One BIG no no is never just wrap a big amp(or any heavy piece of equipment) in just bubble wrap. The first time it’s dropped all the bubble wrap pops and your protection is gone.
I worked at an audio company for many years where we’d get in units to be repaired. We’d go through great pains to describe how to pack equipment when sending it in. Use hard foam insulation cut to brace the unit and double box it. There was always someone that didn’t want to go through the work and cost of doing it right and would bubble wrap an 80 or 100 pound amplifier and stuff it in a barely adequate box. The first time UPS or FedX drops it all the bubble wrap pops and it’s down hill from there. We’d get the box with the face plate or binding posts sticking through the side of the box all bent up. The delivery companies will many times claim insufficient packing and not want to pay for damages. The customer would almost be in tears when you tell them it will takes several hundred dollars to repair the shipping damage little lone what they sent it in for. And the chassis will never look the same.
We’ve actually had customers say they saw the FedX or UPS truck pull up to they’re house and roll a 100 pound amp box off the back of the truck dropping it all the way to the ground. The customers response was to decline delivery in most cases.
What the ship just happened?
Needing a small, but dependable 2-channel amp, I saw one from ATI (AT 602) listed on Audiogon last week. The seller accepted my offer and I was confident things would go well due to his positive feedback. The amp was delivered today, but I was walking my dog down the main street through our town-home complex when the UPS truck pulled up in front of my home. I was about 300 feet away, and I clearly heard the impact when the driver dropped the box onto the concrete surface of my front porch. Of course, he was gone by the time I arrived and saw the box sitting at an angle, with a badly damaged corner (indicating he dropped it that way). The box could be described as being flimsy at best, and I felt my blood pressure rising when I lifted it and could feel the amp free to move around inside. Opening it up, I found the amp extremely well-wrapped in bubble-packing, which just added to my frustration. The amp was only 4" in height, but the box was 13" high and there was
minimal additional packing to keep the amp stationary during transit. I guess the UPS driver took his cue from all this and treated the package accordingly. The amp had a 1/4" chip in the front fascia corner, but survived otherwise. The seller obviously chose a box that he had handy, but one that was totally inappropriate for the job. Looking back, I should have stipulated that the seller use FedEx, but his feedback concerning shipping issues was good, so I felt like everything would be OK. Who was mainly at fault here, and what might have prevented this nagging situation?