UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

[BigDaddyD]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

Do a search on the Les Paul Forum...this was discussed there a while ago. I know for a fact that this is true, because FedEx explained it to me when I shipped my Anderson Cobra. They will sell you the insurance, but the guy even told that getting a pay out on damage is almost impossible now. I was outraged and then he said, "well it is your decision whether you use us or not." Read the fine print. The insurance might be there, but it is how they will pay it that you should worry about.

[charvel750]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

Well, I'm still not cornswaggled! I just got off the phone with two separate UPS personnel who denied this is true. In fact, I just shipped a guitar last night (goes out this morning) and it's insured for $1150. Like I said, I've shipped nearly 525 guitars and have had two damage claims. Got my $ in a reasonable amount of time. So, quit perpetuating the falsehood of failed guitar coverage and go learn a new scale today. Put your energy into a useful form. And with that, I shall fall silent. [img]graemlins/sleep.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

I shipped a guitar via FedEx earlier in the spring. I did not have a HSC, only a gig bag and 2 cardboard shipping boxes (from GC). They printed me off their packing regs for guitars...it involved a box within a box, with peanuts in between the boxes. So I got bubble wrap & peanuts, brought my tape & digital camera to the FedEx place, and proceeded to pack everything in front of them - in the lobby. I took digital pics of each step. I felt a little goofy, but it was worth it to know I was covered.
This was my Charvel 475 that I sent to a JCFer; it arrived with no damage.

[roodyrocker]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

Whats funny is that Jackson, as well as most other manufacturers, ship the guitars in their cases with an outer cardboard box and thats it. No packing material, peanuts, foam, etc... and they seem to arrive just fine. OTOH, I've shipped a cheap acoustic I sold on E-Bay before and they required the box within a box deal with something like a 1/2" minimum in between [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Also, as a side note that brings up the loose vs. tuned strings argument during shipping. I noticed many people loosen the strings for shipping, yet the new Jacksons arrive tuned. That included my custom shop Rhoads. Does it REALLY make any difference? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Rudy

[Riffmeister]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

I just sent out 2 guitars last week by UPS. The first was a 250.00 Kelly that I wasn't concerned with, but the second, was a 1400.00 soloist. I added the extra insurance for what the guy paid, 1150.00.

After the thing was already packed and taped up the guy tells me there that it's about immposible to get them to pay the insurance if they didn't pack it. He didn't ask to even see the guitar before I taped it shut.

I told him as he could see that it was in a hard shell case and there was no way it could be damaged unless they abused it.

The idiot wanted to charge me double for all the tape and stuff when I suggested that he open it and check it out . Hopefully I won't be selling to many guitars, cause I thought it was a rip off of 30.00 to send it anyway when I only pay 20.00 to get it to me.

[StuTDavis]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

Well, if you could stick a shipping sticker on your guitar and just send it out like that, and it arrived just fine, you might could think a case, box, and packing materials would not make any difference, much less loosening the strings.

However, if you send your guitar fully packed to the hilt, double-boxed, with 3" of packing on all sides, but don't loosen the strings, then your guitar's headstock arrives busted up, you might wonder if loosening the strings would have made the difference.

The point is, what's going to really make a differnce depends on the specific situation that happens once it leaves the shipper's hands. Since you can't control that at all, it's probably smartest to pack the guitar with every sensible protection you can afford to give it. Since loosening the strings is easy and free, there's not much reason to take that extra risk by not doing it, is there?

[toejam]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

I've also heard about loosening strings in shipping (and I actually sent a Jackson Dinky to Word with the strings loosened), but when I got my new Carvin last year, the setup sheet that came with it said, "When the instrument is not in use or when shipping, do not release the tension of the strings, as this is harmful to the neck and may cause an irreversible backbow." Carvin's been in business for like 50 years, so I'd trust them.

The Charvel Model 6 I sent to Doc had the strings at regular tuning (well, a half-step flat, since I played the guitar in Eb), and it was fine. Both the Charvel and the Jackson were sent out UPS and insured without a problem, and no one ever mentioned anything to me about the insurance value.

[syrinx]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

I think the tilt-back headstock is more prone to damage in shipping because it projects closer to the box's exterior. If the back of the headstock takes a hit and the strings are tuned to pitch, the
threshold of the breaking point is probably closer than if it's detuned.

Carvin also uses dual truss rods; maybe
that makes a difference? I've shipped
many guitars, all with loosened strings,
and never had a problem on the other end.
I read it in an article in Guitar Player
by John Carruthers, who's been a luthier
almost as long as Carvin's been around, and I'm sure longer than anyone at Carvin
today. I trust him.

[Newc]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

When Chuck sent me that San Dimas Soloist (which I sold to Joe recently), the strings were at full tune and it was packed like a rock. The head broke nearly off (but was still in tune thanks to the Floyd [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] )
When I got my JCF Rhoads the case was wrapped once in bubble wrap, and it was in full tune, and it wasn't broke. It came straight from the Ontario shop to me, not through the dealer.

I don't think it's how you pack it, it's who handles it. I got an Archtop Soloist from Hellraiser and the nose of the head was broken, but the Jackson Strat I sent him got there just fine. I've sent guitars with only the case wrapped in shipping paper and mummified in stringtape (tape with cloth strings in it) and it got there just fine (with the exception of the Coral Sea Soloist I also sold to Joe, which had some stress cracks on the back of the head, but I can't recall if that went in a carton or just the paper? Joe?)
As I've said many times here, I shipped a Pedulla bass to Tokyo wrapped this way and it got there with no issues - in 3 days!
I got that imprt Charvel Star with NO CASE and no shipping damage. It was Saran-wrapped to a piece of balsa/plywood (one-ply plywood?) in a Fernandes carton packed like a Snickers [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Funny thing about the Fernandes cartons - they're lined on all sides with that one-ply plywood. Talk about a cardboard tank! But the shipping weight without a guitar in it is roughly 8 lbs, plus it's as wide as a Kelly case.

Newc

[roodyrocker]

Re: UPS/FedEx not insuring guitars anymore?

StutDavis, while I agree with you about loosening the strings being an easy thing to do, my question is still does it really accomplish something? If the answer was a definite yes it helps then why does the Jackson custom shop not do it. I can tell you my custom shop Rhoads made the trek all the way to Ohio in full tune. It arrived just fine.

When I help a friend of mine ship any guitars he's sold, we leave it up the buyer. If they want the strings loosened we'll do so, if they want it in tune we'll do that as well. I really don't have an answer as to whether one way is better than the other.

Rudy