A question for solidsignal.com CECB customers...

When you ordered a CECB from solidsignal.com did they just slap a shipping label on the retail "shelf" box and send it out or did they put the CECB box into a real shipping box and send it?

For those of you who bought two CECBs, did solidsignal.com just tape the two retail "shelf" boxes together and slap a label on that?

I've noticed increasing chatter around the web regarding solidsignal.com just slapping a label on the retail box and quite a few people (and I) find that practice objectionable.

I have a low tolerance for businesses that charge more than actual shipping cost and then don't properly pack the product especially when FedEx will give solidsignal.com FREE shipping boxes. Whether greed or a lack of consideration and respect for the customer's property it is a bad business practice.

How about ordering something as to give as a gift only to receive a labeled and beat up retail box?

Wonder how well solidsignal.com will accept a return in a ragged out box? "Sorry sir, we can't resell that product the box is all beat up and labeled so NO RETURN".

I'll be voting with my wallet and shopping elsewhere for my CECBs.

Thanks for the replies.

From comments I've read, ordering two CECBs from Solidsignal simply gets the two retail boxes taped together, labeled, and shipped.

Following the order procedure I didn't find the opportunity to "request" adequate packaging or make any other request or notation for the order.

So, the less the margin the less service we should expect?

A great business model and one that is proving to be a painful lesson for failing businesses in today's economy.

With numerous posts on this forum, and others, regarding Solidsignal's reluctance to accept even DOA product in return and their policy to push those customers off to the manufacturers my speculation about returns is more than that.

JMO, and while I respect yours... I disagree.

Actually those are respectable boxes and if you look on the bottom of the box I think you'll find a round printed label from a testing facility noting that those boxes exceed minimum shipping requirements. Most CECBs I've seen have pretty colored (and printed up) thin, not corrugated, cardboard "retail" boxes never meant for shipping.

The boxes in your picture are corrugated and more shipable(?) than thin cardboard retail boxes.

I suspect that since Dish ships most all of the CECBs they are using a box that is a cut or two above a shelf box.

You should have refused to accept that package when you saw the hole in the box. FedEx would have returned it to Solidsignal.

It really sucks that we don't seem to have a selection of these CECBs locally at a fair price and the mail order whores either gouge us on shipping charges or they charge the actual shipping charges and then don't properly pack the product for shipment.

I discussed this with a "supervisor" at Solidsignal today and he said he agreed with my criticism of their (not) packaging policy and that he had a number of complaints but that they decided to ship CECBs in their "shelf" box and they weren't changing their mind.

He said "we're too busy shipping hundreds of these boxes everyday to pack them properly". We can help them out by not buying from Solidsignal... then they'll have the time to package items properly for shipping.

I won't reinforce their greed and lack of respect for product and their customer by spending any money with them.

Pity there aren't any partners in the DTV coupon program that will give us at least the illusion that they value our business.

Solidsignal service and shipping sucks... spend your money elsewhere. JMO

Prominently placing a disclaimer on the "shipping information" web page at http://www.solidsignal.com/shipping_info.asp stating that Solidsignal.com chooses to ship CECBs in their retail "shelf" box to save themselves time and money (although the customer IS being charged for shipping) would allow the customer to decide whether or not to make that concession. Now that would be valuing your customer.

If, as you say, "Solid Signal takes pride in our products" then treat them with respect and package the customer's purchase properly for shipping. Lax and lazy shipping policy in the interest of expedience and extra profit is not a valid reason... it is an excuse and a poor excuse at that.

Since you at Solidsignal.com think of yourselves as a first tier company... act like one and not like a back room mail order operation just out to make a fast buck.

You are far too disingenuous when you say "and remember everything we do we do for you". We know exactly what you do, why you do it, and for whom you do it. It's one thing to think you're smarter than the customer but don't make the mistake of thinking the customer is dumber than you are.

If Solid Signal is interested in cultivating repeat business from those caught up in the digital transition you are going about it the wrong way.

It's easy for you to see how much business you're doing and how much additional profit you're generating by your indifferent packing policy but more difficult to see how much business you're not doing and won't get in the future because of that packing policy.