Author Topic: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic  (Read 4818 times)

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #15 on: August 16, 2017, 09:36:42 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

Warmsignal

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #16 on: August 16, 2017, 10:10:07 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

If the packaging is damaged, there's potential that the product might be. Why not wholesale it? Seems like a better idea than trashing it. I just don't think it should end up at normal retail from that point. I don't know anything about your business, but it seems like you should refuse doing business with companies that cost you money like that.

tpugmire

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #17 on: August 17, 2017, 03:54:49 pm »
Get a spray bottle and wet the damaged area down a little, then iron it from the back side. I do it all the time on damaged boxes. Works every time.
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DreamsDied13101

PRO Supporter

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2017, 04:34:53 pm »
@scraph4ppy
I totally understand and I work in analysis for logistics/supply chain and spend a lot of time in warehouses and distribution centers. The way things are shipped without care is an industry wide problem for all goods. No one takes ownership and blames every other step in the process instead of taking ownership. In the case of my item - I paid a premium amount for a item considered a collector's edition. The box is manufactured to be part of the collectivity of the product so I expect it to be nearly pristine. When I buy a new car I expect it to be the same way since the value is in how it looks. I actually force dealerships to sell me cars without their stickers or decals that some are in the habit of bolting on. They freak out. It is ultimately up to them if they want to accommodate how anal I am or not.

@tpugmire
Thanks for the advice. I would have never thought to do that. Any particular setting for the iron?
The Day That Dreams Died 01/31/01


tpugmire

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #19 on: August 17, 2017, 04:44:27 pm »
Nah, just hot. Don't get it too wet or leave the iron in one place for too long.
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sworddude

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #20 on: August 17, 2017, 07:18:52 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

while it is true even in this case it is a totally different market.

It's a collectors edition so also the box matters no matter if the content is perfect, Also as it is advertised also the box is a part of the experience. You can't compare it to kitchen supplies or mobile phones etc etc where the boxes are indeed usually trashed and not cared for.


Also to be fair this is also one of the reasons that scalpers can earn money on less desirable CE items since people want to see what they get with a nice box without taking a risk of receiving a damaged dented one.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2017, 07:20:50 pm by sworddude »
Your Stylish Sword Master!



Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #21 on: August 17, 2017, 07:55:00 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

If the packaging is damaged, there's potential that the product might be. Why not wholesale it? Seems like a better idea than trashing it. I just don't think it should end up at normal retail from that point. I don't know anything about your business, but it seems like you should refuse doing business with companies that cost you money like that.
We pop em open and check for damage, product damage in my field is usually very, very obvious. I could write paragraphs about why no wholesaling can occur at my company, but I'll just say instead that its not possible to fit into our strategic planning. We sell some of the more valuable packaging damaged items at a discount, as said above, with that discount probably becoming pure profit for the shops- I don't think the end customer will ever even know it occured. One thing I'll say is that USPS does suck, they are rather infamous as the worst of the major shippers and until recently we refused to ship with them due to said suckage.

Assuming your Sonic got mail damaged, it should have been packed better. But don't be so sure, its more likely than you think that that big dent was there long before the mailman got his grubby paws on it. The smush could have easily came from shrinkwrap contraction, it could have been dropped in the distribution center, it could have banged against another pallet OR had another pallet stacked on top of it. Shippers love to do that last one to save space, even when you specifically pay them extra to not do it. It could even have been damaged overseas shortly after being built and then shipped over here facing inward in order for them to not have scrapped anything. Your game, which you paid extra for, might seem expensive to you but someone who isn't into games will just look at the base price- in which case it doesn't cost any more than, say, a microwave- and it won't receive any additional care.

Warmsignal

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #22 on: August 17, 2017, 08:08:12 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

while it is true even in this case it is a totally different market.

It's a collectors edition so also the box matters no matter if the content is perfect, Also as it is advertised also the box is a part of the experience. You can't compare it to kitchen supplies or mobile phones etc etc where the boxes are indeed usually trashed and not cared for.


Also to be fair this is also one of the reasons that scalpers can earn money on less desirable CE items since people want to see what they get with a nice box without taking a risk of receiving a damaged dented one.

Another problem seems to be (judging from my own experience and the photo provided), PS4 collector's edition boxes are made from an incredibly thin and delicate card stock material, perhaps the same grade stuff the actual outer console box is made from. Doesn't stand much of a chance at surviving completely from the factory.

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #23 on: August 17, 2017, 10:16:13 pm »
.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2018, 03:36:20 pm by jce3000gt »



DreamsDied13101

PRO Supporter

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #24 on: August 18, 2017, 12:41:48 am »
The Sonic Mania box is quite flimsy because inside there is really lightweight plastic instead of styrofoam supporting the contents. The shipping box appears to have been damaged and the Sonic Mania box took the impact also and just buckled. If Gamestop would have boxed it in a larger shipping box it would have survived fine, but it was shipped flush with the shipping box.
The Day That Dreams Died 01/31/01


sworddude

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #25 on: August 18, 2017, 05:02:52 am »
The Sonic Mania box is quite flimsy because inside there is really lightweight plastic instead of styrofoam supporting the contents. The shipping box appears to have been damaged and the Sonic Mania box took the impact also and just buckled. If Gamestop would have boxed it in a larger shipping box it would have survived fine, but it was shipped flush with the shipping box.

In europe the FE valentia CE had a very sturdy box

It was packed pretty mediocre without filling yet unscaved no dents etc because the material cardboard was very thick, It's not always made out of thin materials,
Your Stylish Sword Master!



DreamsDied13101

PRO Supporter

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #26 on: August 18, 2017, 06:50:42 pm »

In europe the FE valentia CE had a very sturdy box

It was packed pretty mediocre without filling yet unscaved no dents etc because the material cardboard was very thick, It's not always made out of thin materials,

You're just trying to turn this in to a Sega vs Nintendo fight. Sega does what Nintendon't. Sega does flimsier cardboard.  :P
The Day That Dreams Died 01/31/01


Warmsignal

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #27 on: August 18, 2017, 09:50:10 pm »
Collector's Edition means "don't smash it, please!" But they don't get that. In my estimation, almost nobody cares about the "handling" part of shipping & handling anymore. Not just games, but in anything. There's so much stuff nowdays you can buy brand new with obvious damage to the packaging. The term "damaged goods" use to mean something. Would probably get written off and sold to some odd lot retailer. Not so anymore. Just put it on the shelf and sell it with a straight face.
Speaking as someone who works in verifying/compliance for a (non-gaming related) distributor, you'd be singing a different tune if you were the one who was scrapping hundreds of dollars in value just because a box got slightly torn, especially when many manufacturers cheap out on packaging and ship it damaged to you in the first place. Its infuriating having to scrap items that sell for upwards of 300 dollars just because there's a big rip down the box. For the stuff I sell, a lot of people don't even care about said box, it ends up on the curb come trash day or shops will buy them at discount, throw the box out and then sell the item at the exact same price anyway.

while it is true even in this case it is a totally different market.

It's a collectors edition so also the box matters no matter if the content is perfect, Also as it is advertised also the box is a part of the experience. You can't compare it to kitchen supplies or mobile phones etc etc where the boxes are indeed usually trashed and not cared for.


Also to be fair this is also one of the reasons that scalpers can earn money on less desirable CE items since people want to see what they get with a nice box without taking a risk of receiving a damaged dented one.

Another problem seems to be (judging from my own experience and the photo provided), PS4 collector's edition boxes are made from an incredibly thin and delicate card stock material, perhaps the same grade stuff the actual outer console box is made from. Doesn't stand much of a chance at surviving completely from the factory.

The box my PS4 Pro came in looks to be the same thin material.  Sad.  The boxes my XBOX 360/One came in are way better quality.  LOL

Yep. A cardstock console box. Console boxes have always been like double or triple layer cardBOARD. But if you notice, then they put an actual cardboard box inside of the cardstock box... so stupidly designed.

DreamsDied13101

PRO Supporter

Re: Gamestop and UPS Teamed Up to Destroy Sonic
« Reply #28 on: August 18, 2017, 10:01:31 pm »
For anyone else that picked up one of these Collector Editions you can open up the "statue" and solder the light to the board and have a working power light too. They just didn't do it at the factory.
The Day That Dreams Died 01/31/01