Intresting shipping story

Eddie Malray · Post by **Eddie Malray** » 26 Oct 2002 10:02 am

A frien of mine here in Tennessee sold mint Marshall amp on Ebay and shipped it to the buyer in New York. It was packed to the max. When the buyer unpacked it, it would'nt play. After a couple of phone calls between the buyer and seller they found that a speaker wire was broken. Problem solved--everyone happy. The buyer called the next day to explain what had probably cut the wire. The buyer was not at home when the amp was delivered by one of our popular carriers (I'd better not call names}. However his neighbor told him the driver drug the box off the truck and rolled it end over end to the buyers front door and left it. Kinda scares me. JUst thought some of you guys that buy and sell a lot might like to hear this. Eddie Malray

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 26 Oct 2002 11:08 am

Yeah but we need to know what carrier that was so we don't use them. Perhaps if enough responses regarding this were posted... and an email of this post-page was sent to the carrier... well... fat chance they might make some changes... thus... hopefully changing the way "our" stuff is handled and cared for... But then again... who knows? That would be the fat-chance - take it? or leave it?

just my opinion

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TheEarlyDays.com

and appearing regularly...
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Eddie Malray · Post by **Eddie Malray** » 26 Oct 2002 1:13 pm

Terry: Since this is "word of mouth" and I'm not an eye witness, I might leave myself open to legal problems if I name names. However, a couple of days ago I was talking to a driver for another carries and he daid that was a common problem within all carriers. He said all fradgile shippings should be packed to withstand a four ft' drop because somewhere along to route they would probaly encounter one.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 26 Oct 2002 1:29 pm

I was recently told by the UPS local rep that putting words on the boxes like those big red letter tape rolls of "FRAGILE" and "THIS END UP" were usless He said the automatic conveyors and warehouse machines can't read. We send out perhaps 20 packages /week and we use all that RED letter tape stuff. I told the guy I fully understood and agreed with him, afterall who would expect the counter clerk, the package clerk, the loading clerk, the drivers etc.. to be able to read , what was I thinking !

tp

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 26 Oct 2002 2:55 pm

"Terry: Since this is "word of mouth" and I'm not an eye witness, I might leave myself open to legal problems if I name names."

Eddie, Come on. You really think the men in brown would come and take you away for mentioning the name of a company

bob

erik · Post by **erik** » 26 Oct 2002 3:17 pm

How much did the amp weigh? Maybe he(she, it) didn't have a hand truck. In any case, brown has GPS but not package abuse sensors.

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 26 Oct 2002 3:33 pm

I run a fine-art gallery, and i can attest to the fact that NONE of the major shippers treat ANY of the pckgs w/ care. If you are shipping something really large and delicate, I would suggest spending the extra money and looking for a specialized art shipper or piano shipping company. it is pretty expensive, but they treat stuff w/ kid gloves.

In their defense, most people w/ little shipping experience do not pack their shipments w/ enough care. Someone mentioned a four foot drop as the baromoter for the "UPS" test, I would be more inclined to say, throw it off the top of a ten foot ladder, and that is about right.

Dont even get me started on trying to collect on insured damage claims!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Walter Jones · Post by **Walter Jones** » 26 Oct 2002 4:11 pm

I keep reading about drivers saying that the unit should be packed and boxed to stand a 4 ft drop. I wonder why they never give you that information proir to shipping, at least I have never been told by a company that the package should stand such a drop. I have called for shipping instructions for shipping some radio gear including tubes and never have been told that. OH well, just my 2 cents worth.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 26 Oct 2002 4:34 pm

I have had very good luck shipping heavy, fragile items by bus. Everything goes in the cargo bins, which are located very low to the ground. Of course, you have to take it to the bus station and the person on the receiving end has to go to the bus station to pick it up.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Eddie Malray · Post by **Eddie Malray** » 26 Oct 2002 5:06 pm

OK----the driver was wearing brown clothes. About the 4' drop issue. No shipping co. in their right mind would warn you about this. This is just something the drivers will tell you.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 26 Oct 2002 5:11 pm

There are drop indicators and tilt indicators available from probably any shipping source as well as McMaster-Carr.

It's as simple as peeling off the the backing and and sticking the indicator on the package.

You don't need neighbors who happen to see a misshandling of the package. Just look at the indicators to see if there was any mistreatment.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 26 Oct 2002 9:43 pm

I saw Fed-ex and USPS do the exact same thing.
Actually the Fed-ex guy; after he Rolled the box....he then kicked it down the stairs> he must of been having a bad day...yeah right

Ricky

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 26 Oct 2002 9:58 pm

I don't doubt for a second that the box was rolled end-over-end. My best buddy saw UPS pull up and the driver did the same thing with a vintage Fender Super-Reverb he bought, he saw the guy rolling it with his own eyes and it broke the cabinet even though it seemed to be packed pretty well.....so it makes you wonder just how much packing you have to do before they can't wreck it.....a foot of sponge rubber on all sides? Obviously impractical.....

Mike Fereday · Post by **Mike Fereday** » 26 Oct 2002 11:42 pm

I have just had a small package from the US delivered by the men in brown. It only contained a CD and a cassette. It seemed to have survived the four foot drop OK, but I guess someone forgot to move it before someone's steel guitar landed on it!!

Mike

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 27 Oct 2002 12:18 pm

There is a difference between human negligence and accidents. Cetainly many damages can be avoided by proper handling. However, you almost have to be an attorney these days when making a claim to UPS. They now have strict packaging specifications since they are no longer self insured.

It is probably best to pack above and beyond normal since this is the best type of insurance, whether we like it or not.