2. misc-audio
  3. 159379-115924

Shipping. Hard Lesson.

I'm selling some high end audio gear for the estate of a relative who passed away. I've never done this before. I'm using C's List, eBay and A'gon. It has been a lot of work and not a lot of fun.

Tons of scammers on C's list but excellent experience selling to a local audiophile.

Got a sale pending here at A'gon. Not too bad.

One good experience on eBay.

But then the Bryston 9B SST2 amp sold on eBay. I had actually about decided to purchase it myself when it sold via eBay. Super nice, experienced buyer.

Took the amp to UPS. It weighs 65 pounds. Asked them to double box and was ready to pay the price but the clerk convinced me that there was no need. They would wrap it well and the box she chose was supposed to handle 85 pounds.

Well, it gets to the buyer and he sends me a picture and it looks like the box has rolled down a mountain. The handles are broken off of the amp and it is dinged all up. Have no idea if it works or not. I'm not sure double boxing would have mattered in this case.

We insured it for the price paid. Buyer was very understanding but disappointed of course. I will get paid (by UPS) what I was going to get paid anyway but both the buyer and I commiserated over a fine piece of equipment destroyed. Or at least marred.

Anyway, sorry about the long sad sop story but I will probably have other gear to ship in the near future possible even the gorgeous Aerial Acoustics 5Ts which, even thought they are bookshelf speakers, are large and heavy.

So all of this is basically to ask: Who do you use for shipping large heavy delicate audio gear?
n80
n80 OP
2,125 posts
 
The buyer let me know that UPS came and picked up the amp and took it to a "central location." I was hoping that they would leave it with the buyer since this has been so much trouble for him.

But what really has me angry is that UPS has my amp and has not paid me for it. THAT is just nuts! I understand that if they pay me for it it is theirs to keep. But they have it and I don't have my money. I've got too much going on this weekend to deal with it but on Monday if I don't have the money I'm going to raise hell (for whatever that might be worth). But, if I get the run around I will have a lawyer involved immediately. (And for whatever it might be worth I am not litigious person. I have used a lawyer a grand total of once in my life decades ago for a clear cut issue that was resolved as soon as the attorney sent a letter.)
axeis1
293 posts
 
UPS sucks. I had a very high end Motorcycle Helmet double boxed in factory packaging and UPS cracked the fiberglass /carbon fiber/ composite shell. They tried to weasel out of paying the insurance. I had to take damaged helmet to regional office and confront a service manager to get my money. UPS sucks.
invalid
1,209 posts
 
The big shipping company business is so bad you have to actually buy insurance just in case they don't do their job properly. 
n80 OP
2,125 posts
 
Update: My wife went up to the UPS store where it was packaged and shipped initially to find out what is going on. They now have the amp. My wife saw it there in the box but she said the box was not recognizable as a box. The clerk there said they'd have a decision about the insurance claim by the end of the week. My wife told them we expect them to pay us no later than Thursday, full amount including shipping. Not sure that makes any difference.

Also not sure if they will allow us to have it back since they will be paying us the amount paid for it. If I knew it worked I might buy it back from them but I have no way of knowing and wouldn't gamble without knowing.

I've been pretty disappointed in UPS's attitude in all this. As soon as we made the claim they started treating us like the bad guys who have to prove we're not trying to scam them. Totally unacceptable in my opinion. A sad commentary on the state of society as well. Not shocked by any means. Its just sad.
bigkidz
3,394 posts
 
Same goes for my FedEx recent delivery  Claim was for $200 for a remote control that was damaged.  They paid me $100 saying that was its worth, well yes but the shipping and tax from overseas put it at $200.  So I cannot replace the remote for $100.  It took a month or more to get paid.
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