Ho ho woes: Wrap rage results in lacerations and bad tempers

[Sgent]

Source: AMNews

Images of colorfully wrapped presents under a Christmas tree are not supposed to trigger feelings of frustration and risks of possible injury. But trends in the packaging of many popular gifts have been diagnosed as the cause of this scenario -- what sometimes is called "wrap rage."

The real culprit, of course, is the "clamshell" or "oyster" packaging that encases many toys, electronics and other products. These hard plastic containers have emerged as a favorite of manufacturers and retailers because they protect items during shipping and prevent theft from store shelves, while still allowing shoppers to see what they are buying. The problem for consumers, though, is that these coverings are intensely difficult to remove -- often requiring tools, muscle and swearing. Sometimes the experience results in a trip to the hospital.

"I've worked in the emergency department on Christmas day for six out of the last 10 years. We certainly see lacerations. That's the most common thing. But we also see punctures," said David Ross, DO, an emergency physician at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo. He also is a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. "That clamshell packaging is absolutely diabolical."

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According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 6,000 people a year end up in the emergency department for packaging-related injuries. Many more get minor wounds from using sharp implements to extricate products.

Read more: http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/22/hll21222.htm

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Some retailers according to the article are getting rid of that type of packaging.... but still its a real pia.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I hate those damn things.

And how much damn plastic ends up in landfills? Whatever happened to cardboard boxes with pictures so you could tell what the product looked like. I loathe those stupid plastic shell packages with the intensity of a googolplex of supernovae.

[DUlover2909]

2. They package stuff that way for another reason too:

People are less likely to return a product to the store if the packaging is all torn apart. Consumers feel intimidated into not returning the product even though they don't like the quality.

[Fumesucker]

6. I used to be shy about taking stuff back..

I got over that a loooong time ago.

And yes, the clamshell packaging is a royal PITA.

[KansDem]

3. This wrapping is dangerous!

I come close to cutting a finger or two trying to get the damn product out of its wrapping. A torn edge of that stuff is like a butcher knife!

[jmowreader]

4. My favorite packaging-from-hell story

The Zibra Company makes a device called Open It! Open It! is kind of a Swiss Army knife, with the main implement being a pair of scissors a firefighter could use to cut the roof off a car. It's a fairly nasty looking item, specifically intended to open clamshell packaging...once you get the clamshell package Open It! comes in apart.

Yup. You need the product to get to the product. What kind of shit is this?

[surrealAmerican]

7. I like it.

You can't get to the product, unless you already have.

[LeftyMom]

5. The packaging is supposed to be hard to open, as a theft deterrent.

Of course, thieves long since figured that out, they go to stores with box knives (a razor blade in a safety handle) slice the plastic and all you find is an empty package.