Shippers damage again

[Jeff/Illinois]

Been talked about on here a lot just wanted to say that it isn't getting any better.

Just got some NOS Mustang parts today from Califiornia, USPS, and I'm not sure if a firetruck ran over the box on the way to some wildfire OR it went thru some shootout in East L.A. at any rate the box was mangled and the parts are now toast. The guy I bought it from wrapped them very well, I couldn't have done better myself. Small parts being pot metal probably didn't help them any.

Only good thing is the parts were worth less than a hundred bucks so I'm not out thousands

Geez it almost pays anymore to just drive out and get it!

[Tom Wesenberg]

You're right about making the drive to pick up parts in person. I know there are some things I will never buy from ebay nor try to ship, just because I know for sure they will be destroyed before they arrive. Just yesterday I received a Dremel set from ebay that was posted as received last Saturday. Turns out the tracking isn't any better than the shipping. Lots of jobs have mistakes taken out of the guy's pay. That's the only way shipping will improve.

[KGBnut]

If it was sent by Priority Mail it may be insured. I think that the Postal Service recently added a standard, included insurance to Priority Mail packages. Off the top of my head, I think it would be covered for $50.00.

Ken

[CarlG]

This is what the Post Office says:

Priority Mail Express & Priority Mail

With some exceptions, Priority Mail Express shipments include up to $100 of insurance and Priority Mail shipments $50. For more valuable shipments, additional coverage is usually available

[wrndln]

I bought some original nuts and bolts from a fellow in Washington state - I live in Minnesota. He shipped them in a small USPS flat rate box. The box was heavy. When he shipped it, it weighed over 7 lbs. When I got it was slightly over 3 lbs. There must be model A bolts and nuts from Washington state to Minnesota somewhere along the shipping route. Anyway, the seller got $50 from the PO and he refunded the $30 I paid for them plus postage and he actually made $20 on the deal. However, valuable original bolts and nuts were lost forever. He taped the flap and the ends well. The box split open on the back side where there were no seams. My advice for anything slightly heavy, tape the box ALL the way around on all sides.
Rusty Nelson

[CarlG]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I know that the boxes furnished by the Post Office are about as flimsy as they can be. And they are getting smaller all the time.

Whenever I ship anything even slightly heavy, I pack it in another substantial box with no room for movement of anything inside that box. Then put that box inside the Flat-Rate box. And like Rusty says, (paraphrased) "TAPE THE HELL OUT OF IT!"

That certainly does not guarantee that it will get there unscathed, but it helps.

[Jeff/Illinois]

Thanks it was Priority Mail I'll turn in a claim in the morning, at least get a few dollars back.

I'd rather have had the parts

[Pickupman]

[QUOTE=CarlG;1146287]I know that the boxes furnished by the Post Office are about as flimsy as they can be. And they are getting smaller all the time.

Could you please explain how they are "getting smaller all the time".

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by CarlG

I know that the boxes furnished by the Post Office are about as flimsy as they can be. And they are getting smaller all the time.

Originally Posted by Pickupman

Could you please explain how they are "getting smaller all the time".

The Post Office has gradually been altering the physical size of at least the Large Flat Rate box over time. Things that fit in older boxes from several years ago, no longer fit in the newer boxes.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by CarlG

The Post Office has gradually been altering the physical size of at least the Large Flat Rate box over time. Things that fit in older boxes from several years ago, no longer fit in the newer boxes.

I thought the same thing. I'm glad it wasn't just my imagination. Downsizing, just like all the food packaging and paychecks.

[CarlG]

Case in point: Several years ago I had a Model A flywheel, complete with the pressure plate and the starter ring gear shipped in a flat-rate box. Last week I tried to fit the same flywheel in what was suppose to be the same size box. No way it would fit. Even without the ring gear, it wouldn't fit.

[Marvin/TN]

Yes USPS Priority mail includes Ins and it's either $50 or $100 can't remember which but I think it's $50.

[Henry1953]

I guess I've been extremely lucky. No damaged or lost parts using USPS. But motor freight on the other hand.......

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Jeff,

Did anybody inquire yet?

Might be a New Post Office Rule; like mandatory processing their packages in a Trash Compactor to save space in their delivery trucks ..... nothing else makes much sense to me either ....... lately, that is ...... as we gracefully age.

[ian Simpson]

Once again I received excellent service from USPS and Canada Post. Large box shipped last week by priority mail from California arrived in four days (one day less than usual UPS times) and cost me less than half the UPS charge and with no mysterious 'brokerage' charge that is usually about fifty per cent of the shipping charge. Keep up the good work USPS.

[JRHASZARD]

In the early sixties, I worked at night for UPS, the Freight Nazis, in Ardmore, Maryland unloading/loading trucks and sorting packages, while going to college in the daytime. This was in the days before zip codes. We broke a lot of stuff. Partly because folks didn't package well and partly because the managers with the clipboard and stopwatch wanted the truck loaded, sealed and on the road ASAP. Don't take time to stack the boxes properly, just throw them in there.

More than fourty years later and after retiring from the Military, I retired from Airborne Express as a DC-8 Captain. Just out of curiosity, how did folks find the service from Airborne? I hope most had a positive experience. There seemed to be a much better corporate culture in that respect at Airborne.

[barnstuf]

As I do a lot of shipping I have not found that the post office has reduced the size of Priority boxes. I feel the illusion of this is because they offered Priority boxes in certain sizes and later came out with Flat Rate Priority boxes which are slightly smaller than the non flat rate boxes. Since the Priority Flat Rate boxes came out there has been no size change but they are a bit smaller than the non flat rate box.

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by JRHASZARD

In the early sixties, I worked at night for UPS, the Freight Nazis, in Ardmore, Maryland unloading/loading trucks and sorting packages, while going to college in the daytime. This was in the days before zip codes. We broke a lot of stuff. Partly because folks didn't package well and partly because the managers with the clipboard and stopwatch wanted the truck loaded, sealed and on the road ASAP. Don't take time to stack the boxes properly, just throw them in there.

I have no doubt that things at UPS were the way you say, in fact the same at just about any shipper. If anyone is to avoid damaged/lost goods there is only one way and that is to pack properly. Would you pack an antique wine glass loosely or would you wrap it and protect it? Shipping a carburetor? Give it the same protection. Seven pounds of hard to find nuts and bolts while not breakable need the same care. The bottom line is this, you do not want anything you place in a box to be loose in that box. I think some months back another poster here touched on this and he basically said if you drop it from six feet up and it would rupture the box, or if it rattles in the box and could become a projectile that will split the box it is not carefully packaged. Packing peanuts will protect lightweight items but not a starter motor.
Shipping to a rebuilder? Then pack it so they can in fact fix it and return it in good condition. Selling to another person? Then you need to afford them the same care, pack it like you would want to receive it and address it legibly. Will everything arrive safe and sound? Of course not, but the chances can be bettered.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Marvin/TN

Yes USPS Priority mail includes Ins and it's either $50 or $100 can't remember which but I think it's $50.

See post #4

[Dennis Pereira]

Most of the problems are packaging If its heavy it will end up on the bottom of the pile and used as step . Lately I've shipped a lot of fragile model A parts across the country with no problems . I built wooden crates and spent a lot of time wrapping each part with news paper and bubble wrap stuffing the crates full so nothing could possible move . I used FEDEX and UPS with good results .