UPS Driver Literally Drops Package with New Hana Umami Red

If you don't package an item expecting it to be dropped, then YOU have failed.  Seller passed.

Jerry

 Cartridges are fixed in place inside a larger usually rectangular container. Then too for shipping your cartridge was certainly double boxed. Did you ever see one of those videos where they’ve strapped delicate teacup into the bottom of a garbage pail or the like, and then thrown the container down a flight of stairs? There was no danger.

Nice clear video. 

@lewm It shipped with the Umami red retail packaging, which surrounds the cartridge with foam in a rectangular wooden box.  Then that retail box was wrapped with 3-4" of bubble wrap in a uline 8"x6"x4" box.  The packing material was tight.

What @lewm said. There is nothing to be alarmed unless you found stylus or any other internal parts were dislodged from the main body.

@lalitk Took a 20X loupe and visually inspected. Stylus still on the end of the cantilever, and cantilever still straight and attached. My main worry is the coil wire breaking, but the wire is extremely low mass so not a lot of force acting upon it, right?

I would not be alarmed at all. Any cartridge packaging I’ve ever seen should be able to handle that no problem, especially after packed for shipping with outer box. What kills cartridges dead is having a cleaning lady lol.

The coil wires look very delicate, but again it should take much more shock than this to sever them or disrupt the suspension.

@cbl117 

I wouldn’t worry about coil wire. For your piece of mind, share your concerns with your dealer and follow his advice. Should you find anything wrong with cart post installation, you have your dealer support and manufacture warranty for free replacement. 

@lalitk Copy.  I've reached out to my dealer too.  I wanted to get some opinions here as well.  I appreciate everyone's replies.  It is definitely helping to set my mind at ease.

The excellent packing will protect the cartridge and the minuscule mass of the tiny coil wire will not be effected at all. Chances are, it saw a lot worse in it's journey from factory to you.

If that porcelain teacup was not damaged during its trip down a flight of stairs whilst strapped in to a barrel or whatever, that cartridge was not even fazed by its 3-4 foot drop inside its confined and padded environment. Let’s imagine what that cartridge went through during its trip from Japan; the UPS guy dropping it on your doorstep was probably its gentlest trauma along the way.

I see that Dill and I are in complete agreement. For that matter, humans survive massively higher stresses when strapped in to support structures that are in turn fixed to the much larger mass of whatever is carrying them.  Like seatbelts.

Not to escape the obvious, but was this near $4K cartridge not shipped with signature-required?

A good shipper will know how boxes are treated, although I have had damage (loose connections) in quicksilver shipping boxes.

I would set it up and see how it is, if you decide there's an issue after demo you can file a claim. Although Fedex is the easiest to get reimbursement, I did have to argue with UPS for six months over $50.

I would send vid and a complaint to UPS NOW, so it will be in the system if you need to file a claim in the future.

T

Good luck filing a claim for damages with UPS, especially over an issue such as this one. 

I find UPS and FedEx do not ask for a signature even if the package is supposed to require one. This started as a reluctance to meet people in the pandemic but has continued as a way for the poor drivers to actually have a hope of finishing their route in the required time. The thing that bothers me most is that items are just left on the doorstep, even in pouring rain. Makes me nervous when a box has $4,000 worth of Quad speaker panels and there's just cardboard around them.

I’ll state the obvious.  You have only witnessed the last time that this UPS box was dropped.

Pack well, double-wrap, double-box, insure it, and always expect they will throw and drop it. We record it with cameras, and rarely do they ever set it down gently.

Any merchant or shipper who is not aware of this by now will hopefully learn in time.

Maybe the driver has a bad back.  Next time you see him kick him in the nuts and take his mind off of it.

Actually you should thank him as this will reduce the break-in time.

Those UPS,FEDEX, USPS, and Amazon delivery guys work very hard every day, often for much longer than 8 hours to meet a quota.  Give them some credit. This minor incident is being blown way out of proportion in my opinion.

Those UPS,FEDEX, USPS, and Amazon delivery guys work very hard every day, often for much longer than 8 hours to meet a quota. Give them some credit. This minor incident is being blown way out of proportion in my opinion.

Hear hear. They do a great job IMO, especially around here. In hundreds of audio transactions I’ve never seen any shipment (coming from or going to me) take damage as long as it was packed they way it SHOULD be.

Past proper packing, it’s not worthwhile to fixate or obsess about this stuff. You can go down a lot of OCD paths worrying about (say) large-ish solder-mounted capacitors in amps, air mounted parts in P2P, the fine grid wires & filaments rattling around in vacuum tubes (often tubes have some loose glass or mica debris that makes a nice rattle). Or how about components that ship with tubes in their sockets? That’s more far likely to get knocked out than a cartridge wire, and I’m still yet to see a problem with tube components shipped this way. I’ve never worried about a cartridge being dropped because (when packed properly) that’s not what kills them. It’s a waste of the carrier’s time to file a claim here.

What you see in that video is nothing compared to what goes on in the shipper warehouses. Stuff routinely drops from much greater heights.

I have a beautiful Quicksilver full function preamplifier that I have sold twice via Audiogon and which came back to me twice, both times because boutique capacitors that I had installed as very effective tweaks, to the benefit of the recipient, broke loose in shipping.  But I viewed these incidents as my fault for not having properly secured the capacitor bodies prior to shipping. I've re-installed the OEM capacitors, but I'm now apprehensive about shipping it again, though I do not blame the carrier. It's such a good sounding unit that I can justify keeping it for back-up, but it should be being used and enjoyed. Other than those incidents, I have never had a problem either sending or receiving audio electronics.

Looks like the general consensus is the cartridge should be fine. Changing gears just a bit; please give us your thoughts/ review of the cartridge once it's installed and you have listened awhile. As a Hana SL owner I have drooled over the Umami Red. 
 

Thanks to everyone who weighed in. The dealer responded with the same message and confirmed there is nothing to worry about. Let’s call this thread closed!

@valinar I can PM you my thoughts once installed. It will be several weeks as I’m waiting on my turntable and HRS platform to arrive. 

In Sept 2021 I was so excited when the UPS truck showed up with my new Sapphire M3 speakers. We lived on the side of a (not terribly steep, but steep enough) mountain and as I was walking up to the truck I saw the first speaker go sliding down the truck stairs and then go end over end once or twice. No damage. Clayton said that they packed them exactly with that in mind. Still....... wasn't the best part of that day.

I’ll bet they played football with it too at the warehouse before delivering it...they don't care about anyone's package.

Fedex drop (literally) shipped an Esoteric K-03X CD player (purchased via A-gon) from his shoulder onto the marble floor of the lobby.  I'd told the doorman to buzz me, as I needed to sign, which he did, but the Fedex dude was long gone, having forged my signature.  The doorman told me Fedex dude said, "I don't have time for that. If there's anything wrong with it he can send it back." I called Fedex, was routed to the local manager, that dude got fired.  Fortunately, the unit worked fine then and has for the last 6, 7 years.  A couple years before, a pair of Focal speakers arrived via Fedex from The Music Room with a hole punched in the side, damaging the speaker, both had had hard landings on their ends, the glass top on one smashed, the feet on the other splintered.  

Well, if it makes you feel better, the warehouse/hub guys were playing soccer with it, so the simple drop from waist high is the least of the G-forces it’s encountered.

🙄

I have respect for the few awesome drivers I've dealt with, but the fact that UPS doesn't back up their insurance claims for the lazy ones is what drives me mad. UPS needs to step up their quality or I'll be the first to jump on the next new shipper train that costs more, but takes care of issues. Screw UPS. 

@normb 

"Well, if it makes you feel better, the warehouse/hub guys were playing soccer with it, so the simple drop from waist high is the least of the G-forces it’s encountered."

+1 I was thinking something similar.  Just not as witty.  This is the shipping process that the OP saw.  What about what he didn't see?

For the record, our UPS driver/delivery person, Mike, is a great guy.  I was surprised to learn how established his social circle is.  When you, literally, meet everyone involved in a business along your route (and, are a nice guy) it would explain why you'd make a lot of friends.  I had a short conversation with him a couple of days ago.  He has 1 1/2 years left before he retires.  I asked if he would ever wear anything brown again.  "... chuckle."  Then, he dropped off the package.   No, not literally.  He placed it gently in my hand.

If it's packed correctly not a big deal. From working USPS years ago all packages get tossed from a belt to bag on the sorting line. Many time large heavy stuff ends up on top of your package marked fragile. You should always assume your packaged will get tossed about so pack securely and don't expect kid gloves.

I've bought and sent speakers, turntables,  amps, cartridges and records never a problem .

I have a beautiful Quicksilver full function preamplifier that I have sold twice via Audiogon and which came back to me twice, both times because boutique capacitors that I had installed as very effective tweaks, to the benefit of the recipient, broke loose in shipping. But I viewed these incidents as my fault for not having properly secured the capacitor bodies prior to shipping. I’ve re-installed the OEM capacitors, but I’m now apprehensive about shipping it again, though I do not blame the carrier. It’s such a good sounding unit that I can justify keeping it for back-up, but it should be being used and enjoyed. Other than those incidents, I have never had a problem either sending or receiving audio electronics.

@lewm  Yep at some threshold of capacitor size, they need to be strapped or bolted down (hot glue strikes me as too sloppy). The ARC Reference 6 / 6SE output caps (x4) are about at that point, but rather than strapping down they elected to dampen mechanical shock with foam inserted above and below the capacitors (axial leads). You only insert the foam for shipping, and remove before use. Always thought that was weird, but haven’t heard of any issues in transit I guess.

ALL electronics should be marked clearly on all sides of the package "FRAGILE - GLASS CONTENTS - DO NOT DROP"

When the drivers see "GLASS" they take notice.  Otherwise for all they know it is a book or t-shirt, etc.

Well i worked doing shipped for a stereo equipment distributor. Worked loading trucks in the old PO.Was a Claims adjuster for UPS...Good luck trying to put in a ckaim.Having a video will help ,but it was only dropped  about 18 in.

I did deliveries for Amazon and holiday help for UPS for a short amount of time. In both places at training, they always ask you to "treat every package like it's your own." I guess not many of the drivers follow that rule. 

ALL electronics should be marked clearly on all sides of the package "FRAGILE - GLASS CONTENTS - DO NOT DROP"

When the drivers see "GLASS" they take notice.  Otherwise for all they know it is a book or t-shirt, etc.

I really don't think they care about fragile stickers. I've never placed any stock in "fragile" stickers, and never used them unless they were already on a reused box. Glass has to be properly packed to be unphased by a modest drop, or any claim will be rejected on that basis, regardless of stickers. 

What I have been told is that (maybe) they take more care with packages insured over a threshold of about $900 - 1000. 

I just watched the video. It was dropped from about knee height, nothing egregious, or concerning to me. 53 posts later… Seriously?

Had a similar experience with FedEx.. 

 I just got my Acoustat TNT200 rebuilt and Monoblocked by Roy E. FedEx truck pulls on front of my house.  I'm outside waiting,  she slides the door open, reaches above her head ro grab the box. I watched it all before it happened.  I rushed down the path to her before she tried to bare the weight.  As she swings around, the box drops right to the ground....I opened the box, of course one of the corners was dented as well as a few large CAPS dis-lodging,  that sucked!!!!

Whenever I pack something for shipment, I pack it in such a way that it can survive an 8 foot drop onto a concrete floor.  Put that in your mind when you double box and pack things and you'll be good.

Every time I see this thread title, I cannot help wondering what damage might have been done of the UPS driver figuratively dropped the box containing the Hana Umami Red, which already sounds like an exotic Asian spice or illicit drug.  Or hypothetically dropped it.

At least the driver put the package behind something to shield it from thieves. It takes an extra  second  for a delivery person set the package down gently, but some people won't even do that. My UPS guy just sets my packages  down   wherever he pleases. Regardless. Cartridges  are the least likely to be damaged during transit. I worked at  Fedex for 20 years as a courier. Handled everyone's package as if it were my own. 

And you think that was the worst of the treatment your package received from point A to point B?

This probably applies little if at all, but as a reporter I toured a football helmet maker’s factory. They measure impact with an accelerometer inside a model “head.” They then dropped an 8-pound “head” with and without the helmet and measured the impact. I was astounded at what just an inch of foam padding inside the helmet shell did to reduce impact. So imagine what a tiny cart experiences inside that much bubble wrap. 

That drop is so nothing.  The driver didn't even wind up! 

Mulveling, Re my Quicksilver preamplifier, the problem was that the capacitors I installed were way larger than the original capacitors that were replaced.  Ergo, the upgraded capacitors simply could not fit securely where the originals were installed.  When I did the upgrade, it was for my own benefit and my own use. I then lived with the Q as the main preamplifier in my Beveridge system for a couple of years.  By the time I went to sell it, I had completely forgotten about the precarious way in which I had mounted those caps, which I could never have expected to withstand the rigors of shipping.  This is why I in no way blame the carrier for the fact that one of the two capacitors broke loose at one end.

If a carrier dropping a well-packaged component that ends up fine anyway burns your butt, then maybe you should consider supporting your local B&M dealer instead of buying online. Just a thought. :)

nothing else to worry about?

@dwette I buy from the dealer I trust, local or otherwise.  How do you know this didn't come from a local B&M dealer, and they drop shipped due to stock?  Just a thought :)

@stringreen I have plenty to worry about, and this was something I worried about until I resolved it a month ago. Nothing else better to do?

@cbl117 OK, so your dealer drop shipped the cartridge to you. I stand corrected.

It’s still not a big deal. Packages get dropped all the time, over the course of transit. It’s up to the shipper to package things appropriately. Most do.