Shipping via UPS.

I am in the group that has terrible luck with UPS. I think that it would be safe to say that some level of damage has occurred on about every type of audio product I have ever dealt with. I once shipped a transistor amp, a small one, about the size of a Sony DVD or Pioneer Laser player. When It arrived, the torrodial transformer that was attached to the steel chassis with a 3/8" bolt, was sheared completely off. The transformer was free to slide about during the shipment, and needless to say, there was hardly a part inside the chassis that was recognizable. The explanation from UPS was that on some of the shipping facilities, the parcel ramps go as high as a two story building, and netting along the side "stops" the parcels from falling off. Well, mine must have fallen to the concrete below to shear off that steel bolt and all the components inside. This is only one of about 15 instances with UPS in the past years. I now have Federal Express ship on my computer, and only unbreakable things get shipped via UPS. Actually, no one has mentioned the US Post Office. I have better luck (identical packing) with the Post Office than UPS. By the way, I agree with hellohifi on DHL. I just got two 135 Lb crates with very expensive amps inside (yesterday) and the runner rails on the bottom are not even splintered! Must have had some TLC to avoid that.

I had Dell ship me a 21" Trinitron computer monitor by UPS. It arrived with a big purple spot. I called Dell, and they said it must have been dropped in shipping. They sent me the new one by Airborn Express. They Dell tech support said they had many damaged monitor's by UPS, but not with Airborne Express. I also note that UPS DOES NOT DELIVER on Saturday nor do they have a Service Center open. This is in the Portland Oregon metro area ! About 2.5 million.

Do the smart thing and ship via Fed Ex. Lower shipping costs are not always a bargain. Always be sure to insure the item you are shipping, because it is not insured for its value unless you specify the amount.

I just received a CAL DX-2 via UPS yesterday. It arrived in fine condition, but they left it on my front porch! No one signed for it. I live in a good neighborhood, but jeez, it was sitting there all day long. I thought UPS was required to collect a signature to verify delivery. If it had been stolen, and even though it was insured, I couldn't prove it had never been delivered! Grrrr!!!!

I'll never use UPS, that's for sure.

I recently shipped a pair of speakers coast to coast via UPS COD and they warned me it would take a full week to get them there. I guess they made it OK, but they must have sent my COD money by pony express because it took almost three full weeks from the day I shipped them to get my money! I usually use FedEx and would never use UPS again for any audio equip- ment. Pay a little more, get a whole lot better service and get you money the next day...