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Shipping. Hard Lesson.

I'm selling some high end audio gear for the estate of a relative who passed away. I've never done this before. I'm using C's List, eBay and A'gon. It has been a lot of work and not a lot of fun.

Tons of scammers on C's list but excellent experience selling to a local audiophile.

Got a sale pending here at A'gon. Not too bad.

One good experience on eBay.

But then the Bryston 9B SST2 amp sold on eBay. I had actually about decided to purchase it myself when it sold via eBay. Super nice, experienced buyer.

Took the amp to UPS. It weighs 65 pounds. Asked them to double box and was ready to pay the price but the clerk convinced me that there was no need. They would wrap it well and the box she chose was supposed to handle 85 pounds.

Well, it gets to the buyer and he sends me a picture and it looks like the box has rolled down a mountain. The handles are broken off of the amp and it is dinged all up. Have no idea if it works or not. I'm not sure double boxing would have mattered in this case.

We insured it for the price paid. Buyer was very understanding but disappointed of course. I will get paid (by UPS) what I was going to get paid anyway but both the buyer and I commiserated over a fine piece of equipment destroyed. Or at least marred.

Anyway, sorry about the long sad sop story but I will probably have other gear to ship in the near future possible even the gorgeous Aerial Acoustics 5Ts which, even thought they are bookshelf speakers, are large and heavy.

So all of this is basically to ask: Who do you use for shipping large heavy delicate audio gear?
n80
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
Extreme amounts of packaging materials. bubble wrap, foam corners, all kinds of stuff.Double wall boxes, etc. usually about 1-2 hours to be packed by an experienced amplifier shipper.

the ups guys LOVE to drop this stuff, to drop it hard, on cement. They get their jollies out of it, it seems.
What I pack, CAN be dropped down a set of stairs. Repeatedly.

If it can’t be........then it is not packed well enough.

an amp like that, would have taken at least one $20 roll of bubble wrap, all on it’s own, and the foam corners (possibly hand made ones, cut and glued from wall foam) , and the double wall box and then some extra supports and so on.

Box glued shut with a large high powered glue gun, Extra wide quality packing tape on top of that.....and...the entire box covered in the extra wide tape, especially along the box seam....and so on. Corners re-enforced by strategic application of the extra wide packing tape (from three directions , on each corner), and more.

$100 effort, here, minimum....to save a ~$5k amp from the ravages of the shipping assXXXXs. As they will kill it, if given the opportunity...every time.
joysjane's avatar
joysjane
165 posts
 
Sorry to hear of the damage.
It’s really disappointing on both ends.

To add with what teo said...
Some of the manufacturers still have original shipping containers for these pieces. A call to them is a good place to start. Much tougher to source if it's really vintage gear.
On top of that, even if I have the original shipping container I still double box.

Most definitely when shipping turntables.

Hope all turns out well...

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Asked them to double box and was ready to pay the price but the clerk convinced me that there was no need. They would wrap it well and the box she chose was supposed to handle 85 pounds.

Seriously?!

Manufacturers invest significant time and money on packaging that can withstand shipping. I’ve never had anything properly packaged arrive damaged. Was this box even marked "FRAGILE"? This side up? Anything??

Oh wait, you don’t know. Because you left it with some lady.

Seriously??!
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
If it's tight it's right. It CANNOT move inside the packing. It must be double boxed with a 2" standoff between the outside of the inner box and the inside of the outside box. The inner box cannot move inside the outer box...NO ifs, ands or buts... I use 1-2" styrofoam plates. NO PEANUTS EVER....

I have NEVER had a PACKING problem only shipping to the wrong address. I've shipped over 45 years. Thing much like stereo gear only EXPENSIVE.. Like 40-75,000.00 dollars and 30-100 lbs.. My stuff couldn't get hurt, there was a 6 week to 6 month waiting period for someone to build a new one... There were no others in the WORLD....
I shipped from the US, Canada, and Mexico, to Germany

I always pack as if it was being returned to me..not to YOU.... Big difference...in the packing... Think GLASS... ok!!!!!

Learn how to PACK, and LABEL the boxes.. NO UPS, sorry they don't even read the labeling. HEAVY, FRAGILE, This End Up!, Handle with care.

Wish you the best in your future, shipping...

Regards
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