Effing John Lewis!!!

[CallmeAngelina]

DH ordered me a surprise present from John Lewis.
It was just delivered - wrapped in thin plastic, visible for the whole world to see. No box. WHY??????
Surprise ruined!!

Actually, it is something that could easily have got dented in transit, so aside from the visibility of the object, it should have been better protected. Dh will need to check it I think.

Weird. I want some peace keeper to arrive when threads go awry like this one has. Maybe there are a lot of tense people needing to over emote about a person's experience of unusual and disappointing customer service. Anyway, I agree op. It's weird for goods to be delivered in clear plastic, and I also agree that if I'd got someone a surprise and this happened is be disappointed. As a giver of a surprise it's very deflating and is feel sorry for my partner if this happened to him.

I bought a new TV last week from Argos and it came delivered in the box which had a big picture of a TV on it and no other packaging. I also ordered a rug and it came delivered in opaque plastic wrap. Neither item was disguised.

It’s not that unusual for items not to be packaged in discreet packaging, often items are put in plain boxes but not always. I can see why you’re disappointed but it’s hardly JL’s fault.

I think people on here just like to be contrarian and they also like to call men useless whenever possible. Most people in the real world would make an online order expecting it to arrive in a box or opaque plastic. I certainly wouldn't think it necessary to use click and collect or gift wrapping when buying a gift for someone in my household. That's unless it stated very clearly that the item might arrive in clear packaging.

I've never had a parcel delivered in clear packaging from John Lewis or any other company.
Just a few weeks ago John Lewis sent me a roll of wrapping paper in an absolutely massive box. It's still lying in my front room as it will take up most of the paper bin.

Blimey, the poor OP has had a right beating here. There's some right miseries on here tonight.

Just because her H "clicked a few buttons on a website" doesn't mean he didn't go to much effort to "source" the item. It could be something that's hard to get hold of... he could have been on the internet for hours checking dozens of website before he found it?

FWIW I'd have been pissed off too. Amazon are doing this a lot lately but at least they have a message saying that the packaging will show the item and then gives you the option to hide the contents.

Oh and if JL were bothered about too much packaging they'd put stuff in boxes, not plastic bags, so that excuse is a load of old bollocks.

The only time I've ever been tempted to click on the gift-wrap' option (apart from buying wedding presents) is the time it was offered when I was buying a ladder.

First world problems.

Yes, wheretono, I made that point myself up-thread.

I hope that ladder was gift wrapped.

I've never had a parcel delivered in clear packaging from John Lewis or any other company.

Neither had I until three days ago. So You should probably be prepared for it to happen for you some time soon. It seems like it's a new eco thing. Which is fine and good, but it needs to be made clear when you order. 'Is this a gift?' isn't enough. Something might not be a gift, but nor do you necessarily want your neighbour or the assistant at the pick up point to know what you've bought. "The contents of this will be visible to the recipient. Click if you require opaque packaging" and in big letters, is what's needed this time of year.

YANBU, I've had things delivered with no packaging before and I hate it. It's not even that they're presents usually, I just don't like people knowing what I've ordered
I also think it's ridiculous that people are telling you to grow up, there's nothing wrong with being disappointed that a surprise was needlessly ruined.

Everything I’ve ever ordered from John Lewis including this week has come in one of their black bags.

It could be something that's hard to get hold of... he could have been on the internet for hours checking dozens of website before he found it?

It can't be that hard to get hold of if bloody John Lewis sell it. They're hardly a niche, mysterious shop.

Everything I’ve ever ordered from John Lewis including this week has come in one of their black bags.

This is the latest of many 'well it's never happened to me' comments. Why are people trying to make out that the OP is lying? Several of us have said that they've had the same thing happen recently.
And anyway, why would anyone make this up?

I personally order my surprises to my work or a friend's address.

I don't know where my OH orders mine to because they are always a suprise.

🤣🤣🤣

Have to say ordering from JL isn’t really going to ‘great lengths’

I too love surprises and hate them being spoiled. I can remember one time when the children were little and we all went shopping. We were browsing in a jewellery shop as I wanted to get my dm a brooch. I had just found what I wanted when my dh asked me to go outside, as the children had seen what they wanted to get me for Christmas, so off I went into another shop. After 5 minutes or so they came out smiling happily. I said I would just pop back in and get the brooch I had seen. I went up to one of the assistants and asked if she could get the brooch I liked out of the display cabinet so I could see it properly. When she brought it over she said to me “oh you were with the children who bought the gold dangly earrings weren’t you?” Nothing like spoiling the surprise!!

So, I need to grow up, I shouldn't have used the term "source" and I should clearly leave my bastard of a husband for having the nerve to want to give me surprise gifts but not making an unnecessary 10 mile round trip to the nearest Waitrose/John Lewis store to pick up something that should have been delivered adequately packaged..

Don't you just love MN?

@StreetwiseHercules out of curiosity, why shouldn’t adults get surprises?

Haha what a ridiculous thing to say.

It's not so much the ordering that was "great lengths" (an off-the-cuff remark I'm regretting) but the thought that went into the idea in the first place. I am very touched, just as I was when he made me a compilation CD for the car of the music played at my mum's funeral.
If you can't get pleasure from giving and receiving surprises, however large or small, then I think it would be a rather unpleasant world. And sorry, but I think some of the responses on this thread say more about the posters themselves than they perhaps realise.

As you know what the item is, navigate through the initial checkout on JL’s website and check if the website informs you about the absence of shipping packaging. If it doesn’t, it’s definitely worth a complaint.

Like all good present buyers your OP should have thought about this a little bit more and planned ahead. It's not JL's fault - he's just a shit surprise planner.

I

This is nothing to do with reducing unnecessary packaging.

Yes it is. Either you want the thing put in an extra box or bag, or removed from its clear bag (which gets binned?) and put in an opaque one.

I think it’s excellent that retailers are cutting down on packaging. We’ll look back on this period of profligacy with natural resources with horror and guilt.

But there are times when it’s not appropriate for contents to be visible (value, intimate use, gifts), so there should be an opt-in for concealed packaging.

I have never received anything from JL in a clear bag... how odd.