[Shayne]

Mostof the regulars here know from First Flight that I have an avid anti-UPS stance. Well here is yet another reason why. I didnt have time last night to open and inspect the contents but something tells me whatever punched that big of a hole in the box didn't leave the bike inside unscathed. And since I'm batting 0-3 in the insurance claim department I guess I just got another broken bike. Yeah!

 

[laffeaux]

Mostof the regulars here know from First Flight that I have an avid anti-UPS stance. Well here is yet another reason why. I didnt have time last night to open and inspect the contents but something tells me whatever punched that big of a hole in the box didn't leave the bike inside unscathed. And since I'm batting 0-3 in the insurance claim department I guess I just got another broken bike. Yeah!

UPS has brought me one of those too. I hope the bike is not too damaged. And like you said the chances of getting the insurance money are between zero, and none.

Best of luck.

 

[Reek]

So...?

Don't keep me in suspense, what was inside? I've had a box like that from UPS too but I lucked out and the contents were undamaged.

I hope your bike frame turned out OK.

REEK

 

[TheRedMantra]

I just moved and shipped my bikes FedEx and one of the boxes looked just like that. I wa pretty pissed untill I opened. Not a scratch on the bike. If you pack it well, nothing bad should happen. I am not saying it wont, but you might not need to worry if it was packed well.

 

[Endless Goods]

In my experience, FedEx ground is a VERY reasonable and safe shipping method. Most don't realize they offer ground shipping.

It is typically 30-50% cheaper than UPS ground, and the handling is MUCH better.

I shipped over $2000 worth of stereo equipment without a problem...and I feel FedEx as a business is well managed and responsive to customers.

Maybe bext time?

 

[Shayne]

Packed well?

Have you ever seen how bike shops, bike manuacturers, or distributers pack bikes or frames? Just a bike in an empty box...there's no packing involved with shipping a bike most of the time, just zip tie all the loose parts to the frame and viola! The box isn't suppose to get punctured or have things dropped on it.

 

[laffeaux]

In my experience, FedEx ground is a VERY reasonable and safe shipping method. Most don't realize they offer ground shipping.

It is typically 30-50% cheaper than UPS ground, and the handling is MUCH better.

I shipped over $2000 worth of stereo equipment without a problem...and I feel FedEx as a business is well managed and responsive to customers.

Maybe bext time?

I agree that FedEx is cheaper, but both FedEx and UPS have delivered damaged bikes to me and neither have honored the insurance. A large part of the problem is that the shipper is responsible for filing all of the paperwork, following up, etc. Yet the shipper has no monetary interest in making this a success, so they're less inclined to continue working on getting money. i.e. My frame is damaged, my money was spent, yet, if I call FedEx or UPS they tell me that the Seller needs to do something and I have no say. It's a recipe for never paying claims.

The downside to FedEx was the claim that I did file was handled with more incompetency than I ever thought possible. The seller (who was very helpful) submitted the paperwork three times as FedEx continually misplaced it. A FedEx driver finally picked up the frame for "damage inspection" from the repair shop where I had taken it in Richmond, CA. FedEx then returned the frame to a frame builder in Santa Cruz, CA (about 80 miles from where they picked it up). The driver had assured the repair shop that he did not need to label the box that the frame was in, as he'd be bringing it right back. Luckily the Santa Cruz frame builder called the repair shop and asked why he'd sent them the frame. He said that he hadn't and asked them to return it. The frame made it's way back in the end no worse for wear, but well traveled.

The moral of the story is never expect payment on damages from FedEx or UPS. The headaches and effort put into it is a waste of energy. If the damage is bad, return the item to the seller and work on refunding the money through your credit card company, your chances are much better there.

End of my rant.

 

[tl1]

Fedex did me like that.

Bent the fork on an inexpensive hybrid I bought for my sister last Christmas. I had a fork that fit it so I never bothered with a claim. So anyway, UPS is not alone in hamfistedly bashing their cargo.

 

[TheRedMantra]

Have you ever seen how bike shops, bike manuacturers, or distributers pack bikes or frames? Just a bike in an empty box...there's no packing involved with shipping a bike most of the time, just zip tie all the loose parts to the frame and viola! The box isn't suppose to get punctured or have things dropped on it.

Then your bike shop sucks. Mine bubble wraps it to no end and carefully packages it themselves in old bike boxes. They do an excellet job for $10. Well worth it.

 

[DeeEight]

UPS "lost" a bike frame on me once. I use the quotes because I deliver all my packages shipped via UPS directly to the main depot in this region. No mucking around with drivers doing pickups or mail boxes etc locations (as UPS owns them now). Sometime between the checkin scan for the wharehouse and the wharehouse back door, the box five fingered its way to freedom.

Of course I filed the insurance claim, and 2 months later got this cute form letter from UPS admitting it was their fault, but then demanding proof of the value of the bicycle frame to prove I deserve the insurance coverage I paid the damn fees to get. Submitted proof, never heard back from them.

 

[Shayne]

As do Trek, Cannondale, GT, Schwinn, Specialized...

Then your bike shop sucks. Mine bubble wraps it to no end and carefully packages it themselves in old bike boxes. They do an excellet job for $10. Well worth it.

Just to name a few

'Cuz they dont wrap a bike or stuff the box with crap. I have unpacked and assembled plenty of bikes for shops. Packing material is never in the equation.

 

[Shayne]

Well it was in one piece

There was no major damage, just 3 chips in the paint each about the size of a dime on the headtube and toptube near the headtube.

 

[mtnwing]

Bad packing 101 . . . guiness book of "records - what not to do"

There was no major damage, just 3 chips in the paint each about the size of a dime on the headtube and toptube near the headtube.

Sometimes the seller is just as guilty as the shippers! Here's an ebay purchase I recieved earlier this year . . . I guess the seller didn't have a bike box handy . . .

Never thought that I needed to specify explicitly that a box was a good idea, but I do now when I buy stuff . . .

Miraculously the bike arrived basically unscathed . . .

-mtnwing
www.carbonbicycles.com

Looking for:

Miyata Elevation Carbon FS
Intense M-1 Macpherson Strut Model 93/94 era
Crosstrac Sonoma

 

[mtnwing]

no bubble wrap handy. . . that's good old fashion sandwich wrap.

Sometimes the seller is just as guilty as the shippers!

Miraculously the bike arrived basically unscathed . . .

And yes that is just "clear cellophane sandwich wrap" . . . not the more logical "bubble wrap" solution. I guess there was no "bubble wrap" handy either . . .

-mtnwing

 

[Reek]

I actually had garbage as packing material

The last frame I bought on Ebay came in a box. Of course one side was crushed in. I then looked inside and found a layer of old newspaper (ok so far), then about 4 empty toilet tissue centers, some used napkins, and the topper, a large take home bag from Wendy's complete with empty "sauce" containers and sandwich wrappers/french fry cartons.

Sweet.

REEK

 

[RickD.]

I bought a headlight for my car off ebay once, and the guy just threw it in a box, no padding or newspaper whatsoever. Suprisingly it arrived in a few dozen pieces. At least he was cool enough to refund my money in full, including shipping, but I still needed the headlight!!!!

 

[vdubbusrider]

give directions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have had many, many war stories about bikes arriving damaged. 99% of the time its because the packer left all the pieces loose in the box to eat the bike up. also they remove the rear wheel so the chainrings get bent and the derailleur hanger breaks. you really need to save yourself the headaches and take the time to give the person "an idiots guide to packing a bike" manual. just pack a bike exactly how you like and then take 4 or 5 photos of it and write out a complete list of directions on how to do it. usually the person will thank you because they are a bit puzzled about the whole process. if done right (meaning a whole lot better than bike shops do it) your bike will arrive perfect every time unless ups runs it over. that brings me to my second hint: never ship with ups!!!!!!!! they cost at least 30% more then fedex and they they dont give insurance refunds! fedex ships more carefully, costs less, and will pay up then your deserving of an insurace claim. may all your retro classic bikes arrive in one piece!!!!

 

[laffeaux]

The last frame I bought on Ebay came in a box. Of course one side was crushed in. I then looked inside and found a layer of old newspaper (ok so far), then about 4 empty toilet tissue centers, some used napkins, and the topper, a large take home bag from Wendy's complete with empty "sauce" containers and sandwich wrappers/french fry cartons.

So you think that the delivery driver opened up the box and ate the free meal that the seller so courteously sent you? That takes the cake!!

 

[dirtpaws]

I bought a used Retrotec frame and it arrived with a dented headtube.
UPS gave a big thumbs down on the claim stating that it wasn't packaged well.
And you know what, it wasn't. The seller had all the right cardboard forms in the box but he didn't bother making sure the fame sat snugly in them so frame slipped out of the forms during shipping and just jiggled around.

True, UPS should not bash a box around like that, but we all know that in reality anything can happen so sellers need to pack frames with a sense of paranoia and overzealousness.

In the end, the seller was really nice and gave me a refund. True I could've just sent the frame to Curtis and he would have put on a new headtube. But I bought it used to save money and the cost of a new headtube and repainting the nice spearpoint headtube would have cost more in the end than ordering a new Retrotec frame.

 

[dirtpaws]

Sometimes the seller is just as guilty as the shippers! Here's an ebay purchase I recieved earlier this year . . . I guess the seller didn't have a bike box handy . . .

Never thought that I needed to specify explicitly that a box was a good idea, but I do now when I buy stuff . . .

Miraculously the bike arrived basically unscathed . . .

-mtnwing
www.carbonbicycles.com

Looking for:

Miyata Elevation Carbon FS
Intense M-1 Macpherson Strut Model 93/94 era
Crosstrac Sonoma

Ironically, I wonder if your saranwrapped bike arrived undamage because it wasn't in a box and the UPS people were more gingerly with it. I've seen them toss boxes back in the warehouse all the time. Even computer monitors.