The White Envelope thread!

Just reading through this thread and I'm very surprised. Over the years I've been collecting, I bet I've received well over 100 cards in a PWE. Not a single one has been damaged. I don't use PWEs and I'm not particularly fond of getting them, but I can't imagine giving someone a neutral or negative feedback when the card arrives without damage. I have received damaged cards in bubble envelopes many times...
 
mclean_m said:
Just reading through this thread and I'm very surprised. Over the years I've been collecting, I bet I've received well over 100 cards in a PWE. Not a single one has been damaged. I don't use PWEs and I'm not particularly fond of getting them, but I can't imagine giving someone a neutral or negative feedback when the card arrives without damage. I have received damaged cards in bubble envelopes many times...
Click to expand...

I don't have an issue with PWE at all actually. I have received numerous cards this way and will leave a +ve every time. All I care is that the card comes to me safe and sound. To be honest, I don't even look at the shipping charge, I look at the entire amount including the shipping and rationalize if I think its worth that much for the card. If yes, I don't care how its shipped. If no, I pass and move onto something else. I think we get hung up on trivial matters, personally and I'd rather see the glass half full.
 
I still left a positive, but in my comments, I wrote in (ship in PWE), just so that other buyers are aware.

As for the "final" cost of the item, I do believe ebay has a policy for over-charging on shipping. This is in place to make it more attractive for buyers to shop on ebay. But for sellers who are trying to get around the policy and make a few extra bucks, ebay would probably frown upon it too.

You know for some collectors, it's not about the price. They may be looking for a particular card which is for their PC, but then it comes damaged in a PWE. Sure there are measures to get your money back, but it's a big hassle, but mostly, it's a let-down from the excitement of getting a card you have been searching for. For the collector, it isn't worth the risk.

Plus to get a refund, I think you have to send the card back, at your cost.
 
just like mclean_m said, i've received a few pwe's mainly from ebay sellers and never had a damaged card, but received a bubble mailer that was destroyed, and the top loader from one of the cards inside was burned from friction about 2/3 of the way through, but the card was undamaged. the worst wasn't even a card, i bought my wife a furry wolf hat that she wanted, was shipped from hong kong, and the company shipped it in a cheap plastic bag with the self adhesive strip on it, well they obviously peeled the strip before putting the hat in there, it ended up coming out of the bag, and when i went to pick it up (after the mailman left a note that nobody was home, even though i was sitting in the living room all day) the hat was hanging out of the bag, and upon further inspection the bag was way to small for the hat. long story short, i messaged the seller and told them to refund at least half of the shipping ($5) or i was gonna open a claim, and they did.
 
I have had this discussion with probably 50 people. James, my manager in my store, used to ship everything in PWE. He has over 5000 positive feedback on Ebay, and not one single damaged card.
Now, we ship EVERYTHING in bubble envelopes out of the store. In the 5 or so years, we have had probably 100 damaged cards/envelopes. Reson: They get jammed up in the Canada Post sorting machines.

So, I have always been a hater of PWE. We will not ship in them. But as James has pointed out, for a single card, or a few that can fit into a toploader, they are actually safer in a normal envelope.

We will continue to send in bubble mailers. That is company policy. But I am torn, as more and more packages are getting damaged it seems
 
No problem with receiving PWE as long as the card is safe (and shipping charge is low). I send via padded envelope 98% of the time but will give the PWE option on low-end deals - card still gets the top-loader/team bag treatment, plus a paper overwrap and the envelope gets taped around the ends - never a problem and never sent or received a damaged card via PWE...but items have been damaged/lost in bubble mailers more than a few times.

Perhaps it's time for those who so vehemently object to PWEs to rethink their position? :-)
 
While I'm not against PWEs, I am against getting blindsided by them. With every transaction I make, I expect a bubble mailer. Receiving a PWE donning a single stamp after I have paid for a higher service is frustrating - especially when the card arrives damaged.

However, there have been times where (with smaller priced items) where I have agreed to a PWE. And yes the card has arrived with no problems.

It's not so much a PWE issue.....it's a communication (or lack of) issue.

In my experience, I have found that cards in bubble envelopes get damaged when the bubble envelope is way too big. I find more compact, proper fitting bubble mailers to be the most reliable.

I expect bubble envelopes unless it is discussed ahead of time. I ship only using bubbles unless I communicate it ahead of time.
 
Got another one today...
Ebay user: nkozey

PWE + No Toploader...

A bit of cardboard on either side of a card in a penny sleeve...

Yuck
 
I got one recently, but it was in a penny sleeve, toploader, and sealed shut, so it was just fine, but it was still a little disappointing for $4 shipping. Now I've got a question, I've never been a fan of PWE's, but a bunch of bubble wrap was brought home instead of bubble mailers, and I'm being forced to use it on smaller trades. I need to ask, if I put a card in a penny sleeve, toploader, sealed, with cardboard on either side, and wrapped in bubble wrap, should that be acceptable in a trade. Obviously I'd communicate it with my trading partner first, and I wouldn't use that on ebay, or when I'm selling and shipping is extra, but would you guys consider that protection acceptable?
 
I certainly would have no problem with that - but if you try to stick that bundle in a PWE, I think you fatten it up too much and run the risk of machine damage as it gets sorted. Sleeve/loader/team bag and extra cardboard should be fine, IMO.

I thought of this topic again today when I received an MVP Two-on-Two quad jersey card that had been bent by the post office in spite of the bubble mailer, team bag, top loader and penny sleeve in which it had been packaged. Now it has five creases - aaargh! Detailed scans show no damage before it was shipped and I can see the creases on the outside of the mailer. It's certainly not the seller's fault, just bad luck for me.
 
gallinator said:
I certainly would have no problem with that - but if you try to stick that bundle in a PWE, I think you fatten it up too much and run the risk of machine damage as it gets sorted. Sleeve/loader/team bag and extra cardboard should be fine, IMO.

I thought of this topic again today when I received an MVP Two-on-Two quad jersey card that had been bent by the post office in spite of the bubble mailer, team bag, top loader and penny sleeve in which it had been packaged. Now it has five creases - aaargh! Detailed scans show no damage before it was shipped and I can see the creases on the outside of the mailer. It's certainly not the seller's fault, just bad luck for me.
Click to expand...


How big was the bubble mailer in comparison to the card? I find that big bubblers (like an 5x7 size or larger for a single card) arrive with more bends in it than if it was in a smaller bubble envelope. I've yet to have an issue with a bubble envelop where the card fits snug (but not too tight).

At the end of the day though I guess there is no "full proof" way, no guarantee of successful mailing.
 
Got one this past week...

ebay id: hawk1679

Sent a set of oversized cards in a pwe. The corners ended up getting dinged. Condition in the auction description was "pristine". Not so once the envelope arrived.

And to top it off, the seller charged $10 for shipping and handling. Granted, I knew that before I bid, but to see that the cards were tossed in a pwe and a stamp slapped on the front - brutal.

To make matters worse, the seller has resorted to name-calling, belittling and flat out bullying when it comes to communication. It's unfortunate the person chose to criticize me rather than work with me to rectify the situation.

He has done very little selling in the past but I gave the person the benefit of the doubt. Wrong move by me apparently.
 
bamlinden said:
Got one this past week...

ebay id: hawk1679

Sent a set of oversized cards in a pwe. The corners ended up getting dinged. Condition in the auction description was "pristine". Not so once the envelope arrived.

And to top it off, the seller charged $10 for shipping and handling. Granted, I knew that before I bid, but to see that the cards were tossed in a pwe and a stamp slapped on the front - brutal.

To make matters worse, the seller has resorted to name-calling, belittling and flat out bullying when it comes to communication. It's unfortunate the person chose to criticize me rather than work with me to rectify the situation.

He has done very little selling in the past but I gave the person the benefit of the doubt. Wrong move by me apparently.
Click to expand...

hope you are doing a charge back.......if I fail to pay for insurance and the seller puts effort in the mailing of the card and it still gets damaged that is my fault....if the seller puts zero effort in to packing the card especially when over charging by 8x that is their fault(insurance or not).
 
Another one to add to the list: 87penzer

Sends a Limited Monikers card in a PWE AND charges me $4 for it (we are both in Canada). Of course the envelope arrives all chewed up in a Canada Post baggie and the card has two creases. Class act.
 
seau45 said:
I'm ok with PWE as long as a taped toploader is used.especially with low value cards
Click to expand...

Put the loader end in first into team bag and seal that bag tight by kind of pushing down on the closed end of the loader while sealing the flap on the team bag. No need to peel tape off the loader after.
 
It Finally Happened to me!!! eBay PWE!!!

I just bought a card that I need for a set that I was doing, thank god it was not a high dollar card (but not the point). The seller shipped it to me in PWE and what comes with PWE....Creased Roller MARKS! to top it off the card was not even shipped in a case, rather between two plastics! So annoyed right now. I love how I paid for shipping and get the $.46 stamp....you have to be kidding me!

Im keeping the card as it was only a few bucks out of my pocket (about $6), but come on! If you going to be a seller, sell and ship the right way!
 
that's when you give the lowest star on shipping terms. I also stick it to the stars on condition of card when it's shipped like that and there is damage.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
389,537
Messages
2,233,444
Members
4,151
Latest member
barchamb13
Back
Top