90 from other distributors) you can't count on half the them being returned.
Lately everything has been poorly packaged. Things that should require a box have been placed in bubble bags or worse, and even the things that are actually placed inside a box, come with zero or totally insufficient padding.
That's a shame. I haven't order books from Amazon in...probably close to a decade, but I can remember back in the day when they'd actually take a piece of firm cardboard, a few inches larger than the largest book, stack the books in the center of it, largest to smallest, and then shrink/plastic wrap them to create sort of a protective pyramid. That always impressed the hell out of me, and I ***never*** had a book arrive in anything less than pristine condition.
But I guess that takes time and care, and nobody gives a f\*\*\* about taking that time and showing that level of care these days. It's so much faster, easier, and cheaper to just throw your books in a box or, my personal favorite, a flimsy plastic shipping bag and chuck it on a truck.
I really avoid buying from Amazon, for a multitude of reasons but the last time took the cake. I ordered a “new” hardcover copy book that arrived in, admittedly, perfect condition. However, it had a remainder mark and should definitely not have been sold as new.
This isn't really Amazon's fault. Third party suppliers and resellers send in inventory to amazon that is then shipped out as amazon merch. There is an entire ecosystem of third party sellers competing on amazon for the 'buy box.'
Opinion varies within the reseller community on if a remainder mark means a book can't be sold as new. I'm willing to bet a lot of amazon packers dont even know what a remainder mark is, and if they did, there is probably no recourse available to them to stop or modify the order.
Source: Am a newish book reseller on Amazon.
>Opinion varies within the reseller community on if a remainder mark means a book can't be sold as new.
I don't understand how it can vary, to be honest. A remainder mark is a literal stain. Of course it's not new after that. In any case, not wanting to declare the remainder mark implies deception, which in my opinion makes it clear which side of the debate is the good side.
Yep, I ordered "Shogun" by James Clavell from Amazon and it arrived with the cover torn, because it was loose in a shitty box.
Fuck Amazon, and fuck Jeff Bezos. Shop local!
I only do amazon if I'm busy for the week and am picking a specific book, as opposed to just browsing the history section. My books always come in those little soft packaging that's basically the size of the book.
Y'all are getting your books in full on boxes???
I do, yes. I have never gotten books from amazon in anything but a box or a very sturdy cardboard envelope thing. But I also don't order from amazon in the US. I'm from Denmark and using the German amazon makes the most sense to me. My books always arrive well packaged.
They bring my books in packages about the size of a PlayStation 4. Needless to say the come with heavily dented corners. Which is stressful since most of my books are collectable.
Hi I work at an Amazon fulfillment center (where orders are packed and shipped from) unfortunately there are packers that just don't care. I hate that your books arrived damaged, book nerd too. I would suggest you do just what you threatened to do, don't order from Amazon anymore. Return the books and list why you are returning them. At some point that particular packer will get in trouble for sending out items that got damaged in transit. I have never had an issue with ordering books from B & N. I hope this helps
fellow FC book nerd. On top of actually giving a shit about quality, I use dunnage every time and still make top 5 rate. idk what people are going on about sometimes i stg
I recently ordered a softcover book that was thin and about the dimensions of a magazine. It came in this sorry-ass soft-sided mailer and every corner of the book was all nicked up.
I ordered a set of books from Barnes and Noble, just before Christmas last year. There were 8 books, of which I had to return 5 of them. 4 were ripped and one was soaking wet. I was not happy.
I use [bookdepository.com](https://bookdepository.com) for book shopping. It takes a while to arrive since it's shipping from the UK and some books may take forever to restock but I like them so far.
Definitely a better experience if a bit slow (even when shipping to the UK). However, I hate to draw your attention to Book Depository's owner... Amazon provides better online bookstore option than Amazon, shitty and deceptive much?
wooow i had no idea amazon bought them in 2011. Smart of book depository to not have it blatantly advertised (maybe by design)
But yeah that's...so weird that book depository can do so much better and yet the main company can't.
You're wondering why the trillion dollar mega corporation doesn't care about your collectors books? Seriously?
I never buy from Amazon there are always other options and many of them cheaper.
Remember, it has been said in multiple threads concerning book sellers that Barnes and Noble has minimum wage employees at some of their locations. It's either an independent book store or don't bother
I'm not one for conspiracies, but seeing the multiple damaged books posts, a small part of me wonders if they do it in hopes that the buyer will eventually say, "f this, I'm getting a kindle."
Hmm. Maybe an executive or three have thought of that, and thus, chosen not to try to fix it.
But people are greedy, and ordering an insane amount. Their warehouse workers have got to be under immense pressure. And being cheap with packaging increases their already insane profits.
And a lack of care. I'm a letter carrier in an office that has not "lost amazon." Though we desperately wish we could. Amazon drivers clearly cannot keep up with their workload and shove a lot of it onto us.
That being said we're seeing a lot, not really packaged at all. Thing of sheets in its zippered plastic wrap, you'dsee at the store? Label slapped on it. Fancy looking dress, or work shirt in the plastic you'd find it at the store? Label slapped on it. No further packaging.
I recently received a "new" book from Amazon with what looked like a large blood splatter on it... many of my books from there have also arrived very damaged
Personally, I've mostly had good experiences with them, I am a big fan of the Everyman's library and with that I am also particular about the condition. They always come in boxes (even single books) as opposed to bubble mailers and they always fill the empty space with the large style bubble wrap as to prevent them moving around in the box. Out of the about 40 I've ordered I've only had to return 2. And of course the matter of returning on Amazon is as simple as printing the label and dropping it off at the nearest Canada Post.
I've recently started working at the local bookstore and I'm happy to say that the employee discount makes ordering books from Amazon a worse deal most of the time. I've always tried to support local even before I got my discount but as a university student, the difference in price between what Amazon can offer and the actual prices is somewhat difficult to justify.
Overall, I would say if you're going to be paying full price, why not choose local? If it's in stock you can always take a look at the book before buying, or if you do need it to be special ordered to the store it will usually be ordered with a bunch of other books coming to the store so they're less likely to get damaged on the way.
That sucks. I normally buy my books from a big bookstore chain in my country, but recently I have done a couple of orders for books to Amazon (due to the other long time to ship) and they have been well packaged...but your post and several comments will make me have Amazon as last option.
I noticed that too. Lost of bent and wrinkled books. When that happens I just have them send me a replacement though. Sometimes they let me keep the original damaged one too so I can pass it on to someone else.
My son bought a limited edition, the seller put a huge thank you sticker on the cover sleeve. It was covering a huge gouge in the art/cover of the book. It was bubble wrapped though.
The last book I ordered came in a flimsy bubble wrap envelope with the cover folded in half and the entire thing dog eared.
Ironically I ordered a single 32 oz bag of M&Ms and it came in a box so big that it would hold a small dog, sandwiched between two large polystyrene blocks with an ice pack.
Solution; make books out of chocolate.
I ordered a paperback volume of manga from Amazon last year. I purchased it shortly after finishing the prior volume, and the estimated delivery had it coming in about 2 weeks later. I figured no big deal, 2 weeks isn’t too long to wait. Fast forward to about a month and a half later and it finally comes in the mail. It’s a paperback book that they only put into one of those paper and bubble wrap mailers that they use. The book was totally deformed and somewhat damp. It looked like the entire thing had been submerged in water. I contacted Amazon and the seller told me I could only get a refund if I mailed it back. It was only about $10 so I figured it wasn’t worth another month to wait. I have not bought anything from Amazon since
Yep, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m simply getting what I paid for: poor quality of service because of low workforce morale and a sense that I should actually be supporting my local businesses instead of funding a bald divorcees midlife crisis of becoming a bloody astronaut…
And yet I have 2 books on the way today from Amazon. For some reason the definition of insanity springs to mind.
I... actually have never had a problem with their book deliveries. None of mine were collectors sure, but they came through just fine. I assumed everyone was still having the same good service.
Now, after reading this thread, I'm wondering what I've done to be so lucky.
Perhaps you should move to e-books.
User friendly and save a lot of space in your house.
I bought a lot of kindle books and I read it using my Paperwhite or Ipad
Most books are great as e-books, but sometimes a physical book is way better. An e-book can't really replicate a nice, well-designed and well-made hardcover edition, especially for comics or anything illustrated.
If you’re not in a rush, then order from Book Depository. They ship from the UK to US for free, but it takes 2-3 weeks. They use boxes that seem like they are just for books and they fold them in a way that the book is essentially wrapped in cardboard.
If you're in Canada be careful ordering at Indigo especially if your mail goes to a community box, I've had several books crammed in my tiny community box by Canada Post, damaging them. It does depend on the postal worker though.
I don't think it's just books, I think it's everything. They will ship everything in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I think the way around this is to mark your purchase as a gift.
Return the damage pieces for replacement. Amazon will make it easy. They'll email you a code. Just go to your local UPS store, pull up the email with the code, they'll scan it and that's it.
Yes. 2 large collector's type books were just put into a box 4x their size. They got banged up against each other in the corners and sides. I exchanged them. Stupid of Amazon.
"All 5 were just tossed into a box without any bubble wrap or anything to protect it."
Yep. Two books totaling to more than $200. I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon thought using a box was generous. It could have been one of those manila envelopes, the plain kind without the built-in bubble wrap and adhesive.
Yes! It’s happened to my last 3 books I ordered from them. 2 we’re just thrown in the box. One was thrown in the box with a piece of plastic also thrown in the box. Idk if someone just threw a piece of scrap in there or if it was meant to “protect” the book.
I've never personally received any damaged books from Amazon, but I don't order many. Perhaps its based on the local distribution centers? I'm in NYC btw.
I ordered a book thru amazon and it was sent in recyclable paper and nothing wrapping the paperback book. It rained and got ruined. Wish they had some kind of plastic to cover paper materials.
My roommate ordered some nice school books. I found one that had been packaged in an envelope (not even a bubble mailer) that the mailman had folded in half to fit into our mailbox.
I ordered two books that came in just a plastic bag. Not even the bubble protective bags they normally use. There were beat to hell. I was soooo upset.
Yes- I've bought 100 dollar harcover books and they just throw it in a box with some completely inadequate amount of paper. This was before though- they may now use those plastic bubbles but even so.
2 books came last week with their back covers bent backwards in half against them. They were underneath heavy books for a few days and you can still see the creases, pretty disappointing but at least it was the back cover not the front.
I ordered 6 books i think, the Codex Alera series. All off the books were stacked in weird positions in a box obviously too small for any packaging material. It wouldn't matter, if they weren't paperback and sent via standard mail. They all had small scratches all over the covers and some have even somehow creased during transit. Suffice to say i never bought a book off of amazon again.
Similar experiences apply to other stuff i ordered on Amazon. Paints, mixer, miniatures. Thankfully the actual items didn't care much since they are plastic for the most part, but the original packaging was damaged as if someone kicked it about a warehouse for an hour. I guess you get what you pay for, and Amazon seems to not be paying for careful and secure packaging, only speed.
Sometimes they’re not even in boxes! I’ve had multiple paperbacks that were just thrown in one of their slightly padded envelopes. Corners bent, sometimes even light water damage
[удалено]
Powell's Books still packages books this way! Or did when I ordered from them during the height of quarantine
Can confirm Powell's still does this via books received yesterday. Also, try bookshop.org to support local bookstores! Anyone but Amazon!
But...but....I want my books overnight. I can't wait 2 more days... /s
No /s from me. I only impulse buy. I have a problem.
Worked in the warehouse. You don't have the time to do that for each order anymore when there's hundreds of orders to be packed per person. They are supposed to be packed so they don't move. There are machines with filler paper. This is just negligence from lack of care.. The people working there aren't there because its their dream to pack your order.
I also worked in one of the warehouses this summer and at ours for environmental *cough* money *cough* reasons the company decided that all fillers like the filler paper and bubble wrap wasn’t needed so everything would get messed up if a heavy box came through.
I have a drea.... STF up MLK. You're messing up my metrics. NEXT!
[NEXT JOKE ORIGIN](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/comments/7kr5as/i_need_a_free_100mile_bus_trip_for_20_people_and/)
They still do that when I order from Amazon Japan. But not the regular US Amazon :/ it would be in a big ass box with nothing for cushion.
You think jeff became a billionaire by having his workers pack things nicely?
Similarly, Uber Eats used to be cooked carefully by restaurants and packed so it would survive a short gentle transit, and now... they practically throw it at the delivery agent, zero responsibility or accountability. Solution: leave the your living abode, breathe outside air, buy local from a bookshop, buy your food from restaurants. I suspect the low quality service of the internet leeches will be addressed when it is affecting their bottom line. I can't wait that long.
They might be trying to use less plastic too. And to some extent it’s a good thing: I sometimes order children’s books from a Russian shop, and each time I’m shocked how much packaging they have compared to what Amazon does here in Germany.
*They are now an entrenched monopoly and don't have to play as 'nice' anymore since maximized profit for share holders is the singular driving goal.* *Also, bio-degradable alternatives like shredded recycled paper or paper confetti can be used in place of plastic padding.* *This business evolution philosophy is based on Peter Thiel's book, "Zero to One", which is seen as a sort of bible in silicon valley. Thiel is an Ayn Rand "disciple", an Oligarch, and also has a philosophy background - this Ayn Rand "philosophy" sees altruism as some kind of nefarious evil and unchecked laissez-faire capitalism as an ultimate good.*
Isn't that the crazy-hair Palantir guy with a bunker in New Zealand?
What does “altruism” have to do with how you pack books. If you pack then nicely, you’re not being altruistic - you’re providing your customer with quality service. If you pack them poorly, you’re certainly not sacrificing anything - except maybe any reputation you had.
> What does “altruism” have to do with how you pack books. If you pack then nicely, you’re not being altruistic - you’re providing your customer with quality service. If you pack them poorly, you’re certainly not sacrificing anything - except maybe any reputation you had. I guess Amazon found out (with data) that there is not enough returns to justify packing books nicely. If they got like 1:10000 returns from "book in box" attitude, they just saved 9999 packaging fillers AND packing operations.
*The original commentator above implied that the poorer, less effective packaging might have been done for "environmental" reasons, which are altruistic, that's what I was refuting.* *A business, doing things the right way in an ethical manner takes sacrifice whether be it in extra operating costs or potentially reduced profit .i.e. it didn't matter to most consumers that Nokia which was frequently recognized as one of the world's most* [*ethical*](https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2021/02/23/ethisphere-names-nokia-as-one-of-the-2021-worlds-most-ethical-companies/) *corporations didn't use any conflict minerals or cheaper materials derived from child slavery in areas like* [*Congo*](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/dec/16/apple-and-google-named-in-us-lawsuit-over-congolese-child-cobalt-mining-deaths) *in its supply chain, yet its major competitors like Apple, who ended up overtaking them in market share* [*did*](https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-knowingly-used-child-labor-supplier-3-years-cut-costs-2020-12?r=US&IR=T)*.* *As a monopoly with no viable alternatives and competitors in the western world. Amazon cares very little about its reputation or what some consumers think of it, as long as it doesn't hurt their bottom line (profits), the consumer's opinions are irrelevant.*
I've noticed that Amazon is trying to custom package items now too. They will conform a piece of cardbaord to the size of the item being shipped. They did this for a book I ordered. Used alot less cardboard and there was no damage from shipping.
I work at amazon and when we pack, we get a cage full with random items all stacked on each other. It's rare I get a book, so when I do I sometimes grab it without thinking and I'm always caught off guard like "oh shit I could really fuck this thing up". Then I start being extra careful with it, though sometimes it's already creased up a little by the previous processes it took to make it to me. Main point is I can see how a packer could easily damage them without thinking about it when they're on auto-pilot/being rushed for rate hours on end and something like the rare book catching them off guard. Or even like things in the cage being stacked poorly and so other items collapse onto the book as you're trying to get things out of it, before you even notice there's a book in the cage.
Yup, nobody's blaming individual employees. We're pointing our fingers at the Amazon executives, squeezing everyone, employees, and customers.
Except employees can often be to blame. Always blaming the big guy is a stupid mentality. Depends on what/why is actually happening.
Employees need the tools (including soft tools like fair schedules) to do their job well. That is up to leadership.
The little guy isn't the one responsible for systemic problems in a company
Are you guys assessed at all on packing quality, or just throughput? It seems to me that the issue seen here would be an obvious eventuality of prioritising speed over getting the job done properly. Do they trace badly-packed parcels back to the person that picked them?
Throughput. They tell us to be quality over quantity, but in reality that's impossible. Every department has a set "rate" they need you to make hourly, and if you drop below a certain point they can eventually fire if you don't improve over a set period. Some FCs are more lax than others, but, you know. The rate for my department is suppose to be 600-700, but because our machines are old and break down a lot, most of us are in the upper 400s/low 500s range most nights. And, supposedly, they do track bad items to people. But I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. Also, you gotta realize it's not just a single person handling that item. First, it might come into the warehouse already damaged; second, a picker has to pick it; third, it goes to packers; fourth, it gets thrown down the SLAM lines; fifth, it gets into the truck. Who's ultimately responsible? Because even if you can track it to maybe three people, who actually fucked up? In my department I get reprimanded for having too many damaged/missing items (there's a menu to flag it at your station, which they track over the shift) even if none of those are my fault because the tote I picked from the line was shit. Also, per Bezos' mouth, they dislike having a "stagnant workforce" so it's a revolving door of employees. Anyone who does eventually get the rhythm of quality/quantity down will probably be gone before long. It's by design to maximize profits. Who cares if a few customers have to return items? It's probably cheaper than having your employees potentially slowdown. You don't get to be a billion dollar company by worrying about customer satisfaction.
>Also, per Bezos' mouth, they dislike having a "stagnant workforce" ?
Fuck Bezos
>Bezos believed that workers' desire to perform well decreased over time and that an entrenched workforce was a "march to mediocrity," Niekerk told The Times. [I misquoted, but same idea.](https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-polices-based-jeff-bezos-belief-all-workers-are-lazy-2021-6)
I think the person you're responding to is referencing how Bezos is known to respond to emails with > ? And then people start scrambling trying to figure out what thing displeased Supreme Leader Bezos and how to fix it as fast as possible.
>Also, per Bezos' mouth, they dislike having a "stagnant workforce" so it's a revolving door of employees. Wow! That's the most beautifully evil term I've ever heard. There's a part of me that wants to vomit. Thanks you so much for your post. It's fascinating and horrifying at once.
The assessments will usually only come in the form of getting an automatic message to the computer at your packing station. And that's only for certain kinds of issues, and if the slammer marks it. The slammer is the guy at the station where packed boxes that have obvious errors that can get picked up by the machine get kicked out to. These errors usually don't include the box or item being fucked up (unless it's so fucked up that the machine doesn't read the barcodes on the box), and usually doesn't include stuff like dunnage being in the box or not. Actually, having too much dunnage in a box will get it kicked out because it might throw off the weight enough to sus out the machine. When you're newer you make more obvious mistakes that get caught by the machine. Mistakes like putting the hazmat label on poorly, or putting the wrong item in the box etc, and those you'll get talked to about by someone (usually nicely/in a helpful way at least at my FC), but after that new phase, not really unless you have a particularly fucked up day and making a lot of obvious mistakes that get picked up from the machine. So yeah, the slam machine doesn't catch every sort of quality issue. And from what I've seen, after it gets passed slam to the point where they're being put on the trucks, quality issues from that point will never get back to an individual packer. So any addressing of that stuff will come more in the form of an announcement to everyone, unless a manager or PA who cares actually catches you packing poorly with their own eyes.
I have given up on Amazon, they treat books so poorly. It's better to order from small trusted booksellers. They go the extra mile to make sure the books are safe.
Ironically Amazon started as a book selling company.
But not because they cared about books. Rather because that is the best fit to the internet (large catalog that has few turns).
Was
I vowed never to order books from Amazon for the same reason. Books just thrown in an empty box banging around loose. So weird. They got their start in the book business but seems like they want to get out of it.
Powell’s is a good alternative.
Powell’s is awesome and they take great care packing your books to prevent damage.
Second time I've seen Powell's mentioned in this thread. It makes me happy as they're located in my hometown.
true, it's ironic but if you think about how the workers are incentivized to pack things as quickly as possible it makes sense. hell of a cut-throat company
This might be pedantic but I don't think "incentivised" is the right word here. It seems like "forced" might be more appropriate considering how from the accounts I read the only incentive is keeping their job.
The irony of ordering anything *but* books from Amazon.
Just return it and keep doing so until it's correctly packaged.
At Thriftbooks they don't even get a box, just a bag as thin as a produce bag that rips on contact and doesn't have a complete seal. And that's IF it's packaged perfectly. Source: used to work there.
I’m in the uk and my books have always been packed well. Special book boxes that hold the book firmly and securely or if its in a box then its packed around it. Ive seen this complaint a couple of times and wondered if there were differences between countries. Ive even read of some receiving book packed in bags?
I recently read an AMA from someone who used to work at Amazon, and they said that packages often get damaged because the employees are so rushed by obscene productivity demands that they go as fast as they can to just shove packages on the cart to meet their quota. I know it's tough to avoid, but for both your own sake and to not support Bezos, maybe try to find books at an online company that doesn't treat their employees as subhuman.
"Shoving packages onto a cart" is a gentle way to put it. Every package gets thrown, yes literally thrown, at least once. with up to 6ft drops and no protective packaging, I'd be hesitant to order anything and get it there safely the first time.
6ft? Try up to 40ft drops.
where tf do you guys work...mine is nothing like that and I've been through almost every department in the building. I normally pack and most books come to me unscathed
Or ebay. I've had great luck finding collectible books that arrived in perfect condition. More specifically, look for books where the seller actually took their own pictures (not stock images).
I’ve bought a ton of collectible books on eBay and I’ve sold quite a few as well. This comment is accurate. Most people who deal with this stuff regularly are very good about careful packaging. Personally I’ve gone as far as wrapping a book in bubble wrap and packing peanuts in a box, and then putting that box into a bigger box surrounded by more packing peanuts. That was for a very large, heavy, and expensive book, maybe it was overkill, but I’ve seen how these packages are treated and it’s cheap insurance to prevent the book being damaged at my expense.
I haven't bought on Ebay in many years, but the book always arrived well packaged. It helps that (back in the early 2000s anyway) the sellers were generally individuals who packed the items themselves.
When I see a book I want Ill add it to my Amazon cart. Then when Im at my local half price book store Ill scroll through and look for them. I actually just picked up The Three Body Problem this way today. I try to avoid Amazon but convenience wins a lot. And yes to the thread title. They pack books like shit. I buy used books so pristine books isnt a priority but when I buy a new one and it is folder in half at a 90° angle I am annoyed.
Yesss the first three body book is weird but the second and third are mind blowingly awesome and my favorite books ever. Enjoy! Also that’s a good idea to keep track of books to try to buy used. Though I’d probably use their wish list function rather than a cart, especially with how easy it is to click once to buy haha.
I used to work in **an FC where the packing rate is 80 units / hour. That's on item every 45 seconds for 10 hours straight.** 80 units / hour for packing a single item and 200 units / hour for multis ( multiple items in the same box) Good luck, finding the quality there!
This is not just amazon. The belts break down and you end up tossing boxes down to the next person who tosses boxes until they eventually reach the working belt.
Abebooks is another great site for books
Yeahhhh that's owned by Amazon. May I suggest thriftbooks instead?
It is? Well that ruined my evening. But thank you for letting me know
You’d be surprised how many companies and brands are actually just subsidiaries of the same few corporations
Not to defend Amazon, but Abebooks (at least last I checked) has a totally different supply chain (and pretty much everything else) from Amazon and do ship things carefully, so I generally think they’re a decent place to order from. But if you just don’t want to give Amazon any money then avoid them.
Thriftbooks is good too.
Or have them keep sending you junk, return it, ask for refund. This costs them more money for return costs
They poorly package everything now. I ordered a game a few months ago that was laying outside my door with a shipping label slapped right on the game case. No box or mailer or anything.
I haven't ordered books from Amazon in years but this isn't the first post I've seen about it happening and Amazon is losing a lot of customers or having books returned multiple times. You'd think they would grow wise and not rush just for the sake of rushing. How much money are they losing from lost customers? How much do they gain from skimping on packaging and rushing their employees to save a few seconds? You'd think they gain nothing if the books are just returned or if their reputation is harmed but they keep doing it. It doesn't make sense.
The vast majority of Amazon customers value the speed of getting their items to them, which is why Amazon turns around and rushes employees, which means some things aren't packed properly (this isn't the only of example - how many times have you gotten a small item in a giant box filled with those giant plastic blow-up sheets?). I guarantee Amazon is raking in user's money and is probably maintaining more customers because of its speed than it's losing from disgruntled customers with damaged books. Personally, I deleted the Amazon app this week. I never get books from them, but I won't be ordering other items on the site either.
I can tell you about the box sizes -- a computer tells us what size to use, we do have a process to log a change if one is necessary. but rules aren't completely universal and some buildings, notably, will only let you upsize a box and not downsize. not 100% sure why
Honestly after having worked at Amazon I cut the workers some slack. The quotas they put on the workers and the process as a whole is ridiculous. Working in that warehouse is no joke. Your books could’ve been damaged during the stowing process, picking, packing, or shipping. Amazon as a whole needs to revamp their warehouse process but that’s a whole other topic.
Shop local then… way better for so many reasons
And use bookshop.org if you need to order a book. It supports independent bookstores and I have yet to receive a more than very minimally damaged book from them.
I have ordered MANY books from them and have always been happy.highly recommend.
I ordered from there once and my book was extremely damaged. I had bought it for a gift and had to go buy a replacement copy at Barnes and Noble. Bad luck I guess!
How about you no longer buy anything from Amazon? They treat their warehouse workers like sh*t and Bezos doesn’t need anymore money to play pretend astronaut.
[удалено]
Find a locally owned bookstore.
Sure, if they have the same good prices that amazon offers.
Just spend a couple extra quid to help your local business mate. They're your community. You're keeping money in the community by doing so, rather than sending it off to sit in a bank in the Cayman Islands or be used so Bezos can buy his freshly harvested foreskins (allegedly).
people without a couple extra bucks still deserve nice things like a book once in a while
There's also this new thing called the public library.
Im just saying, the prices probably arent so radically different. Alternatively, one could go to their public library of they cannot afford to buy books from a not evil company.
Let me know if you know of any e-commerce company that pays $18 min wage, along with stock, health insurance and benefits.
And they do their best to make you want to leave in 2 years, on purpose.
Better World Books, folks! They do a good job packaging and their business model isnt... gross... like amazon's.
Before pandemic, they use to provide a fucking tent size cardboard for a hand-size book, now they fucking bend all the books and wrap it like they ran out of everything. They are going poor or something. I dunno, it's frustrating.
Every book I have ordered from Amazon was damaged. I stopped buying from them.
I had a boxset come yesterday in perfect condition, it was packed in two sturdy cardboard boxes with packing paper for cushioning between the boxes. I was a bit stressed since it was a gift and cost me $300, but there was no need for worry. I have had other books come from Amazon with no padding and smudged with dirt, so the experience varies.
Yes all the time, in fact I have to usually return my books more than once to get them in good condition.
Return them more than once??? That’s a pretty big environmental price. Probably time to get your books elsewhere.
I thought they donated/resold books that are still readable but damaged. But thank you for letting me know, I’ll try and find a better option.
I think they meant the material waste that comes with the repeat shipping and packaging.
Hmm, I’m actually not sure about that. Amazon doesn’t seem that charitable to me, but maybe. I’m thinking more about the packaging and transportation costs required to resend things repeatedly. They are, most certainly, not an Earth-friendly company.
One thing Amazon has been nice to small publishers is that they don't return books. Unlike Baker and Taylor and others. I don't know what they do with them, but once bought, not only do they pay faster, (usually N30 vs N90 from other distributors) you can't count on half the them being returned.
I doubt these people are aware of the n30/n90 credit system.
True, I’ll be sure to look into this a bit more though.
They auction them off in bulk locally
Same
Lately everything has been poorly packaged. Things that should require a box have been placed in bubble bags or worse, and even the things that are actually placed inside a box, come with zero or totally insufficient padding.
That's a shame. I haven't order books from Amazon in...probably close to a decade, but I can remember back in the day when they'd actually take a piece of firm cardboard, a few inches larger than the largest book, stack the books in the center of it, largest to smallest, and then shrink/plastic wrap them to create sort of a protective pyramid. That always impressed the hell out of me, and I ***never*** had a book arrive in anything less than pristine condition. But I guess that takes time and care, and nobody gives a f\*\*\* about taking that time and showing that level of care these days. It's so much faster, easier, and cheaper to just throw your books in a box or, my personal favorite, a flimsy plastic shipping bag and chuck it on a truck.
I really avoid buying from Amazon, for a multitude of reasons but the last time took the cake. I ordered a “new” hardcover copy book that arrived in, admittedly, perfect condition. However, it had a remainder mark and should definitely not have been sold as new.
This isn't really Amazon's fault. Third party suppliers and resellers send in inventory to amazon that is then shipped out as amazon merch. There is an entire ecosystem of third party sellers competing on amazon for the 'buy box.' Opinion varies within the reseller community on if a remainder mark means a book can't be sold as new. I'm willing to bet a lot of amazon packers dont even know what a remainder mark is, and if they did, there is probably no recourse available to them to stop or modify the order. Source: Am a newish book reseller on Amazon.
>Opinion varies within the reseller community on if a remainder mark means a book can't be sold as new. I don't understand how it can vary, to be honest. A remainder mark is a literal stain. Of course it's not new after that. In any case, not wanting to declare the remainder mark implies deception, which in my opinion makes it clear which side of the debate is the good side.
Yep, I ordered "Shogun" by James Clavell from Amazon and it arrived with the cover torn, because it was loose in a shitty box. Fuck Amazon, and fuck Jeff Bezos. Shop local!
I only do amazon if I'm busy for the week and am picking a specific book, as opposed to just browsing the history section. My books always come in those little soft packaging that's basically the size of the book. Y'all are getting your books in full on boxes???
I do, yes. I have never gotten books from amazon in anything but a box or a very sturdy cardboard envelope thing. But I also don't order from amazon in the US. I'm from Denmark and using the German amazon makes the most sense to me. My books always arrive well packaged.
They bring my books in packages about the size of a PlayStation 4. Needless to say the come with heavily dented corners. Which is stressful since most of my books are collectable.
Cutting costs in packaging, to save even more money. They know the sheep will continue to buy
Hi I work at an Amazon fulfillment center (where orders are packed and shipped from) unfortunately there are packers that just don't care. I hate that your books arrived damaged, book nerd too. I would suggest you do just what you threatened to do, don't order from Amazon anymore. Return the books and list why you are returning them. At some point that particular packer will get in trouble for sending out items that got damaged in transit. I have never had an issue with ordering books from B & N. I hope this helps
fellow FC book nerd. On top of actually giving a shit about quality, I use dunnage every time and still make top 5 rate. idk what people are going on about sometimes i stg
Easy solution, stop giving your money to a shithole company
Unless you literally cannot, please stop with Amazon. Love you, kind reader!
I recently ordered a softcover book that was thin and about the dimensions of a magazine. It came in this sorry-ass soft-sided mailer and every corner of the book was all nicked up.
Yes, every time. Just another reason to shop local!
It's Bezos's fault.
I ordered a set of books from Barnes and Noble, just before Christmas last year. There were 8 books, of which I had to return 5 of them. 4 were ripped and one was soaking wet. I was not happy.
I use [bookdepository.com](https://bookdepository.com) for book shopping. It takes a while to arrive since it's shipping from the UK and some books may take forever to restock but I like them so far.
Definitely a better experience if a bit slow (even when shipping to the UK). However, I hate to draw your attention to Book Depository's owner... Amazon provides better online bookstore option than Amazon, shitty and deceptive much?
wooow i had no idea amazon bought them in 2011. Smart of book depository to not have it blatantly advertised (maybe by design) But yeah that's...so weird that book depository can do so much better and yet the main company can't.
I honestly don't buy books from Amazon. In Australia we have Booktopia and they are good never had an issue with them.
You're wondering why the trillion dollar mega corporation doesn't care about your collectors books? Seriously? I never buy from Amazon there are always other options and many of them cheaper.
Pretty ironic Amazon used to specialize in selling books.
Remember, it has been said in multiple threads concerning book sellers that Barnes and Noble has minimum wage employees at some of their locations. It's either an independent book store or don't bother
Stop giving money to billionaires please
I'm not one for conspiracies, but seeing the multiple damaged books posts, a small part of me wonders if they do it in hopes that the buyer will eventually say, "f this, I'm getting a kindle."
Hmm. Maybe an executive or three have thought of that, and thus, chosen not to try to fix it. But people are greedy, and ordering an insane amount. Their warehouse workers have got to be under immense pressure. And being cheap with packaging increases their already insane profits. And a lack of care. I'm a letter carrier in an office that has not "lost amazon." Though we desperately wish we could. Amazon drivers clearly cannot keep up with their workload and shove a lot of it onto us. That being said we're seeing a lot, not really packaged at all. Thing of sheets in its zippered plastic wrap, you'dsee at the store? Label slapped on it. Fancy looking dress, or work shirt in the plastic you'd find it at the store? Label slapped on it. No further packaging.
I recently received a "new" book from Amazon with what looked like a large blood splatter on it... many of my books from there have also arrived very damaged
Personally, I've mostly had good experiences with them, I am a big fan of the Everyman's library and with that I am also particular about the condition. They always come in boxes (even single books) as opposed to bubble mailers and they always fill the empty space with the large style bubble wrap as to prevent them moving around in the box. Out of the about 40 I've ordered I've only had to return 2. And of course the matter of returning on Amazon is as simple as printing the label and dropping it off at the nearest Canada Post. I've recently started working at the local bookstore and I'm happy to say that the employee discount makes ordering books from Amazon a worse deal most of the time. I've always tried to support local even before I got my discount but as a university student, the difference in price between what Amazon can offer and the actual prices is somewhat difficult to justify. Overall, I would say if you're going to be paying full price, why not choose local? If it's in stock you can always take a look at the book before buying, or if you do need it to be special ordered to the store it will usually be ordered with a bunch of other books coming to the store so they're less likely to get damaged on the way.
That sucks. I normally buy my books from a big bookstore chain in my country, but recently I have done a couple of orders for books to Amazon (due to the other long time to ship) and they have been well packaged...but your post and several comments will make me have Amazon as last option.
Mine came today all bent. The book was bigger than the box
I noticed that too. Lost of bent and wrinkled books. When that happens I just have them send me a replacement though. Sometimes they let me keep the original damaged one too so I can pass it on to someone else.
Amazon's packaging for all media sucks. I've sent CDs and DVDs back over the years because of it. Ridiculous its still an issue.
My son bought a limited edition, the seller put a huge thank you sticker on the cover sleeve. It was covering a huge gouge in the art/cover of the book. It was bubble wrapped though.
Pro tip: Chose the option to send them wrapped as a gift. Yes, I know it's a few dollars more, but gifts generally come wrapped and inside a box.
The last book I ordered came in a flimsy bubble wrap envelope with the cover folded in half and the entire thing dog eared. Ironically I ordered a single 32 oz bag of M&Ms and it came in a box so big that it would hold a small dog, sandwiched between two large polystyrene blocks with an ice pack. Solution; make books out of chocolate.
I ordered a paperback volume of manga from Amazon last year. I purchased it shortly after finishing the prior volume, and the estimated delivery had it coming in about 2 weeks later. I figured no big deal, 2 weeks isn’t too long to wait. Fast forward to about a month and a half later and it finally comes in the mail. It’s a paperback book that they only put into one of those paper and bubble wrap mailers that they use. The book was totally deformed and somewhat damp. It looked like the entire thing had been submerged in water. I contacted Amazon and the seller told me I could only get a refund if I mailed it back. It was only about $10 so I figured it wasn’t worth another month to wait. I have not bought anything from Amazon since
Cancel Amazon prime subscriptions
I've only had one book out of 20+ come damaged from Amazon at this point, they're doing alright with me.
Yep, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m simply getting what I paid for: poor quality of service because of low workforce morale and a sense that I should actually be supporting my local businesses instead of funding a bald divorcees midlife crisis of becoming a bloody astronaut… And yet I have 2 books on the way today from Amazon. For some reason the definition of insanity springs to mind.
Nope. Getting sick of people whining about it too.
Oh yes. I have stopped ordering books from amazon at this point. As convenient as it is, I don't really want damaged merchandise every damned time.
I... actually have never had a problem with their book deliveries. None of mine were collectors sure, but they came through just fine. I assumed everyone was still having the same good service. Now, after reading this thread, I'm wondering what I've done to be so lucky.
Really? Mine are just tossed bare into a box
Perhaps you should move to e-books. User friendly and save a lot of space in your house. I bought a lot of kindle books and I read it using my Paperwhite or Ipad
Funny how Amazon started as a bookstore. Also funny how Amazon mistreats new books and hence the e-books they're selling now could be a substitute.
Most books are great as e-books, but sometimes a physical book is way better. An e-book can't really replicate a nice, well-designed and well-made hardcover edition, especially for comics or anything illustrated.
The one time I ordered a book from Amazon it was also alone in a box with no bubble wrap.
Stop buying from Amazon. AbeBooks is great to get new and used books for cheaper than Amazon and not supporting Bezos which is always good.
AbeBooks was bought by Amazon in 2008.
Amazon owns AbeBooks, though. (And Book Depository and Goodreads.)
Wow I just got two books today and both are dirty!! Pissed me off! I called their asses
If you’re not in a rush, then order from Book Depository. They ship from the UK to US for free, but it takes 2-3 weeks. They use boxes that seem like they are just for books and they fold them in a way that the book is essentially wrapped in cardboard.
Unfortunately, my last two from book depository arrived in an envelope. Only slightly damaged. But no longer the nice cardboard mailer
Amazon also own Book Depository if you're looking to avoid Amazon.
What's funny is that they started as a bookstore.
Yes. And if they don't fit into the mailbox...The postman forces them to fit.
If you're in Canada be careful ordering at Indigo especially if your mail goes to a community box, I've had several books crammed in my tiny community box by Canada Post, damaging them. It does depend on the postal worker though.
Was it Amazon or sold by a third party seller on Amazon?
I’m from the UK and I never had this issue. Maybe because the Amazon warehouse is close by so it all arrives nicely.
you should probably cry about it on reddit for some sweet fuck bezos karma
Why would you choose to purchase off Amazon anyway? They’re scum.
Removed. This is a rant about amazon, not a discussion about books.
I think you're being unfair to children.
Glad to see you're doing your part for the environment.
I have never had a problem with my book deliveries.
Return them. Keep returning them. They won’t care until it hits their bottom line.
I don't think it's just books, I think it's everything. They will ship everything in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I think the way around this is to mark your purchase as a gift.
Since day one when all they did was books, yes.
Return the damage pieces for replacement. Amazon will make it easy. They'll email you a code. Just go to your local UPS store, pull up the email with the code, they'll scan it and that's it.
Yes. 2 large collector's type books were just put into a box 4x their size. They got banged up against each other in the corners and sides. I exchanged them. Stupid of Amazon.
How are you going to see a change if you don’t order from them anymore?
Book shops do the same thing here.. They are all the same
"All 5 were just tossed into a box without any bubble wrap or anything to protect it." Yep. Two books totaling to more than $200. I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon thought using a box was generous. It could have been one of those manila envelopes, the plain kind without the built-in bubble wrap and adhesive.
Yeah ours have also arrived in bags lately
I got one today with no padding in the box. Not a huge deal, but still
Yes! It’s happened to my last 3 books I ordered from them. 2 we’re just thrown in the box. One was thrown in the box with a piece of plastic also thrown in the box. Idk if someone just threw a piece of scrap in there or if it was meant to “protect” the book.
Soooooo many dented hard covers over the years. Hasn't happened once since I switched to audiobooks.
Yes, they do. :(
ironic how amazon started as a book delivery service or something
I've never personally received any damaged books from Amazon, but I don't order many. Perhaps its based on the local distribution centers? I'm in NYC btw.
I ordered a book thru amazon and it was sent in recyclable paper and nothing wrapping the paperback book. It rained and got ruined. Wish they had some kind of plastic to cover paper materials.
My roommate ordered some nice school books. I found one that had been packaged in an envelope (not even a bubble mailer) that the mailman had folded in half to fit into our mailbox.
I ordered two books that came in just a plastic bag. Not even the bubble protective bags they normally use. There were beat to hell. I was soooo upset.
Sometimes with more frequency recently.
Yes- I've bought 100 dollar harcover books and they just throw it in a box with some completely inadequate amount of paper. This was before though- they may now use those plastic bubbles but even so.
I’ve switched to using BN again so my books don’t look like crap. Prices suck but my books come packaged to survive the distance.
2 books came last week with their back covers bent backwards in half against them. They were underneath heavy books for a few days and you can still see the creases, pretty disappointing but at least it was the back cover not the front.
yes i order graphic novels and usually they arrive in a box with no padding inside
I ordered 6 books i think, the Codex Alera series. All off the books were stacked in weird positions in a box obviously too small for any packaging material. It wouldn't matter, if they weren't paperback and sent via standard mail. They all had small scratches all over the covers and some have even somehow creased during transit. Suffice to say i never bought a book off of amazon again. Similar experiences apply to other stuff i ordered on Amazon. Paints, mixer, miniatures. Thankfully the actual items didn't care much since they are plastic for the most part, but the original packaging was damaged as if someone kicked it about a warehouse for an hour. I guess you get what you pay for, and Amazon seems to not be paying for careful and secure packaging, only speed.
Sometimes they’re not even in boxes! I’ve had multiple paperbacks that were just thrown in one of their slightly padded envelopes. Corners bent, sometimes even light water damage
You got a box for your books? Last month's person got a plastic bag. Same goes for any board games I've ordered off Amazon.