mandolin shipment

[zeebs]

Is it scary to have a mandolin shipped across country in this heat?

[Lee]

It's always scary to ship a mandolin. Spend the extra money and go next day delivery.

[mandoman4807]

DON`T USE UPS UNLESS YOU WANT IT DROP KICKED! FEDEX TWO DAY INSURED OR OVERNIGHT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A BOX FROM UPS YET, THAT WAS NOT BEAT UP IN SOME WAY

DARRELL

[Cogger]

Hi Zeebs,
Well, I just bought a mandolin (from the Cafe Classifieds!) and pondered the same thing. I went with UPS Next Day Air. It wasn't in their system for more than 14 hours before I had it in my hands in perfect condition. I don't think I would go with anything less than next day air. It is great piece of mind to get it in my hands as soon as possible. Just my thoughts. Good luck!
Paul

[mcashion]

I have bought two mandolins and had them shipped, using UPS each time. When I shipped one out to California, I packed it carefully and took it in to UPS. The clerk said, "Oh, no. Why are the mandolins always going from one side of the country to the other!" Then she opened the box, repacked it adding roll after roll of packing paper, etc., retaped it securely, stamped FRAGILE all over the box and off it went. All for no extra charge. It arrived in perfect conditions from Florida.

[Undercover Brother]

I have to agree with Darrell/Mandoman 4807. My recent experiences with UPS have been horrible, including a custom mandolin shipment a month ago. It was supposed to be Next-Day Air, but they misplaced it and it showed up 4 days later. When the driver pulled up, she never got off her cellphone, never looked me in the eye and never once said "sorry we screwed this up". If it is anything of value, ship it Fed Ex (or DHL or anything but UPS.)
Sorry to rant... but that's a pretty hot button with me this summer. UPS stinks. (Although I'm glad to know Cogger & mcahion had no trouble!)
Chris

[Big Joe]

My experience with UPS has been very good. FedEx has yet to do a shipment to or from me without screwing it up somehow! We ship lots of instruments on a daily basis and UPS works best for us. I personally chose not to use FEDEX if at all possible!

[wolfsong]

I shipped a mando earlier this year by fedex I payed for next day air didnt get it for almost a week. I guess that there are horror stories for any company but I won't use fedex again!

[Magnus Geijer]

This subject has been doing the rounds a few times, and I believe the consensus is that there are three shipping companies that you should avoid at all cost. UPS, FEDEX and USPS, in no particular order. The other consensus has been that if you (for some odd reason) just have to use one of those three anyway, pick the fastest, most expensive service they have, and you will have a slightly better chance of seeing the contents of your package delivered as a mandolin rather than firewood. Enjoy the nailbiting!

/Magnus

[mandoman4807]

My experience with UPS has been very good. #FedEx has yet to do a shipment to or from me without screwing it up somehow! #We ship lots of instruments on a daily basis and UPS works best for us. #I personally chose not to use FEDEX if at all possible!


Big Joe, that is interesting, For example, Dave at Valley Arts does not recommend UPS!! He recommends shipping via FedEx two day. This apparently goes back to his day`s at the Violin Shope, and numerous bad experiences with UPS.

Oh well, any time you ship a high quality wooden instrument anything is possible. I try to avoid it at all cost.


Darrell

[Big Joe]

Hey Darrell...
One of the advantages we have is we ship lots of product all the time. We have very good service from UPS. We work carefully with them on the proper way to package the product for shipment. We have little problem because we use approved packaging and approved packing methods. In the rare case we do have a problem they cover the damage and there is no issue. That has not been our experience with other shippers. Much of the problem with shipping is the way the instrument is packaged. We see tons of them come into our shop for repair or service and the way they are packaged is terrible. If there was any damage it would be hard to get a claim paid because of improper packaging. The real issue to a successful shipment is the way the instrument is packed both in the case and in the box.

As another word or caution, I would recommend shipping in a travelite case rather than the conventional hard case. The wooden cases can cause more damage than they can prevent. The calton is a fine case also, just more weight and more cost to ship. The Travelite seems to be a great case for that activity.

In reality, the best way is always to hand deliver your instrument, but that is not feasible so shipping is a way of life. We ship them daily all over the world with great success. The other thing is we have no problem with UPS delivering when they say they will. That is not true with FEDEX. Again, this is just my opinion.

"The real issue to a successful shipment is the way the instrument is packed both in the case and in the box."

I gotta agree with Big Joe.....packing it right is a much bigger issue than who you ship it with. I use UPS ground & while I've had a couple damaged (better packing would of saved one, & it was not packed as I had asked), as a rule I've been very satisfied.

USPS insurance is WAY TO HIGH. They charge $1 per $100 valuation while UPS charges 35 cents per $100.

[Bob A]

I've had instruments shipped all three ways. Once I opened the door just as the UPS guy tossed a box (marked "Fragile") at a chair on the porch, which fell over backwards and dropped the whole thing to the floor. Extensive packing saved the day. They also sent a shipment to the wrong state once, and it arrived days late.

USPS is a pain sometimes. If you're not at hand to sign for a shipment, you can play mailtag for a while trying to find it.

Still, no carrier is going to carry your precious instruments like a carton of golden eggs. I've never had anything broken, or totally lost, and UPS does make the attempt to see that packing is done right. They will frequently open and check the packing, free, especially if you insure for high values. They don't want to have to deal with claims any more than I do.

As for heat, in summer I try to use 2nd day, just because of the temp.

That said, if I bought or sold a Loar (not in this lifetime, alas) I'd hand-carry it for sure. Airfares are pretty low these days, and a couple hundred bucks and a day of travel isn't too much to pay for six-figure peace of mind.

[Lee]

Another hint: if possible have it delivered to an industrial address. The drivers are regulars so they know their route and won't drop off at the wrong place. Plus, their own reputation is at stake.