Shipping Horror Stories

NKUSigEp · #1 03-13-2007, 11:05 PM

Can anyone tell me why shipping companies feel necessary to play soccer with your package being shipped?

Story 1: I sold an SVT last year to a guy just a few hours away in Tennessee. Just barely too far to drive and shipping via Fedex was fairly cheap - only $30. So I packed it myself with a bunch of layers of bubble wrap and then a nice layer of the dreaded peanuts. Nice heavy duty cardboard box with reinforced corners and lots of tape. Short of being dropped 10 feet from a fork lift, I couldn't foresee anything happening to it.

So a few days go by and I get an email from the guy stating that an entire side is bent and there are a few scratches on it that weren't in the pictures I had just taken a week before. The amp turned on, he played a note, and POP! Something blew. So I'm thinking, I packed it very well, took a few pictures for insurance purposes, and was only shipping it a few 100 miles...what went wrong? Now, for those of us who know SVT's, you know that they're outer panels are at least a good .25" thick of heavy steel. It takes a LOT of force to bend it about .75" from its original position. What the hell happened to it?

Story 2: our guitarist just bought his second Bogner head. Not sure why you need two but I guess for the same reasons us bassists need more gear. So, UPS drops the package off Saturday. He brings it to practice and fires it up. Sounds amazing as expected but something isn't right. So he checks it out. The mid on the clean channel produces NO change at all and there's a quarter-sized dent on the front panel above the pre. The head was wrapped in bubble wrap, boxed up and placed in ANOTHER box with peanuts cushioning the first box. The seller of the amp swears up and down that it wasn't like that when he packed it up and yet there it was, a dent in the front panel and parts that didn't function.

My advice: buy a digital camera if you don't already have one, take LOTS of pictures of it being packed up and in the box as well as a bunch of the instrument being shipped. Pay the little bit extra to have it insured, and get a signature confirmation if possible. These companies really don't give a damn about your stuff so take the extra steps to protect yourself.

Anyone else have any horror stories?

Rattman · #2 03-14-2007, 01:56 AM

This is just sickening. I've never had to ship anything for sale (yet). It seems impossible that the shipping companies are that careless. I once had an EQ slider snap off in shipping on an old Carvin bass head, but totally MY fault. (cross-country move)

Seems like from what I'm hearing from the details, is that the equipment with more mass receives more damage than lighter stuff does. "mass in motion.." and all of that.. I dunno. Sorry to hear about that Ampeg though. Right.. insurance & pictures do seem like very common-sense precautions when shipping gear.

VanillaO · #3 03-14-2007, 09:30 AM

This one time a dude from Kentucky or some such state was shipping me a sweet bongo. It got here in one piece. But I swear the week of waiting was horrifying.

Rakie · #4 03-14-2007, 09:44 AM

A friend at mine worked at UPS, he was a guitarist, his advice "Dont use UPS"

True story...

I have been very, very fortunate...

My lakland, 55-01 my love !!! was in a soft gig bag, in a box full of peanuts... thats it... Box was new, but not enforced, not extra sturdy or anything like that. It arrived perfect.

And then we have stories like this.. (Which you told)

Another thing my buddy told me... they are expected to move 1 package every 5 seconds, that means tossing boxes sometimes.

Now, This is what you deal with if you buy a bass from me, i promise, if I sell you a bass, its going to be WELL taken care of, but its going to cost you...

Custom made box, Quad Ply, enforced with brackets made of cardboard (Solid logs of it) $60+, Hardshell case (I wont ship without one, i dont have one? ur buying) Slightly padded within the case, Case is taped shut with industrial tape to ensure it not opening, Case is locked (Key included) box has peanuts with 2" clearance at LEAST all the way around the bass case.

Thats how i shipped my Cirrus to Canada, the guy who got it told me 2 things.

#1 WOW, after i got my bass it took like an hour and a half to get it out of the box !!!

#2 Shipping fee's were well worth it.

rushfan73 · #5 03-14-2007, 09:46 AM

I just had a fender jazz bass shipped to me last week and I was nervous as heck but it was packed very carefully and arrived in great shape. I have an ampeg on the way now that has me very nervous....come on UPS do me proud!

one · #6 03-14-2007, 03:09 PM

i don't know why, but when you mentioned to take lots of photos for proof in good condition when shipped, i thought that it would be a good idea to maybe get a few pics in with a recent newspaper or something along those lines! prove it was not damaged as of when sent and to prove its a recent picture, as anyone can change the date on a camera!

anonymous278347457 · #7 03-14-2007, 03:15 PM

I got a BC rich mockingbird shipped to me.

Guess what It came in?

In a case, no extra padding inside or out. Just an ordinary rectangular hard case with 2 wraps of tape to stop it falling apart.

and there were spare cables, strings and pickups rattling around inside the case.

I was VERY surprised it came in 1 piece.

NKUSigEp · #8 03-14-2007, 06:36 PM

I've had a lot of good experiences too aside from the two mentioned already. Stuff that was packed pretty haphazardly using styrofoam bowls of all things (it was a lightweight rackmount compressor so I wasn't too worried but styrofoam bowls?). It turned out alright. But still...I wish Fedex/UPS/whomever would show a little more respect towards someone's stuff. Rant over. LOL

Mojo-Man · #9 03-14-2007, 09:26 PM

UPS lost my 1968 Gibson EB-1.

They simply said they had no explanation where it was?

I had insurence on it. $2000.00.

After 6-weeks, and no bass. they were ready to settle.

By luck, I call the UPS lost and found center In St. Louis.

Talked to the manager, gave him indept decription of bass.
With serial Number.

Three days later, he calls back.
Found my bass, said label fell off box.
Recived my bass fron him in to days.

I got real lucky.

Atoz · #10 03-14-2007, 10:06 PM

Waited an eternity for a Ric. Shows up from FedEx with the corner of the hardshell case broken off.

Fortunately, bass itself is spared.

Tomis17 · #11 03-29-2007, 03:05 PM

Well I live in Wisconsin and I shipped an electric drumset to a guy in Pennsylvania through UPS. Did the whole bubble wrap thing. Anyway, to make a long story short when the guy got it, he said one of the cymbal arm was missing. Told me to check around my house to see if I forgot it. My house is no that big and I only leave my music gear in one room. I made a lost claim with UPS and luckily they paid (a whopping $50 for replacement). The guy thought I tried to rip him off and could've killed me. I hate buying and selling online ever since but I can't stop doing it...

xifr · #12 03-30-2007, 07:53 PM

This is not my story, but one from another forum. A guy had a vintage Martin (acoustic guitar) that he sent over to luthier to refurbish. The luthier got the package, and sent pics to the guy (which he posted on the forum). Essentially the box with the guitar in it was completely flattened, and had a large tyre mark on it. So not only did fedex completely destroy this vintage martin, they still dropped it off at the place in this condition.

BassSurfer · #13 06-13-2007, 08:31 PM

must... resseruct this thread!

bought a few sets of DR Low Riders shipped via UPS... arrival date was june 5th 2007.. they come the 12 via FEDEX...

Spector_Ray · #14 06-13-2007, 09:42 PM

I can't speak for other carriers, but USPS has schedules and deadlines to meet. I've seen clerks throw parcels into hampers and to and from trucks. If loads aren't properly secured, 300-400 lb hampers can roll around those vehicles and smash parcels. Mistakes do happen but as far as I'm concerned, I make every effort to do things the right way. If a parcel is clearly marked "Fragile", I do everything within my ability to secure the parcel and handle it accordingly. I actually take pride in my work and feel bad when something goes wrong. It's my job and livelihood and I wish others I work with would think the same way I do.

Dave Siff · #15 07-24-2007, 03:10 AM

I've got two recent shipping horror stories. I had been fortunate up to now, with no incidents over my many years of buying and selling gear online.
First one was a Stewart power amp, which I sold in the classifieds here. Packed it myself with lots of bubble wrap and peanuts, and sent it USPS Priority Mail. It arrived with one of the rack ears bent almost all the way back, and I believe one of the knobs was cracked. Fortunately, it still worked.
Last week, I sold a Schroeder 4x10, also to fellow Talkbasser. I had it professionally packed, and shipped UPS Ground. It was delivered yesterday, and I got an e-mail from the buyer. Get this: the UPS guy rolled the cabinet end over end over concrete up to the guy's door. The cabinet doesn't work. Luckily, two of his neighbors saw it happen. I was particularly outraged by this one. What the hell happened to hand trucks?!?
The lesson here is: insure everything you ship. I insured both items for the purchase price. The guy who bought the Schroeder from me has filed a claim with UPS, and they damn well better pay up. I'm hopping mad, and the unforunate person who answers their 800 number in a little while is going to wish they hadn't.

daofktr · #16 07-24-2007, 03:14 PM

that settles it...if i ever buy or sell anything, as long as it's within a thousand miles, one of us will have to drive, or both meet halfway.
i just can't trust any of the package moving (lack of) concerns.

(i got really lucky with my lakkie 55-94 that i bought from bointc, in ny. he packed that puppy up right, and sent it fedex.
i was a nervous cat until it showed up...i took it out of the package right there, in the fedex office, just to make sure it was okay.
it was.)

flakeh · #17 07-24-2007, 09:11 PM

I bought hardcase for my thunderbird as no local stores had them or could order them. I saw an ad on a forum for a thunderbird case. so i bought it. the seller emailed pic of the case, along with the paper for the day to prove of its condition. I get it a week later. flat as a pancake. It dropped under a shipping crate 'apparently' and was crushed. Why CanadaPost would deliver it without calling me (my phone number was on the package as it was insured) and instead drop it off confuses me.

Another time i ordered a barrel kit for my paintball marker (St!ff! kit for those who play) and it was bent and broken up. CP wouldn't take any responsibility for it.