The Steel Guitar Forum

I just called Fed Ex about shipping a Twin and I was told that the max insurance was $500.00.
I have eaten a twin that was improperly packed, and shipped with UPS..
They will accept anything and sell you the insurance but then good luck unless it's new manufacture.
I like to let them pack it and prefer not to ship if possible.

Ken

Two arms? check
Two legs? check
breathing? check
You're hired!

I know! I've delivered packages for both Fedex Home Delivery and UPS. I've also tossed the boxes around for 2.5 years at a major hub facility.

With the continuous push for speed, speed, speed, carefull handling of packages is unheard of. The best insurance is over-packing! As for the steel rods in a tube, I'd have taped them securely to a 1 x 4 and then packed the entire thing in a custom made, triangular cardboard 'tube' (like the companies give to shippers!) If it would fit, I'd save the trouble of a custom box and use one of the freebies. But then, the rods poking out the ends is a frequent problem. Stuff the ends with 3-4" wadded newspaper!

As for a 'tough' delivery, yes, multiple cities and streets with the same name could be a major problem...especially if two or more delivery routes are involved...one driver doesn't know about the existence of the other city with the same name street, etc...

As a delivery driver, I've had to deal with the same town, same street name, one block apart, and only the house numbers differentiate which 'segment' of street the house is on...that was a 15 minute 'lesson'...the hard way (Monson, MA). Maps frequently show streets that were never built, connections that don't go through, etc (Palmer, MA). Add to that, one zip code, 4 towns, and "Main St" in each of the towns, as well as a dozen or so other duplicated street names! The only differentiation was the house number 'range' (01069 = Palmer, Thorndike, Three Rivers and Bondsville, MA). Another lesson learned the hard way! And, my favorite...a gravel street that starts 50-60' down a private residential driveway (Palmer strikes again!)

When one driver moves to another route or job, the newbie has to learn all the lessons over again. Refer to the list at the top for basic qualifications.

Just got a Show Bud in today that was sent from Ar. It was boxed by a UPS store. You would think those idiots would know better than to just put it in a cardboard box so thin the tree is still alive. Well they busted the heck out of the case which was in mint condition. Blew out one end and the divinder between the pedals and guitar was busted in half. Just plain lucky the guitar survived. Now lets see how their insurance works.

Whoever took it to the UPS store to box should know better. I've shipped a few steels and never had a problem but I box it myself and have found a few things that work well. Also, I use an 88 note keyboard box to ship it in. It's longer but if it falls on the end it needs to go through about 10 inches of rigid foam to get to the case.

Whenever I ship a pedal steel, i always put a couple of 2x4 blocks in the leg compartment to strengthen it.

UPS will babysit a shipped item if it is insured for $5000 or more. They auctually handle with care while being observed whenever the item is moved. $50 worth of insurance Sounds cheap for a high priced guitar. Who repairs broken cases?

Tony Glassman wrote: Funny! I've had just the opposite experience with FedEx being the better of the two.

I'm with you. I've shipped with FedEx 10 years and have never had but 1 problem, and they made it right. I've compared with UPS/DHL/USPS and FedEx always comes out on the cheaper end too.

You guys are scaring the hell out of me. I just shipped my Desert Rose via FedEx to Florida, to the guy that bought it. I've never had a problem with FedEx before, and I really hope I don't have one now.

What's really funny, is that Chuck Back (owner/builder of the Desert Rose Steels) ships everything by FedEx, and has never had a problem with losses or damage. But the one time he used UPS, they distroyed a body for him, admitting that they had run over it with a forklift.... All the packing he does is; In the case, then in a box, ship...!

Thanks for letting me say whatever I just said..?

Here are a few pictures of FEDEX shipping. I had FEDEX to pack and ship for me. I paid extra for them to pack it. The guitar was opened and inspected BEFORE they packed it at FEDEX. I'll keep you posted on the outcome. I only had a declared value on it of $2,800.00. I wasn't out to take advantage of anyone. FEDEX charged me extra for the declared value. The manager on my end saw the pictures and said that the claim should go in my favor. We'll see. The pictures are of the box damage and the packing material that FEDEX used. The case is out of alignment roughly 1/2 inch, and it appears that the steel is also. No sound from the steel at all. Electronics seem to be disconnected.

Have you ever used Greyhound?cheap but takes a day or so longer...
CM

my new Simmons SD-10 is due to arrive in the morning
it was shipped Fed Ex... will post on the condition it arrives in

Fedex called me this morning with a pick-up number. It seems that FEDEX is going to pick up my PSG in Indiana and ship it to their claims department in Pennsylvania. They first were calling about a pick-up for 7,500 pounds, and 1,100 packages. When it finally got straight, someone at FEDEX put the wrong information in the wrong spot. Turns out to be a pick up of 75 pounds and to be picked up at 11:00 am. I hope this is not the start of a lot of other mix-ups. I'll let you know. In the mean time, if anyone else has any pointers and/or tips about shipping, and claims, please let me know. Thanks

FEDEX just called me. They were at the location where the damaged PSG and packaging are located, BUT, this FEDEX is "FEDEX EXPRESS", and because I shipped it with "FEDEX GROUND", "FEDEX GROUND" will have to come back tomorrow to make the claim report, because these are two entirely different sections within FEDEX. Now, instead of sending the PSG to Philadelphia, the FEDEX claims department, they are going to ship it back to me in Johnson City, Tennessee, to the FEDEX store that I shipped it from. The "FEDEX GROUND" agent will go by tomorrow and make a written report on the claim, ship the PSG back to me in Tennessee, and I should have an answer in 5-7 days about the claim. I'll let you know!! Thanks

Here are a few pointers from the FEDEX web site:

http://www.fedex.com/us/services/terms/us.html

Please click on the section called Declared Value and Limits of Liability
(Not Insurance Coverage) section # 11

I think it can save everyone a lot of trouble, and heartache.
I am just trying to pass on some information that may be helpful in the future

update :

my new guitar arrived without a scratch, did not even need to tune it

I spent every week night for 5 years flying fed-ex frieght. The thought of sending a guitar now scares me to death. If youve seen what "THE SORT" looks like in Memphis youd understand.. The USPS cant seem to get my books and DVDs delivered intact either. Iam sending out many replacement DVDs, and a few books too..
IF the guitar is insured and they pay-off, which they probably wont...They KEEP the instrument.
They will NOT even give it back to you and pay for the repair.
They will no longer (From Dallas anyway) even accept a GUITAR for shipment that is worth more than 200.00
The only other option becomes shipping it on the airlines...OMG did I say that?...I have this vivid image of a guy throwing...I MEAN THROWING my vintage Fender Amp onto a conveyor...Which it promptly fell off of...Had to buy another...IN EUROPE...Cost me a fortune...What are we the consumer to do?...What has happened to CUSTOMER SERVICE?....

When at all possible I ship USPS. The only problem I ever had with UPS or FedEx was one time when an amp I sold to a customer in NYC was refused and was supposed to be returned to me. UPS then "lost" it somewhere in their NYC hubs (can you say "pawn shop"?). They ultimately paid me the 600 it was insured for, but they challenged me on its value... until I asserted by my letterhead and sales/shipping records that I was, in fact, an instrument dealer. It took 3 months to get the bread.

I just sent a Stringmaster to Canada by USPS. The most I could insure it for was $675.00 I don't know if this is the new USPS policy, or whether it applies to shipments in foreign countries, or what. The instrument arrived safely to its happy owner.

When I sold two vintage Emmonses and two vintage Standel amps to a collector, I insisted on overnight delivery, and he paid the extremely high price for such delivery... over $2500 for 4 one-of-a-kind pieces! I also supervised the packing of these instruments by the UPS store, owned by friends of mine. It took 2 hours to pack these things.

First, everything that could move in the cases or the amps was packed solid with bubble wrap so there was no movement whatsoever. Then, each piece was surrounded by 4 inches/layers all around of bubble wrap, then surrounded by styrofoam sheets. Then placed in new cardboard boxes. Then shipped Overnight Delivery. I think when you ship Overnight, the carriers might take it a little more seriously... at least the merch is in Harm's Way for a shorter period of time.

They arrived in wonderful shape, but that's what you have to do with vintage stuff. It's VERY expensive. When I bought my Bigsby, I paid for overnight, which added 500 bucks to the cost. But you do what you gotta do. It's easier to find 500 bucks than it is to find a Bigsby guitar.

FEDEX GROUND picked up the PSG this morning. They did not inspect it. They just picked it up and they are sending it to the local FEDEX store here in Johnson City, Tennessee. When it arrives in Johnson City, that is when it will be inspected, or so I'm told. I went to the Johnson City FEDEX store today and spoke with the manager. He told me that he would inspect it and then he would call me to come to the store. He asked me what a pedal steel guitar was, because he didn't know. I just don't see how he can inspect it and see if it works or what damage is done to it, if he doesn"t even know what one is. I guess I'll find out when it gets back here. Thanks again.

Well, I got the steel back this evening at about 6:10pm. FEDEX denied the claim. They did not deny that is was damaged in shipping, but they denied the claim because I did not send in a quote on what it would cost to have the steel replaced. I found this out by calling FEDEX claims and asking them what the next step was. They told me what I needed to fax to them, and I faxed the required paperwork, so I'll know more about this on Monday. After speaking with FEDEX claims, I feel pretty good about this, but I won't know for sure until Monday, 06-15-09.
I did figure this part out.
1) I will pay extra for FEDEX to pack, wrap and ship for me.
2) I will keep all paperwork about the package, replacement cost quotes, original paperwork of the original price, etc.
3) I will have the customer on the receiving end to take pictures BEFORE they open the package.
4) Keep all packaging and wrapping material.
5) Pay for the FULL amount of replacement cost of "DECLARED VALUE", since this is NOT insurance.
6) From this point forward, if I can't trade in person, I won't trade or sell or purchase if I have to ship.

I paid $107.00 in packing, shipping and "DECLARED VALUE" and if I had taken it in a car myself, it would probably cost less than the $107.00.

I am tired, I think I'll go to bed.

I don't trust the stores at UPS or Fedex to pack anything.I shipped a vintage Fender Twin to California. The buyer was a music store and had an account with UPS and Fedex.He wanted the amp shipped by UPS. I offered to remove the speaker and tubes and ship them separate. He said to just have the store pack it. I took it to a UPS store and they packed it in about ten minutes. They didn't even remove the casters. The amp arrived severly damaged. The transfomer was loose and laying in the bottom of the cabinet. The cabinet was damaged beyond repair.
The tubes were all shot. He filed the claim as it was his account that was the shipper.

I had a FedEx account. They have a hub just a few miles from me. I package all my stuff myself and deliver it to the hub. Had great luck with FedEx and their delivery time is faster than brown. [Recent items were delivered to and from here in just a day or 2 ground ship, where UPS takes at least 7.]

Never had a problem with them. Having said that, I once took a resonator guitar in the case to this hub to get a quote on shipping to Europe. When she told me what the cost would be, I asked if the quote was with my packaging or theirs. She said something like "You want packaging?" I guess they were going to throw it on the truck/plane/ship in the case.

I spend several hours packaging, wrapping and double boxing heavy items like guitars, amps and pro audio gear. Pack tightly using styrofoam sheeting next to the items and between the layers so that it can't move around. It's a lot of trouble and takes a long time, but it's worth not having to file a damage claim.

OTOH, the last 2 claims I had with brown were denied, just changing and making up reasons as they went along when confronted about their denials.

I never use them and always ask a seller to use FedEx or USPS when buying an item.

For unique, very expensive, vintage or irreplaceable items, you're really better off to deliver it yourself if possible or meet someone halfway. It's a crapshoot otherwise.

I hope your situation is settled shortly Gary.

I saw a thirty minute documentary on History Channel the other night, featuring an inside look at FedEX. They shipped an overnight letter, small package and an oversized package. The big one was an expensive
telescope.

Now, I saw right there on television, how very careful the FedEx staff was in placing the trombone size telescope on the conveyor, on and off, etc., and it appears there is absolutely no way a property could be damaged in their system.It's fully automated and goes up and down thro'out their multi-acre facility at a rapid rate of speed thereby minimizing any human errors that could result in damage.

I'm sure this was an unrehearsed example of what great personal service your package will receive from their dedicated and professional staff. I saw it on national television, so it has to be true, doesn't it. Why they even had a movie awhile back starring TOM HANKS........and after he was stranded on an isolated mid-ocean island, he was so commited he delivered the express mail package personally following his return to the mainland. Anybody see it? How could anyone believe for even a nanno second, that all of this full color video could be anything less than the truth? You guys sound biased.

Ray,
I saw that movie and really liked it.
It was very enjoyable.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009-
I received my letter about my claim. It had been denied, but I started a letter writing and email campaign, and now it has been re-opened and in a "review" status for the last two days. The letter that I received stated that there was no visible damage on the container and no damage on the contents. Luckily I've got pictures of the container and the contents to prove the damage. This inspector had to be blind not to see the damage. We'll wait and see the results of this. Thanks, Gary