# Packing Job?



## Xlobsterman (Sep 23, 2021)

I recently purchased this bike on Ebay. What is your opinion of this packing job?


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## Sven (Sep 23, 2021)

A whole lot of plastic.  Not much protection. 
The seller probably didn't watch the many  available videos on how to pack your bike for shipping.
Hope it wasn't too banged up when you got it.


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 23, 2021)

Sven said:


> A whole lot of plastic.  Not much protection.
> The seller probably didn't watch the many  available videos on how to pack your bike for shipping.
> Hope it wasn't too banged up when you got it.




The sad thing is he had it packed by a LBS! I am not sure what all that clear plastic was supposed to do? Maybe keep the dust off of it? (LOL) There was some paint damage from the lack of any protection. This is the most critical thing for me when having a bike shipped. Original paint is super critical for me with any of the bikes I have. Anything else can be repaired!

Here is how I pack a bike for shipping...........


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## birdzgarage (Sep 23, 2021)

Thats kinda funny they wrapped the seat in cardboard tho.either that guy lied or that bike shop needs a lesson in bike packing


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 23, 2021)

birdzgarage said:


> Thats kinda funny they wrapped the seat in cardboard tho.either that guy lied or that bike shop needs a lesson in bike packing




Yea, I was laughing at the whole packing job! This not the worst packing job I have seen for one of the bikes I purchased, but it is high on the list for the worst I have received!

The sad thing is that this guy sells lots of bikes on Ebay!


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## Superman1984 (Sep 23, 2021)

You call that packed? I guess I'd stuff a box if it's something I wouldn't want to refund or have my reputation muddied. I mean hell on FB Market place I seen a guy use denim blue jeans to wrap a bicycle .... we 🤣 but it didn't have a scratch on it & the New Owner was saying he believes he might can still wear them❗🤣🤣🤣


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 23, 2021)

The pipe padding is probably the best way, at least until someone develops something better. Many shops unpack far more bikes than they pack and not all shop pack jobs are equal. My experience is the best-packed bikes are those from other hobbyists who have been dealing with old bikes for awhile. The worst packed jobs are from hobbyists who have no experience or can't be bothered, and sometimes from online sellers who don't do a lot with bikes. The shops are in the middle, some doing a better job than others. 

The main problem areas for packing are:
-Bottom bracket and sprocket not supported, so gets damaged hitting bottom.
-Axles not padded and push through sides of box.
-Stays and fork not supported, so get pressed together or bent.
-Loose, heavy items not contained and bang around inside the box, damaging the frame and fenders.
-Front or back not padded, and gets pressed from the end of the box.
-Front wheel taken off, but not padded and bangs against side of frame.

There is a solution for each of these issues, but it takes time, effort, and decent materials to solve. 

It does not help that a significant number of bike boxes (half at least, in terms of what I have seen) are handled roughly. A substantial minority are handled even worse, that is, in a totally unreasonable manner such that they seem to be dropped from height off a conveyor, truck or similar. This roughly correlates to damaged bikes, but not always. Sometimes it's dumb luck that a bike survives a bad pack job and bad handling. And sometimes a good pack job is handled so terribly by the company, that the bike is still damaged. So packing leads to a higher chance of survival, but not an absolute one. I wish I could say that if you pack the bike correctly, it will arrive in good order, but it's still subject to the luck of how the company handles it to some degree. I always encourage people to use a bike shipper like BikeFlights or ShipBikes or whatever replaces them because it afford some second level of protection. I've never had FedEx or UPS cover a bike loss - they always find an excuse to get out of it. They usually cite bad packing, and sometimes they're right, but often it's their handling. I will say I've had BikeFlights cover losses that the shipping company would not, even after documentation.


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## kreika (Sep 23, 2021)

I’ve shipped all mine through FedEx ground. Never a problem yet 10+ years. As the most important thing for me is you receive what’s in the pics. I completely disassemble the bike and wrap every part. I’d rather error on the side of safety and ship in two bike boxes. Of course I’m shipping $$$ full ballooners. If it was no tank, thin fender, 60’s middle weight different story. I live near some tech companies. Lots of free packing materials if your not afraid to do a little recycling.


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## tacochris (Sep 23, 2021)

You HAVE to pack things like all the people in between you and your buyer HATE their job and hate your bike.  You have to pack your bike like the guy who made your whopper also is moving your bike from truck to truck.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.


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## dirtman (Sep 23, 2021)

About 12 years ago I was browsing eBay and found a mid 80's Schwinn High Sierra for $19.99 with the shipping showing as $20. It as roughly 60 miles from me. My thought was that if the shipping was wrong or the seller wouldn't ship, I could always just take the drive to get it. To my surprise, I won the auction, paid right away, and the seller never made any further contact. four days later, the bike showed up via private carrier, some unmarked box truck with a lift gate. The guy pulled up, unloaded a huge box from a Maytag washer. He wheeled it to the house, rang the bell and left. 

When I lifted the top off the box, all I saw was foam packing peanuts. The guy had completely taken the bike apart, bagged every part, and buried it all in peanuts. It took an hour to sort out parts from packing, but the bike was complete and cleaner than expected. I ended up with three and a half huge trash bags full of foam peanuts. I have no idea what he spent to ship the bike, or how much he spent on packing, but my guess it was a case of him shipping it from work, and likely not having to pay for the shipping at all. For all I know, the seller may even have been the driver who delivered it.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 23, 2021)

not a whole bike but a Schwinn chainguard, they took a sheet of cardboard and just wrapped it around the item. didn't really cover the whole thing, then half a roll of tape. it was cheap and needed work anyways, but I would hate to have paid for a primo guard and have it show up bent.


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## Superman1984 (Sep 23, 2021)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> not a whole bike but a Schwinn chainguard, they took a sheet of cardboard and just wrapped it around the item. didn't really cover the whole thing, then half a roll of tape. it was cheap and needed work anyways, but I would hate to have paid for a primo guard and have it show up bent.



I'd be the same way❗
Had a Honda 350 four wheeler motor shipped here from ebay, seller went above & beyond to show it ran, packed it overkill and when FedEx got here I specifically Asked him to NOT  pick it up trying to step down out of the truck with it. I told him I'll get it from the ground out of the back. This Dumb Ass doesn't listen & drops the box on it's side on the corner of the bumper😤🤬❗ They tried to deny it saying it was shipped that way when I had not only pics as it was being packed, double boxed, and video of it being sealed with the shipping label. He busted the side of the case & I literally had to ride their asses about Every week for 2 months once I found a used replacement case to get them to pay up. I told'em you either send that guy out here to my house or I'm coming there if nobody wants to pay up 😐. What was supposed to be a quick simple motor swap, new trans shaft & quick flip took 2 months from his ignorance🤦‍♂️


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 23, 2021)

if everyone packed like me the world would be a better place.  🙂


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## HARPO (Sep 23, 2021)

A guy bought a few bikes off of me...pickup only... years ago, saying he stopped having anything shipped. UPS dropped off a bike with tire treads running across it, he told me, crushing the fork, etc. Driver said "it came that way", and then UPS gave him crap about a bad packing job (_which it wasn't_). Took a couple of months till he got his money from UPS. 😡


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## Xlobsterman (Sep 23, 2021)

HARPO said:


> A guy bought a few bikes off of me...pickup only... years ago, saying he stopped having anything shipped. UPS dropped off a bike with tire treads running across it, he told me, crushing the fork, etc. Driver said "it came that way", and then UPS gave him crap about a bad packing job (_which it wasn't_). Took a couple of months till he got his money from UPS. 😡




Normally I always question the seller about their shipping and packing experience. But since this was a seller who has sold lots of Schwinn bikes on Ebay, and he told me that he was having a local shop pack it, I figured there was no need. I guess I assumed wrong in this case...............LOL


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## mrg (Sep 23, 2021)

We all love our LBS but most don't really have any idea how to ship a vintage bike, all that plastic you saw is how they get their new bikes so that's how most do it, new bikes coming from the factory are packed very specifically to use the least amount of packing so unless you get someone with real experience with protecting vintage your just rolling the dice!


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Sep 23, 2021)

here's how much your local bike shop knows about vintage bikes. brought a rim and hub in to buy proper length spokes. an employee walks up and says "is that rim made of steel?"


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## Superman1984 (Sep 23, 2021)

If I ever sell anything bike wise & ship; Be Prepared to catch Hell unpacking it🤔

It might be like opening never ending boxes & layers to find that 1 bolt😎


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## Superman1984 (Sep 23, 2021)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> here's how much your local bike shop knows about vintage bikes. brought a rim and hub in to buy proper length spokes. an employee walks up and says "is that rim made of steel?"



Should have asked who's ass he kissed to get that job?


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## Superman1984 (Sep 23, 2021)

@49autocycledeluxe some days you find unobtainium of stupidity & those people have the unobtainium of intelligence 🤦‍♂️


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Sep 23, 2021)

A bicycle was shipped in this “cheese wedge” carton. I was very impressed with 









						AirCaddy bicycle boxes - safe, easy and less assembly box shipper
					

The unique, triangular design of the AirCaddy is remarkably strong. Its shape allows for less breakdown for shipping and prevents shipping damage.



					www.shipbikes.com


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 24, 2021)

I'll digress just a bit. I find those "selfie" style review videos on YouTube frustrating, and they're really common now. I like the ones where the person goes straight to the product with specifics like dimensions available, weight limits on the product, etc. People seem to love broadcasting their faces on YouTube, but the product and its features should be the centerpiece.


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## GTs58 (Sep 24, 2021)

SirMike1983 said:


> I'll digress just a bit. I find those "selfie" style review videos on YouTube frustrating, and they're really common now. I like the ones where the person goes straight to the product with specifics like dimensions available, weight limits on the product, etc. People seem to love broadcasting their faces on YouTube, but the product and its features should be the centerpiece.



YouTube can be a waste of your time in most cases. 20 worthless vids to one that's a half decent do it herself vid. But I have learned a few new words like unloosen!


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## Superman1984 (Sep 24, 2021)

Countless minutes of useless bs, plugging for subscribers and then barely helpful info on Youtube does Suck. I'd like to know Exact info for example like box dimensions, cost, follow ups etc as they arrive. Like how well do they survive bang for the buck


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Sep 24, 2021)

Guess the best video in on the ShipBikes website.


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## Giraffe Rider (Sep 25, 2021)

Your bike was packed by an expert compared to mine. The box was totally smashed.Only one part was missing and the part showed up on my doorstep days later. The frame was bent pretty bad because there was no spacer in place of the rear wheel. No spacer in fork either. It’s a miracle that the horn tank wasn’t dented and the wheels weren’t smashed. I got it on eBay. The seller is a CABER since 2012! I couldn’t refuse the package,what would happen to this beautiful bicycle? In the description it said “overall a nice rider or display bike”.After I greased the headset and bottom bracket. Changed the bent front axle. Changed the brake shoes in rear Bendix hub. And straightened the bent frame. He was right,it is a nice rider!
I saved this bike. It’s at a good home now.
The CABE is COOL!


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 1, 2021)

So a final follow up to this thread. I contacted the seller, and he put total blame on the bike shop, and the particular NEW GUY that was tasked with packing my bike that day. After a few message exchanges, the seller and myself came to an agreement, and a partial refund was issued as compensation for the damage.

The bike was a USA made 91 Cruiser Supreme, and I will post pics once I get the bike reassembled. The reason I purchased the bike was because of price, and it was a bike made in the USA during a time when most bikes were imported from Taiwan.


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## dirtman (Oct 4, 2021)

A couple of years ago a shop opened up near me. 
Having no idea what to expect I ventured in there looking for a couple of tires and tubes for an old 27" road bike. 
The shop and showroom were all one open area with a counter in the middle. 
I looked around and didn't see any tools, no tool box, nothing. I asked about tires, he asked me if I had the bike or the wheel so he could 'match me something up'. I said I just want a cheap set of 27" tires and two tubes. He promptly tells me he doesn't stock tires, but can order me anything I'd like. 
he walks over to the counter, turns a computer monitor toward me and shows me a list of tires on ebay and tells me he can get me any of them, just point. 
If I wanted tires from eBay, I'd go to eBay. Sort of surprised he didn't keep tires in stock, I asked if he did any repairs, he tells me he just sells bikes, all repairs are done by a guy who comes around twice a month. I asked him how do you true or build wheels, and he tells me he don't do none of that stuff, if it needs a wheel, buy a wheel.
Turns out it was the shop owner and sole employee I was talking too. I later found out he had owned a pizza shop for years and recently had sold it to retire, but bought a bike shop soon after with zero bike experience. 

I stopped in there to see about getting a few used bike boxes over the summer, he tells me he don't get any bike boxes. "All their bikes are assembled by a guy who comes around once a week, he takes all the boxes away". They don't even put their own bikes together.


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## Boris (Oct 4, 2021)

dirtman said:


> A couple of years ago a shop opened up near me.
> Having no idea what to expect I ventured in there looking for a couple of tires and tubes for an old 27" road bike.
> The shop and showroom were all one open area with a counter in the middle.
> I looked around and didn't see any tools, no tool box, nothing. I asked about tires, he asked me if I had the bike or the wheel so he could 'match me something up'. I said I just want a cheap set of 27" tires and two tubes. He promptly tells me he doesn't stock tires, but can order me anything I'd like.
> ...




And what of this "shop" these days?


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 17, 2021)

So I finally had the chance to reassemble the bike today. 1991 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme USA made.







I still need a saddle for it if anyone has one like in this pic?


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## Vicious Cycle (Oct 17, 2021)

After having THREE NOS Schwinn Paramounts ruined by Fed ex and UPS I just about refuse to ship a great bike. All three were packed better than good and damaged by the shipper. (one, custom ordered, Chrome P15 and a Opaque Green, custom ordered, women's, built for the wife of a Schwinn executive, never ridden) I had to fight for 4 months for them to pay the insured amount, and then another 3 months to fight them for the "salvage" They assumed that since the full amount was paid that the damaged bike became their property, WRONG. They are paying for the damage they did, NOT for a transfer of ownership. They will tell you to "get the bike ready for pickup" to get paid, just say NO. Explain that you intend to have the bike repaired, and the amount paid will not cover it. Then wait.
 There is nothing more frustrating than to search for, and then find a bike that was cared for, for decade's, only to have it ruined on it's last leg home.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Oct 17, 2021)

Was anything damaged? No? Then I say it’s a successful pack job 🤷‍♂️


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 17, 2021)

Obi-Wan Schwinnobi said:


> Was anything damaged? No? Then I say it’s a successful pack job 🤷‍♂️




The original paint was damaged on my bike. And original paint is #1 for me. Anything else that is damaged can be fixed or replaced.


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