Packing 101 (read this if you want your recorder / mixer to arrive in one piece)

[cjacek]

As requested by cjacek, the AO Prime Minister of a more humane world for dinosauric audio gear in-transit...

First off:

Second, words do not describe how good I feel whenever I see this type of superb packing job! It's really as good as it gets. You're awesome, Cory and, at the risk of going all weepy eyed on ya, we are indeed lucky to have you on board. You're one of a very few.

I sure wish people visiting this thread would just skip over to this page. It's all you need to know on how to pack and send one of these recorders.

lo.fi.love, you're one lucky buyer!!

 

[sweetbeats]

Thanks, guys!

I appreciate the comments.

Seriously, this thread has helped me know what will work and what won't. I've been on the receiving end of a bad packing job. It is really sad and disappointing and nobody with a reasonable mind wants to do that to somebody, especially not a forum friend, so that's why this thread is so valuable. I've pointed sellers to it many times. Sometimes they think its over the top and from experience I can confirm that its time to move on if that's the case. Its not worth it.

And also I know I'm excited about the transaction with lo.fi. I know he is getting a good deck and I'm reasonably assured that its going to get there safely so that feels good, but he's hyped about the deal and that's great for me too. Want the 48 to go to a good home and I know Jeff (lo.fi.love) is going to appreciate it and care for it. That's community. He's getting a relatively good deal, but I'm coming out ahead money-wise (not including labor ) and its very important and valuable fopr me personally to be reducing my flock of equipment. That feels very good to simplify, and with the economy what it is right now its not the best time to be selling...harder to find willing/able buyers, so this is really a win-win-win.

 

[A Reel Person]

Yeah, & the scary part is...

that even a finely packed unit like that isn't 100% certainty against shipping damage, in case they allow a box like that to "take the big plunge". Take a consideration that shippers, being a bulk transport business, might very well have an identical box to that & decide to stack'em, with yours on the bottom! There are all sorts of factors when you box/ship items!

However scary it is, better not to fret and be assured your packing job is A_#1,... then you hope for the best! Being as bullet proofed as possible with that thing, I'm confident of it's safe arrival. LOfi will have to change his name!

PS: Proper "This Side Up" and "Caution/Fragile" stickers will help a lot. Leave it to sweetbeats to be so comprehensive! If Fedex has any couth or tact at this point, that 48 will be fine! And quicker shipping minimizes it's time of exposure in the "system". I won't ask how much it cost to ship that monster!

 

[cjacek]

Yeah, FedEx is usually a better transporter than the competition. They usually care for the box a lot better than the rest. That, plus Cory's packing, will result in truly the safest travel for that machine, for the said method of handling, other than palletizing or crating, which, while being safest, can get very expensive. I too have all the confidence that this 48-OB will arrive safe and sound to its new owner.

 

[cjacek]

This would actually work better than any other sticker:
http://www.shockwatch.com/shipping_handling_monitors/impact_indicator/index.php

A way to actually get shippers to be more careful with your box. Affix it to all sides and yer good to go.

 

[sweetbeats]

Wow, Daniel...that is a cool product!

palletizing or crating, which, while being safest, can get very expensive

Yeah...that's the economic balance...my goal was to try and get a high level of protection without going to palletizing which is prohibitive cost-wise.

BTW, the cost on shipping the 48 is just under $180 for FedEx Ground service to a business address. That includes insurance up to $700 tho' which accounts for about $25 of the cost...and that's for a 31" x 29" x 24" 104lb. package. Not too bad relatively speaking. I've paid around $125 for a totally inadequate pack job. I think the question people need to ask themselves is "do I feel lucky"? And is it worth the money to get the assurance that the gear is gonna make to your door, y'know?

When I've purchased parts decks that are already obliterated and I know the parts I want/need are inside in a non-vulnerable location (relatively speaking) then I don't worry too much about it getting beat up. I've never done what lo.fi is doing purchasing a fine condition unit and having it shipped...I've always traveled to pick items up, but that wasn't possible at this time for lo.fi, and if I were in his shoes I know I'd react like he is...the ship cost is basically part of the purchase cost...it needs to be factored in to the budget. It isn't an incidental. I know if I'm having some that big shipped and I want it to arrrive safely its going to cost "that much."

 

[cjacek]

$180 is nothing for a super duper packing job and assurance of safer delivery.

A few years back I packed up a nice recorder to ship. The packing was actually several times the size of the machine. The buyer was adamant that he didn't want to spend a lot for shipping. He asked for a smaller box, few materials etc.... Of course I refused to ship. Unfortunately, more sellers would be happy to oblige and the end result is a busted deck.

 

[cjacek]

If you're still concerned, get a freightquote.com and have them strap the box to a wooden pallet. Cost is about $200 (I've had a 48 shipped that way) and there is substantially less risk of drops etc....

See here:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showpost.php?p=2858611&postcount=62

 

[sweetbeats]

The unpacking of the 48

As a follow up to this post I thought I'd share some pics lo.fi.love sent me.

So far so good though lo.fi is awaiting the arrival of tape to fully test the 48's functions but it arrived unscathed in appearance and basic functions are intact.

Check out the hole that got punched in the box by something...plus you might notice the water-staining to the bottom of the box. lo.fi described the bottom of the box as "soggy" upon arrival, but the inner carton was spared in both cases; two good reason for a box-within-a-box package:

And out she comes:

From one shock absorbing package to another!

Anyway, thanks to lo.fi/love for snapping and sending the pics and one of us will report when all functions have been tested.

 

[cjacek]

I'm always a fan of effective packing. That 2nd over box, and especially the corner foam protectors, absorbed all shocks, not to mention other abuses. Would have liked to see it on a pallet but I'm sure it's all good and well. Great job Cory and thanks lo.fi.. for snapping those photos.

 

[sweetbeats]

All's well

Field report back from lo.fi.love:

He's lovin' the 48. It made the trip unscathed and is fully functional.

Pallet is the most assured way to ship a heavy open-reel deck or other large heavy fragile item, but I think we worked out a next-best option and fortunately it worked out.

PHEW!

 

[lo.fi.love]

Update on Sweetbeats' TASCAM 48 story:

1. If it wasn't Spring, the parcel wouldn't have had rainwater damage. Consider this if you're buying something from the Pacific Northwest.

2. Cory did a FANTASTIC job of packing the tape deck. He had multiple "defensive layers", and each did its job. Think of the "Crumple zone" on modern cars.

3. Cory is one of the most dedicated, honest, and passionate people that I know, when it comes to the love and treatment of recording gear. Period. He took it upon himself to go the extra mile on the preparation of this shipment. I declined on the pallet option, and that was strictly my decision. Few eBay sellers will go to these lengths, and you'd be lucky if an eBay seller bothers to implement *one* of the measures that Cory took.

A job well done. The item arrived in pristine condition. A double-plus cheers to Cory and his meticulous shipping job

 

[cjacek]

Hear, hear!

....................

 

[A Reel Person]

Lofi's...

gone all hifi on us!........

He probably regrets that he found this forum. He'll be needing a bigger apartment soon!

 

[lo.fi.love]

gone all hifi on us!........

He probably regrets that he found this forum. He'll be needing a bigger apartment soon!

Ha! Well, I sometimes wonder if I got off track from where I began, but I'm glad that I did.

I'm also considering a couple of furniture purchases to help organize everything. I'll post something when that happens

 

[cjacek]

Here's another one which got bashed in shipping...

.......a TASCAM 34

 

[Beck]

It should be a Crime!

I wonder how many more will be destroyed through the eBay meat grinder. There won't be many left at this rate.

Maybe we could start a vintage gear preservation group. If the seller doesn't have our stamp of approval... that is, promise to pack the item at some minimal standard, (something like the Square Trade agreement) he would be considered high risk.

Education with some teeth. Maybe even a list of repeat offenders, patterned after the "List of Bad Tapes on eBay" (which I need to bring up to date, by the way)

Thnking out loud...

 

[Blue Jinn]

I had some idiot wrap one layer of bubble wrap (the small bubble kind) over a Fostex 80, then stick it transport side down in a box and ship it. I followed this thread and the guy from TX advise. Got a 27" TV box from u-haul, some styrofoam isulation from home-depot. Put that in the sides. Wrapped the deck in bubble wrap about two or three layers, than put in the styrofoam peanuts. Meant shipping was pretty steep, but deck got there just OK. No sign of physical damage. The left hub wobbles a bit, but I don't think that is from shipping.

 

[Blue Jinn]

Just to followup, the hub was just worn, replaced it no problems. I don't htink shipping damage. Shipped the whole thing FEDEX ground.

This thread is well worth checking out when shipping or sending a link to someone you may be buying from! Assuming they will read it and comply!

 

[cjacek]

Still want your packages shipped? It's worth a read.

I spent the better part of 15 years working for UPS. Driver, inside the building, nights, Saturdays, pickups, deliveries--everything but management, UPS is a union company.

UPS was a management owned company until 1997 when it went public. That was when service really began to slide. Previous to being a publicly traded company, UPS was all about service and nearly all managers had started out at the bottom with everybody else and worked their way up being brown. No more.

Most of management now is hired from the outside, preferably with a degree in business. Never delivered a package in their lives. Delivery areas are 'time studied' by bean crunchers who then construct routes and determine the maximum amount of stops that can be both delivered and picked up in an 8 hour shift. Drivers who don't meet the numbers are harassed every working day of their lives. Floods, tornadoes, rain, ice, snow, trains, gridlock--no kind of adverse circumstances are taken into account when determining the time allowance for a route.

Your friendly UPS driver has no time allowed to do anything more than drive up, sprint to the door, drop the parcel, and dash back to the truck. And they're going to yell at him anyway when he gets back to the building, whether on time or not, demanding to know what took him so long.

In my experience, most package damage occurs in the building; in the crush of overloaded belts, stacked in tractor trailers, and smashed by sorting diverters. Contrary to popular belief, most of the damage doesn't happen during human handling.

It is also worth noting that UPS outsourced its Customer Service soon after it began to be a publicly traded company. Previous to that, customer service had been an in-house job. So now it's just another subcontracted boiler room phone job. The people answering the phones there wouldn't know a UPS package from a sack of grapefruit.

I'm posting a couple of pics here from inside a hub. Believe me, these are tame and not half wrecked as the inside of the building looks during a busy shift. Neither cameras nor camera phones are allowed in package areas of the building. I don't know who snapped these pics, but if they'd been caught they would have been fired.

In my experience, most UPS hourly employees would prefer to provide better service. Management and their quest for numbers simply won't allow it.

Original thread: http://www.city-data.com/forum/othe...livery-service-ups-fedex-5.html#ixzz0SXwG2VNK