Beware the Chinese Box

Pete

Pedelecer
Oct 17, 2009
171
8
Those with brains the size of a melon have plenty of complicated topics on the forum to peruse at the moment, so this one is for the rest of us.............

Should those of you who have or might buy a bike from an online seller, have the misfortune to have to send it back to the seller for any reason, read on.........
The Distance Selling Regs give you additional specific rights, in addition to those you normally have for a conventional sale. Basically you can just change your mind within 7 days and bung it back to Mr. Ebay or whoever. But, there's always a but, for your part you are required to send it back in the original packing. So, lesson 1, don't just rent it asunder to get your sticky little hands on your new toy. Even if you apply lesson 1 there is still a catch, because although the Chinese might make wonderful motors, spiffing batteries etc what they clearly haven't learned is how to make half decent cardboard. The cardboard box that your pride and joy will be shipped in is made of the thinnest, poorest quality cardboard it will ever be your misfortune to come across. It is just not up to the job and has only lasted long enough to reach you because it has lived its life so far surrounded and propped up by other pathetic specimens masquerading as boxes.
Once you remove its skeleton - your bike - it rather sadly just crumples to the floor. Now remember you have to put your bike back in this and send it off by those knights of the road, the carrier service, who will treat it very gently and will never allow it to fall off the lorry at more than 50mph
The real stinger though is that what has really held it together until it reached you was the plastic banding strips, which you have cut and which you cannot re-use. You haven't a chance, especially if you have left the deflated box in your garage for a couple of days because this chinese cardboard is dual purpose, it has a part time job as blotting paper thriving on damp air, so well before your 7 days perusal are up it will be totally, 100% useless, except as blotting paper.
Now this is based only on my own experiences, comprising 4 shipments from China, including one bike. Maybe they were all just 'Friday Afternoon' boxes (for those of you who know about British cars of the sixties) and the rest are just fine, I don't know. But just in case, I give you this cautionary tale. Oh, I nearly forgot, take a careful note of exactly how your bike was packed and which bit of bubble wrap went where, otherwise you won't even have the pleasure of trying to cram it back into its soggy box.
if your experience is different and you only ever get cardboard boxes with muscles, perhaps you should let us know, just to balance things up a bit.
I suspect it is all to do with weight. Good strong cardboard boxes are heavy, and multiply the numbers up a bit and you are paying a lot of money to ship cardboard round the world.
There is an answer of course, but but it is a bit radical; my lips are sealed.
Pete
 

Bigbee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 12, 2008
445
1
We import many items,from Trampolines to womens UGG boots to Electric bikes,( exciting new range due for 2010 with Japanese technology at low prices ,bikes,not the boots!)

Anyway,most packaging at the factory is designed to come transported from the factory directly to the company who ordered it.Unless the ship sinks or the lorry delivering the container crashes in UK there is almost zero chance of damage.One off or small shipments will come " lcl " meaning part of other peoples shipments in the same container.This means the normally adequate packaging is subject to at least three handling enroute,factory,China port,UK port,Customs,on to UK delivery company and delivery to you.There's little chance of the one wall packaging surviving.If you're going to order directly ensure they at least double wall the boxes,even this may not be sufficient.Get the bast packaging that you can,it will cost more in freight as weights and dimensons increase,but you may have more chance of getting your purchase in one piece.

EDIT

Pete.sorry just re-read your post.If the importer in the UK has sent out the ?Bike I guess in a flimsy box I would take it up with them.We also import pool and snooker tables from China.We think the boxes are not strong enough for rough handling to our customers so we re-inforce them in our warehouse before despatch.if we didnt do this I think it would be negligence on our part.
 
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eddieo

Banned
Jul 7, 2008
5,070
6
We import many items,from Trampolines to womens UGG boots to Electric bikes,( exciting new range due for 2010 with Japanese technology at low prices ,bikes,not the boots!)
Come on spill the beans!:D

(re the bikes)
 

Bigbee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 12, 2008
445
1
We are torn between our central crank motor and our Dapush powered bike.The Dapush controller in our trials is over heating,but we give them one hell of a stick in trying them.So we'll see


Both bikes ( or one ) will be around £800.With a choice of Alfine or other gears.


Good times for those who wait


Here comes FREERIDER tm ! ;)
 

felix

Pedelecer
Mar 16, 2008
37
7
Pete, I don't post on here much anymore but I have to say that was the funniest post I have read for ages. Keep 'em coming, this Forum benefits from the occasional injection of wit.

:D :D :D
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
I agree a very funny post, though I should imagine very frustrating to be at the receiving end as well ;)

Regards

Jerry