FEX EX Damaged New Legacy's

I worked in a UPS hub 10 years ago sorting packages and loading them into 40ft trucks. The package will be dropped via conveyor to its designated truck and most of the time the sorter has so many packages on top of each other you have to literally step on the packages and I have to do that a couple of times because there is nowhere else to step on because they just keeps coming and you are by yourself and have to stack them nice and tight on the front of the 40fter until you reach the back. I quit after 1 month of that horrible workplace.

One need to exercise caution when shipping speakers with Fedex. Recently I sold a buyer a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 50 with Monitor Audio stands. Because I didn't have the original boxes and packing materials, I took them to Fedex and had their personnel, pack, boxed and ship the speakers from Atlanta to Conn. at a cost of $357.00. They arrived damaged and the buyer obviously was very upset and rightfully demanded a refund. Fedex initially declined my claim because the outside of the box was not damaged according to their inspectors even though the speakers and stands inside were very damaged. I had to take Fedex to small claims court to recover the cost of the speakers, shipment cost and court filing fee. BTW, a senior claims agent had recommended Fedex pay the claim but he was over ruled. A company attorney stepped in after I file the claim in small claims court and settled stating that the company had made a mistake in not settling with me initially. "Be careful how you use Fedex when shipping speakers."

I've received several items that were shipped "signature required". They were just left at the door, one damaged the other okay. Maybe it's a COVID thing?

I sell equipment and use FedEx routinely to ship demos out.  One of them is essentially a 50lb egg in a 20x20x20 box.  There was not enough focus made to the tape on the bottom.  The customer confirmed the FedEx driver got it loaded onto the truck but all I got the next day was an empty box delivered.  There was a new piece of tape on the bottom at a diagonal.  Somewhere in their process the bottom flap opened and my $6000 piece of equipment was broken.  They said nothing!!  

I recently had a $15,000 piece of audio equipment shipped to my home from the mfg and their bottom flap had split 90% of the way.  The last inch on both sides was all that was left holding it together.  

I share to all so more focus is placed on bottom flaps.  We always are looking at the top and get it secured but all the force is on the bottom.  Roll those boxes over and secure it really really well!

Insure and hope for the best!

We have been shipping for over 4 decades and have seen the shipping companies change dramatically over the years. The shipping companies focus is now on quantity not quality and the pandemic has made it many times worse. It does not matter if it is UPS or FedEx or any other non commercial shipping company you are shooting craps when it comes to shipping fragile products. For the shipping companies it is all about speed ( and we all know speed kills) not protecting your shipment, you on the other hand want both. Here is how it works - You want to ship your 100 pound amplifier from New York to San Francisco in 3 days for less than a thousand dollars, lets say you do have the factory boxes that are mediocre at best and do not comply with the shipping companies requirements for packing but you send it off anyway how could anything go wrong? The shipping company will handle your package with kid gloves as it is transferred the half a dozen or more times from one transport vehicle to another because they know it is very valuable piece of equipment right? The reality of what happens to your equipment has been posted many times by former or current employees of all the shipping companies, bottom line it ain't nice. You can always file a damage claim if all goes wrong right? Yes that is true but don't expect to get your money unless (1) you packed it according to the companies packing guide lines. (2) You bought damage insurance. (3) You took pictures when you packed the unit. (4) The recipient took pictures of the damaged box before opening and the damaged unit after opening. (5) For any amount over $1,000.00 ( some times less) expect to take the shipper to court if you want your money.
It has gotten so bad during the pandemic that if we ship any high value items we either drive them across country ourselves or we build heavy wooden crates and strap them to an oak pallet with steel straps. Why? Many times pallets are stacked on top of each other to optimize the space inside the truck. Each year shipping damage seems to increase, we are not sure how the manufactures deal with all the shipping damage that occurs to their products every year.