Great Postal Service

Postmen here is USA differs by city but most of time, they don't take pride in their work and figure boxes or doujinshis get bent or crushed time to time -_-

I sent two boxes from Japan last month while I was there and I hope they get here safely. But I send them by ship so it's taking its sweet time...

In the United States, it depends on where you live, and who's delivering. I've had areas where the postal folks are friendly, take cafe of your packages, and makes sure you get them in your hands. I've been in other regions where the package has been ripped and beaten, left in the rain (e.g. my desktop from Dell), or the employee didn't deliver the item because they wanted to get off of work.

The last one I discovered because I opened my door to find a delivery slip stuck in the mail slot. I had been home all day. I called the delivery company, and they said their driver had tried to ring the doorbell several times, and no one answered. -_-

I've never ordered fragile things in the mail. Better off buying it in person and then transporting it safely home. I've ordered books through Amazon, and it's been fine for all orders. No damage to the books, the box can get mutilated for all I care.

at least the stuffs inside was safe.

Well, it depends on your luck too whether you get a good postmen in your area.
But EMS or courier shipped boxes will be handled more professionally.

As Tenrou said, it depends on where you live, even in South Africa. Fortunately, I haven't had any serious issues with my post offices/services but, I tend to get a very Osaka-like (Azumanga) reaction when I collect them XD

As a former US postal worker, I am qualified to offer an opinion on this matter. While the USPS has a somewhat undeserved terrible reputation, the numbers show that a vast majority of stuff gets delivered in a very timely fashion. That said, a few of my co-workers were shocking incompetent, but the USPS union rules are so strict it's nearly impossible to get fired. I knew people who came to work drunk then drove around delivering mail all day, yet no one could say a thing.

That box looks like it got hit by the Force!!

Anyway, so far I've never experienced any damaged box or anything when I received my packages ^^

Sheesh, definitely sucks to see something like that land on your doorstep. Anyway, at least from my experience, the interior of all the shipments I've ever received from HLJ have been lined with nigh-on excessive amounts of padding (in their case, air pockets). So hopefully whatever goodies he/she had in the box were still in one piece.

As for the quality of the postal service up and down California? Generally the offices here in the Silicon Valley as well as down near Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are tip-top in terms of their handling of packages. Have only had one or two boxes with smashed corners or light scuffing and none with damaged contents.

Well, in general terms, we have a decent post service here, they do the work efficienly, but the problem, for people like me that order big boxes sometimes is painful go to post office, because when a box exceds a weight and is for outside they don`t give at home... another painful thing is the customs. Sometimes, when order for Japan or USA, they can retain a package to inspect it(they think can be drugs or a bomb...), and they makes you pay extra taxes for retain it. and this is a really painful stuff when happens!

Postal services in Malaysia are sh!tty especially local EMS, eventhough it is FedEx, those postmen never treat my parcels/documents seriously.
I once filed a lawsue to FedEx Malaysia as I witnessed the FedEx deliverman used my parcel (item worth over USD5000) to cover over his head as it is raining, shouldn't he suppose to be covering my parcel instead?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see my postal service sucks. The whole story with this box take place about 55 days or about 2 months. Someone is in my home about 95% of the time so its nearly impossible to miss any packages. Delivery man didn't even attempt to deliver this package, so I never received the "missed package" notice. So the package spent about 2 weeks at the post office and got sent back to HLJ. Finally arrived as above. My delivery dude is pretty old and miserable every time he comes to my door. I think he's mad i get so much mail. but 'm not about to stop so he'd better get used to it!

I actually know my mailman on a personal level. I work with him at another job. He's asked me why I order so much from Japan before and he's quite understanding. He'll even tell me if a parcel came in for me before it's been processed.

Eventually, I'll know everyone that works there... (;-_-)

don't get me started on my local post services.....

as an australia post logistic manager i can say that australia post is one of the better postal sevices that i have experienced...not the franchised PO's but the proper gov post PO's. I remember going to the PO in ikebukero and the counter guy was just really rude cos we didnt speak japanese.

Depends on our luck.. Sometimes it get damaged on SHIPPING (which, if it is damaged in this stage, is where the WORST damage is), while sometimes in the delivery service.. Somtimes the good's missing, with a compensation of 10x the delivery cost (around 20$ for a PVC, can't buy even a FIGMA -_-)

Actually my packages usually come without much damage. I mean a few times there were some dents but nothing as major as in that picture. Sometimes I'm surprised because I've ordered a few pre-painted resin figures and saw comments on how the same figures were damaged in transit, but mine arrive in perfect condition.

Fortunately, none of my packages have suffered injuries so far. The mailmen can spit on my face for all I care, as long as my packages keep on coming unharmed and un-opened (it seems to happen quite often, where someone inside the post office gets sticky hands... the worst nightmare for an online buyer).

I don't care about having small chat or smiles either, as long as they do their job correctly I'm happy.

Austrian postal service is sometimes too slow and acting a little bit weird.
The refused a box with posters from Canada (thx Len-Vesper ^_^) a few weeks ago for example, because it didn't match the regualations! ???
But they are handling everthing with care and I never got such a damaged parcel.

"Do postal/delivery wo/men treat your stuff with care or like poo ready to be wiped of the bottom of a shoe?"
It is not that bad, but I have had problems. Both with deformed boxes and with they spelling my last name wrong (the box had the name right, but Estonian postal workers misspelled it; this has happened at least 2 times now:P).

Post service in Ireland is excellent, I know the postman who delivers my figures personally because we seem to meet at the door every week (some weeks more than once) to give me my new figures!

Have only ever gotten 1 package in the post damaged, and it was a box containing tshirts so it didn't really matter.

I ordered some stuff from Amazon, one of the postal workers delivered it to me at about 7pm Saturday! Like what the hell!

That's bad luck! ;)
Every time I buy something on the internet I always (mostly) get my package safe and sound.
With that I don't mean what is inside the package always is safe and sound.

Well, I can't say much of my region's postal service but it's somewhere around "meh" (O.O)/

Sometimes they loss their client's packages and sometimes they do go. I don't care if the box is messed up as long as the item is safe and there's no damage ^^

The Royal Mail is really good, I've never received a squashed parcel which they've delivered (UPS is another matter..)

Plus the postwomen and postmen we seem to get in my area are always really friendly and say hello/wave to you on the street.

well given singapore's small size, we have a rather efficient postal service here.
Like many other labour intensive jobs, the role of the postmen is greatly undermined and unappreciated... a sad predicament if you ask me.

Well, the postmen in my specific region are actually pretty nice, and you get to know them 'cause they're so friendly and stuff, and nation-wide I'd say they're sufficiently careful.

BUT!

...They're so friggin' SLOW... Not just the post office itself, but customs too... Last time I ordered from Hobby Japan, I ordered via EMS. It took as long as snail-mail and I still payed extra... - Oh, and customs - They charge WAY too much. I end up paying almost DOUBLE for my stuffs, and that's why I only have 3 MG's...

I guess over here it depends on who delivers it, it really varies from person to person. Luckily the guy who delivers my mail and packages from United States Postal Service is pretty good and cool.

If its packages, well the UPS and FedEx guy seems alright but I do not see them that often in comparison to USPS

South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that amazon refuses to send items via the post office too - they only send via courier. This started because of the high amount of theft by the post office.

Need I say more? ~_~

Here in Italy, we got the worst postal service ever (at least for international shipping). It's always a risk buying things from outside, as (by law) packages worth more than €20 are (randomly) blocked by the customs, and you have to wait months for a letter from them, then pay a huge tax, then wait a couple more months for having it delivered to you.

That's why I can't buy multiple items at once, and I have to message the seller and have him write a low value on the package, and maybe mark it as a gift. If I'm lucky, I get the item in a month or so without taxes.

Being from the UK, I'm sure you've encountered the antics of ParcelFarce/treatyourParcelwithForce.

looks like someone sat on the box. :-/

Once only i encounter when my Play Asia arrived are all wet after my local post man handle to me!!! it was totally disappointed by it, luckily nothing was damage.

I didnt get the chance to taste such wonderful experience (I dont want to!) before ^^; but heard from other friends that their parcel's original packaging was kind of ripped but the people at the postal still has a heart to tape and repack it

UK, London. I don't know if the postal workers take pride in their job (I do know that some in other parts of the country do tho) but in london, service varies from acceptable to damn well poor.

I've had items go missing, mischarged on the VAT so they demanded more than the figure was worth, items held back with a customs charge but no actual notification that the item is in the country... The list goes on.

None of my figure packages have arrived damaged yet. But I haven't ordered huge amounts yet. Only.... :counts: 6? 7? And only one from HobbyLink Japan so far. That was in fine nick. Was going by EMS though, when your paying that much it HAS to be in good nick. The UK postal system is known for being pretty crap though lol.

We've had a couple boxes arrive like this, but the items inside were in really good shape.:D

The post dudes and dudettes here are pretty friendly, they take care of our mail very well...

If my box were like this I'd sue the shipping company. But it hasn't happened yet. :| :))

Ouch!!! That hurts! I have no problem with Canada Post and SAL shipments so far. And thanks to the good packing where figures comes everything is safe.

http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/7440/Figure+Packaging.html

I used to work as a postman to pay my way through university. In general everyone took good care, but sometimes packages got mishandled. Luckily when found out the people that did it were called to order.

In my country postmen treat the boxes like crap. When ordered my Kotobukiya Rei & Asuka, the box came in a similar state as the photo, the deformation penetrated to almost Rei's head. Fortunelly nothing happened, because they don't refund your moner arguing that you did the damage and you're trying to claim the insurance.

I have had one package come that was bashed in like that, but fortunately the Figma Konata inside was unharmed. That's been the only real trouble I had with Canada Post. The outside box did the job it was meant to, and the internal boxes got banged up a bit, but the figures inside were just fine.

In my country, they(postmen) treat boxes like it was garbage.Boxes that come here are wost than what is in the pic.

Canadian postmen are all right for the most part. However, one of my packages came with a large dent. On that same day, that postman threw my package marked fragile in my face off his truck, I was like "wtf"

IMO Philippines' postal service is without question they are totally absolutely abysmally appalling! I daresay it is the worst in existence in the whole world. orders shipped via EMS wouldn't arrive at your door, if they do decide to give you your stuff. they make you pick it up at the head postal office then ask for grease money before they release it. I had Christmas cards arrive in June, mail with cards (unactivated credit card or discount cards) in them will with absolute certainty get stolen. if you want your stuff to arrive safely you have to ship via DHL or FedEx. however they charge an arm and a leg for the delivery. and when they do deliver to your door, they charge you for local shipping fee and unaccountable taxes. oh and they won't deliver your goods if it rains (so much for those cool commercial they have where the delivery man jump off airplanes or scale up the building with his toothbrush just to deliver a package).

postal delivery in my country is crap.
You'd be lucky enough if the package ends up to your hands since most of the time,
they end up at the postal staff's personal belongings.
T_T

The courier package I got from Apple via TNT had a crushed edge too. I ordered a Macbook (after reading DC.com of course ^^) and an iPod touch. Was quite shocked when I saw the iPod touch cardboard package was partially crushed up. Luckily within the cardboard box were rounds of bubble wrap around the original iPod touch package so it was undamaged.

In NYC, I've seen a disgruntled delivery man chucking boxed LCD monitors onto the ground when they were delivering to a corporate building. I haven't really received any damaged packages, but I have heard horror stories.

It's just fine and quick here. Note that I usually pay for good shipping and don't go with the cheapest all the time. From some small town halfway around the world to my doorstep in a total of three/four days, undamaged is quite impressive actually.

The Goverment postal service here in denmark, is the fastest and most effecient in the world (if you send your mail it will reach its destination within 24 hours, if its in denmark) and they are super carefull and have to get signatures and stuff the ups that handled my xbox repair are diffrent though.

When I did shipping for an IT department, we shoved a lot of Styrofoam in the boxes when shipping computers to job sites. I also had to place the computer in the box so that the processor was facing up.
This was to prevent it from coming loose or falling out. We went through all of this because my boss knew that UPS literally throws packages around.

In the UK, I get "Royal PHAIL" (Royal Post? been so long since I use the actual name). It takes them them a long time to post something through >_> The customer service in my area is pretty crap too (Slow slow slow).

They even had the urge to say that an "employee" stole our goods and gave our goods back a year late. Our post mans don't look like they enjoy the job, oh and yes, we had our packages opened before too.

Once I caught a postman off guard, he rang by doorbell telling me had a parcel for me, so I need to take the elevator down. I saw him in his truck offloading several packages, slamming my huge package (Coolermaster Stacker pctower) onto the pavement. me: o_O yo wtf! XD careful dude.

thank god it was an empty tower, and pretty sturdy too - if it was any other hardware it would have been broken for sure.

looks like some of the packages/boxes I get in the mail (in canada :P) ^^;;; In singapore it's generally fine tho

I've never got it crushed like that before O.o But I've had the figure boxes that were crushed inside the box. Bad packaging perhaps?

I guess it all depends on the postman. If you get to know him/her, he/she tends to take better care of your mail. I've had some very valuable comics arrive in a "not so valuable" condition because they were stuffed in the mailbox (when it says do not bend) or just stacked with other boxes that end up making it look not like a comic anymore after I open the package.

Wow! That package must have been really mistreated since www.hlj.com usually packs everything really well.

The Belgian national postal services aren't great but not too terrible either, haven't had any misheps except slow delivery... and I'd rather have a slow delivery than to see such a damaged parcel...

I buy a lot at www.archonia.com since they're in the same country and offer DPD shipping which although it only costs as much as shipping by regular postal services is guaranteed the next working day and fully insured. The person from DPD who usually delivers is an acquaintance, so she takes care of the packages.
Plus the people at archonia.com are simply amazing with packaging goods, artbooks each in their own zipbag (making them watertight), manga and DVD's wrapped in bubblewrap, figure boxes in silk paper, all surrounded by bubblewrap, put in a sturdy box filled to the brim with styrofoam.
I'm pretty sure I could detonate a Fleija next to the box and the goods would still be ok. XD

Suprising enough, my good smile Konata's box had no damage at all. I live in VA, USA by the way.

The German Postal service (DHL) is always taking good care of my parcels.I havent had any problems with SAl or EMS parcels and they always arrived in a top conditions.The only downside about ordering from outside the EU is the hughe Tax youll have to pay if the items excels 22 €

oh, damn...
that sucks...

I worked at an American Fedex for about a month a few years ago and I was surprised by how poorly they treated all the packages. Needless to say I will probably not be using Fedex anytime soon.

Noticed you had that shipped SAL. I've always used EMS from HLJ and have only once had a package slightly squished (very slight).

In my country ** every ** packages from abroad (regular mail AND EMS express mail) are opened first at the post office for censorship.
All adults magazines (Playboy, FHM, etc.) will never deliver to your address without warning since they will take them all (for their collection or sell them to the black market).
For most doujin items you will get a letter from post office to get your package in the post office HQ, once you're there they will bribe you for taking home your package.
For most ecchi figures usually they will come to your door eventually since I never have any problem.
So yes, our post office service here is sucks soooo bad. You can always have FedEx delivery though the shipping price usually double from the actual items to get away from post office.

They leave them out in the rain here...
And my mom gets alot of packages... so they built some big thing on the porch thats covered to put the packages if we aren't home that says "put packages here" and they never do for some reason... they still leave them out in the rain=____=

Well, my Canada Post parcels don't usually come damaged. However, they are super expensive and super slow ass. Guess parcels have less chance of getting damaged sitting in a room not being delivered efficiently.

Well I've had a couple of bruised boxes but never has anything arrived damaged that was packed properly.

I have a neighbor that works at the post office he says the running joke is that fragile on a package means take one more step before you throw it.

The UPS guy left my package on my neighbor's doorstep...and it said it was signed for when it never got to me...

Yeah it really depends on your postal guy. The one that delivers to me even knows who I am, once I walked by his truck and he just handed me my packages. They always came well, but I guess that's just the luck of the draw, we'll see what happens when my next two shipments come in (hopefully not destroyed as I REALLY want what's inside of 'em).

Boxes usually arrive intact. But generally, our mailman will be browsing through the Victoria's Secret catalogs as he brings them to the house. And the mail is usually all sweaty. It's pretty disgusting.

UPS brought my first figure, which was packaged carefully. The box was dented on the outside (similar to the picture) and the figure was broken in pieces.

SAL apparently has a lot of intermediaries, so that's a lot of chances for people to be rough with it. Still, the only time I've gotten anything damaged so far that way was when they sent my Figma Saber; the corner of both the shipping box and the Figma box were slightly dented, but everything inside was purty nigh perfect. Then again, that's probably a large part of why HLJ's FAQs specifically state that they won't replace something if the outer packaging only is damaged.

As for my local end of postal service, like all the Americans have said, it's definitely a mixed bag. At my dad's office over the summer, the postman would come in, as how we were doing, and personally handed us all our stuff. On the other hand, not too long ago my mom tried to send me some foodstuffs from home. She packaged it really well, and paid for overnight shipping, but some idiot forgot to put the "perishable" and "rush" stamps on it, so the second it left the local post office nobody even knew it had to be rushed, and it arrived after a whole week! Needless to say, the perishable components of that shipment had to be tossed.

wow that sucks. Postal service is ok over here in the states i guess.

this probably occurred from over stuffing the airplane not from handling by the postal employee :eyespin:
HLJ boxes are usually light and the cardboard is not built *tuff* like moving boxes

Well, here where I live, the packages takes a 2 or 3 weeks to come, but at least they are intact, I guess our postal service takes some care about the packages.

In Australia a lot of the deliveries are sub contracted out.

What usually happens if that you are not home when they attempt to make a delivery they leave a card stating the time they tried to deliver it.

The International EMS Courier who services my area NEVER makes deliveries but just cards my postbox stating he tried to make the delivery - I even caught the *expletive of your choice* once.

I had to make several official complaints to the postal ombudsman and still it happens.

*sad*

I've had some bad experiences with things getting sliced, broken, etc. It does make me angry, but sadly nothing you can do about it. Especially when what you ordered was limited edition. T_T

It all depends...
Overall, I had good experiences, but I heard the worst stuff about postal service here in Brazil.

Like receiving bricks, moldy wet books, and tons of broken stuff due to mishandling.

I myself already got books that obviously had gotten wet and dryed up later.
Dunno if postal service or the store is to blame though.

From what I heard in some other sites, avoid SAL unless you want to take the chance. You maybe saving like 10 to 20 US bucks in shipping, but you ended up getting the goods like at least 10 days longer and no tracking and really bad handling. Don't put yourself in that kind of situation.

usually all my packages via USPS come in great shape. what i have had trouble with is UPS. two years ago i ordered my HDTV through newegg.com. waited all day for the tv to get here and when it did i noticed the right side of the box had a massive crunch and rip down the side of it! i got inside and unpacked my tv and noticed because of UPS mishandling of my tv it now had a good sized crack on the right side of the case. luckily the tv worked fine but still they should take better care, and just recently a figure i ordered came via UPS and the box was smashed up like crazy. luckily no harm done to the figure!

The big "SAL" tells it all. Pay an arm for EMS from HLJ or use SAL and have it take a month+ and thrown around to get.

On another note, my postmen don't wait long enough for me to get to the door with stuff mailed via EMS and they don't leave that little orange note either. I only find out about it on the website. When I order something with shipping $100+ they should be waiting with candy =_=

my parcel is always like that ! ...

The postal service over here depends greatly based on where you live and even who is specifically delivering your packages, but for the most part it's pretty good. I've gotta say, though, that's one messed up HLJ box >_>

i made an order of some gunpla and bases on HLJ this is the time were im still waiting for one of the boxes that were sent 20 days ago -_-"

None of my mail has came in damaged!!

We've got TNT Post here in The Netherlands, the funniest thing is , is that you can follow you delivery online, so you can see where it is, etc. where the driver is driving with you package. etc.

cool stuff !

From what I've experienced the post here is very good. Stuff usually arrives in a timely fashion and looks very well taken care off. My copy of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness arrived a few days ago. When I got it from the mailbox it was laid in there all nice. Not a crease in the packaging.

ouch..........It's ok....pats

My SAL package from HLJ containing my Alpha Omega Kallen came in looking like that. Luckily only the plastic around the figure warped a little, the figure was unhurt. It took 3 weeks to deliver as well. I'm probably sticking with EMS from now on.

In the US, there seems to be a preconception of postal workers being mentally unstable. Do other American members know what I mean? I have heard many stories about postal workers going crazy and committing violent acts or suicide, because of stress from their job.
I've never received a package that was damaged in transit, though.

I was able to uncover the address on the package. I'll be there for tea around two?

I get one of those from time to time.

EVerywhere is plagued by the occasional or frequent poor service due to characters who dont take pride in their work. If it was a accident it is fine and normal though.

this pawns all of those great services out there :D

I don't have any problems with our postal service.
Just sometimes we get our neighbor's mail.

OK, a lot of the time we get our neighbor's mail. Mostly catalogs and junk.

i just recived a ship from japan and they f$%· the box T.T

Government postal ass-holes are all the same

Welcome to the world of post companys and I know it suck's from personal experance,
My old lady collect's franklin mint dog plate and the last year 3 of the them have been broken due to rough handling all the thanks to those monkeys at NZ Post.
So I hope you rip strips off them.

terrible! I don't want my things like that! may be I shoudl strat my shipping company lol

from time to time i get a box a little crushed, not as much as the one in that picture though.

had sumting of that experience before.
well actually it is not the couriers fault but the customs and excise. i ordered my very first MG(it was a strike with IWSP). the customs officer actually open the parcel and saw that it was just a toy and didn't even had the courtesy to wrapped it up again. i received the package with it;s wrapping in tatters. luckily for me this part of where i live not a lot of people know about gundams.

i feel sorry for that person whos box ends up like that.

Ouch. The postal service here is ok, sometimes they will put it at the closest store and you have to pick it up yourself. However for my Shojo Beat, they will put it in my mailbox and what I hate about that is that it bends and messes up the cover. sigh.

I had a problem only with UPS mailed from Texas to New Jersey it had boot marks and looked like someone sat on it. most of my stuff was broken and my steel computer tower was dented....They made me mail all the stuff back to the Texas UPS store....they didnt give me the insurance money back and threw all the stuff away saying it was my fault. Thank you UPS for making me lose $200 dollars worth of stuff. And throwing it away when I told you not too o____x