Best Courier for a high value instrument

[steviedee]

Hi Folks I want to send my Wal down to Surrey for a service. What is the best courier, I don’t mind paying a premium for a reliable service.

[Delberthot]

I always use UPS through Interparcel. I wouldn't use anyone else

[ambient]

Seriously?

[ambient]

Just now, Delberthot said:

 I wouldn't use anyone else

 

[Delberthot]

Just now, ambient said:

Seriously?

Have you had a bad experience with them?

[Dood]

UPS for me have been excellent every time. They even stopped me in the street once to tell me they were on their way to deliver a parcel so I could get home in time

[Paul S]

8 minutes ago, Delberthot said:

I always use UPS through Interparcel. I wouldn't use anyone else

Me too.  They actually insure musical instruments, too.

[steviedee]

Do you book them direct or via interparcel?

[Paul S]

I've always done it via Interparcel.  I don't think I have ever actually looked directly at the UPS website, now you mention it.

[TheGreek]

I have a really good relationship with my UPS driver - he's also a dog owner and makes a fuss of Shalla whenever he delivers. He always delivers at around the same time. However he is only one link in a chain.

I've heard lots of horror stories about couriers - I think I've just been lucky.

[Guest]

I think there’s been a related thread about this recently - can’t remember where exactly. I recently won a bass on eBay and was all ready to have it shipped, but wanted full insurance. I tried all the name couriers I could Google and the best I came up with was UPS - max £1,000 and it must be in a hard case. Parcelforce doesn’t offer enhanced compensation for instruments, TNT, DPD, FedEx and DHL don’t advertise significant insurance and volumetric dimensions of a bass case are too large for something like Special Delivery. If anyone has any other couriers who do I’d be interested -on the lookout for a Warwick Infinity, which is fairly rare, so may need it shipped if I find one!

[steviedee]

Looks like UPS with £2000 insurance next day delivery which hopefully means less time getting shipped for pillar to post.

[fleabag]

28 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

 I recently won a bass on eBay and was all ready to have it shipped, but wanted full insurance. I tried all the name couriers I could Google and the best I came up with was UPS - max  £1,000 and it must be in a hard case. Parcelforce doesn’t offer enhanced compensation for instruments, TNT, DPD, FedEx and DHL don’t advertise significant insurance and volumetric dimensions of a bass case are too large for something like Special Delivery. If anyone has any other couriers who do I’d be interested -on the lookout for a Warwick Infinity, which is fairly rare, so may need it shipped if I find one!

Thats a bit odd.

If i was the seller of the bass you won, it would be ME who insisted on insured delivery,  because if it turned up as a box of matchwood, its the seller who loses out financially with Ebay. The seller also has the unenviable task of trying to get their compensation from the courier

As a buyer, all you have to do is hit the resolution button

[Guest]

1 minute ago, fleabag said:

Thats a bit odd.

If i was the seller of the bass you won, it would be ME who insisted on insured delivery,  because if it turned up as a box of matchwood, its the seller who loses out financially with Ebay. The seller also has the unenviable task of trying to get their compensation from the courier

As a buyer, all you have to do is hit the resolution button

Sorry, my poor explanation. He wanted collect only and advertised it as such, but after a bit of persuasion offered to courier and asked which courier I would prefer. Hence my fruitless search.  In the end I coughed up for a train, went halfway across the country and made a day of it.

[fleabag]

Aha

You did the safest method known to man. Well done

[Pentode]

I use UPS for my instruments and my business, never had a problem. 

[ambient]

2 hours ago, Delberthot said:

Have you had a bad experience with them?

I just wouldn't send an expensive and delicate instrument by courier.

I'm going to have my Sei refinished later this year by Martin Simms, but there's no way I'm sending it by courier.

[ambient]

20 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

Sorry, my poor explanation. He wanted collect only and advertised it as such, but after a bit of persuasion offered to courier and asked which courier I would prefer. Hence my fruitless search.  In the end I coughed up for a train, went halfway across the country and made a day of it.

That's what I do every time. I've been all over the country collecting and delivering instruments. Trains are cheap if you book ahead and maybe don't mind an early start.

[ZilchWoolham]

I've made fairly long trips to buy or swap instruments before, but I've never had any major problems with carriers either (apart from long delivery times, which might have more to do with my impatience than any wrongdoing on their part). The biggest reason for making trips as opposed to shipping, for me, is being able to play the instrument, hand over the money, shake hands and know both parties are satisfied. There's always the possibility that you'll trip over yourself as you exit the train and send your new bass flying across the station. 

[JohnR]

I used UPS last year when I send my Wal to Paul for a service. 

[dmccombe7]

13 hours ago, steviedee said:

Looks like UPS with £2000 insurance next day delivery which hopefully means less time getting shipped for pillar to post.

£2000 insurance ? I would have thought any WAL would be worth more than that.

Are you that far from Wal to drive there yourself ? That way you get to see the service being done hopefully and then try it out before you leave to make sure its all perfect.

Make it a few days holiday or something like that if its too far to drive in a day.

Dave

[The59Sound]

Yourself!

[chris_b]

Phone Paul at Wal and ask him what he recommends.

[steviedee]

I’m in Glasgow so pretty far, also just not feasible too take a holiday really.

[steviedee]

30 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Phone Paul at Wal and ask him what he recommends.

I’ll phone him Monday. I might be able to have the electrics removed as the bass is otherwise excellent. Apparently a straightforward job but I’m not keen on doing it but I use a local luthier who is great and I’d probably get him to take them out for me. The cost of sending the electrics is pretty reasonable and 2 grand insurance will cover them going missing. 

Edited March 4, 2018 by steviedee