Morons & Hi end audio = Headache.

[j_garcia]

Transactions are subject to moderation on A'gon, so both parties have to agree to what is posted towards either and has to be approved by A'gon too. I wouldn't worry about a feedback issue.

Anything that costs a decent amount, I take pics of it in the packaging before I send it and send those pics to the buyer. It is also a record of my packaging in the event that something happens. Whether or not it would help in the event of a damaged item I don't know, because I haven't had it happen yet...(knocks on wood).

 

[davo]

SO this guy is a regular buyer of fine audio equipment, and would have had quite a few boxes sent to him in the past. Surely he at least knows to check the box over for any signs of damage. And with the unit been so badly damaged the box would have to have been wrecked.

The guy sounds like an inconsiderate jerk (ignores return packaging request knowing it jeopardises your insurance hopes).

Burn him!

 

[dem beats]

I do not put anything past UPS or USPS. I have packaged things with at least 4"-5" of packing, double boxed and had things damaged from them. I would seriously question why the original packing was not sent back with the item though. I have all ofthe buyer's keep the merchandise in the packaging until UPS comes to inspect the damage at their place. Then, if UPS does not keep it, I have them send it back to me. Once the item is received and UPS fulfills on the insurance end they are refunded.

However, based upon your description of packing, I do not see how the item could have been damaged to the extent you say without some of the packing removed. I had a guy try to pull a fast one on me once. He dropped the unit once it was unpacked and then said it was damaged in shipping. After months of haggling, UPS refunded the cash and I refunded him. I would check to see if there are any marks on the chasis that indicate a drop out side of packaging. Packed the way you describe there should be no marks visible on the unit. I think it would literally have to fall out of an airplane at altitude to do the damage you describe based upon your packing method.

In the defense of the person who got the goods and cried damaged... i have received a box with nearly unbreakable glass in them.. as in you can throw them with all a min has at concrete and no breakage, just a small scratch/chip, yet a perfectly fine looking box comes to my house and I open it to find all but one item smashed. Massive blunt force trauma and impact can do that at times....

What breaks the deal is he didn't document opening the package and he didn't comply with what you requested of him for the return. That is his crucial mistake. If you loose your receipt at best buy, it's simple enough, you don't get help..... and you get ripped off for price. Someone gets a deal and can't comply... as much as I feel for his situation.. I say blow him off.... He's completely in the red there with the issue.

I say it all smells fishy though. You are reputable, and his is also... so it comes down to a small mistake, and you didn't make it, he did. Blame falls to him hifi.

 

[highfihoney]

Got some more (real) info,it seems that my buyer didnt tell me the whole story,yes the package was signed for but not by him,one of his office girls signed even though the box was hammered,then she put the box aside & didnt tell him about it for several days as soon as he saw the box he said he knew it was toast.

As for the packing UPS pulled a fast one & im going to catch them on it too,they sent a driver to his office unannunced to retrieve the package after he started the claim,he asked the driver to wait while he repacked the unit but the driver told him that worring about packing was not nessacary & to just hurry up & wrap it up any ole way,the buyer still has the packing i sent the amp in.

I called UPS & told them of these facts & now im waiting to talk to a claims adjuster which is a good thing,ive been around the block a few times with the adjusters over the years & if you stand your ground in the end ya get paid.

It just pi$$es me off that he didnt make me aware of all of this right from the start,he is one of them one line email guys that gives out little info.

At this point i asked & he agreed to wait till the outcome of the insurance adjusters findings to worry about a refund,he also agreed that if i get screwed on the claim due to improper packing that he is going to eat the repair costs out of his refund.

Hopefully i can get reimbursed 100% from UPS & claim the amp at a total loss,its a good thing my Mac dealer & I go way back

 

[highfihoney]

Transactions are subject to moderation on A'gon, so both parties have to agree to what is posted towards either and has to be approved by A'gon too. I wouldn't worry about a feedback issue.

Anything that costs a decent amount, I take pics of it in the packaging before I send it and send those pics to the buyer. It is also a record of my packaging in the event that something happens. Whether or not it would help in the event of a damaged item I don't know, because I haven't had it happen yet...(knocks on wood).

Taking pics durring packing & after final packing will only help if there is a visable UPS shipping label on the box & in the pic,if not they wont even consider the pic.

Feedback is a concern but my biggest worry is a dispute in the forums,that crap drags out for months before a decision is made & will definately effect future sales.

I bought most of my gear as an investment so i flip it when the price skyrockets on any peice that i have,greenhorn buyers are more apt to jump the gun & leap on hi priced items but they are also more easily panicked,a long drawn out dispute in the threads will most likely make new buyers think twice or walk away.

Within the next few months i plan on selling off a bunch of solid state gear that i have had just sitting in box'es not being used so the prospect of a dispute plus feedback was my worry more so than the money.

Hopefully the buyer & I have came to a meeting of the minds & no foul exchange will happen.

 

[highfihoney]

In the defense of the person who got the goods and cried damaged... i have received a box with nearly unbreakable glass in them.. as in you can throw them with all a min has at concrete and no breakage, just a small scratch/chip, yet a perfectly fine looking box comes to my house and I open it to find all but one item smashed. Massive blunt force trauma and impact can do that at times

Ive been through the wringer with shipping damage over the years,i had UPS leave a tuner on my back porch in the rain,it stayed there for several days before i found it,totally destroyed,it still sits in my closet,it works but the led's are shot & the green board is no lnger available

I also had a UPS driver that took a 110lb amplifier with a glass face off his dolly at the bottom of my steps & roll the box up one step at a time,me & my wife watched him do it from our picture window,that amp needed around $700 in repairs.

Fedex dropped off my VTI equipment rack with visable tire tracks on the box & a huge gouge in the box where the fork lift driver stabbed right through the box,they dropped the box on my porch & split.

When Fedex dropped off a pair of Altec 14's that i bought the box'es were perfect,once i opened them up it was a different story,the box'es had been slammed so hard that one woofer's magnet was torn right off the basket & laying in the bottom of the cabinet,the other speaker was comming apart at the seams from being slammed.

The worst stupidity was with BAX Global,they dropped of my big monoblocks in the front yard right next to the curb & drove off,my wife saw them pulling away & ran outside,she couldnt even budge one of the box'es & i was about 100 miles from home,she had to sit next to the crates till i got home

Thats just off the top of my head,if i really thought about it i know there are atleast 10 more things of mine that the shippers have tried their best to destroy.

 

[MDS]

Damn HighFi you've had some serious bad luck with shipping companies. I've been fortunate I guess to not have any such problems but I generally don't buy large expensive items that have to be shipped UPS/FedEx.

Maybe I should think twice about ordering a TV from an internet vendor.

 

[Seth=L]

Not me, UPS destroyed a $3000 musical instrument I ordered that was double boxed. If it is critical, I use Fedex.

-Bruce

Indeed, UPS is horrible and I will never ship with them again because they are just awful. I sent two packages (power amp in one and a receiver in another) to seperate locations. Both arrived at their destinations unreasonably late and damaged in the same fashion (dent on the interior back side on the right panel). They were apparently packed really stupid.

It does not stop there. For 3-4 months I have been running around with UPS in circles trying to resolve this situation, with very slow progress. They just sent the claim back to UPS again after telling me about 4 times I was not sending them the right info when I knew for a fact I was sending them the right info they were just being incompotent morons and apparently don't understand what an Email attachment is. Once they figured out what an attachment was after I told them it was there they said it wasn't all there, when it was. I had two documents attached and they were looking at just one. So I got frustrated and attached the file they thought was missing to an email in triple reduncy, so they couldn't miss it and let them know they were pissing me off.

Now I will use the post office or Fedex, screw UPS, I hate it.

 

[highfihoney]

Damn HighFi you've had some serious bad luck with shipping companies. I've been fortunate I guess to not have any such problems but I generally don't buy large expensive items that have to be shipped UPS/FedEx.

Maybe I should think twice about ordering a TV from an internet vendor.

I still have not got around to buying a flat panel tv for our new home & for a muinute i thought of using the internet,till i remembered some of my shipping nightmares.

 

[highfihoney]

Now I will use the post office or Fedex, screw UPS, I hate it.

Believe it or not ups is the easiest to deal with & get reimbursed,fedex is way outta control when it comes to shipping damage,ive never known them to pay for electronic repairs,they tend to think that green boards cant get damaged from being dropped or slammed.

 

[dem beats]

HIFI, I will start my own shipping buisness just for you!

Matt and HiFi's shipping buisness. MAHSB inc.

we give electronics the love they need.. And for a small extra fee with will include special audiophile pebles and foam for packing to make sure they are not tainted by negative ions that so often damage electronics in travel.

we can make sure all cables are shiped cold storage too for your convience!

Really though I thought about starting a special gentle delivery company for unique and rare or hard to ship items....

Need a polish .50 cal fully auto cannon shiped with your ferrarri with no vin shipped? You box it we move it!

 

[Wafflesomd]

HIFI, I will start my own shipping buisness just for you!

Matt and HiFi's shipping buisness. MAHSB inc.

we give electronics the love they need.. And for a small extra fee with will include special audiophile pebles and foam for packing to make sure they are not tainted by negative ions that so often damage electronics in travel.

we can make sure all cables are shiped cold storage too for your convience!

Really though I thought about starting a special gentle delivery company for unique and rare or hard to ship items....

Need a polish .50 cal fully auto cannon shiped with your ferrarri with no vin shipped? You box it we move it!

Stop stealing my business model.

 

[avaserfi]

I guess I have been really lucky. I had my speakers shipped straight from the factory to my place via UPS and they all came without a problem. My LCD TV was a similar situation. I bought it online from buydig.com and it came via the freight service in perfect shape, the box didn't even have a dent and the driver insisted on my turning it on and making sure it worked before I signed, I couldn't complain about that.

So far I haven't been burned by a shipping company, but I am young, there is still time...

 

[Johnd]

the driver insisted on my turning it on and making sure it worked before I signed

Really? That's TLC off the charts.

 

[stratman]

Really? That's TLC off the charts.

Yeah that is nice and rare, when I bought my Panny from BrandsMart the driver also insisted that I turn on the unit hook up cable and make sure it was running right.

 

[avaserfi]

Yeah that is nice and rare, when I bought my Panny from BrandsMart the driver also insisted that I turn on the unit hook up cable and make sure it was running right.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a good experience! Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to make another big purchase online.

 

[dem beats]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a good experience! Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to make another big purchase online.

See customer service over rock bottom low life crap prices.

As for you Mr waffle. I'm the only one to these magic pebbles, I'm willing to let them go at cost for stock in your branch of the company however.

=D

 

[stratman]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a good experience! Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to make another big purchase online.

I didn't buy online though, so it was very nice for a local merchant to have that policy. I don't have a problem buying online as long as it's a reputable firm. Also I stay away from off-brands (polaroid, etc.), I learned my lesson with Dell/Olevia, I'll never buy from Dell again in fact I cancelled my corporate account after the tv fiasco.