Do you pay seller for packaging supplies?

IMHO, it depends on the ad. If it claims to have origianl box, unless otherwise noted it should have the original packing material. If it reads buyer pays shipping then buyer should pay for packaging (other than the origianl box and packing material if so advertised as included in the ad). If it reads seller then the inverse is true. If the ad reads split costs, then split costs. The shipper is responsible for doing it right and according to agreement. If the item is damaged in transit the seller should assume responsibilty. If the seller demands certain packing requirements, so be it, unless the buyer explicitly waives the the sellers responsibility and assumes all responsibilty. This is all part of the negotiations that preceed confirmation of a deal.

As seller I always take my time & overpack to the max plus. Original cartons I typically stuff the sides, top, & bottom with extra foam / bubble pack / peanuts / air bags / whatever I can get in there. Cables / remotes are tied securely, padded & bagged separately; manuals in separate envelopes. There should be nothing floating around loose in the carton. Whenever possible I place the carton inside another box with extra padding / foam / bubble pack. Certainly there's some extra weight & I try to allow for that when estimating shipping charges which buyer (typically) pays, but if the charges are a bit higher then I cover the difference. I'd rather have a happy buyer & a done deal than return shipping charges, repairs, resell listings, lots of headaches which can generally be avoided by doing the job right the first time. I pack to the condition in which I'd like to receive if I was buyer. Consequently I've never had a complaint or a damaged item report, even when the buyer unwisely insists upon shoddy UPS shipping. I usually try to steer them toward Fed-X Ground in that case, which is typically a bit less expensive anyway. And due to some previously experienced complications I never use COD to buy or to sell. I've even had to turn down an offer when buyer insists on COD; it's just not worth the hassle.

I don't have much to add except to reiterate:
1. Its all subject to negotiation
2. Basic boxing/packaging should be included
3. You should always insist on paying actual shipping costs, whether its just the "postage" or includes cost of a double box, whatever.

As an aside, if you use a service like Mailboxes, etc. they take responsibility for any damage if they box it up, and they are easier to collect from, in any event.

If you want your item to arrive in one piece, you should pack it like it is going to be dropped from an airplane.

I would only add that if a seller intends to use a third party professional packing and shipping service ( Mailboxes Etc, Pack & Ship ) and expects to pass the cost of that onto the buyer, it should be stated in the original add. This tells the potential buyers that shipping costs will be two to three times higher than normal. As such, the buyer might want to take this into consideration when making an offer.

There is nothing like finding out that the item that you purchased for $75 will cost you $60+ to have shipped to you. I recently ran into this exact situation and was not happy about it to say the least.

As to filing claims with UPS or Fed Ex via Mailboxes Etc or Pack & Ship, good luck. You now have a third party involved and things only get more complicated. I know as i've been there / done that several times. It is not fun being on the receiving end of a damaged package and then getting the run-around from both UPS / Fed Ex and Mailboxes Etc. Remember, whoever ships the package is who the insurance and associated claim forms / checks are issued to. If you ship through Mailboxes Etc, they have to fill out all of the forms, etc... As such, third party shipping should be avoided at all costs unless there is no other reasonable alternative. Sean
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Is it a Ying or Yang? Anyway I've gone both ways but just to add to the thread (Rope by now) MAKE SURE the item is wrapped in a plastic bag of some sorts...MOISTURE, always double box with foam rubber or styrafoam between the boxes..ALL SIX SIDES and proportion to the weight of the item is the size difference between inner box and outer box. Stop and look at the packaging of large items you may have (electronic by nature) and that will help you judge. Last...make sure the item you receive (electronic) acclimates to room temperature..maybe a day, to ensure NO CONDENSATION.