Why do CRC keep sending us stuff in huge boxes?

.blitz

[rant]
Since the start of the year something has happened at CRC. Little things like cables, lockrings, roller guides, lube, tubes...need I go on...have started arriving in telephone-directory size cardboard boxes :? And the handlebars I ordered last week...jeez I thought they'd sent me a bike frame by mistake :shock:

Problem is, the trusty postman can no longer get these mahoosive cartons through the letter box like the goode olde jiffye bagges so he takes them back to the sorting office in town arrrrrrrrrgggghhhh which kindof defeats the purpose of buying online.

Why are CRC sending us stuff in these huge boxes?
[/rant]

BoardinBob

The word is they're doing it to ensure it gets delivered by van rather than an on-foot postman who, in my experience at least, is more likely to put a card through without bothering to attempt delivery regardless of the parcel size. Parcels of a certain size and upwards should go out for separate deliveries.

If you're postie isn't bothering despite the parcel size it may be your local office has got wise to what CRC are up to.

Chunkers1980

I really don't know.

My Cassette (proper XT packaging, not OE) came in a huge box with 2 of the same chains, one in the SRAM plastic 'shop box' the other in a CRC bag with the model stamped on it).

Trick is get it delivered to work, but make sure you have the card's deets address and a delivery address.

jayson

Its criminal the amount of waste there is in the new CRC packaging. I try to recycle what i can but theres a shod load more people that dont and all that cardboard is just being binned and wasted it shouldnt be allowed.

All that said, its not just CRC that are doin it, wiggle are too. I ordered a new topeak pump to keep on my bike and that turned up in a box about 2ft long and about 8 inches high filled with huge bubble bags to stop it from rattling around (i kid u not).

Bring back the jiffy bags for gods sake and stop messing us all around with such pointless huge packages :roll: :roll:

agg25

Dell are the worst offenders I know, a stick of RAM comes in something that could fit a whole pc in. They should be stabbed in the eyes.

popstar

Received QR seatclamp in huge A4 box. Well impressed.

Maybe as someone mentioned, CRC trying to outsmart Royal Mail not to use a postie but to force a van on us?

Usually_Lurking

Those A4 sized boxes are still of a size that the normal postie can be expected to carry, so the theory that they're doing it to get them delivered by van can't work. Anything up to shoebox size is what your local packhorse will have in his/her bag.

.blitz

^^ this is true. The regular postman still brings them but they won't fit through the letterbox :?

delta5

agg25 wrote:

Dell are the worst offenders I know, a stick of RAM comes in something that could fit a whole pc in. They should be stabbed in the eyes.

This over-packaging is rife throughout the retail industry. The worst I've seen was when I ordered four identical SD memory cards, all in one order from one big, well-known online electronics retailer (not Amazon). I received four boxes, one for each SD card, and each box consisted of:

1. Plastic wrap bearing address, etc. around the cardboard box
2. Cardboard box about the size of an old-school yellow pages
3. inside the big box a medium-sized hanging-display bubble-pack
4. in the bubble pack a small silver-foiled box
5. in the foiled box a small flat bubble-pack
6. in the bubble pack a smaller, shrink-wrapped plastic box containing one SD card.
Seven layers and 450g of packaging for something the size of a postage stamp.

It's all about 'cost efficiency' and many manufacturers, marketers, bean-counters and distributors still put shareholder profits way above environmental issues (if they even give a monkey's about environmental impact at all). Hopefully some of that will change as carbon assurance gains momentum and firms have to start auditing and accounting for their carbon footprint (although that in itself is still riddled with problems). Some like Paramo are already doing well though.

Pr][nCe

had delivered today hope pro 2 rear bearing kit, drive side seal and non driveside seal.
came in a box the size of a reem of paper, with a trick folding innersection like kids pop up books, all in hard cardboard.

Got the mrs out of bed at 9am, when she only got into bed at 7am after working nights

being Val day etc didn't go down to well

smallest jiffy bag would have done the job WTF, and post the damn thing thats what the letterbox is for.

Rant over

mudsucker

Maybe they bought a job lot of large boxes! Will be interesting to see what my cassette and chain turn up in tomorrow

agg25 wrote:
They should be stabbed in the eyes.

I actually loled at that!

cee

its a huge government conspiracy designed so that people start to recycle more.

andyrm

I can say pretty much 100% that the environmental impact of a single material cardboard carton that is recycled and recyclable is far less than that of a multi material item such as a jiffy bag, which cannot be put in your usual cardboard/paper recycling.

So while the large package may look less environmentally friendly, over the full lifecycle it is actually a better option.

And if it also makes it hard for the Royal Snail to not steal/damage/lose/not bother with delivering the items, that's also a good thing!!

Hondated

Interested to see this topic as I have just received a plastic tool £1.99 to fit my Hollowtec Chain Set and that arrived in a big box.Cannot say it worried me though because its always a delight buying from CRC as they are competitively priced and almost arrive before you even order.

Anonymous

agg25 wrote:

Dell are the worst offenders I know, a stick of RAM comes in something that could fit a whole pc in. They should be stabbed in the eyes.

The real spasticated clumpets would be the folks who buy RAM from Dell though.

Chunkers1980

Dunno man. If it's like for like and dell come in cheapest you'd be a fool not too?

I think returns through transit breakages cost companies a lot, one way to negate it is to over package, then if it's broken the carrier can't say 'well, it's your fault as it was not wrapped correctly.'

garrynolan

Know how you feel... got a single base layer in it's original packaging, inside a jiffy envelope, inside a box similar in size to a shoe box (from CRC)! Original packaging inside a bog standard A4 envelope would have been sufficient. Luckily I was in otherwise it would have been a trip to the sorting office.

craker

andyrm wrote:

I can say pretty much 100% that the environmental impact of a single material cardboard carton that is recycled and recyclable is far less than that of a multi material item such as a jiffy bag, which cannot be put in your usual cardboard/paper recycling.

but my local council doesn't recycle corrugated cardboard. Not sure if any in Wales do... the density of cardboard means it can't be economically recycled.

CRC delivered a BB for me in the telephone directory sized box. Mrs Si, who used to audit recycling for councils across Wales, tells me that it was actually illegal and prosecutable to use excessive packaging. Something like
this but prosecutions are quite rare.

redvee

My last two orders from CRC have been in A4 boxes, one was a chain and the other was a SS freewheel. Both orders have meant a trip to the sorting office, not a major problem but means I have to take my bank card into work and pop in on the way.

the density of cardboard means it can't be economically recycled.

In work we have a compactor and we are getting prices on a par with scrap metal.

Lapierre t 400

I recon CRCs think that us mtbers are just overgrown children and that we love having big boxes full of shiny stuff arrive on our doorstep

neninja

I have laughed at some of the CRC boxes I've received recently but Evans have topped that.

I was puzzled when a 70cm x 70cm box arrived the other day - what could it be - not ordered anything that big.

Hiding in the bottom was my new riser bar!!

getonyourbike

Lapierre t 400 wrote:

I recon CRCs think that us mtbers are just overgrown children and that we love having big boxes full of shiny stuff arrive on our doorstep

But we are, we enjoy scaring the cr@p out of ourselves, messing around, having fun and getting muddy.

blablablacksheep

ordered something from wiggle and very speedy service and well boxed..allways nice to have another good box to the collection for my own personal stash:)

gonetothehills

There have been a number of threads on STW about this in recent weeks. It really bugs me that such a huge internet retailer is behaving like this. There may well be reasons we the consumer may not understand as to why they're doing it but the a) inconcenience of having to go to the sorting office and b) the more serious environmental issues are too big for them not to consider.

Sadly, they've deigned not to respond to my email about it that I sent last week.

bamba

one bb spacer that cost less than two quid was sent to me in a a4 box. A bog standard envelope would have done.

redvee

gonetothehills wrote:

Sadly, they've deigned not to respond to my email about it that I sent last week.

Likewise, after the first order with the oversize, wasteful poackaging I added a comment on the paypal screen asking for a jiffy bag and not an oversize A4 box which was ignored but it did make life easier for the postie at the sorting office when trying to find the package.

specialized hardrock

im currently waiting on new riser bars,chainstay protector and some bottle cage bolts from crc
i wonder what size of box i will be getting ? lol

ilovedirt

Got a hope hub the other day (it was actually a wrong order anyway) in a box which could have fitted about another six of them in.... why?!

I also received a stem from them the other day which was more reasonably packaged... I don't understand, surely it's costing them more money to do it this way?

Penylope

probably all boils down to cost. as has been mentioned earlier, cardboard is cheaper to manufacture and dispose of (also easier to get rid of, into your green bin for recycling, jiffy bags should go into normal waste) than jiffy bags. i would imagine there is also an element of standardised packaging at CRC. why have 10 different (expensive) types of bag/box on the shelf when 2 or three (admitedly large) universal boxes will do the same job? not to mention extra packaging will go some way to protect the items inside from damage by Royal Snail (or anybody else for that matter!).

sandy hill

If the cost of posting carboard is less than the cost of buying packaging and paying for cardboard waste removal combined, then it makes sense.

Aldo001

Superstar still know how it's done.
Rotor, adapter, pads AND haribo in a bog standard jiffy bag. Everything turned up safe with minimal waste. 8)