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.
@bjesien re "Heavy speakers really are a pain but normally worth it until you sell."
YES! And that’s why I don’t change speakers often. If I had bought the Treos new, I would have traded in the old ones (but for less than I can sell them privately). If I ever have a next pair of speakers, they might be stand mount monitors, for this reason. |
@tomcarr - I think you're right. |
FWIW: I will only ship them the way that Vandersteen does when they ship to dealers: In their original boxes (which I have), strapped to a pallet so they are shipped upright. Any other way is too great a risk for damage (which is quite common), and as far as I know, only a freight shipper will do this. FedEx ground will not, but FedEx Freight will, and I already described the problem with that. Other shippers are too much $$. |
@pdreher re "I'd be careful shipping large heavy speakers without a pallet. It's not a problem, until it is" I know. You pays yer money and takes yer chances, right? I'll let the prospective buyer decide. I have requested a quote from TMR too. |
@lonemountain re "Pallet Freight is the only way to do larger/heavier speaker, especially anything that is floor standing. I highly recommend to have anything large or heavy crated." |
Re: "FedX ground does not take pallets" - CORRECT! I misspoke. I was talking about FedEx Freight and I spoke to them several times. Unfortunately, their closest outlet to me for them was two and a half hours away. |
