[quote name='arcane93']On the other hand, Amazon may look at it as -- 99.75% of their customer base never or rarely complains about their packaging. 0.25% complains and sends items back regularly (pulling percentages out of my ass here, but you get the idea). Which is more cost effective? Fixing a problem that only affects (or at least only bothers) 0.25% of the customer base, or telling that 0.25% of the customer base to shop elsewhere? At what point is the percentage of complainers just an anomaly, people who complain too much for their own good? (I'm not saying that about anyone here, just asking the questions that Amazon may be asking.)
I mean really, I don't generally have issues with Amazon's packaging (I can't even remember the last time I received a damaged item from them, and it has never been bad enough that I've needed to return anything), but if I did have the experiences that some people here are talking about, having to return package after package, after a point I'd decide on my own that I probably shouldn't bother to order from Amazon anymore. I wouldn't need them to tell me.[/QUOTE]I can see it from their perspective, though I'm probably not their average customer. Regardless, the issues I've had to deal with packaging are simple follow-through issues that are likely due to their trying to trim their bottom line on packaging expenses. When they put a DVD-sized item into a bubble mailer or cardboard box large enough for a thick hardbound game guide without any paper packing, airpack or the like, chances are reasonable that something will get damaged in shipment. Had they used a much smaller box, it wouldn't have been an issue. That was I kept telling them, and I've dealt with them enough to know what size boxes are appropriate for the items I'm receiving.
As I said, I had a bad time with them for a while, though for me, they seem to have resolved their packaging issues for the last 6-9 months. And even with the issues I've had with items damaged in shipment, they still end up being the cheapest price around for the items I'm buying and their CS is top-notch for resolving issues. Plus, not all the issues are on their end, though as the retailer, they're the ones who have to deal with it. I've had discs get damaged in shipment when they were properly packaged and that happened either in the shipment to them or in the assembly process where the disc wasn't secured to the spindle correctly. Eco-pack cases are another part of these problems as well, since there's plenty of missing plastic that would work better to be more secure.
If they kept having issues without making a reasonable attempt to fix it, I'd probably stop shopping there. Though, as they do fix the issue quickly and reasonably efficiently, I've been shopping items there for work and brought them additional business they wouldn't have gotten before.
Nobody is perfect in shipping items, though Amazon does work through their issues better than numerous other vendors I've dealt with previously.