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Posts: 1026
Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | One question... do the Martin or Taylor companies hold major stock in Fed Ex?!
Just got off the phone recently with MisterGolf007 from whom I received the damaged CC65 through Fed Ex. Anyway, they delivered the guitar back to him, along with another he ordered and guess what... yep, that guitar was damaged as well. I just read the post of another ovation owner who had their O damaged in transit!
Perhaps we should stop writing fragile, on these packages, and just write, "Go ahead and trash this box, nothing worth anything inside!" Maybe it will take the joy out of it for these goons.
Norse(fed up with fed ex)man1 |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | My only recommendation is to use a service that is designed and caters specifically to large boxes, and that's UPS. I only use FedEx for small packages and documents which they do flawlessly. USPS Global or Air for outside the USA only because they provide the fastest service which translates into less time "in the system" to mess things up. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I agree with Miles because, well that is almost verbatim what I told him a few years ago. UPS was designed for parcels from the get go. Fed ex does it as an after thought.
I ship probably 12-24 parcels a week my carrier of choice is UPS. Are there problems? of course but I have never had a guitar broke or severely damaged. (I also overpack) and other claims have been mostly minor and paid promptly.
I have heard horror stories about all the carriers but I go with what I feel works best for me. At the UPS depot they have automatic doors, a bunch of handtrucks, and about 6 counters ready for service.
Fed ex has one counter the door opens the wrong way and there are no hand trucks. I have waited in line for an hour just to pick up a package at the fed ex depot.
the main reason many businesses use fed ex is because via amex they give them a cheaper rate to ship. If you are a small time shipper like myself you cannot get a better rate from fed ex. I personally would rather spend the extra money than have the problems |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I knew I got the info from a good source :) Al is so right about this and Lisa (my other half) works at a fullfillment house. She has ALL of the carriers in and out all day long. If you ship enough you can become a statistic with ANY of them, but best to use the ones designed for what you are doing. FedEx or DHL are just great if it's 5:00pm and you need a presentation package delivered to your hotel room across the country before lunch the next day. If you need a Parcel Shipped... go with United Parcel Service (UPS).
Also... check the scheduled delivery times when shipping with UPS. Sometimes UPS Ground can get there in two or three days... no need to pay for 2nd day or 3-day service. Just depends on the location, and I find it surprising somtimes how far a package can get in three days with normal ground service.
I pack well, putting packing inside the case also to insure no rattling at all. The case gets wrapped and goes in a box. I have sent and recieved about 300 guitars combined in the last couple of years and maybe 200 other items. Only one guitar had minor damage, and it was my fault, and another item with minor damage, claim covered it. |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Miles and Al, I have my old Custom Balladeer coming from Kim at Ovation. UPS tracking says it will be here on Monday the 14th. I spoke to a UPS guy last night at a grocery store, and he told me they don't move on the weekends. Does that mean my guitar is sitting in a hot truck somewhere? It it is a storage area? I just wonder where my guitar is spending this weekend?...Paul Hebert |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | hot truck or hot train.
I try to not ship over a weekend since I don't want the guitars sitting in trucks and trains but sometimes it cannot be helped |
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November 2002
Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Yikes! This sounds like a logistical nightmare. Actually, I have had good service from FedEx. My only catastrophe, out of about 25 shipments, was at the hands of UPS. So, kharma is kharma, eh? |
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Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Make sure NOT to ship over a holiday. Especially one that falls on a Monday or Friday. |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by :BruDev
Make sure NOT to ship over a holiday. Especially one that falls on a Monday or Friday.
Sure, BruDev *now* you tell me!
My new Elite was probably baking away somewhere over the fourth & still is. I'm glad I ordered it from a guitar store, if it's cooked to death or squished when it arrives I'll have 'em order me another one. That is, if they want the other 600 bucks I owe on it. :)
Nils |
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February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | And don't ship to Canada.
I shipped my Haida Gwaii guitar to Canada three weeks ago to have the bracing retuned. They just received it yesterday! It wound up sitting at customs for a couple of weeks! I hope they brought it inside.
They're mailing it back Monday. I wonder how long it will take to get back.
Bradley |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Customs will always screw you up. It's a given.
The only worse thing than hot trucks and rail cars is cold ones in the winter. Guitars usually will cold check yet seem to be able to take a blast of heat much better. |
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Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | And don't ship to Canada...
If you used FexEx Ground service, that would explain it, not the end destination. I have used them only twice (once to the US, once from)and had problems both times. I have used UPS for many cross border transactions with no trouble, at least not as far as the cross border thing goes.
Wayne |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | wayne you seem to forget when a certain glen campbell guitar was delivered to the wrong person!!!!
btw the USPS is the worst for Canada. I have no clue if it is the US or the Canadian postal inspectors but they will unpack stuff then throw it back in the box no packing and DESTROY it. I have had this happen and know of several vendors who no longer ship to Canada because of the problems. UPS is fine but the customer will have to pay their brokerage fee and with the state of the Canadian dollar most Canadians are not happy about that |
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Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | It was the USPS! Shipped it Air Parcel Post. They guy that received it didn't mention any damage, so I guess I lucked out.
Bradley |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I am wondering if the Cananda thing with USPS is a coastal issue. I resently had to RMA something back to Vancouver and they specifically asked me to ship via USPS. Big yellow notes inside the box, and printed on the carton. I called and asked and although the lady wouldn't bash either of the services she just said "if you use USPS to return it, we will get it delivered to our door, unopened." This is a company that does a lot of mailorder to the US, but as I said, it's in on the left coast, just over the border. (Richmond actually). Now BC doesn't really consider itself part of Cananda, so maybe that's the difference, but I just wondered if anyone else noticed a difference between the coasts when shipping there. |
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Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | wayne you seem to forget when a certain glen campbell guitar was delivered to the wrong person!!!!
Al, that was a matter of UPS knocking the label off, not necessarily due to the shipping destination.
The funny (?) part is the lady that received my guitar just happened to be waiting for a guitar that she had won in some raffle...she was as confused as I was!
with the state of the Canadian dollar...
Actually, things are not bad at the moment, a USD costs about $1.36 CDN right now (a six year low) as opposed to about $1.60 a year ago...a substantial difference on a big purchase like a guitar. This is due not so much to the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, but the weakening of the US currency. I would imagine you and other US vendors are seeing an increase of inquiries/sales from North of the 49th, as of late.
Wayne |
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Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | I've found this currency conversion program useful.
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Wayne
Us americans would never take advantage of the exchange rate, please send me all of your guitars at the proper price as determined by Alpep, the scion of American evaluators, and the protector of foreign relations. Let's see, $50 american = $100 Canadian, I got that right, I would never exploit my friends. |
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Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Let's see, $50 american = $100 Canadian, I got that right...
Bailey, that's about what it felt like back in the crazy exchange days not so long ago.
Alpep, the protector of foreign relations...
Al, the Foreign Diplomat...hmmm…I dunno about that one... :)
He sold me a great guitar though, that I know. There is some info and pics on it if you click the link below.
Wayne |
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February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Wayne,
Great info and pics!! But if you look close at the pic of Glen & Roy the peghead of the guitar that Roy is playing has the "veneer" broken off or taped up where the Ovation logo should be!!
Would you know why? :confused:
. . . . . .
Mike :cool: |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Mike over the years I have seem many guitars with tape or something covering the name. I think this was done to not allow the company to advertize. Next time you see an older show wiht guitarist playing, look to see if the name has been taped out....Paul Hebert |
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February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Paul,
It might be that Roy couldn't "endorse" another brand of guitar 'cause you know ole Glen always "showcased" Ovations!!
. . . . .
I think Roy had his own "signature series" guitars from.......???
. . . . .
check out what he's playing here:
http://www.nortexinfo.net/McDaniel/heehaw_gospel_quartet.jpg
. . . . .
Mike :cool: |
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May 2002
Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Trboy:
Never noticed that taped logo before, not like it would fool anybody!
Nice Slothead pic...must be #38.
Wayne |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Trboy, aaaaaawwwwwwww the old Hee Haw gospel quartet. I use to watch that show to see that very Adamas Roy Clark is holding. I wonder where that beautiful guitar ended up? "Hey Grandpa, whats for supper"? (LOL) |
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It's a conspiracy I tell ya!
