Shipping Damage

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:44 am

We've had great success with Big Fedex--their mainline express and overnight services. FedEx Ground is a whole different story, at least in So. MD--lost packages, unable to locate address responses etc. We have had similar issues with UPS--they crushed an Epi LP I bought last year; fortunately for me Musicians Friend handled the claim and took care of me.

Good news on the Ric front is my Rics have arrived DHL (Gary) and USPS (an Ebay score). In all three cass, fast delivery and in great shape.

Bill

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:52 am

Anyone ever see that beautiful RIC lightshow model that was in the Scott Chinery collection?

RIC collector buddy of mine recently purchased the guitar a few weeks ago.

Everyone take in a deep breath.....exhale....yep, you guessed it....

UPS BROKE THE NECK!!!!!!

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:49 am

OMG.......

eric_b · Post by **eric_b** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:03 am

I can see it now: "Man beats UPS driver to a pulp with broken guitar neck,film at 11!"

woodsgirl · Post by **woodsgirl** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:29 am

I had a bass broken but it was the shipper's fault for not packing the guitar well at all! I don't think any carrier is perfect, but the degree of packaging really varies a lot with the sender. I would advise anyone to pack your guitar like it was made of glass. Our forumite, Rich Ferguson could write a book on this. I just got a guitar from him that was perfect!

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:42 am

Kelly, welcome! It is interesting to have an insider's point of view. Please stick around, this is a good bunch of nutcases we have here.

ram · Post by **ram** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:26 pm

knocking on wood - I have never had any problem with any of the big shippers.... basses, guitars, electrical equipments, ceramics.... all arrive fine!

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:08 pm

In defense of all the shippers, I think the key is the packing--Gary from NCM does the whole nine yards--double boxes, those darn styrofoam thingies, etc. The package would almost have to be run over. MF used to double box, don't know if they still do or not--didn't help with my Epi LP last Christmas--but they made the effort.

I've gotten home-packed jobs where the outside box was hit heavily but the contents were intact.

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:00 pm

I third the key is packing. Also, I have had packages delivered to my workplace just so I don't come home and find a suprise at my door - hopefully. UPS has taken to putting larger (read valuable) packages on the back deck where the railing/seating protects it from casual view. But work delivery is my used option now.

drathbun · Post by **drathbun** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:15 pm

I ordered my 360/12FG from AMS on Thursday evening and it arrived Tuesday morning... and I'm in Calgary AB Canada! Amazing... double boxed with bubble pack in the space between the boxes. Fantastic delivery without a mark on it... from AMS and FedEx.

winston · Post by **winston** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:39 pm

Doug,

I quite often get to Calgary. Perhaps we should make an effort to try and meet up on one of my trips there.

Back to the topic USPS is my preferred carrier of choice for shipments out of the USA. Their shipments never incur a brokerage fee when I pick the guitars up at my local post office but more importantly the guitars always arrive intact. Just so you know I do have to pay duties and taxes.

UPS has managed to mangle two inbound shipments of mine and they have denied two subsequent claims. They are not my favorite carrier. FedEx and Purolator have been absolutely marvelous as well, but I have noticed that by comparison that they are way more expensive than USPS.

webhead · Post by **webhead** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:47 am

Brian- I have had a couple issues with UPS and found that if you keep on bugging them, providing that your package stayed in the UPS realm, you can get your claim. When one of mine was getting denied, I threatened to go legal. Then the adjuster caved in.

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:06 am

Karl, what ever happened to the broken Lightshow?

Do they know what happened and are they going to take care of her?

Jeez, I'd get a bunch of angry lawyers on this one.

Unbelievable!

ratso · Post by **ratso** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:49 pm

I have now sworn to never use UPS again after having gone thru hell with them last Christmas. Long Story but suffice it to say I sent a rare '56 Gibson Super 400CESN insured for 50k overnight. A week later they were still trying to locate it! They had left it supposedly in a trailer in below freezing temps in their hubs parking lot (and would not go out and look for it after we pleaded and explained the potential danger of leaving it out there)! I wrote a letter to the UPS CEO and received a refund, apology and an assurance that the hub supervisor was demoted. Needless to say, that wasn't enough to regain my business!

wints · Post by **wints** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:48 pm

I remember that Gibson Ron. Absolutely gorgeous...

Fed Ex lost a 64 4001 I bought a while back for a few days. Went north to Atlanta instead of south to me...

Thankfully, I had it locked in this,

which is what I send to seller's these days when I buy basses. Slightly more expensive to ship, but, piece of mind that it will arrive intact.