A simple request---Please pack audio gear well.

Just power it up without making a connection. I had the same problem with a Classe DR-9 amp many years ago worked fine I just went down to my maintenance shop and had them bend it back.

Double check on the UPS angle. Last I read on these respected pages, the UPS stores are individually owned and operated - there is no uniform standard for packing or charges.

More important is that once you turn your precious toys over to the UPS store, they become the shipper. So filing and collecting a claim is between the UPS franchisee and UPS.... hmmm

In the you are kidding department - I just spent four months chasing FedEx to pay up their minimum insurance ($100) on a package that they simply lost - yet the burden of proof lay on me.

More then anything, the long term success of this hobby requires a third party insurer who will sell riders and honor claims. Be nice to see Audiogon take the lead on this, plenty of money to be made!

My earlier question about who paid for the shipping costs goes to the point of "you get what you pay for". If how the item is packed is important to you, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't, then you should be very precise in your purchase offer to specify your requirements and may be even go so far as to back it up with dollars. Sure it's the seller's responsibility to adequately pack the item, but as a buyer do you only want an adequately packed item? Again, if it's important, then specify in detail and pay for it.

. . . an excellent point, and I think this approach is necessary because we've seen that few sellers bother with attention to standards such as those published on the site. I've purchased from sellers with extensive + feedback who shipped items with entirely inadequate packaging. It was left to me to wait for settlement of claims.

Regarding UPS packaging - I've received several shipments packed by ups stores and NONE of them were packaged adequately to withstand UPS's normal handling. They used bubble wrap for a 70 lb Rel subwoofer for cryin out loud! There are only 2 shipments that were packaged by a UPS store that didn't sustain some damage. 2 others were total losses. In one case (Rega Speakers) I asked the seller to ensure the packaging was "bullet-proof". He had the UPS store "add some extra padding" to the original mfg shippping cartons. UPS tossed in some peanuts and bubble wrap (literally tossed, and it was not enough to fill the box even half way). Those speakers arived damaged because the mfg carton was pretty worn down and had too much give.
you cannot use bubble wrap or peanuts for amplifiers and speakers!! This is how heatsinks and face plates get bent. You also can't ship in single wall boxes - which apparently is all the UPS stores stock.

One thing I do to assess what kind of attention a seller will give to packaging is to read the feedback comments. If there are are comments like "great packaging" from most buyers, I'm usually comfortable. If not, I spend a good deal of time specifying the kind of packaging I expect.

OK, you folks are making me nervous. I am waiting on my brand new KCT to arrive, but it is stuck on a UPS plane in BF USA.
"Exception due to weather" is their holdup. It is aledgedly double boxed as told by the seller. Hopefully UPS has the screen door closed on the cargo hatch and they are not using it for a step stool while they finsih loading the plane with anvils. Aarrrrgh...
-John

awhile back i bought an equipment rack with a beautiful (but very heavy) corian top. the seller had fedex come over to his home to pack the item up, but they simply dumped a huge amount of peanuts (which filled up 2/3) of a huge box and put the corian top (which may have been in a plastic bag for protection!) in with the iron-framed rack.
the box was sturdy enough, but the top should have been boxed separately (as the seller intimated it needed to be). when i unpacked this beast the FRONT corner of the corian was chipped off. however, there was NO WAY i was going to get this thing back INTO the box and send it back. the seller agreed to file a claim, but instead he gave me a further discount. so, after picking up the last of the 3000 or so peanuts (!!) i carefully glued the chipped piece back into place, and the rack, which fits perfectly where i wanted it to go, has real oak panels, and a top which rivals marble or granite. but i hope that other buyers can learn from my experience.