but you are dealing with the general public, like it or not. most people on eBay are just regular Joes, they're not out to rip people off or purposefully package items in a bad way. they're just inexperienced and do not have the man-power, years of experience and technical know-how of professional retailers, such as Amazon or Dabs. Yet we somehow stupidly expect, just because their listings are surrounded by eBay's corporate logos and slick listing design theme - a 100% guaranteed "professional service". lol....please!
you have to be reasonable with people, and you have to be honest with yourself and ask "was it sensible to buy what is probably *THE MOST* delicate electrical item (ie: a harddrive) imaginable from a non-professional seller". Then I think you'll see that it was a silly move.
Companies such as Amazon have actually spent big bucks on scientific research on packaging techniques. When I recieved my borked HD from Amazon the packaging didn't even contain a single strip of "bubblewrap". It was actually package with strange angular cardboard supports, designed through their research to absorb shocks more effectively.
There are just some items which should never be purchased from amature sellers. and a Harddrive is _obviousely_ one of those items.
I'm not trying to be a prick, but disagree with most of the logic here. It does not take a rocket scientist or ANY "man years" of experience to properly pack something. An individual or a corporation should know better - it's as simple as that. And I don't buy the excuse that corporations are the only "entities" with the resources to develop safe shipping practices. That notion is a bunch of hullabaloo and you're really devaluing your fellow human if you really believe that. If anything, by way of politics, policies and horrendous communication - corporations are less likely to get something done right and consistently. Same goes for governments. Both points are being proved each and every day.
I still say though if you are selling/shipping something you have NO knowledge of, you are not qualified to be selling said items and as such YOU should be held liable for your actions or inactions. Like sending a HD in box with no packing: that's just plain stupid. And not sure where you are getting your data on Amazon specifically, but I've returned more DVD's and SACD's to them than any other company for sending in a bubble wrap envelope! You do not send those kinds of items that way and expect it to arrive safely. A 5 year old would even know better.
And "technical and professional" retailers? lol Those types of companies, run by people that know and care about their customers have long since passed. Decades ago. Companies no longer even know who their clientele really is. That's why, when they find themselves in dire straits, they pay so called "marketing groups" to tell them what to do and who to market to. And even they get it wrong much of the time. We're now living in the most uncouth, least educated, do-it-yourself Wal-Mart mentality of times. It's a wonder anyone can transact business for long at all anymore. This level of customer service would have NEVER been allowed to occur years ago, when standards were higher. Somehow though, today's savvy (yeah right) consumer copes as they continually lower their standards. And thanks to the short sightedness of instant gratification, "we" did it to ourselves. Our country is only exporting something like 1/4 (probably less) of our GDP while we continue to rake in 3/4 of the Chinese garbage people are all too happy to clammer and trudge down to their generic Big Box shops to buy.
I've personally sent and received dozens of HD's throughout the years from companies and amateurs alike. Can't recall ever having a single problem. Not even with the boat anchor I just bought off Red! lol
I do agree though that many people on ePay or wherever are not purposely trying to scam others. They're just constitutionally retarded, lazy and plain don't care. You may be compassionate enough to rationalise their behaviour - but I refuse to accept their excuses and certainly would never consider them the "norm" - even though it sure seems that way today.
