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Audiophiles DO NOT USE DHL-READ MY NIGHTMARE

Just had a nightmare experience with DHL shipping a Wadia 16 from Richmond,Va to South Carolina. Yesterday, the driver came to pick it up and tried to turn his van around where it could not be turned around in a shared driveway, almost ran over my new heat pumps, ran over my neighbors drainage pipe, and then stormed off without picking up the package. I tried to stop him and could not. I called DHL and reported the driver. His manager came to pickup my package. His manager told me that the driver is a hothead sometimes. Great! It was scheduled for delivery today. I told the guy it was a CD player, delicate electronic instrument and the waybill also had that info. My buyer just called me told me that the Wadia 16 arrived and was completely totalled. They had dropped it on its side and broken all the connections on the back. The styrofoam was crushed into powder. I almost feel like they did this intentionally. When I called to report the problem I was told that unless I could produce a receipt that they would not pay the claim as I had it insured for $ 2K. She seemed amazed that a CD player could be worth $ 2K. The way she talked it could be months before I get my money back, if ever. I had thought that DHL was trying to take business from FedEx and UPS and was doing a good job. Obviously, I will never use them again. Also, lost the $ 125 I paid to have the unit shipped overnight and to insure it. This is my first experience like this and I am ticked!!! Beware of DHL. I can understand how accidents can happen but that is what the insurance is for. I just got a poor reception when I called to make a claim. Consider this experience when you decide on your shipper!!!!
etmerritt33
uhurit
61 posts
 
DHL has been horrendous in the area I live. Once the punk of a driver dumped my 70-pound amp in the rain about quarter of a mile from my house down the road...Ever tried hauling a monster amp up the hill in freezing rain?
laurentgilles
28 posts
 
That's the way to go.
shoe
204 posts
 
Ecruz
I got a good laugh from your post...

"I had a problem with a Fed Ex delivery. They busted up a pair of speakers. But I received full payment within 2 weeks and they shipped them back to the manufacture, to be repaired, for free. Although they did receive additional damage on the way to be fixed"


May I add a little fiction?
--------------------------------------

Then after the speakers were repaired they shipped them to the buyer who reported they were dammaged agan! So they shipped them back to the manufacture but when they got there they were nothing but a formless mass of cardboard, splinters and foam.
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
I had a problem with FEDEX freight damaging a pair of speakers I had purchased laset February. They of course refused to pay, claiming there was "hidden damage" and since they were dealer demo's, they considered them "used" and so were only liable up to $.30/lb. I had explained to their representative what we were shipping beforehand, and was told the speakers (600 lbs in crates)it would be covered for $25./lb. I got her name and extension.

Took me 3 months, 4 inspections, an accomodating seller and a lot of threats to finally get them to pay an $1100. repair bill. They really don't care. It helped that I had the name and extension of who I had originally talked to, but ultimately, I think it was the threat to go to the TV stations and newspapers that got the local regional guy to put some pressure on the corporate office. I had to pretty much prove to these idiots that the only way the damage they saw could have possibly happened was for the crates to have been dropped. Again - 3 months.

By the way, they tried to charge me $250. above what I was quoted for shipping and wouldn't unload the crates from the truck parked in the middle of my cul-de-sac for 3 1/2 hours when I refused to pay their inflated fee!! At that point I didn't even know they had been damaged. We even shipped on a Monday to avoid a weekend "layover" when most anything can happen to freight.

I don't have any brilliant answers here - the carriers hide behind the Interstate Commerce Commission rules and Common Carrier rules, which are written in advanced legalese using lots of arcane phraseology designed to protect them, not the consumer.

Its very frustrating - I had an OK result, but it took me 3 months of trying to communicate with people of the same mentality potrayed by David Spade in that credit card commercial running for the past several months - I must have heard 27 different excuses to say "NO"!!
machine
71 posts
 
any expensive item is worth a wooden box,bult around original packaging.cheap to make,15.00 worth of home depot stuff.also, at least with ups,if you insure for 7000.00 or more,i think this is the magic #,not sure,your item is hand carried in there routing[so i am told by my driver].this all relayed to me as i sent a marantz sa-1 for service,insured for 8000.00.the wooden crate is invaluable.more shipping cost,but it gets attention.
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