Original Packaging, you gotta have it.


The Fedex truck just left my house, I had a cashiers check ready for payment of a Jadis Defy7. I had looked forward to giving it a listen this weekend. The seller brought it to a MBE, who boxed it in a rather large thin walled box. It was filled only with styrofoam peanuts and what looked like strips of styrofoam. The amp was shipped Fedex Standard Overnight from NJ to CA, at a cost of $250. The corner of the amp was peeking out of the box, with only tape which it looks like Fedex tape there to keep the amp in. The box also had a hole big enough to place my hand in to feel the tubes. I obviously refused the COD shippment and hope it makes it back to the seller in one piece and hasnt been broken beyond repair.

I word to the wise, if you dont have the original boxes, then use Double Walled cardboard on the outside, another box inside that and make sure the unit does not shift inside the box. It sadly looks like this amp was not packed well.
128x128justlisten
Sometimes you're just S.O.O.L. if the you buy the item used and it didn't come in the original packaging. That being the case, I went to MBE, had them box it up in bubble wrap, styrofoam, etc. but not double boxed. Sure enough, the unit was trashed when it got there. What I want to know is - How do you destroy a Tice Power block? I thought those things were virtually indestructible.
I've learned that anything that can be double boxed in styrofoam and grossly over-taped has a high chance of success.

Twice UPS has damaged near new speakers boxed in non original packaging. The corners always get crushed. I'll never ship big speakers again. Pick up or personal delivery , no shipping. I think I finally get the UPS insurance deal... original packing or no insurance.
UPS tried to deny my insurance claim on speakers whcih were shipped in original boxes. They said that the speakers were not properly packaged. Its odd that the speakers were origianlly shipped to the U. S. from England first to the distributor and then on to the dealer in those same boxes. the way they handle packages you just can't have enough boxes.
As I was walking out of my house to help the UPS guy with a TT, I watched in horror as the box, sealed with FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE tape (2" red letters) and hand marked "DO NOT TUMBLE) right next to the address, tumble it down the length of the truck. He said- all the boxes are marked fragile, we don't even notice it".
Another thing to remember; like physics. Place all weight (converted to kinetic energy) on the upper left corner of a box containing a 60lb speaker and dropped from the top of an 8 ft UPS van. Result: speaker mash. (Last year I had to order 4(!) sets of speakers to get one workable pair that were not reduced to gravel-all of these in original factory packing)

Suggestion: remember to use hard foam corner protectors inside the inner box. Peanuts ain't going to do it on a heavy object with square corners.