2. misc-audio
  3. 994849371

Dont Ship UPS, Marantz tuner DOA

In reference to package id 1z1x42720301503488
I am very disapointed with the way UPS handled a stero tuner shipment to me. The unit was packed with bubble wrap and styraform peanuts in a heavy cardboard box, for shipment from NY to NJ (7 hours by car).
The appears to have been dropped with such force that the knobs actually pierced the cardboard container and the steel faceplate was bent. Also side of the box was ripped wide open, but at least someone had the sense to stick it in another box along the way (WITH NO ADDITIONAL PACKING), peanuts spilling out of the original box.

I have heard of such horror stories before and now it has happended to me.

I will never use UPS again and will go back to using FedEx as others have advised me in the past.
joegio
glreno
224 posts
 
My experience is that UPS damages packages more frequently than FEDEX, but handles the claims better. FEDEX routinely denies claims that UPS pays without a fight. The problem is that UPS is more likely to damage your package. A friend of mine had two amplifiers shipped to him from different locations within weeks of each other. Both were totally destroyed in shipping. Then he shipped some amp stands using UPS. The buyer refused the delivery. When he got them back, only a small portion of the box remained. It used to be, and may still be, that UPS drivers were allowed to roll heavy boxes end over end to get them in and out of there truck instead of using a dolly. I had a pair of Mirage OM-6 speakers delivered to me that way. I was horrified to see the driver rolling this box to my door. When I confronted him about it, he explained what their rules are. The box was destroyed, and one speaker was slightly damaged. I try to use FEDEX because they have never damaged anything I have shipped. But I don't trust them to make good on an insurance claim if and when the time comes. Bax Global is very good, especially with heavy items and shipping internationally.
dmk
16 posts
 
The fact is that ALL shipping companies have rules about how something is packed. I try to overpack my stuff as much as possible and use the original cartons. Sometimes it isn't possible due to lack of space but when it is, I pack so that Godzilla couldn't break it if he stepped on it.
Think the drivers, packers and movers care about your stuff? Think again! These folks are under TIME constraints i.e get it to you as fast as possible and don't worry about damage. What was that Jim Carrey movie where he posed as the UPS guy? It was funny because it was a satire of something that actually happens, albeit not as obviously.

Protect yourself and pack carefully. Double box when you can but also put some bubble wrap between boxes. As someone said above, peanuts can shift. Use them only when space constraints restrict bubble wrap.
punkavenger
5 posts
 
I just received a beautiful Marantz 2265 (NYC to Cali) shipped USPS that was just wrapped with one layer of bubble wrap and put in a old box with no ther packing material. Lots of tape on the outside of the box though. ( Like that was a big help  :) )
Anyway I was horrified when it arrived as I specifically had gone over double box packing instructions with the seller. God must be a fan of Marantz as it arrived in perfect shape with no damage. Whew!
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
So glad to read of that result. I had a seller of a mint 2325 with original wood cabinet do the same but with a vastly different outcome. He took it in the shorts, but that did not rectify the sin IMO.

I predict that the really good vintage gear will continue to appreciate as exemplars are perpetually destroyed by clueless sellers with the complicity of UPS, etc.
 
Dave 
minorl
1,016 posts
 

I personally haven't had any problems with UPS.  However, this is a perfect example of why one should keep the original manufacturer's packaging.

I fortunately have a garage where I have installed large shelving all around the garage where I store all my equipment boxes with the internal packaging.

The box can take a beating, but seriously, that is the purpose of the box and packaging in the first place.  To protect the component.

Also, any loose item, such as a remote, power cord, etc. should be bubble rapped and placed in such a way that it could not move around.

Audio Research ships their amps with the tubes in foam surround and that itself is actually stuffed inside the amp.  Smart.  it can't move around at all.

I purchased a vintage Pioneer turntable for my Daughter (yes, she loves albums).  It arrived damaged.  The seller didn't take into account that the metal platter could actually come off.  It did.  It destroyed the cartridge and the tonearm clamp.  I managed to find a replacement cartridge and vintage tonearm clamp. you can actually find just about any vintage part for pioneer gear.

The seller was a very nice person and was absolutely embarrassed when I told him what happened.  He actually credited me the price for all the broken items. 

He just didn't think that the platter could come off. Honest mistake and lesson learned.

It arrived via UPS, but this absolutely wasn't UPS' fault.

enjoy

More to discover