UPS crushed my Merrylander miracle

Fed Ex is no different. They DESTROYED a JVC JR-401 in shipment on me a few months ago. Total loss. :tears:

According to the tracking info it got as far as getting on the truck for delivery. The next thing I knew it was a week later and I was told it was mangled... These are heavy items and sometimes the guys moving it aren't up to the task. :thumbsdn:
 
I feel your pain. I lost a computer because of UPS. I made the mistake of using those inflated pillows. I must say though that that appears to be majorly under packaged. Box was way to small and peanuts never stay where you put them. No manufacturer ships electronics in peanuts. I hit furniture store dumpsters for all kinds of thick styrofoam and then hollow them out for a near factory enclosure. Minimum 4 inches on all sides. Sorry Rob but it had to be said. Nice that he is going the extra mile to make it right.

I second the use of beadboard. Go to a local Home Depot and you can get sheets 3" thick that are wonderful to use. Moreover, it is easy to cut and shape and protects really well. Takes a bit of time and costs a bit, but I have used it a few times and never an issue. In fact, I recently shipped a 60lb Parasound HCA 2200II with this method and it was post. Arrived as mint as I sent it. Styrofoam popcorn is useless. When my RC 5000 was shipped it was lucky enough to have the original box/styrofoam that I insisted was AGAIN padded and boxed. At $4200 US I mentioned the extra cost should be nulled.... it arrived safe.

I use to manage a moving company for 5 years and know very well what goes on in shipping. Someone having a bad day, or you giving them a bad day with a heavy box...... it almost makes it not worth the hassle to ship something but with the way it is now, it is the only way. My local shop/city is not big enough to find the things I want and when you have to look global, shipping is the only recourse.

In fact, I will not be buying that requires shipping unless it is absolutely necessary. The stress of the item arriving, arriving in good shape or at all is not worth it. Imagine if that priceless collectable you purchased arrives damaged, and my friend with the electronics repair shop tells me all sorts of stories that do not inspire confidence in ANY shipping method.

But my RA 1412 is another story. I have bought 4 so far to restore to mint one (1) unit. 2 arrived damaged. Both were due to poor packaging. One was sold by a complete newbie so that is understandable. The other was due to complete UPS negligence, and unfortunately DK, when anything large and heavy is shipped you always take a chance. You can minimize it but NEVER eliminate it.

Should the Rotel RB 5000 amp ever come up for sale and I am able to buy it, I will INSIST on crate shipping and professional packaging at whatever cost to ensure it arrives safe. If anyone out there ever finds something of worth to them I suggest to offer extra in cost for materials, time and effort to get the extra protection of boxing, styrofoam or professional packaging. Money can be earned back or returned but once a vintage unit is destroyed, there is no amount that will get it back. Try finding a mint faceplate for a Rotel RC or RB 5000.
 
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Check me if I'm wrong but...

It says several times in several posts that UPS opened, unpacked and then shipped the receiver. After having lost it. It was not sent originally packed like that.

Kind of disrespectful to both AK members involved to continually overlook this fact.
 
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The way Rob packs 'em that took some doin' on the part of the good folks at UPS.

Too bad UPS had to tamper with it.
 
BTW I've never had any trouble with UPS shipping, just poor packing. Whoever repackaged it goofed.
 
My usual UPS driver who has a major attitude problem normally "flings" my boxes, whatever they are....big, small, light or heavy onto the porch. He's a reak joikoff.

.

Our USPS guy used to do this. I've actually never had an issue with UPS, but PLENTY with the postal service, and I try to avoid them if possible.

Just incredible that they were so careless in their re-packaging of the Yamaha, but unfortunately it's not surprising.
 
This must be the unit Rob wrote me about, good it finally arrived but so very sorry that UPS turned it into a kit. My suggestion when shipping from the US to Canada is to use USPS if humanly possible. Canada Post has a good reputation for transporting packages safely and in the States, there seems less of a problem with USPS so unless customs trashes it there is a greater chance of a successful delivery.

The UPS driver in our area and my wife are on 1st name basis and he's really decent about delivering at the house. She is almost like a central delivery point for the neighborhood. Sometimes I'll come home and there are a half dozen packages for the neighborhood sitting at the entrance.
 
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I've used about every shipping service since I sell a lot on Ebay and in about 9 years I've only had one package lost(knock on wood) and that one was to France. Now here's what I heard from a ex UPS employee I work with. Never label your packages Fragile. He said it was an invitation to package abuse. The back-up to that declaration is that I was shipping a 1949 table top TV of about 75 pounds and it was going to have to go UPS. The Ace hardware is where I drop them off. Well I wanted the TV to make it to the new owner so I asked if I could use a marker to write fragile and the ACE owner me that I didn't want to do that. Once again an invitation to abuse. I now use UPS only sparingly
 
:no::no::no::no::no: What a SHAME!!! :tears::tears: I'm waiting on a CA 810 with fingers crossed after seeing these pictures. My CR 840 that Rob sold me a few years back come through with flying colors:yes:
 
I'm sure the problem was customs. They open EVERYTHING. Nothing goes by unopened. I brought a DVD player and a VCR with me on a plane trip once. Both were placed inside a cardboard box with lots of padding. Well TSA opened it, and you should of seen the way they put it back. They just threw the components back in the box without any of the styrofoam padding. Both units got scratched a little. I have sometimes wondered about this. How can you insure the safety of heavy international shipments when customs is going to open it for sure? They aren't going to put it back in the box the way you shipped it. I get all my pants made in Singapore as I have for 20 years. You should see how they look sometimes when they arrive. One time they were just stuffed back in the padded shipper and there coffee stains all over the outside of it and it was stapled back shut in a mickey mouse way. You gotta love the quality of work those government employees provide.
 
I only used Fedex Ground for years until they told me, about 6 months ago, that they will not pay any claim over $100 for vintage equipment not in manufacturers boxes. Now, I take my chances w/ UPS because they do not impose an insurance limit. I always double box and leave the boxes open for them to inspect before taping them shut.

I'll have to check that out! It is news to me.
Regards,
Jim
 
The UPS drivers here are good about handling packages, I had to install a driveway alarm for FedEx after a couple of late packages spent the night in the rain. I had installed a remote doorbell at the garage door but they never use it, just drop the package and run.
 
Oh does that suck. I get a real sick feeling everytime I see crap like this done by shipping services.:tears:
nono.gif

They keep saying - it was unpacked and repacked by CUSTOMS - THATS why it was unable to withstand the shipping animals.
With the original packing, it was probably FINE!
 
That's a shame for sure.
If I was going to send anything UPS, I would make absolutely sure the packaging could withstand that kind of abuse.

I would invest in some sort of hardshell case for shipping items such as this.

Pelican cases come to mind. Really any kind of road case would be better than cardboard and styrofoam.

Double boxing could have prevented this damage too.

I hate to see a loss of any quality vintage pieces such as yours.

Probably the first thing that any new person on AK learns is that Rob Merrylander works miracles with the Yamaha CR series. Each one that has been posted has been a thing of beauty. Having a long-time fantasy over owning Yamaha CA and CR series, I purchased the CA and CT 610 and 810 units, along with two sets of JBLs (4301B and L46). That basically cleaned-out my savings of loose change over many years. I have posted on them. My daughter plugged her iPOD into both and they stopped working. They have been fixed since but my daughter has opted for a much smaller microsystem that fits better in her small bedroom. I have put one of the two systems in my work office and will post to that new thread soon. The other will eventually be sold to make way for the incoming first tier Yamaha CA and CR series.

I started saving in earnest and set my eyes on a Yamaha CR 2020 refurbished by Rob. I had already bought and set aside JBL 36 decades for them. This was to be my dream system that would be featured in my home office, with no further purchases (save the eventual CA 2010 & CT 1010 as a back-up). Well, Rob notified me that the unit was done and on its way. To make a long story short, UPS lost the package for several weeks. It eventually turned up in the lost and found department. The UPS officials opened the package to identify the unit but did NOT repack it as carefully as Rob had originally done so. The receiver just floated around in styrofoam peanuts while the box was crunched. What follows are pictures of what arrived. This is just heart breaking after waiting and saving for so long. Rob, being a great gentleman is already looking into what has happened and is taking it back to restore. The term miracle worker has and will continue to be well earned.

Today, I am just plain sad to see that UPS has wasted so much time, effort and beautiful craftsmanship. The front and back metal panels are bent, glass shattered, wood case has been severly damaged and ripped to pieces. Nevertheless, even severly damaged, I can still appreciate the glowing metal face plate so carefully cleaned and the beautifully restored wooden case. The red wood color was chosen beacuse my wife is a red head and both are beautiful to me.

DK
 
OMG! Its like viewing pictures from some kind of massacre. My sympathies.

I am blessed to live near Rob and was able to pick up my Merrylander 1020 in person.
 
nono.gif

They keep saying - it was unpacked and repacked by CUSTOMS - THATS why it was unable to withstand the shipping animals.
With the original packing, it was probably FINE!

Guys, first post:

To make a long story short, UPS lost the package for several weeks. It eventually turned up in the lost and found department. The UPS officials opened the package to identify the unit but did NOT repack it as carefully as Rob had originally done so. The receiver just floated around in styrofoam peanuts while the box was crunched. What follows are pictures of what arrived.

It's clearly stated that UPS opened the package. Since I've been buying things from the 'States (a good decade and a half, minimum 10 packages per year) not once has customs ever repackaged anything of mine. I honestly don't think that I've had anything opened by customs before-- all original tape was always in place for every package I recall.

DK, I'm so sorry for your loss; Merrylander sounds like a stand-up guy who will get to the bottom of this kerfuffle!
 
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Guys, first post:



It's clearly stated that UPS opened the package. Since I've been buying things from the 'States (a good decade and a half, minimum 10 packages per year) not once has customs ever repackaged anything of mine. I honestly don't think that I've had anything opened by customs before-- all original tape was always in place for every package I recall.

DK, I'm so sorry for your loss; Merrylander sounds like a stand-up guy who will get to the bottom of this kerfuffle!

hmmm, happened to me ALL the time when I ordered from the States through ebay etc (I'm in vancouver Canada).

Thanks to customs messing with my purchases, losing them and finding them weeks later, and opening and repackaging them, I no longer do mail order from the US for anything valuable or one of a kind. It's a shame, I'm limited to Canadian purchases as a result, but I've never had another hickup without dealing with UPS and the border customs.

That's why I'm a craigslist troll now.

Cheers,
Don
 
...I must say though that that appears to be majorly under packaged. Box was way to small and peanuts never stay where you put them. No manufacturer ships electronics in peanuts. I hit furniture store dumpsters for all kinds of thick styrofoam and then hollow them out for a near factory enclosure. Minimum 4 inches on all sides. Sorry Rob but it had to be said. Nice that he is going the extra mile to make it right.

elwood, I have gotten many pieces from Rob, including a CR-2020, and all were packed with his trademark method. The peanuts he uses don't migrate, because he packs them in heavy poly bags, and lays them in, like logs. The CR-2020 is much heavier than the 1020, and it arrived in perfect condition, just as he sent it, because nobody tampered with the fine packing job.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Rob understates the condition of a piece, then overpacks to ensure that it stays that way.

It takes a serious screw-up to damage something he ships.
 
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