how do you ship?

I always ship Federal Express Two day service and NEVER ship Federal Express Ground. I also overpack my package to include double boxing and padding. I have a Federal Express account and have never had an insurance limit imposed. I also track my package online to ensure its current location and its safe delivery.

"it just goes to show that in shipping as in other businesses the individual relationships are at least as important as the company you deal with.you got that right."

You got that right, brother! Or sister!
Its the human element that's so unpredictable. Which as Vanermulen says, "makes it a coin toss".

Tvad, you are wrong about FedEx honoring statements by their employees. Once they disowned one of their stores saying that the store was the insurer. I took them into small claims court which really is protect businesses court. Another time with a turntable that was damaged which had been inspected by the FedEx agent, they dismissed him, saying that the packing was not adequate. They did ultimately honor my claim and paid for the repairs.

I just cannot imagine that you would think they would honor statements by their employees.

Interesting thread. I recently shipped a pair of Acoustic Zen Adagios from Honolulu to my sister in Seattle. I went to Fedex simply because the Kinkos/Fedex office is open 24 hours and has a convenient parking lot compared to the nearby UPS depots. I was told about the $500 limit on ground shipments (yes, there is "ground" service between the mainland and Hawaii, for both Fedex and UPS) and ended up using 2-day air to ship. Additionally, the Fedex staff insisted on opening the boxes and examinig the speakers before OKing the shipment with insurance ($4000 in this case). Strange how variable their policy (or at least its implementaion) is.

As for deliveries I greatly prefer Fedex. I have gear shipped to my office since the staff is there during business hours to accept and sign for deliveries. Important since residential deliver drivers from both companies have left packages at my front door or in my carport when deliveries were made to my home. More importantly, my staff has a good relationship with the Fedex driver whose route includes their address, so the deliveries are always handled well. In contrast, the UPS man has delivered boxes to the wrong address (next door) and sometimes left boxes at the front door or side of the building without getting a sig. Just lucky the staff noticed the merchandise before the boxes "grew legs." I guess it just goes to show that in shipping as in other businesses the individual relationships are at least as important as the company you deal with.

Here's some insight into what happens to your UPS package. Swamp, you are right about the sorting - those packages go through miles of conveyors sometimes and they are well above hard floors in a warehouse. That said, I've had terrible experiences with drivers with FedexGround handling packages poorly right at my door. Not all, but quite a few. Never happened with Express or USPS Priority (my personal favorite). UPS has been a mixed bag for me but largely I've had pretty good luck with them.

Vanermuelen- good point about limiting handling by p/u or deliver to station. HOwever, UPS and Fedex (and probably others) both use high speed, computerized sorting facilities with multiple elevations of conveyors. Occasionally, a box falls off a conveyor and falls to the floor. IMO, and its just MO, that's where most of the damage occurs. But the idea of p/u and delivery to their central station will remove the local driver/contractor from the equation.
Tvad- Thx, good tip. I'll look into Team Worldwide.

It really is a flip of the coin isn't it? The bottom line is what does it take to get from point A to point B with the least amount of hands on. Deliver the package to the location as often as possible. Yes, it is a pain...but you subtract handling from the truck to the center. Ask the party to pick up also from the center if possible (though policies differ here). And visa versa for items sent to you. Eliminating variable in any situations will always decrease risk. Still a flip of the coin at the end of it all.

For those of you who have a business or access to someone who does, set up an acct w DB Schencker aka BAX Global. I shipped a 120 lb sub to Houston, second day standard (couldn't use their economy service due to high value). They picked it up yesterday at 5 PM here on the east coast,and it was delivered in Houston TODAY by 3 PM eastern time. Total cost was about 30-40% less than either FEDEX or UPS GROUND, which was posted as 3-4 days. And they picked it up @ no charge. YMMV, but I've always been happy w their service

Tvad, do you really suppose that FedEx would honor the misstatements of its employees and pay a claim?

I must say that about five years ago I wrote off UPS. All they talk about is the "shock in their system" as an excuse for the damage they inflict. I have preferred to use FedEx Ground over even FedEx for the simple reason that my packages, even heavy amps, arrive undamaged. I get stuff shipped by FedEx Ground that looks like it has not ever been shipped.

I have had two badly damaged shipments through FedEx Ground. One was Room Lens that they literally destroyed, not that the shipping cartons are very good. They paid full value and returned the damage pieces to me not that I wanted them. The second was a Loricraft 501 turntable. It was shipped as Europeans can get away with packaging. They would only pay for repairs and Loricraft was very good in doing so.

Don't get me talking about having things packed in either UPS or FedEx stores. These minimum wage people are told find a big enough box, insert the item, and fill with peanuts–absolutely worthless!

again to clarify, i made it very clear i was sending 2nd day air from chicago to new york.

UPS, no other. Fedex ground is danageous. Not only do they rough handle the packages, an insurance claim will never be paid if the item is damaged, especially if the item was not shipped in the original manufactuerers packing materials and boxes. UPS has insured values, not value declarations. UPS claims process is easy on your time. They pick up the item the next day and either pay the claim to the shipper, or ship the item back to the shipper at no cost to you. If you paid by PayPal they refund your money with UPS proof that the shipper got the item back. The one and only Fedex Ground claim I had took six month to get paid and it was for a $65 item.

Grant - I tried posting the same info yesterday but I guess you beat me to it. The caveat is that the link is to FedexExpress terms. I could not find anywhere in there which gives the terms for FedexGround and it is nearly impossible to find on the Ground website - I gave up. I think the best I could find was to consult the FedexGround terms of service, which I could not find a link to for lack of further trying. Here's some further input on the subject - just a random few from other chat sites complaining about FedexGround coverage, or lack thereof.

Some further input.

This thread echo's the $100 coverage limit.

More input supporting the same B.S.

Wait a minute, are we talking Fedex, or Fedex Ground? The two companies, though having the same name, are managed and run entirely different from each other. I thought you were talking about Fedex (the air shipping company). If you are talking Fedex Ground, all bets are off. Let me be polite - those fu&*ers could break an anvil crated and strapped to a pallet!!! I've never had as many bad experiences with any one single shipping company as I have with FedexGround. I'm surprised Fedex would let their name be soiled by incompetent employees and management as has been demonstrated in my own experiences. i understand, some folks have been fortunate, but that has not been my experience, either as a shipper or on the receiving end. Sorry I didn't read the OP more carefully, but the description of the way the package was handled would have clued me in. It was Fedex (air) that I insured the package I mentioned earlier with. I have no idea what the insurance policies of FedexGround are, and don't really give a rats ass either as insurance with them is utterly worthless. Can you tell I don't like them!!!???

here is what i was told at kinko's - i later verified this from fedex (the real one). you cannot insure stereo equipment (or much of anything else apparently). fedex automatically insures everything up to $500 and apparently is liable under some circumstances up to $1000. apparently there are very rare exceptions to the no insurance rule, but stereo doesn't apply. i was told that if you have a shipping account you can insure up to something like $10K. when they ask you for a 'declared value' you are only doing that - declaring a value. it is NOT being insured for that amount which seems to me to be kind of a scam. apparently this policy has been around for a long time - it is NOT new and has nothing to do with kinko's.

Tvad,

"Just imagine if your open heart surgery was being OK'd and shepherded by a US gov't civil servant."

That is just too funny!

Wait a minute, ...... OMG!
:-(

To ship items over 500 dollars and have them fully insured, you have to either have it picked up by fedex or deliver it to a Fedex location, not a fedex/kinkos or an authorized place, but a fedex only store.

Hmmmm...yesterday I dropped off a box at Kinko's for overnight delivery insured for $2500. The clerk confirmed the insured amount, and it was shipped with $2500 of insurance, no questions asked.

To ship items over 500 dollars and have them fully insured, you have to either have it picked up by fedex or deliver it to a Fedex location, not a fedex/kinkos or an authorized place, but a fedex only store.

I just shipped an amp and pre amp by FedEx ground last Friday and insured the amp fro 2000 and the preamp for 1500 so I am not sure were that is coming from. I have an account but not sure that means anything?

I just sold an amp and tried to ship via FEDEX GROUND yesterday, (that's the way the buyer had asked for) and was told the same thing. The only way that FEDEX would take it and insure it for more, was to send it by FEDEX AIR and this would have cost me $150! UPS was less than half of that, so that's the way I shipped. I know that this has been discussed ad nausem, but I have had excellent results with UPS and have shipped hundreds of items.