This is why PWEs suck!

[ChasHawk]

Got a card in today. Low dollar, but the 1st one I've seen listed in 2+ years. Here's how it arrived in my mailbox...

Barely still in the envelope. Penny sleeve and toploader. No tape, no teambag.

Front of the card looks ok...

...the back, not so much. That crease next to the Donruss logo runs from top to bottom of the card. :evil:

Seller offered a full refund if I return the card. So, I'd have to pay to ship with tracking to Canada(which would be more than I paid for the card),
then hope the card pops up again somewhere along the line. I asked for a partial refund, so I guess we'll see what happens.

This however, is why I constantly argue against PWEs for eBay sales. Even if 99/100 show up in perfect shape, 1 like this is too many to me.

 

[Kevbo]

agreed.
to this day, we still have people that don't understand that those go through a sorting machine that twists and bends. bubblemailers are NOT expensive, stick a styrofoam peanut in there, and they DON'T go through the machine.

I get that every now and then when I buy from sportlots or beckett marketplace. not expensive cards usually, but ticks me off for wasting my time.

 

[Sly]

A single, regular card can generally survive a PWE...but GU cards will NEVER survive it, and will ALWAYS end up damaged. Regardless, I refuse to use PWE's for anything, and it'd be nice if everyone learned as well.

 

[pigskincardboard]

agreed.
to this day, we still have people that don't understand that those go through a sorting machine that twists and bends. bubblemailers are NOT expensive, stick a styrofoam peanut in there, and they DON'T go through the machine.

I get that every now and then when I buy from sportlots or beckett marketplace. not expensive cards usually, but ticks me off for wasting my time.

Seriously, though. Bubble Mailers can cost more than a dollar if you don't sell all that often. People tend to assume that everyone's stashing .25 cent bubblemailers. When i first started selling, I'd just grba them at the post office and the plastic ones would set me back almost 2 dollars.

2 dollar bubble mailer + 3 dollar shipping + .25 cent supplies = 1 Feedback Rating on a 1-dollar card.

By the way, how has ebay not figured out how to weight the feedback to the cost of the item.

 

[jacobbocce72]

I might be the minority here, but I don't mind dealing with PWE's. If PWE's are done correctly they are a cheaper option than bubble mailers and generally work just as well. I usually put all cards in the proper protective gear (penny sleeve, toploader, team bag, etc.) and make sure to put packing tape on all sides of the PWE. I've never had a problem with shipping this way and will continue to do so...

Most of the shipping I do in PWE's are freebies or stuff sold on FCB (as long as i've cleared that a PWE is acceptable with the seller of course).

 

[Topnotchsy]

I've never had an issue with a card I received in a PWE. That said, I recently purchased 500 small bubble mailers for $15 dlvd on eBay. $.03 apiece. I don't know when I'll ever use that many but for that price how could you go wrong.

 

[Sly]

I might be the minority here, but I don't mind dealing with PWE's. If PWE's are done correctly they are a cheaper option than bubble mailers and generally work just as well. I usually put all cards in the proper protective gear (penny sleeve, toploader, team bag, etc.) and make sure to put packing tape on all sides of the PWE. I've never had a problem with shipping this way and will continue to do so...

Most of the shipping I do in PWE's are freebies or stuff sold on FCB (as long as i've cleared that a PWE is acceptable with the seller of course).

I'll warn you now, a Game-Used (or thicker card) will NEVER make it through a mailsorter undamaged, regardless of the amount of protection you put around them.

 

[A_Pharis]

Got a card in today. Low dollar, but the 1st one I've seen listed in 2+ years. Here's how it arrived in my mailbox...

Barely still in the envelope. Penny sleeve and toploader. No tape, no teambag.

Front of the card looks ok...

...the back, not so much. That crease next to the Donruss logo runs from top to bottom of the card. :evil:

Grrrr...

Seller offered a full refund if I return the card. So, I'd have to pay to ship with tracking to Canada(which would be more than I paid for the card),
then hope the card pops up again somewhere along the line. I asked for a partial refund, so I guess we'll see what happens.

This however, is why I constantly argue against PWEs for eBay sales. Even if 99/100 show up in perfect shape, 1 like this is too many to me.

 

[aaron41984]

I hate PWE's. The last one I got was okay though because the guy wrapped the card in bubble wrap. Still aggrevating.

 

[JackLondon]

Sorry to hear that, Charlie.

I have had some cards safely arrive in a PWE, but have also had four or five end up absolutely destroyed.

If it is a cheap card and the seller charges little or nothing for shipping, I don't mind as much. But getting a gu or non-common in a PWE is really annoying.

Since it is a tough to find card, I would keep it, but drop a neg on the seller. Hopefully, you will find a better condition card to replace that one in the future.

 

[Sean_C]

Have a link for them? That's cheaper than I've ever seen.

I've never had an issue with a card I received in a PWE. That said, I recently purchased 500 small bubble mailers for $15 dlvd on eBay. $.03 apiece. I don't know when I'll ever use that many but for that price how could you go wrong.

 

[schmidtfan20]

you should change the title of this to:

This is why dealing with Canada sucks

 

[maxpower]

Sorry for your frustrating experience!

Unless an auction specifies 'padded mailer', I'll usually check with the seller (particularly if it's a card I need).

If the seller uses PWE and I really want the card, I offer $2 extra to secure a padded mailer and good protection. That should cover the cost of the mailer plus the additional postage, and it ensures that I get my card in good shape. I know I can always leave a negative feedback if the card gets damaged, but I'd much rather just pay extra and get my card. I have no interest in punishing the seller.

Until eBay fixes the feedback system to align seller practices and buyer expectations, I imagine I'll keep having to do this.

 

[Rickzcards]

I'll still never understand that when provided with proof like this there are still idiots that come in and defend the use of PWE's. Anyways there is really no reason why you can't go to Sam's Club and buy a box of 25 #0 bubble wrap envelopes for $4.50 or a pack of 10 #000 from Wal-Mart for #3.00. Here's the person I buy from off ebay. They have stuff up with BIN's as well as auctions, I last won a box of 500 #000 for about $20 delivered and most of their items have free S&H.
Digidepot

 

[1st4040]

I wonder if that was the same seller that had a Canseco FOTG up as well and in his description it said PWE but if you wanted a bubble mailer email for shipping cost.. as soon as I saw that on a GU'ed listing I wasn't bidding on the card even if I did need it. if they are charging a minimum of $3 shipping there is no excuse for not using a bubble mailer even if you recycle one.

with that said I use PWE on all 1-2 card low BV trades online.. a regular toploader is never a problem in a PWE and I've been dealing with them for 20 years. anything more and I ship bubble mailer and all GU'ed or Auto's in bubble regardless. I also don't mind people sending PWE same way I do to help save costs on both ends and get more trades done.

 

[sportscardtheory]

I have been getting a LOT more PWEs lately, but as usual, if the card is fine, I couldn't give a shat. That said, I just got one the other day, the card was in awful condition in a Card Saver in a PWE, but I could tell that it was in that condition before it was shipped. Needless to say, I sent it back to him in a penny sleeve, hard plastic, team bag, in a new bubble mailer with one of my eBay business cards. lol

 

[Sly]

you should change the title of this to:

This is why dealing with Canada sucks

Because apparently this represents all Canadians...

...I've dealt with a lot of Canadian sellers lately as I've been picking up more and more Hockey stuff, and I've yet to have a card sent in a PWE.

 

[justinmandawg]

agreed.
to this day, we still have people that don't understand that those go through a sorting machine that twists and bends. bubblemailers are NOT expensive, stick a styrofoam peanut in there, and they DON'T go through the machine.

I get that every now and then when I buy from sportlots or beckett marketplace. not expensive cards usually, but ticks me off for wasting my time.

Seriously, though. Bubble Mailers can cost more than a dollar if you don't sell all that often. People tend to assume that everyone's stashing .25 cent bubblemailers. When i first started selling, I'd just grba them at the post office and the plastic ones would set me back almost 2 dollars.

2 dollar bubble mailer + 3 dollar shipping + .25 cent supplies = 1 Feedback Rating on a 1-dollar card.

By the way, how has ebay not figured out how to weight the feedback to the cost of the item.

walmart has them for under a quarter each if you buy a box of 20.

if you buy a case of 500 you can get them for .11 shipped. I'd rather put 55.00 into it at once than over 500.00

 

[zep33]

I actually had a guy on another board mail me 4 AG minis inside a plastic case inside a PWE. The case was smashed to pieces of course and it showed up inside one of those PO plastic bags

 

[jbhofmann]

I just got a Carlos Sanatana Refractor Auto in a PWE yesterday :shock:

I guess that is why when I kept asking for a DC# and never got a reply.