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!!

Not good enough this time of year.

This happened to me with something I bought for my dc from Argos. Fortunately I answered the door. I assumed it was to save on packaging. I would have been annoyed if my dc saw it!

so there should be an opt-in for concealed packaging.
No, concealed packaging should be the default option - in fact, as it always has been.
I've never received packages in transparent polythene before. And as I've said a few times now, this item could have been damaged. It needed protection. (Whilst I know what the item is, I don't know the exact specification/style and I don't want to enquire further because as things stand, there is the small semblance of surprise left).

John Lewis have been terminally poor this year.
Two advent calendars ruined. Packaging ripped and box damaged then soaked in something (?)
Aqua beads box broken open
Purchased a HP advent Calendar which although purchased and paid for never arrived - huge kerfuffle in which they blamed everyone else. As it turned out eventually they hadn’t ordered it on their system. By the time they sorted out the issue the calendar was out of stock

They have been appalling

I think it’s excellent that retailers are cutting down on packaging.

Well, yes, in theory I'd agree. But there are many items that do need properly boxing up (and this was one of them). And I don't see why transparent/translucent polythene is a better environmental option than recyclable cardboard.

Well, really, the base standard should be whatever is best from an environmental viewpoint. But given global supply chains, this isn’t always going to be possible or easy to enforce. So in developed countries (or as you call it, the first world), we should suck up whatever to be as environmentally conscientious as possible.

I rate your “right” to a surprise far, far lower than environmentally sound retail practices.

Can you explain why transparent polythene is more environmentally sound than recyclable cardboard?

YANBU what if it was a child's present that was delivered?! And the surprise was ruined! Totally unfair! It's not difficult to assume this time of year most orders will be gifts!

@saraclara I said that because it’s literally never happened for me. Sorry that had offended you in some way and now I should just go oh yes the random stranger on the Internet who has said something must be correct despite my experience.

I purchased a set of headphones from Bose for DP as a surprise, he took the parcel and on the address label was a clear description of what was inside! Not only did it spoil the surprise but the delivery man could have easily have decided to 'lose' them if he hadn't have been so honest.

Can you explain why transparent polythene is more environmentally sound than recyclable cardboard?

I don’t know if it is. But it’s more environmentally sound than transparent polythene inside opaque polythene/ a cardboard box.

Too much plastic and paper are being wasted to pack products and it should be cut for future of our children .

God, some proper miseries on here. The joyless, sensible types who spend a tenner on Christmas for their kids and probably haven't exchanged Christmas presents with their partner in forever.
So sorry for your loss OP, and YANBU (although I'm unconvinced it's JL's fault, but do share your disappointment ).

Very over the top reaction to a gift. that is all I can say.. I never receive any gifts for Christmas ( my choice ) But I might like a bit of John Lewis plastic wrapping, as never been in, or shopped in that store ever.

OP: AIBU?
Some people: YES
Some people: No
OP: Rant rant rant rant
Me: WTF

OP: AIBU?
Some people: YES [40%]
Some people: No [60%]
OP: Rant rant rant rant
Me: WTF

Or

OP: AIBU?
Some people: YES, YOU ENTITLED CUNT, ba humbug, you're an adult, meh, surprises are only for children, DH should have gone to the shops, ticked the box saying 'do not put in see through plastic' and what an utter imbecile you are for using the word 'sourced', Saturday night pile on
Some people: No
OP: somewhat bewildered at onslaught, largely courteously resiliency
Me: WTAF,

" 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.."

It wouldn't have been an unnecessary trip though. It would have kept your gift a surprise.

And if it got there safely - which is the retailer's only commitment - it was adequately packaged.

It wouldn't have been an unnecessary trip though. It would have kept your gift a surprise.
Well of course, if DH was psychic and had somehow been able to predict that something he'd never known to happen before (a parcel be delivered unwrapped) he might have made that trip. But he didn't have the power of second sight and quite reasonably assumed that it would arrive boxed.

Any attempt to save the planet by using less packaging is going to be somewhat undermined by him taking a 20 mile round trip to pick it up.

"Well of course, if DH was psychic and had somehow been able to predict that something he'd never known to happen before."

If a surprise is that important, you don't make assumptions about how it'll be delivered.

It's not JL's job to hide the contents or fret about how you're going to pick it up from a store.

It's their job to get it to you safely and in minimal packaging.

And over the course of this thread the story has gone from it being delivered in 'thin plastic' (no mention of it being clear), to it being in clear plastic, to it being in no packaging at all.

I'm with you OP. Deliveries I'm boxes is standard, or grey polythene bags depending on what it is. The item being delivered should not be visible to anyone, especially at time of year, when i assume, the number of missing parcels is greater than at other times of year (I had one a high value item fo missing 2 years ago. Got resent with mo issues ). Ot, if you are not in and one of the neighbouts takes it in, they will be having a good old nosy at what you bought. Of course it's not JLs responsibility whether your neighbour or postie sees your order but it's pretty off not concealing it. And surely a box is more environmentally friendly than plastic poly bags anyway? And boxes help minimise damage as well. No, I'm with you OP, I dont think a customer needs to be expected to read the t&Cs to see what kind of packaging each order will be sent in and dont people only use the gift wrap service when sending direct to the recipient? I wouldn't think ti get something gift wrapped that I was getting sent to my home address.

I ordered something from Liverpool football club for my son for last Christmas. It came in a big red bag with Liverpool football written all over the packaging! No surprise there as to what he was getting!

"Any attempt to save the planet by using less packaging is going to be somewhat undermined by him taking a 20 mile round trip to pick it up."

I thought it was a 10 mile round trip.

"And surely a box is more environmentally friendly than plastic poly bags anyway?"

JL claim that their plastic packaging bags are biodegradable.

And it might have been sent out straight from the supplier anyway.

OP why don't you tweet them? They're quite responsive and I'm sure they'd be apologetic.