SHIPPING speakers?
Y’all, HOW do you ship speakers that you have sold?
I just a like-new pair of Vandersteen Treo CTs to replace my super clean Vandy 2CEs. The DILEMMA is shipping them! I have listed them online, and got a query from WI who asked me to check on shipping them from here in WA. I called Vandersteen and they say they ship all their speakers strapped to pallets, with the boxes in vertical orientation. They use freight companies including FedEx Freight, but told me nightmare stories of speakers getting damaged in transit, including a new pair of Sevens ($70K) that a forklift driver punched a hole through with the fork on his machine. WTH? They said that their price increases in the last 2 years are in large part because of big increases in shipping costs.
I called FedEx, and was told that the closest freight office is 2 hours from me, and the speakers have to be dropped off already on a pallet, ready to go. That’s 200 lbs of speakers! I have no way to do this—no van or pickup truck, nor a forklift. Plus, I can imagine that if something goes wrong and the speakers are damaged, they will weasel out of it saying that I packed them on the pallet and surely didn’t do it correctly.
I got a freight quote online from another LTL freight company and it was $800! For a $2200 pair of speakers. So, I am trying to sell them locally, within a 4-5 hour drive (I will deliver or meet halfway).
I don’t ship gear often, especially speakers, and it’s a real hassle for larger speakers. Someone I know who builds great amps etc (you’d know his name) bought a used pair of big Borresens (250 lbs each iirc) and rented a van and drove from the Midwest to TX to get them, because shipping was going to be a small fortune.
Thanks.
Sell inexpensive speakers locally. Reading the other reply, seems they are only 60 lbs and of reasonable size. I would just pack them up and ship them with UPS or Fedex. I guess you don't have the original boxes. You can take them to a UPS store and they will pack them for you. It won't be cheap but less than freight. Jerry |
@tomcarr I used to get my mail at a UPS store. So I was there most every day and watched them pack a lot of pacages. None for me as I do my own. What I saw was mostly overkill. they used larger boxes and more bubble wrap/packing materials that I would have. that pack it while you wait with you watching. They charge for all the material so the more they use, the more money they make. They only lose money if it breaks so they are very conservative in their packing choices. They aren't cheap. Add to the cost of packaging the fact that they charge full retail for shipping, not the discounted rate you get when you package it yourself. If I packed these speakers up I would expect to be able to ship them myself for about $200. Take it tot he UPS store and you'll probably pay 4-500. That is my observations from real world experience. jerry |
