Thanks UPS

refret

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Well UPS has destroyed my 1983 D-52.....
This should be a battle.
I have only had to file a claim with them once before and the sheer pain is still with me.
Just what I need.
 

Rich Cohen

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Boy, is that a huge bummer. I'm very, very sorry to hear it. Keep us LTGers informed of your battle with UPS. Is this a warning to use FedEx instead? Or, is it just a crap shoot each time?
 

Rayk

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Wow ! Bummer :( hope you get resolved soon
 

richardp69

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I don't know that there are any clear cut winners or best in class. I think we all have our faves. I stand behind the USPS Priority Mail system. I've likely shipped 250 to 300 guitars over the last 14 years. I had one guitar damaged and frankly it was likely because I did a less than stellar job packing it. In all fairness to UPS and FedEx, I've never received a guitar damaged or ruined from them. The USPS is just very close for me so it's a natural.

I know, I know, I've heard horror stories on this forum about USPS as well. All I can say is they've been more than good for me. You just do the best you can I believe. You can't control how others pack their guitars to ship to you but you can control your own packing,
 

dreadnut

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Sorry to hear about this - D-52's are kinda rare. How is it damaged?
 

refret

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Fretboard broken away from the neck, looks like a neck crack, back crack.....
At least I have before photos and the box looks like it took a significant hit.
Hopefully.......but they don't particularly like to pay out.
More to come.
 

twocorgis

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Very sorry to hear this. UPS will fight you tooth and nail with claims, and usually only want to pay out if you got ripped off to have a UPS Store pack it (and I know way more about shipping guitars than any of them). It's one of the reasons I won't ship guitars with UPS. FedEx Ground on the other hand, cheerfully paid a claim on the only shipment I ever had damaged by them (wasn't a guitar), so that's the way I go.
 

Bonneville88

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refret,

That totally SUCKS. Interested in seeing damage pics and
in how this plays out with UPS.

Shipped and been shipped a dozen guitars in the past 9 mo... all Fedex Ground.
No issues, other than one or two individual sellers that didn't quite get it,
despite being sent specific instructions on how to pack :neglected:
 

NEONMOONY

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Sorry to hear that, experiences of instruments damaged in shipping can make you goosey about sending stuff. I have to say that I have been fortunate and never had anything damaged. Although it doesn't speak for the whole company maybe but a local Fedex delivery guy seems to know what a guitar shipping box looks like and takes extra steps that aren't really required. Even if somebody sent one without a signature requirement, (he gets visibly upset that someone would send a guitar without the requirement) he tries to make sure someone is home. When we weren't, he drove around back, he puts it in the barn and leaves a note that he was here but not where he left it. I know where to look.
 
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mavuser

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this is how UPS recently delivered a vintage amplifier to a vintage amplifier repair (brick and mortar well established, well respected) business location:

lcTu8M.jpg


i guess the driver just figured that was ok! ("they were just going to take it apart anyway")
 

refret

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Well, got it back, UPS said there wasn't 2" of dunnage around the hard case. I decided to just employ glue and clamps and let it go. Fretboard came delaminated down to the 3rd fret, possible grain split on the back of the neck, hard to tell. Looks like a small stress fracture on the back maybe an inch and a half long. All things that I can address, not worth the battle, too nice of a dread to junk out. Lesson learned, Fed-ex or USPS. Always had good luck with USPS anyway for international shipping.
 

refret

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Following the weekend, and holding my hernia in now and then, the fretboard has been reset, what looked like cracks is only in the lacquer I believe. All strung up and back to it's glory! Put a new compensated bone saddle in it, rings quite nicely! The buyer that received it during the unfortunate UPS debacle suggested that the back might have been taken off at some point. I looked it over quite extensively, there doesn't seem to be anything to suggest a back removal, but I think that the binding was replaced at some point. Still looks and sounds great, really, it's 34 years old, holding out pretty good for it's age.
 

poser

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What a great outcome to a lousy event. You'd probably still be tearing your hair out trying to negotiate with UPS.
 
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