[Closed] Have CRC gone loopy--excess excess packaging

I ordered 3 pairs of socks (a set, all together) just a day or two ago. It came in a box that you could quite easily fit 2 pairs of shoes in.

Yes, I've noticed this alot recently too. You used to get tires delivered wrapped up in a black plastic bin liner type thing. However, I got some tires two weeks ago, received them in a carboard box size horse box box enveloped. I had to open them in the street because the box wouldnt fit through my door/letterbox

same here, ordered 3 powerlinks and they came in a big thick a4 box 😀

[i][u][url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/crc-good-service-but-how-big-a-box ]I asked the same question yesterday[/url][/i][/u]

Maybe they've taken advice from screwfix. Once got a silicon spreading thingy set about the size of a cassette tape... in a box about 500mm square.

Same for me. Ordered something that wasn't fragile and would've fitted in a standard envelope. Was a bit miffed when I had to go to the post office to pick up a shoe box size box that wouldn't fit through my letter box. Forgot to complain about that one.

Looking forward to see what size box my forks come in, something to look forward to!

I too get sjipped items in boxes that are mostly filled with air, using many times the cardboard needed. Another irritant is the items that come in the thick, heat sealed plastic that could stop a 30mm armor-piercing round--finally bought a battery powered cutter from Black & Decker that makes short work of getting them opened up

Sorry to repeat thread 🙁 however this excess packaging is really wasteful and stupid. I see cycling as a sustainable activity; there`s a golden rule about recycling which is : REDUCE ; REUSE; RECYCLE; CRC should look to REDUCE, it is ridiculously wasteful

If you pay your packers on a "per unit" basis, they'll soon work out that it's quicker to have fewer sizes of packaging to choose from.

no worries on the repeat thread mate,hopefully they'll take the hint, as stevemtb said, something that in theory could be posted through a letter box, would save the hassle of having to go and collect if you weren't in when the post was delivered.

recieved a hope brake olive today its about 5mm long arrived in the standard A4 1" thick box... Mental!

Less variants of packaging = less cost

I got a pair of handlebars (EA70, which come in a solid box which i wouldn't have been bothered if they just stuck an address label on) in a fork box! you could have fitted about 10 handlebar boxes in it!

Yeah coming a pain to have to keep visiting the delivery office for something so small (plus for someone reason Southampton Shirley seem to mislay them easily ??), think I'll have to start paying a few extra quid and support the lbs.

Guess from a shipping/storage/transit point of view it's easier to have several hundred boxes that stack and can fork lift easily etc... than several thousand odd shaped jiffy parcels...

[b]damo2567[/b] surly less quantity of packing = less cost also

Maybe there is a packer who does not know the difference between mm and cm

I got some gloves and lube in some triple layer and glued box rather than the normal jiffy bag. Box is now in the recycling bin but most be more to post.

I ordered some powerlinks yesterday, cant wait to see the box size.

Cycle computer wheel magnet delivered in A4 size box here!

Rusty Mac - Member
damo2567 surly less quantity of packing = less cost also

But lots of variation means stocking and storing lots of sizes. And then the packer needs to be able to access them all, without taking too long.

Same here - single rear wheel skewer in an origami A4 box.

Crazy as it will be increasing their postal costs too.

I had a post mount adapter come in one of those A4 boxes.

I'm guessing the thickness is less than 25mm so they go as a 'large letter' via royal mail - still wasteful on the quantity of cardboard though

I bought three powerlinks in a little bag and they came in a huge box.

They must be taking care not to fold the invoice.

I got 2 DMR pedal bushes in a huge box the other day.

I think you can rest assured that they wouldn't be doing it if it cost them more. I can think of lots of reasons why it would cost them less however.

ron jeremy - Member

I asked the same question yesterday

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/crc-packaging ]Keep up Ron[/url] 😉

I got a bag of powerlinks and a chain in a massive box. ffs.

I fully agree about a single box and limited selection helping CRC packesr but in days when supermarkets are limiting isue of free bags CRC policy is going the wrong wayn environmentally 🙁 Many cycle products, eg lubes and oils spring to mind, use selling point of environmentally friendly so CRC should be looking to what they do themselves IMO

Surely the cardboard boxes are MORE environmentally friendly as they can be recycled, jiffy bags and bin liners covered in miles of packing tape cannot.

1 pair of brake pads in an A4 box here. Stupid!

Surely the cardboard boxes are MORE environmentally friendly as they can be recycled, jiffy bags and bin liners covered in miles of packing tape cannot.

whats wrong with just a A5 manilla envelope methinks for small hardy items? Dont need jiffy bags etc

 

whats wrong with just a A5 manilla envelope methinks for small hardy items?

Nothing 😀

I got 3 A4 boxes yesterday :

1 contained 2 tyre levers

1 contained a Camelbak bite valve

I contained a camelbak dryer.

...all 3 could have fitted in a single small envelope and gone through the letterbox 👿

Odd concept, but has anyone actually pointed this out to CRC?

It's daft, I agree, and maybe the management would like to know how much money is being wasted on packaging? (And probably postal costs too)

1 contained 2 tyre levers

😆

just buy them from a LBS

same goes for 99% of the small items in this thread

The new folding box doesn't fit through our letterbox (it's a standard size letterbox) so if I order a small item from them it gets carded if I'm out when a little jiffy bag would have gone straight through.

That's the most annoying part for me.

surely all these big boxes need a big truck and seeing as it could all be condensed into a smaller package then you could use a smaller or less truck.

This would be less diesel and therefore better.

It might be cheaper for them but someone else is paying the real cost.

dirtyrider - Member

1 contained 2 tyre levers

just buy them from a LBS

same goes for 99% of the small items in this thread

Why ? I order them from the comfort of my desk at work, I pay less for them than at the LBS, they get delivered to my house (ok, left round teh back as they boxes won't go though the letter box 😈 ).. So I save money and time and still get my stuff within a few days.

I do regularly use my LBS and support them by doing so, but for small ticket items online is more convenient and cheaper.

Recently had 2 caliper mounting bolts from them....

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I ordered a new helmet from them and it was delivered in just the manufacturers packaging. Have I been done out of excess card board? 🙂

Has anyone pointed this out to CRC ; YES YES YES, here`s their response and I will update on this:

YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN RECEIVED! Thank you for contacting Chain Reaction Cycles. We aim to get back to you with a response as soon as possible. If you wish to view your order status or change personal information on your account click on the following link: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/MyAccount/MyAccount.aspx Please also visit our Frequently Asked Questions section using the link below. It contains useful product and order information that may help you with your enquiry. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Information.aspx?TranslationLargeID=1006 Please be aware of our opening hours for email responses: Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm GMT Saturday Closed Sunday Closed Regards, Chain Reaction Cycles Customer Service Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd. Kilbride Rd Doagh Ballyclare BT39 0QA United Kingdom The World's Largest Online Bike Store THIS IS AN AUTOMATED RESPONSE AND IS FOR NOTIFICATION ONLY. NO REPLY IS NECESSARY.

so there we go, I await a human (oid) response with anticipation, maybe I`ll get a free A4 cardboard box 🙁 🙁

I ordered a stem bolt from CRC and couldn't believe it when it turned up in this

[IMG] [/IMG]

got 2 tyres posted from somewhere else arrived with 4 bits of packing tape holding them together and an address label perfect

I've just become the proud owner of park tool tyre levers. Came in an A4 sized box! Jesus Christ, could of popped them in a packet FFS. boils my blood it does.

Play.com are just as bad. I ordered 2 SD cards and they were sent [b] separately [/b] in 2 A4 cardboard packets. Madness

I suggest the reason is the carriers. They'll have a set charge for a given volume of box, and they'll [u]definitely[/u] lose anything smaller than the minimum size. It'll cost the same for that size box if it's filled with helium or solid neutrinium.

CRC will have negotiated a set rate and standard boxes keep it cheap.

(I fully agree that it's environmentally stupid, but economics rules over ecology)

I emailed CRC too, but got the same auto response back as jamesb did. I guess it's not top of their priority list, but it is seriously strange.

Since RM started to charge more for bigger sized parcels, and CRC do use RM for smaller stuff, it seems an odd way to waste money. Aside from that, for 'The World's Largest Online Cycle Retailer' to have such a carefree attitude to resources seems an odd stand to make. I recall the protests in the US outside Apple's stores with respect to their (rather lovely but way OTT) packaging a few years ago.

The whole thing (with CRC) just seems odd. I can't get my head around *anyone* however they're paid, whatever they're told, not questioning the sense in sending so many small items in such vast packaging.

Ah well. At least it's not just me. 😕

We noticed this with CRC and Play too.

Ordered 2 printer cartridges from play and got them sent in individual A4 boxes.

Ordered a pack of 2 headset spacers - 10mm and 5mm in one pack and they came in an A4 box.

Madness!

[b]I am keeping hold of the boxes to use them when selling stuff which kind of off-sets the waste. [/b]

gonetothehills wrote : "Aside from that, for 'The World's Largest Online Cycle Retailer' to have such a carefree attitude to resources seems an odd stand to make"

I think using that phrase may be a way of getting CRC to see some environmental sense when I next contact them about it all 🙁 They are setting an extremely poor example in sensible useage of packaging. Yes it probably makes economic sense, but if we all let economics rule entirely over environmemtal sense then we`d be even more destructive
and short term on planet earth !

A box that was 70cm x 70cm just got delivered. I was puzzled as I'd not ordered anything that big from anywhere.

My new riser bars from Evans were hiding in the bottom. They've taken the ludicrous packaging crown from CRC now.

They're using a new automated packaging machine, it automatically folds the box to the required size and labels it.

You can see it in the photos here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/chain-reaction-cycles-behind-the-scenes-29496

This is the machine:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gallery/article/chain-reaction-cycles-behind-the-scenes-29496?img=21&pn=chain-reaction-cycles--behind-the-scenes&mlc=gear%2Fin-depth%2Farticle

Cool machine - shame it don't work 😉

Surely its not a problem if everyone recycles the excess card?

Just received an avid brake line olive in one of those A4 expandable boxes.

In another identical box was a chainring.
From a totally selfish point of view, I was peeved 'cos I had to go to the the PO to pick them up. Are they using recycled card? I will recycle, but no everyone does. Waste of card...