2. misc-audio
  3. 159379-115924

Shipping. Hard Lesson.

I'm selling some high end audio gear for the estate of a relative who passed away. I've never done this before. I'm using C's List, eBay and A'gon. It has been a lot of work and not a lot of fun.

Tons of scammers on C's list but excellent experience selling to a local audiophile.

Got a sale pending here at A'gon. Not too bad.

One good experience on eBay.

But then the Bryston 9B SST2 amp sold on eBay. I had actually about decided to purchase it myself when it sold via eBay. Super nice, experienced buyer.

Took the amp to UPS. It weighs 65 pounds. Asked them to double box and was ready to pay the price but the clerk convinced me that there was no need. They would wrap it well and the box she chose was supposed to handle 85 pounds.

Well, it gets to the buyer and he sends me a picture and it looks like the box has rolled down a mountain. The handles are broken off of the amp and it is dinged all up. Have no idea if it works or not. I'm not sure double boxing would have mattered in this case.

We insured it for the price paid. Buyer was very understanding but disappointed of course. I will get paid (by UPS) what I was going to get paid anyway but both the buyer and I commiserated over a fine piece of equipment destroyed. Or at least marred.

Anyway, sorry about the long sad sop story but I will probably have other gear to ship in the near future possible even the gorgeous Aerial Acoustics 5Ts which, even thought they are bookshelf speakers, are large and heavy.

So all of this is basically to ask: Who do you use for shipping large heavy delicate audio gear?
n80

Showing 3 responses by cleeds

cleeds
6,070 posts
 
djones51
Read your contract you might have agreed to arbitration.
Good point. Please note that in many states, mandatory arbitration doesn't apply if you're willing to pursue resolution through small claims court.
cleeds
6,070 posts
 
n80
Update: UPS is giving us the run around. They filed the claim on Aug 14. They have the damaged amp back in the local UPS store. They said we’d have a decision and a check within 10 days. We checked back several times after the 10 day mark and were told that they were waiting for the higher-ups to make a decision. Today (17 days after the claim was filed) they are saying the same thing ... Does anyone know if this sort of thing can be handled in small claims court?
Yes, it most certainly can. Small claims courts (they go by other names in some states) usually have a limit for damages - it’s $3,000 where I live. With proper documentation and preparation, I have found small claims court to be an excellent avenue for resolution; I’ve successfully relied on it several times over the years.
cleeds
6,070 posts
 
If you rely on shipping for your electronics, sooner or later you’re going to suffer damage or loss. It’s inevitable regardless of which carriers you choose to use. Here are some tips that have worked for me.

First, document everything, including having an original receipt for the item you’re shipping. Take photos of the item before packaging it. Ideally, ship only in original factory cartons; take pics that show the item was properly packed. Insure the item for its replacement value. (Don’t whine about the cost of the insurance - you signed on for that when you first purchased the component.)

Carriers do pay on damage claims but they don’t make it easy. You’ve got to have solid documentation.
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