Ouch. But Rich, did you see or get a receipt for the 'professional' packing? Do you know what company you could've blamed for it (and who we should avoid)? Are you positive the seller didn't just pocket the money?
I've only used pro-packers a couple of times, always as a sender, never a receiver... I sent two very costly electric guitars north to get them set up and outfitted with some special parts, and I watched the person at Mailboxes, Etc wrap both guitar cases in plastic wrap to keep them tight together, then she wrapped that with 2 layers of large bubble wrap, put that assembly into a box, put that box into a larger box stuffed tightly with peanuts, sealed it up, and off it went. Everything came out great. My other experiences went pretty much like that one did, once with very heavy yet very delicate hifi components costing nearly $10k. Two things -- one, I'd make sure the seller got me a receipt, a number, or something they could back up the claim of using a professional packer with. I'd tell them before I ever sent payment that they would need to provide proof and tell me who they used. I'd call the place they used and confirm it with them; it's in their sales records, and most places pack it and mail it out themselves, so they'd know. And two, a point I meant to include in the trips/tricks compendium (heh heh) -- every time I get a box that's clearly marked FRAGILE! in big letters on every side of the box, it's fine. Every time I get a box without FRAGILE! on it, the box has no shape left to it by the time I get it. The last thing I always request in my "here's how to pack that thing you're about to send to me" email is for the seller to get a Sharpie and write FRAGILE! in BIG letters at least once on every side of the box. If I want to be an ass to the USPS, etc., I have them write HIGHLY INSURED!! all over it, too. That's one they take pretty seriously, cuz that's gonna cost their bosses money if something happens to it (or so they'll be inclined to think). I also find that things like "GLASS!!", "DO NOT DROP!", and the actual contents, like "ANTIQUE PHONOGRAPH RECORDS!" help out, too. I got the hint to write what's in the box on the sides from the father of a good friend who's now a retired postal worker. He said the package stops being just another anonymous box if what's inside is written on the outside. It can impart a sense of pride to a mail carrier if s/he knows why that package is so valuable. Mind you, this man didn't work for UPS or FedEx, both of which may have a very different vibe for employees. At the end of the day, they're (we're) all human, and where there's human, there's error. Best, Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich" <rich-m...@octoxol.com> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org> Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 2:52 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] shipping phonographs > OK, Here is my opinion on the "packaging store" it is real simple, a > basic waste of mony. I have yet to > see a decent job come out of one of those places. How do you expect a low > buck clerk to have any idea > on how to pack a phono? It does provide a small layer of insurance that > the final carrier will pay up if its > trashed though. > > OK kiddies, story time. This is about the shipping store. > I purchased a video tape machine recently. It was a professional grade > S-VHS machine, a JVC BR- > S822DXU. The original cost of this machine in the 2000 time frame was > $15,000.00 or so. I paid a lot > less. Now I was charged $30.00 to "professionally" package the machine. > It fits into a 19" rack and > weighs about 54 pounds and is almost 24" deep and 7" high. This is what > showed up on the door step. > One large previously used box containing the VCR wrapped in 2 complete > turns of bubble wrap and the > remainder of the box loosely filled with plastic peanuts. By some > miracle, after picking peanuts out of > the machine it was un damaged other than one of the rack mounting handles > was bent about 45 > degrees when compared to the other side. The box had been dropped > repeatedly as there were no > corners that were not crushed and all sides were now soft. For that I > paid $30.00.
