Does it matter about packing?
 

Hi All,
The basic question is: If I go to the UPS Store and have them professionally
pack a 65 lb. set for shipping within UPS guidelines, will I have less trouble
collecting from UPS if the item is damaged by them?
rgds,
Mark S.

Nc183d wrote:
Hi All,
The basic question is: If I go to the UPS Store and have them professionally
pack a 65 lb. set for shipping within UPS guidelines, will I have less trouble
collecting from UPS if the item is damaged by them?

I genuinely don't know, and so this post is non-responsive as regards
your original question.

_BUT_ (and I don't mean to start a flamewar over shippers) I'd never
use UPS when I could ship by USPS or FedEx. I've seen UPS trash stuff
that had been packed professionally and that I wouldn't have thought
could be trashed by any means short of running a truck over it. I've
never seen FedEx treat anything I've shipped, or had shipped to me,
badly at all: oscilloscopes and other fragile stuff have arrived hale
and hearty, ready to plug in and use, via FedEx.

--
Mike Andrews

Tired old sysadmin

"Mike Andrews" wrote in message
...
Nc183d wrote:
Hi All,
The basic question is: If I go to the UPS Store and have them
professionally
pack a 65 lb. set for shipping within UPS guidelines, will I have less
trouble
collecting from UPS if the item is damaged by them?

I genuinely don't know, and so this post is non-responsive as regards
your original question.

_BUT_ (and I don't mean to start a flamewar over shippers) I'd never
use UPS when I could ship by USPS or FedEx. I've seen UPS trash stuff
that had been packed professionally and that I wouldn't have thought
could be trashed by any means short of running a truck over it. I've
never seen FedEx treat anything I've shipped, or had shipped to me,
badly at all: oscilloscopes and other fragile stuff have arrived hale
and hearty, ready to plug in and use, via FedEx.

--
Mike Andrews

Tired old sysadmin

The trick with UPS is to put $1000 or more Ins. on it. That way it
atomaticly gets special handling and they treat it like a baby.
--
73 and good DXing.
Brian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lot of radios and 100' of rusty wire!
Zumbrota, Southern MN
Brian's Radio Universe
http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/

Nc183d wrote:
The basic question is: If I go to the UPS Store and have them professionally
pack a 65 lb. set for shipping within UPS guidelines, will I have less trouble
collecting from UPS if the item is damaged by them?

Aren't the stores franchises? Seems like an opportunity to get caught in
a finger-pointing war between UPS and the franchise.

My experience with UPS is that when things get damaged, they will do anything
possible to avoid making good on the insurance. FedEx Ground is about as
likely to damage things, but they are much easier to work with when damage
occurs.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

It will be a problem either way but easier if they pack it. You can probably
do a better job yourself. They are trying balance an equation involving
profit, insurance premiums, insurance claims, and customer satisfaction. Use
your own judgement in terms of what you think might be most important to them
versus you...

If you are selling something and do not really care if it is damaged, then
the UPS packing is fine. They will probably pay - but the trick is to get
photos before and then be prepared to get an estimate on the value after it
is damaged.

If the object is valuable and you do not want it damaged, do not let UPS
pack it. Pack the item as if it will be dropped about 4 feet. If you are
comfortable it can handle that, it will probably arrive safetly. Better to
use a shipping container designed for transport. I have received poorly
packaged pieces of equipment and cannot blame the shipper for the damage.
In one case, I received a badly damaged SX-88. I told the seller to pack it
himself, but he took it to Mailboxes .... They put it in bubble wrap and
then dropped it onto the front panel putting it in the box. I am sure it
was destroyed before it ever went out the door. They paid off, but it
required a lot of work to repair.

Colin K7FM


---
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They do not know how to pack radios. Yes, you will be to collect
easier, but you will almost surely have to.

I have had to make only a few claims in 1000s of packages sent and
received and it has almost always been the "professionally" packed
products. One was due to a fork lift-- nothing would have saved
that box.

Buy your boxes from them.

(Nc183d) writes:

Hi All,
The basic question is: If I go to the UPS Store and have them professionally
pack a 65 lb. set for shipping within UPS guidelines, will I have less trouble
collecting from UPS if the item is damaged by them?
rgds,
Mark S.
--
Steven D. Swift, , http://www.novatech-instr.com
NOVATECH INSTRUMENTS, INC. P.O. Box 55997
206.301.8986, fax 206.363.4367 Seattle, Washington 98155 USA

In article ,
Steven Swift wrote:
They do not know how to pack radios. Yes, you will be to collect
easier, but you will almost surely have to.

I have had to make only a few claims in 1000s of packages sent and
received and it has almost always been the "professionally" packed
products. One was due to a fork lift-- nothing would have saved
that box.

I had a Tektronix video monitor shipped back from the Tek repair depot
only 200 miles away. When it arrived, it was clear where the forklift had
gone in one side of the box, and where it had come out the other. UPS
refused to pay on the $6k of insurance until the judge told them they had to.
This is one of my reasons for my admitted bias against UPS.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Steven Swift" wrote in message
...
They do not know how to pack radios. Yes, you will be to collect
easier, but you will almost surely have to.

I have had to make only a few claims in 1000s of packages sent and
received and it has almost always been the "professionally" packed
products. One was due to a fork lift-- nothing would have saved
that box.

I've sent out and received many packages and have yet to have a claim filed.
The latest was a complete computer system, monitor included. I find many
stores here lately do not allow folks to have left over boxes as they once
did.... but, in my stroke of luck, a local appliance store which sells TVs
and such, has boxes of most any size and foam to boot. All for the asking.
Tape can be had at a local discount store - for about $5, you get enough to
do several packages. A few minutes of time and you can pack an item as good
or better than the paid services (if you too have the stuff available). Now,
I don't know if the stuff would survive being run over or dropped from an
airplane, but certainly a drop from someone waist high or so. It's not
rocket science to pack an item. Pack it as though YOU were receiving it.
Would you want a flimsy packing job on an item you bought? NO. So, don't
cheat them of good packing either. Some of my packages have weighed #100 or
more and made it safely. It can be done.

IF you don't have access to a lot of packing foam, double up on paper, or
crinkle it up. People toss news papers after reading, use them. Same with
Paper bags. Double up or so - using a finned approach - of some boxes cut
up. Save packing materials from packages sent to you. After a while, you
will get enough to do a few with little cost outlay.

NS