Chain reaction packaging

[jim55]

I think there was a thread about this a while ago , here's another fail , for just a seat post clamp

 

[Globalti]

Madness. I bet they just send a carton along the line and stuff it with as much or as little as you've ordered. They probably get a really good price on those cartons.

 

[lulubel]

Beats Wiggle. I ordered a carbon seat post from them, and they shipped it in a padded bag that was too small, so the bag had split and the end of the post was damaged.

That's probably the smallest box CRC have in their packaging lineup, possibly because most people order enough at one time to make it not worth their while using smaller packaging. (I know all my orders have been big enough to fill a box that size, or bigger.)

 

[MrJamie]

I got a powerlink in a box like that, is silly They do have white bubble envelopes they usually use for smaller things though.

 

[Paul99]

Why is that a fail?

The seat post clamp doesn't look damaged to me. Doesn't that make the packaging a success?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to write to CRC and complain, giving reasons for why you're offended by their packaging techniques, rather than posting in a web forum.

If they don't change their practices you could always boycott them and get your components from an LBS.

Or must we eat our cake as well as have it?

 

[Hacienda71]

I got a 1.5mm cassette spacer in a box that size yesterday . Couldn't beleive it, nearly started a thread on it.

 

[MattHB]

That's awesome. It's when they try to put a new bike in a box that big we'll be in trouble.

 

[jim55]

The weird thing is I ordered a headset at the same time and it came separately in a tiny manufacturers box within a padded envelope , so they can send things normally and save u a trip to the sorting office ( miles away for some people )to pick up stuff that could fit through your letter box if it wasnt for the oversize box

 

[robgul]

I think you'll find that a lot of the packaging "decisions" that most of the mail order outfits make are dictated by the delivery service .. standard sizes of carton that can be transported, handled, sorted with more automation etc mean lower charges per package ... that's certainly the case with Amazon.
The delivery service is also probably related to cost too .... don't forget that most big mail order suppliers will have a fixed (or small range) price for ANY package ... and that bears no relation to Royal Mail or other carriers' published charges. Doubtless CRC, and the others, have such a deal - the difference in cost/handling for the carton makes sense for them.
(I recall that the software supplier from days of yore, jungle.com (remember them?) had a fixed price delivery cost of about 30p from Royal Mail ... the "street price" being, then, over £1)

Rob

 

[Moodyman]

There was an interesting article in one of the bike mags where CRC gave them a tour of the warehouse. The packaging was discussed and they sAid thAt it gave them logistical economies as well as making it easier to pack things.