Will fragile help?

[Unican_Eric]

I am almost ready to take my first chance at shipping a piece of equipment. It could be my Sansui CA-2000. So I was just wondering. If I marked FRAGILE on the box will that make a difference or just make it a target? This might sound like a dumb question but I am really holding off selling some of my equipment cause I am afraid of damage. :worried:

[luvvinvinyl]

You could paint a bull's-eye on it. That would work about the same.

Seriously, if you are shipping a receiver or amp, there are a lot of guys here who could teach you how to make it 'bomb-proof'. I have unpacked stuff from Grumpy, omer, krimney, and Echo, and the guys who watched couldn't believe the way the pieces were packed. I just told them,"hey, the gear got here, without a scratch, so it was worth their effort" Not to slight the MANY others who can pack, I just haven't unpacked their work. Just read THIS (http://65.219.61.150/forums/showthread.php?t=21161) thread, and have a go. If you take some pictures as you go, and you are still a little hesitant, post the first few, and you will get some response.

[dgwojo]

Just make sure if you do ship it, not to declare it as "VINTAGE"!!!!!!!!!
:no:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25277&highlight=fedex+vintage

[steve gibson]

One of the best packing jobs I recieved was a bubble wrap in a thick styrofoam cooler which was inside a heavy box. The bubble wrap was a tight fit in the cooler.

[EchoWars]

Just make sure if you do ship it, not to declare it as "VINTAGE"!!!!!!!!!
:no:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25277&highlight=fedex+vintageMy God! Two references to that fiasco in one day? Whatta ya'all trying to DO to me? :sigh:

The 'vintage' thing came into play during the claims process of course...during shipment, contents simply listed as 'amplifier'. But indeed, if damaged or lost, there are a LOT of terms to stay away from...and FedEx & UPS won't tell you what they are, seeing as how they make up the rules as they go. f*ckers. I hate 'em all.

[dgwojo]

FedEx & UPS won't tell you what they are, seeing as how they make up the rules as they go. f*ckers. I hate 'em all.
EW, come on now, be honest, tell us how you really feel about those A$$holes!! :rant:

[Nick_the_'Nole]

Shipping company definitions:

fragile - (frah-gee-lay) adj.] Italian term used by packers to identify boxes intended for use as footballs, target practice and other games; Often have noisemakers inside that make clinking or rattling noises.

[pustelniakr]

I hear that the transport folks will be extra careful with stuff labelled as liquid. They don't want to stop and clean up the mess... :naughty:

[foetusized]

Marking a package as fragile won't make a real difference. I spent a summer loading trucks for UPS, and my wife is in charge of a UPS drop-off counter where she works, so I have some insight.

What will work? Insurance. Packages with high-dollar insurance will get special treatment. I recently sold a ham radio amp, and the buyer asked for $500 insurance even though he spent just under $200 on the amp. Since I had given a flat rate for shipping, and he lived rather close (so that with the extra insurance, I was still ahead on shipping cost), I was happy to oblige. A box insured for $500 or $1000 will get extra respect from the UPS folks, much more so than marking it fragile -- Foe

[acass]

If you really care about the item buy a 8x4 sheet of 2" thick polystyrene? insulation and line the box with it. I did this with a pr of tube mono blocks and they made a round trip coast to coast without a scratch. Also look for the toughest box you can find, I collect them just incase.

[merrylander]

I have a UPS account and the literature that came with it noted that Fragile does not mean squat. The big thing about packing is to protect the corners. After I bubble wrap I usually cut up some corrugated boxes and making corner protectors that go on top of the bubble wrap. Then the next big thing is to make sure that it cannot move around inside the outer box. You can send a piece of delicate china over Niagra Falls in a barrel if it is taped soundly to the lid. The high insurance value sounds plausible but at the moment I am going around with Fedup over a receiver that was insured for $300 - go figure.

Rob

[pustelniakr]

Marking a package as fragile won't make a real difference. I spent a summer loading trucks for UPS, and my wife is in charge of a UPS drop-off counter where she works, so I have some insight.

What will work? Insurance. Packages with high-dollar insurance will get special treatment. I recently sold a ham radio amp, and the buyer asked for $500 insurance even though he spent just under $200 on the amp. Since I had given a flat rate for shipping, and he lived rather close (so that with the extra insurance, I was still ahead on shipping cost), I was happy to oblige. A box insured for $500 or $1000 will get extra respect from the UPS folks, much more so than marking it fragile -- Foe

How will the handler know that the item is shipped for this or that amount?

Rich P

[styler]

nope "Fragile" does not help. too rigid or too soft are the big problems. if the packing is rigid, like foam sheets, it wont absorb bounces well. i use a combo of foam and bubble wrap. the best way to learn how to pack is to buy something from Grumpy. 4-5 inches of bubble wrap on all sides. then placed snuggly in a box and surrounded by an additional 4-5 inches of bubble wrap then cover with a sheet of foam.
Grumpy's packing is awesome, at the next AK Fest he will give a one hour demo on the virtues of bubble wrap. :lmao:

[foetusized]

How will the handler know that the item is shipped for this or that amount?At the package counter, when the UPS driver makes a pick-up and sees a high-dollar insurance on the log sheet, he asks which package it is. He usually marks the package and puts it in a certain place on the truck. At least that's what I've seen when I've helped load the truck during the Christmas rush. I'm not sure exactly what amount they consider high dollar though -- Foe