Amazon Questionable Shipping Tactic

[Bill Eh?]

I know another forum member already touched on this subject, which I looked for already. My apologies moderators, move as necessary.

On Nov. 6 I purchased a Tamiya Nismo R34 GT-R Z-Tune, as the price was good. The order was fulfilled by Amazon. Delivery was quick and it arrived the next day, hurray! This is the way it was shipped, booo!

So I went on line to find an effective way to remove the shipping label. The suggested way was to apply high heat (hair dryer high, not heat gun high), and start at a corner and try to peal back the label. This worked, however after the label pealed off, the adhesive residue remained.

Tamiya box lids have a glossy paper surface which is achieved by a plastic film layer laminated over the printed paper cover. 

With further research, I found out that the residue might be removed with something as mild as cooking oil, all the way up to something as aggressive as Goo Gone. I decided to go all in with Goo Gone, but first tested the durability of the plastic film on an end panel. Success, no damage to the corner of the end panel.

So with a small amount of Goo Gone in plastic lid, I went to work dipping Q-Tips in the Goo Gone and then slowly rubbing away the adhesive residue.

This picture shows the top portion cleaned off and the bottom portion still with adhesive and fuzzy bits.

After removing most of the adhesive with Q-Tips, I moistened the corner of a piece of paper towel with Goo Gone. I used this to give the whole adhesive covered area a final wipe down. 

This was the final result.

I lucked out this time, but I sure wish Amazon wouldn't use such a sketchy shipping practice.

Edited 18 hours ago by Bill Eh?

[Fat Brian]

They've done that to me too, fortunately it was a kit that has shrink wrap so removing the label was painless. Amazon is always an adventure with packaging, it's either way too much or not nearly enough.

[TonyK]

You sure have a lot of patience and measures to get results. Good for you but how stupid of Amazon to ship it that way.

[Dave Van]

I've gotten some non model items shipped in a zip lock bag!!!!!

[iamsuperdan]

That's why I almost always say that it's a gift, and if given the option, I ask for a box to hide the contents.

And then if it arrived like that, I'd issue a complaint. They most likely wouldn't ask for a return and would just send a replacement.

Now you have two kits.

 

This is what happened to me. They shipped a kit in a bag, and it arrived crushed. I sent pics and asked for a replacement, which they sent at no charge. And after removing the conents from the packaging and inspecting...the first kit was completely undamaged. No idea how that was possible, because the box was in really bad shape. 

[SpeedAndViolence]

When you place your next order at AMZN, the last step before paying for your order, you have the option to "Reduce shipping waste and ship in manufacturers container." See below:

[Rodent]

I just received a very large greeting card that they shipped in a box big enough to hold most 1/16 scale kits. 🤣

[Ace-Garageguy]

I hate Amazon, and refuse to buy from them if there's ANY other option.

These (above) are just a couple of the reasons.

[sfhess]

Preserving the box for "posterity"?

[Bill Eh?]

Maybe not posterity, LOL But at least not with a 3" x 5" shipping label stuck on the box lid.

[tim08]

Got a sheet of bare metal foil...didn't have time to run to the hobby shop...They shipped it folded in half! Heck, the envilope was big enough to fit it in flat. Luckily I was able to cut the folded part out. Guess whoever packed it don't know what foil is.

[Bill Eh?]

I have had a couple of good experiences on Amazon, which were not fulfilled by Amazon. Both were through an outlet that I buy a lot of CDs from called Rarewaves.ca.  Go figure.

[Big Messer]

1 hour ago, tim08 said:

Got a sheet of bare metal foil...didn't have time to run to the hobby shop...They shipped it folded in half! Heck, the envelope was big enough to fit it in flat. Luckily I was able to cut the folded part out. Guess whoever packed it don't know what foil is.

This is nothing. Won an auction at goodwill for a Franklin Mint 1907 Rolls-Royce. They stuffed a piece of the coarsest brown paper inside the plastic display box breaking all the fragile detail parts:

[Big Messer]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I hate Amazon, and refuse to buy from them if there's ANY other option.

Ditto.