Thanks for the heads-up and all the info above. I've been lucky so far. I shipped a kit out (one box) via USP a few months ago - no problems. I have a three piece shellpack packed and ready to go now.....55lb 25x25x25 box.....packed well....it's a 20" bass drum, 16 and 13 toms...hardware removed and packed in there separate.

I did a dry-run a few days ago...to get a price for shipping from here (Canada) to Florida. I can get insurance for loss but can't insure for damages because I packed it. Now I'm thinking of taking this package to UPS and let them package it when I'm read to ship it.

When I shipped the first kit a few months ago I asked for insurance....and paid for it....but didn't realize at the time I was only insuring for loss......NOT damages. I was lucky there was no damage at the other end.

Kona,

Thanks for the info regarding UPS insurance...I did not know that the contents are only insured for loss only without UPS packing...I never use UPS for shipping anything I sell, but, it`s a great "heads up" for when I purchase and the seller wants to use UPS...

Cheers

Did you read my comment regarding UPS's customer service ? Hmmmm

I would steer clear of UPS for the reasons i've stated..

The company I work for recently switched from FedEx to UPS and now our cartons look like they were kicked across the country. I often have to reorder special orders because the customers product is broken, but I cannot check them until the customer comes in to pick them up. FedEx is by far the best delivery company, and that's not saying much.

USPS guys we deal with are all mental cases,that job does something to them.

I don't know where you are in Chicago, but when I was still in town my local P.O. was the one on Lawrence just west of Western, which has "won" first prize in polls as the crappiest in the city, which usually rates as the crappiest service in the country. So possibly the worst branch in America.

I had to get REAL salty with a lady at the counter there about a Hollow Block 22" that had amazingly evaporated - I had an "Undeliverable" tag on my door, tracking showed "Delivered", nobody knew nuffin', etc. After about an hour of her rolling her eyes at my willingness to wait while they "Just please check one more time, thanks!", the other counter clerk, normally as warm and caring as your average Mossad assassin, found it. Tiny tear in the corner of the box, just tossed onto the "Stuff we're totally going to throw away when nobody's looking" pile.

Hope everything works out on your end.

Interesting that both USPS and UPS have the word "Service" in their names, yet neither seems to provide it.

Here is a true story:

Several years ago I was the shipping manager for a company that made custom small truck conversions. One day we received a chrome steel brush guard in a box that had obviously been punctured by something like a forklift blade, and the guard had a corresponding dent.

I filed a damage claim, which was denied by UPS (their standard response is to deny). I called in my UPS Rep. and showed him the damage and the denied claim saying there was “Insufficient packaging”. I told the Rep. I understood their position, and asked if he could tell me what sort of packaging should be used that was stronger than the steel that was damaged. He approved the claim to be paid.

UPS and the USPS have other things in common.

FedEx isn't much better, but I've had better luck with them, so I use them when I can.

it arrived safe and sound ,, raise enough of a racket and they get it found thanks to techrepairman for a great deal it's sweet a little creamy than my 70's but the date is nice 65

LMAO!

I keep seeing so many of these threads in different forums. It is sad with the price of shipping these days.

Can anybody explain why >I< have to pay to insure that >they< don't break my stuff? What a racket.

Too many horror stories here. I've had the least amount of problems with USPS and the most (by far) with UPS. BTW the proper pronunciation of UPS is 'Ooops!'