Shipping Rics

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:17 pm

So I have a deal all lined up for the sale of my 4003S/5. Both the buyer and I agree that the guitar should be shipped with insurance, so I go to the UPS site to get a quote on shipping, specify all the options including package dimensions etc., and am given a price of $80 ($50 for shipping the rest for insurance). Fine.

We get close to completion, and I decide that I had better make sure that there aren't any catches, so I call UPS to confirm the pricing, and find out when I can expect pickup.

I am then informed that, while I can pay the extra amount for insurance, it won't do me any good because I am shipping from a residence, and if something were to happen they won't honor a claim - you can't get insurance on residential shipments. If I want insurance, my only option is to take the guitar to a UPS store, which is conveniently located only 6 hours round trip away. They also tell me that if I want damage insurance, I have to pay for them to pack it - for somewhere between $50 and $150 extra (which they won't confirm until they have the package). I am also told that instead of the $0.90/$100 for insurance quoted on the website, it's actually $3/$100, so the $20 for insurance is now $72. So my $80 shipping has ballooned to $250+ if I want to insure the shipment. WTF?

So, after all that, I want to know how the rest of you are shipping these guitars, especially internationally. Do you not insure them? From reading FedEx's policy, they don't provide insurance period, even though their shipping cost is double UPS'. What's the trick?

Needless to say, I guess I'm keeping the bass.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:27 pm

I bit the bullet for my 87. They would not re-use the box I got the 04 in and insure it. So....I paid for packing and insurance. The good news is, I'm only a block away from the UPS store!

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:01 pm

I shipped my Ric from NY to Ted in Illinois with FedEx Home delivery. It cost me $18, and only took 2 days. They will only warranty up to $500, but it arrived safely.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:16 pm

My 04 came Fedex but UPS store is so close......

redvette · Post by **redvette** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:22 pm

I used USPS to ship a bass from Oregon to my son in Greece. With full insurance, it was only about $90. Worth a try.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:19 pm

Pack it well and ship it via USPS. Someone is trying to rip you off!

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:32 pm

I am shipping from Canada, so USPS is out, as the guitar would need to be brokered before crossing the border due to its value.

I looked at Canada Post, but they won't insure over $1000. I can't blame the buyer for wanting full coverage during shipment. DHL may be an option, but I have to check whether their online quote means what it implies, or if it's as reliable as UPS' rates.

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:44 pm

Jeff - have you tried Purolator? It's a Canadian carrier that I believe uses Airborne Express for it's deliveries to the U.S.
I actually shipped a bass to the states today via my local UPS store. Like you said, insurance was $3 per $100 in coverage and only applied to lost packages. In a way I understand the rational behind UPS not providing damage insurance unless they package it. An unscrupulous person could send a broken item, then turn around and file a damage claim with UPS.

webhead · Post by **webhead** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:09 pm

Not sure what's happening here, but I use UPS to ship from my residence. I purchase insurance for the full value of the guitar. I think the guys who run the UPS store are crooks. #1- they charge more to ship thru them because they make a profit on it, #2- they charge an arm and a leg for them to pack stuff for you. If I were to buy a "golf" box to ship a guitar, it's like $15. I can take that home and set up shipping for $30 (depending where the guy lives). If I have UPS pack it, they charge for a whole bag of stuffing, even if they don't use all of it... I only had one casualty with UPS. It was a couple years ago, I shipped a Gretsch Country Gent. I packed it well, but from what I understand the box dropped off the conveyor belt which was 6 feet high. Dented the box and the tank of a hardshell case, and tossed the bridge across the body, making a nice skidmark...

I got paid for the repair....

webhead · Post by **webhead** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:11 pm

and they also charge $8 for the manpower it takes to pack it too!

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:20 pm

"I think the guys who run the UPS store are crooks"

_clueless_ crooks at that.

cheenyc13 · Post by **cheenyc13** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:39 pm

usps cheap ad rocks......

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:19 pm

Charly said

... UPS store is so close...

There's a FedEx office on Main across from the airport parking lot, about a mile from where I work in Costa Mesa. The main UPS office is in Anaheim. Guess which one I go to?!

Steve said

... a Canadian carrier that I believe uses Airborne Express ...

Airborne was absorbed by DHL a year or so ago, so maybe they use DHL, which is an international shipper. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with a work shipment by Airborne/DHL (they lost a 300 lb, 4 ft x 2 ft x 3 ft box - they eventually found it months later and then tried to charge us for overnight shipping!) which happened at the transition time, so I can't recommend them.

I did get an Ovation Breadwinner some time back from a fellow in Canada, but I don't remember who the carrier was (it arrived safe and sound).

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:34 am

The UPS store charges extra for packing and shipping. That's how they stay in business. They have all the materials to ship, where as you might not. It also costs $45 for someone to cut my lawn, where I could do it for free (If I had a lawn mower that is.) What I'm saying is they provide a service, an expensive one at that. If one is diligent they can go to their local music store, get a guitar box, bubble wrap and do it yourself. Packing for shipping is an art as well as a science it takes trial and error, but it can be done.
As for insurance, I have heard people buying private insurance for their shipments and not using the shippers insurance. BTW UPS/FEDEX they DO cover damage, but the process is bloated. They have to inspect the shipping box and materials. THEY make the final decision to pay or not. It can also take a LONG time. A year or more to collect.
Anyway that's my little rant on shipping;-)

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:42 am

If you use a UPS store, never go by the ebay online shipping calculator. It always winds up being more at the store. Even if I've added more weight, size and insurance to what the package actually is, I still wind up paying more than the calculator, I'm I'm not just talking a buck or two difference. Then the people who work there say, "the online calculator is usually always accurate".