Brooks Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Please give me your opinion; this is a fender champ 12 tube amp (~26 lbs) packed in a single box w/ newspaper & shipped parcel post from IL to NC; Do you consider this sufficient packing/appropriate carrier for a tube amp? Do you consider this worthy of a $50 shipping and handling charge? Thanx for your opinions.
Brooks Posted February 22, 2008 Author Posted February 22, 2008 edited OP to include weight (~26 lbs, according to specs).
Stike Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 I can't help with a dollar amount but if you got the amp unharmed I'd say you got lucky.
DaveL Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 The front grill looks like it's right up against the edge of thebox and doesn't seem like it has enough protection. One thing I do is cut up a second box and wrap the ampin cardboard, then rebox it... That said, I think ups recommends 3 inches of clearance on all sides so you'd probably want that as a min in case you need to make a claim...
ET_KenW Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 My guess is you are looking at $25 tops for that shipping. Were the tubes taken out at least? What price was on the post office meter label? Add three bucks to that for two newspapers and a used card board box. Personal time to pack and take it the post office would be based on no more than one hour of work, by the looks of it.
Thundernotes Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 I assume you were on the receiving end of this transaction: No, on all counts. Packing completely insufficient, and $50 could have bought Priority Mail and still left the guy money for beer and a burger. Of course, I work in a place that throws away 100ft of bubble wrap every day. I guess I'm lucky.
silentman Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Just a guess - I think I'd expect to pay around $30 for UPS ground. I would have probably double boxed that since it's small and reinforced the corners otherwise. I would have also removed the tubes and packed them in there own box and stashed them in the chassis with the appropriate padding. More oftern than not people are pocketting cash from shipments.
Bloozguy Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Do you consider this worthy of a $50 shipping and handling charge?When I shipped a Deluxe Reverb from Minneapolis to Montreal, it cost me around $70...for a custom made double wall cardboard box, foam-in-place packing, and insured USPS shipping.I agree with Thundernotes...the person got by with as little as possible for packaging and then had a couple burgers and beers at your expense.It looks like you got lucky and the amp arrived unscathed though.
MCChris Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 At least he was careful to put all the knobs in the 12 o'clock position.
kurtsstuff Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 THAT SUX!!! HARD!!!!! lucky all the pots aren't sheared off
Guest pirateflynn Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 That's a shitty packing job, no doubt! But, the dollar amount I can't comment on. I usually find that shipping is more expensive than the amounts talked about by our members.
Thundernotes Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 I just shipped a mixer to Kansas from New Hampshire; around 40lbs by Priority Mail = $45 and change. (insured) UPS Ground usually costs about the same as PM.
gwayne Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 $50?? No way. Shitty packing job to boot. I always double-box amps regardless of size. I sent a Mesa to JeffR that probably had 20 lbs of packing material + the 65 pound amp and it was just slightly over $50. You got farked IMO. How's the amp sound??
serial Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 USPS is getting WAY expensive. I usually ship Priority Mail and with delivery confirm, it's a little over $5. Well NOW they go and eliminate the VCR tape-sized free boxes. That's ok though-they'll sell you a box. Unfortunately, the boxes, which used to cost between $0.99 and $1.49, are now $1.99-$2.99. I had to buy two small boxes last week that ate up most of the shipping costs I'd collected for parts I was selling. Service sux too.
Guest pirateflynn Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 USPS is getting WAY expensive. I usually ship Priority Mail and with delivery confirm, it's a little over $5. Well NOW they go and eliminate the VCR tape-sized free boxes. That's ok though-they'll sell you a box. Unfortunately, the boxes, which used to cost between $0.99 and $1.49, are now $1.99-$2.99. I had to buy two small boxes last week that ate up most of the shipping costs I'd collected for parts I was selling. Service sux too.I liked the "homemade" box you sent to me. I've made more than a few of those myself and they work out great!
Thundernotes Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 You can still order the boxes for free here
Guest pirateflynn Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 USPS is getting WAY expensive. I usually ship Priority Mail and with delivery confirm, it's a little over $5. Well NOW they go and eliminate the VCR tape-sized free boxes. That's ok though-they'll sell you a box. Unfortunately, the boxes, which used to cost between $0.99 and $1.49, are now $1.99-$2.99. I had to buy two small boxes last week that ate up most of the shipping costs I'd collected for parts I was selling. Service sux too.I liked the "homemade" box you sent to me. I've made more than a few of those myself and they work out great!You know, Steve. I was mistaken, the homemade box actually came from somebody else!
Turdus Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 Did the amp arrive damaged, or are you just questioning the $50 charge?I sent a combo from Va to Tx. Shipping alone was about $40. The box I had to buy was $8. If I'd had to buy bubble wrap, etc, that would've easily added another $10, or more. Luckilly I had a boat load. No charge for packing time.I can easily see $50. That said, the shipper could've done better for $50. But if it arrived safely, it ain't worth arguing about.
AdmiralB Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 I can easily see $50. Not me. That would have been a $25 (if that) package, FedEx Ground.I just sent a Mesa Buster head from central Indiana to Nashville, it weighed 65 pounds and was bigger than that...and it was $22.
DaveL Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 If it shipped parcel post, then what did the label say?
Steve Haynie Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 I sell boxes, so I know they can get expensive. Still, within $50 the seller could have provided a better box and much better packing materials.
Brooks Posted February 24, 2008 Author Posted February 24, 2008 i didn't want to influence anyones opinion, so i didn't mention the actual shipping cost, or if the amp works. it doesn't; it arrived DOA, and actual shipping on the package was $22.63 (i was charged $50 shipping). the seller thinks that if i can get the $200 in insurance (which will take ME several trips to the post office and 2-3 months), that i shouldn't leave negative feedback. i paid $257 shipped; what i'm getting for my $257 is a bunch of hassle, then the possibility of a $200 payout in exchange for the dead amp (the post office said they will keep the item if they pay a claim).now what do y'all think? positive or negative feedback? i told him i wouldn't mind extra on shipping IF the item arrived intact. i'm thinking they at least owe me the extra shipping, that way all i'm losing is my time, which is very valuable to me.
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