Oh those Italians

[linder1]

Just to do a little CYA on the PC front -- I don't know many native Italians personally.  I have nothing against Italian people or any other people, at least not grand categorical prejudice.  I have plenty of problems with individual idiots though.  This is entirely based on the evidence I get on my doorstep when I get posters from Italy.  I could do another post all about French sellers, who are generally perhaps one step above.  Everyone all over the planet is wonderful blah blah blah but damn it these Italian eBay sellers are completely disconnected from reality and integrity.  Fuck fuck fuck.  YES YES YES I know there are bad apples everywhere but COME ON the Italians are the worst offenders based on my experience.

END OF CYA

Over in new acquisitions, I just posted a picture of a very special Persona fotobusta I had been after for, oh, a decade.  Now, luckily that one was actually in a quasi-flimsy cylindrical tube and made it through OK.  However the poster had ZERO padding or wrapping.  It was just thrown in a tube and shipped off 5000 miles.

The big offense for today is actually a very special combo of horrible shipping practices and bad descriptions.  I am thankful I did not spring for the really expensive poster this person had.

Witness first off, the extremely crappy Italian post office triangle tube.  Yep, smashed/flattened:





THEN, I opened it up and realized that this seller had actually packed two posters into the tube.  I had asked for AND PAID FOR two separate shipping fees because one was supposed to be sent in a flat (folded 2F) and the other rolled in a tube (fotobusta).  I paid 10 Euros for the former and 12.50 Euros for the latter.




More horrified feelings as I extracted the mess from the tube:






Then, the final insult.  The seller had described these as being in good and beautiful condition with no detail beyond that.  Asked for more detail, it was just the same thing and "look at the picture".  The pictures were nice and small so as not to show anything bad.  Actually the front of one of them was not too bad, the other is a complete mess because of the tape stains soaking through.  Oops, I skipped the critical issue: they are both victims of EXTREME TAPING all over the back!













Here's wishing myself good luck at extracting my Euros out of this shithead.

[CSM]

Man, that is quite depressing.  Posters and triangles just do not mix!

I would be simply livid if I paid double shipping and got screwed on it (outrageous shipping costs followed by inadequate packaging makes me want to start fires)

However, maybe you can take solace in the fact the Godzilla poster is really cool though?

[linder1]

However, maybe you can take solace in the fact the Godzilla poster is really cool though?

It is cool and rare, that's true.

It was much cooler before they rolled/folded it the way they did.

Honestly I have no idea what it's "worth" (just got it because it was rare and interesting) but maybe I can salvage this, at least on Godzilla, with some restoration.  I generally freak out when I get a big surprise like this, especially with interesting items.

[brude]

That's a damn shame, Erich.
One does not need a degree in rocket science to safely ship a poster.
Reminds me of the jerk who shipped Paul's Hunchback in glass...
WTF??

[linder1]

It's all about skimping to get a couple extra bucks/Euros/grivnas etc

This latest jerk told me they were buying a tube to ship the Godzilla.  Well I would guess that that little triangle tube was free at the Italian post office.

Or maybe it was 50 Eurocents.  Whatever.

It just blows me away because with the Italian sellers and the French sellers I always send them a nice, clear note that says I am worried about damage in such a long journey, to please use extra caution when packing, and that I'm happy to pay for extra materials to make this endeavor safer.

Without exception, I always get a cheerful "no problem" and then end up with a disaster or a narrowly averted disaster at least half the time.

[paul waines]

I find this really infuriating, what goes through people's minds when they are packing a poster or similar. Also what other company's could get away with the incompetence the postal service's show???

Very nice posters by the way, I wish I had more Godzilla stuff.

[Zorba]

I find this really infuriating, what goes through people's minds when they are packing a poster or similar. Also what other company's could get away with the incompetence the postal service's show???

Very nice posters by the way, I wish I had more Godzilla stuff.

That is brutal. It scares me and me makes me even more gun shy.

I dont understand the inabilty of some shippers to understand how easily things can be damaged in transit.  I may be new but Ive been around long enough that I get that bad feeling when I see a triangle at my door.

[kovacs01]

I might take a dump in that tube and return to sender.

[Cj]

I might take a dump in that tube and return to sender.

Or you could just go to poopsenders DOT com and send some poop anonymously.

Cj

[Douchebag Cochran]

I dont understand the inabilty of some shippers to understand how easily things can be damaged in transit. 

It's not an inability to understand, actually. It's, not always, but most often, their special brand of laziness paired with a near complete lack of concern for your item.

[linder1]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts.

I've started the ebay and PP claim processes... I can't believe it takes them 30 days to make a decision.

Might just short-circuit the whole thing and go through my CC company.

Ugh.

[Posteroid]

I sympathise with you Erich.
A while ago I used to frequently buy from sellers via Italian ebay. But my experiences were so bad regarding exact description of condition (seems like everything most Italian sellers offer is in "very good" condition, regardless of what the item looks like) and protective shipping or the lack thereof that I stopped. It is really not worth it.

Armin

[Thomsen]

Oh, man, I sympathise with you. Italian posters are some of my favorites and I mainly buy them from locals on eBay. Fortunately I haven't received anything that wasn't packed well, so far. But I have often experienced a tendency to grade posters too high and only describe them vaguely. It is something you constantly need to beware of.

Also, it's often very hard to get Italian sellers to send you a better picture. I have come across a lot of very high priced items on eBay which only have a small, low-res photo or even a photo that has been copied from somebody else. Case in point, last month I was trying to buy a quite rare Italian horror poster. The opening bid was 500 Euro and the piece has previously been sold in the 1500-2000 Euro range. Still, for a piece of that value, the seller had not even bothered taking a picture of the actual poster up for auction. Instead he only described it as 'perfect' and copied a stock photo from kinoart.net. 

[Thomsen]

...and once again I was screwed over by an Italian eBayer. This time not in one, but in two auctions.

Had a nice chat with him this morning, ensuring he was willing to send to Denmark. He even tells me that he will combine shipping as postage from Italy is somewhat expensive.

I then place my opening bid, and BANG! a few hours later he is canceling both auctions prematurely without further explanations.

My guess: He probably got a private offer that was too good to say no to. I just hate when that happens.

Here are the auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200466541083#ht_1212wt_941
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200466541255#ht_1212wt_941

I already own the rare Italian due-fogli and I was not particularly interested in the quattro-fogli he sold. But I was very interested in those photobustas.

So, pardon my French, but f**k you, Oliver from Vienna whom I can only presume is the "winning" party. 

[Thomsen]

I can better the original poster's experience.

I just received 8 photobuste today i the mail that were packed in a bag. That's right... a bag! Not even a jiffy-bag or some other sort of padded envelope. Just a plastic bag from the courier service without any further form of padding. 

Of course the photobuste have been creased and crumpled all around now. I mean, they were not in perfect condition before, but this trip sure didn't make them look any better. 

Avoid seller dingo.gigacenter if you care about packing.

[linder1]

I just realized I should have named this thread "The Italian Job".

I'm still negotiating with the original seller on the return.  Amazing how adept this wonderful gem is at dragging feet, feigning ignorance, etc etc etc.

[Thomsen]

Luckily the seller in my case acknowledged the problem immediately. He first tried to negotiate a partial refund, but since I have no use for crumpled posters, he agreed to a full refund upon return of the posters. I sent them back friday so now I just wait for them to arrive.