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Preferred shipper: UPS vs FedEx


D-Rex

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UPS just destroyed the Marantz 7001 I was shipping to Canada. I paid $80 to have them ship it only to have them destroy it! I even used one of their own boxes and they crushed the side of their own reinforced box! Yes, it was insured but that isn't th epoint to me! This was a very fine piece of audio equipment and UPS just destroyed it ude to either negligence or incompetence, or some combination of both! Logistics my @#$!

For comparison, I just had FedEx ship me (in Oklahoma) an RSW 15 from an individual on Minnesota. It had to be the worst packing job in the history of packing but somehow FedEx got it to me without any damage whatsoever, not a scratch! I have used FedEx for over 6 years without issue. I had simply decided to give UPS another chance and this is what I get.

My previous experience with UPS had them crushing an RW-12 (I did happen to take this out of storage recently and reconstructed the box so that it works perfectly now and I think looks even better, picture below) I had shipped from Oklahoma to Texas. I had to fight them to even reimburse me with the insurance I had purchased! At that point in time I vowed not to do business with UPS again, yet here I am, 6 years later, in the same situation!

So, if you can't tell by now, I greatly prefer FedEx, I can't emphasize that enough. Any other stories out there that might help others make a good shipping decision?

post-15444-13819801831474_thumb.jpg

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These two are not the only game in town. Greyhound ships packages. So do motor freight companies like Saia. Saia brought me my second pair of Corns, and the driver could not have been nicer. Must point out that the 2nd pair was packaged by Craters & Frieghters, which is the only way I would ship anything of that value & size. And let's not forget USPS. I have had fewer problems with USPS than other shipment channel.The private shippers have made gigabucks off scaring people away from the USPS, when in fact the USPS is performing better (from a shipper's/receiver's POV) than ever.

Fedex ground damaged my first pair of Corns, but part of the problem was inattention on the part of the seller. He handed them over to FedEx and walked away. The box hooks the FedEx'ers used didn't help. The second seller was/is from the forum and we agreed that C&F was the only way to go.

Some of this is affected by your locality. Where I live, UPS has a local depot and the people who work there, including the drivers, actually care. The nearest FedEx depot is 100 miles away and we've had so many problems with them that we will not accept FedEx, especially FedEx Ground, as a shipment method.

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d-rex,

I don't think it matters whether you ship with UPS or FedEx. I've had stuff damaged by both carriers.

In my experience, most damage has come from items packed poorly, that is not anticipating a 5 foot drop that you can count on even on a good day at either shipper. You may be having damage from stuff that ought not to be damaged. One thing I've noticed is that there are a surprising number of posts from people who purchase some Klipsch speakers through authorized dealers that ship USP or FedEx and still arrive damaged, drivers broken loose and such. This causes to wonder if these failure rates come from items packed to survive motor freight delivery. UPS and FedEx put packages through g-forces that cause a higher percentage of failures.

Lately have been receiving more packages shipped through USPS. Not for sure, but in the occasional shipping I do it seems that UPS and FedUP rates are substantially higher than they used to be.

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Dee got it about right...but 10 years UPS and no trouble, many Fedex damaged deliveries to me..........May be where ya live/ship.I shipped RF 83/64/82/RB/RC all UPS, all arrived perfect in Klipsch packing.That said I would never let anyone else pack my item, don't trust em'.

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Ditto that. If you choose to employ any of these standard shipping businesses it is a crap-shoot. That you received an RSW-15 in good order is more of a miracle than S.O.P. Once I actually observed the delivery of a package. The package was savaged enough to bleed packing while it was walked to the door. The delivery guy sat the package at the front door and then prepped himself to bolt away. He then knocked the door hard, two times, and then sprinted away. The package was blown apart from rough handling. Fortunately it was not an easily damaged product but I did have to clean up the spilled packing material from my condo complex. I refuse to ship anything audio unless the buyer accepts full responsibility for the consequences. Then, I pack it myself, to the N-th degree. All of this said I do use FedEx if I ship anything. UPS is too staid in their market position to try hard enough to please - IMHO. 1st option - do not ship. 2nd option - ship it - pack it yourself extremely well (as in overkill), use FedEx, insure the item - cross fingers and toes and pray. Then, if the stars align, and Jesus likes you ( a lot) and the item is received in good order - thank anyone, anything and every one and do not expect it to happen the next time.

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You do realize that the conveyor belts that UPS and FedEx use are traveling at speeds of upwards of 60 mph. If the box is off balanced, poorly packed, can be snagged by bad taping, and such it will get clipped by the conveyor belt and or their exit gates. That is why Amazon puts those airpacks in packages that are non fragile, to balance the box.

http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/how-do-they-do-it/videos/how-do-they-do-it-ups.htm

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I just sent a speaker to Bob Crites via UPS. The box and packing were intact and undamaged when he received it. The speaker was intact and undamaged HOWEVER it was dropped so hard that the magnet assembly on the woofer came off the driver. I've sent KP-250's to Groomie the same way, same carrier and they arrived in perfect order. It IS a crap shoot at best.

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I just sent a speaker to Bob Crites via UPS. The box and packing were intact and undamaged when he received it. The speaker was intact and undamaged HOWEVER it was dropped so hard that the magnet assembly on the woofer came off the driver. I've sent KP-250's to Groomie the same way, same carrier and they arrived in perfect order. It IS a crap shoot at best.

One correction, that was the HF driver that broke off of the horn. The woofer damage was from the loose driver flopping around in the box after that. The loose driver broke the terminals off of the woofer.

Bob Crites

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I just sent a speaker to Bob Crites via UPS. The box and packing were intact and undamaged when he received it. The speaker was intact and undamaged HOWEVER it was dropped so hard that the magnet assembly on the woofer came off the driver. I've sent KP-250's to Groomie the same way, same carrier and they arrived in perfect order. It IS a crap shoot at best.

One correction, that was the HF driver that broke off of the horn. The woofer damage was from the loose driver flopping around in the box after that. The loose driver broke the terminals off of the woofer.

Bob Crites

Sorry, I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification, it makes more sense that way.

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Good responses! I know it's a crap shoot either way but I have to go from my own experiences of course. I have used several different Fed Ex locations here in Stillwater and Edmond OK and have had few problems and, when i have had damaged shipping, FedEx has been good to reimburse my lost money. It has been over a week now and I still haven't heard a peep back on what UPS is doing with my claim! But I don't honestly expect either carrier to be perfect.

I have to agree, it was practically an act of God that my RSW 15 arrived unharmed!

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