Don't post your bass via Parcelforce/RoyalMail

[Muppet]

For my sins I work in insurance. I would be tempted to identify whether the company registered to supply insurance is registered with the FSA. If they are then I would contact the Financial Services Ombudsman reporting the miss-selling. There are rules and regs around demands and needs. However, this could be an internal insurance scheme (effectively a compensation arrangement) which may not be covered.

When sending basses, If I'm not sending them in a hard case them I always remove the neck and sometimes send that separately.

[Waldo]

[quote name='anti-barbie' post='7044' date='May 26 2007, 11:09 AM']is there no chance of repairing it?[/quote]

Yeah some spit and kleenex should do the trick!

[anti-barbie]

[quote name='Waldo' post='7062' date='May 26 2007, 11:41 AM']Yeah some spit and kleenex should do the trick![/quote]
Only asking. My dad's mate repairs Violins and pianos and i have seen him do wonders in the past with some really mangled kit. It was just an outside chance.

[wizbat]

If you want a tip for the future Try using apex couriers, they have depots around the uk and treat stuff as it was their own.
We,ve shifted loads of gear with them and they are miles better than the numpties at at PF.

[anti-barbie]

I use a small local courier for everything - they can't afford any damage to their reputation and therefore can't afford to damage any gear

[Waldo]

I'm waiting for a bass related delivery today from ParcelFarcial, let's hope they havn't decided to play 'consignment football' with it.

They delivered a G-K 700RB to me when I was out. So what did they do? They left it on my doostep, in the rain.

[guitarnbass]

Why loosen the strings when sending instruments?

[john_the_bass]

[quote name='Muppet' post='7049' date='May 26 2007, 11:19 AM']For my sins I work in insurance. I would be tempted to identify whether the company registered to supply insurance is registered with the FSA. If they are then I would contact the Financial Services Ombudsman reporting the miss-selling. There are rules and regs around demands and needs. However, this could be an internal insurance scheme (effectively a compensation arrangement) which may not be covered.

When sending basses, If I'm not sending them in a hard case them I always remove the neck and sometimes send that separately.[/quote]

the company i work for sell insurance as an add on and every individual (including me who doesn't have a sales role) has to be FSA compliant.
Any recommendations who to send stuff with? I've just sold the vox and i need to get it sent.

[OldGit]

[quote name='anti-barbie' post='7044' date='May 26 2007, 11:09 AM']is there no chance of repairing it?[/quote]

Well maybe but it's only an old Hohner B2B so it's hardly worth it ..

[OldGit]

[quote name='wizbat' post='7099' date='May 26 2007, 12:36 PM']If you want a tip for the future Try using apex couriers, they have depots around the uk and treat stuff as it was their own.
We,ve shifted loads of gear with them and they are miles better than the numpties at at PF.[/quote]

Hi Do you have a link to a website please?
Ta

[Toasted]

[quote name='guitarnbass' post='7207' date='May 26 2007, 05:05 PM']Why loosen the strings when sending instruments?[/quote]

Hocus pocus from morons who don't understand instrument construction

[Guest subaudio]

[quote name='Toasted' post='8575' date='May 29 2007, 01:14 PM']Hocus pocus from morons who don't understand instrument construction [/quote]


?

[wmsheep]

As a matter of routine a company I used to work for would never sign for anything that wasnt inspected upon recept.

Lots of fun when you have a couple of hundred glass test tubes to inspect.


it`s funny, but I only ever either sign for things AFTER I have checked their condition, or sign for things as uninspected upon receipt these days (even at home!!).

Yeah, it pisses the delivery guy off, but it covers my back in case of damage.

[john_the_bass]

when i went to pick up my last bass from the parcelforce depot, they wouldn't let me open it before i signed for it.

i tried throwing a wobbler but the bloke was having none of it.

[OldGit]

So I have another bass to ship - I got abass box from teh shop today and teh guy said they use Interlinks ..
Any coments? or better still any national recommendations?
Re Apex is it one of these?
Apex Express - www.apex-ex.com
Apex Worldwide Express Pte - www.awecourier.com

[Spikyhedgehog]

Don't post anything valuable by a courier, ever. I just am sick and tired of them breaking everything I send.

And I pack like a beast, I have access to millions of miles of free bubblewrap and cardboard etc at work. They just like to break stuff.

Either send it via a manwithavan or drive it yourself.

Claiming for insurance is such a bloody hassle, most of the time they'll find a way out of it.

They just aggravate me so goddamn much.

I ALWAYS make the recipitent sign for the package, 'unchecked' but I've been through a few instances where they just haven't done so and i've lost a fairly hefty amount of money because of it.

If you have to send a bass, make a small bass coffin out of wood and nail it up tight, full of bubble wrap and similar.

[R,5,R,5...]

[quote name='Waldo' post='7062' date='May 26 2007, 11:41 AM']Yeah some spit and kleenex should do the trick![/quote]

A friend of mine and my former guitarist had a Gibson SG repaired that had snapped at the headstock. It too was a splintery mess. Seemed to work; he's still playing it 5 years later.

Worth checking if it can be put back together. Don't forget that there are many classical instruments around that have had necks, soundboards, pegheads changed to no ill effect.

[neepheid]

Yesterday outside work I saw a courier take a medium sized box (say a couple of feet cubed) out of the back of his van and drop it on the ground from waist height. This is the kind of moronic attitude we have to fight against. I'll bet he doesn't treat his stuff at home like that.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='neepheid' post='8986' date='May 30 2007, 08:41 AM']Yesterday outside work I saw a courier take a medium sized box (say a couple of feet cubed) out of the back of his van and drop it on the ground from waist height. This is the kind of moronic attitude we have to fight against. I'll bet he doesn't treat his stuff at home like that.[/quote]

I'm just about to have a bass shipped to me via senditnow. Posts like this are giving me mild indegestion.

[BB2000]

[quote name='OldGit' post='6359' date='May 25 2007, 11:12 AM']"Guitars and other musical instruments should be packaged in a [b]hard case [/b]with sufficient internal packaging to ensure that the instrument cannot move during transit. Please note that if the instrument hard case is used as the external packaging then the case itself will be treated as packaging and not contents, as a result the case will not be covered for damage compensation. Any instrument strings should be loosened. [b]Musical instruments will only be covered up to £150 of compensation for loss or damage[/b]."
Has to be in a hard case and you can only claim £150, no matter how much it's worth or how much copmpensation insurance the counter person sold you ..

Grrrrrrrrrrr[/quote]

I've been trailing through the online terms and conditions and can't find this statement anywhere - could you point me to it?

EDIT - found it in the packaging guidelines! This disclaimer never used to be there - I read these several months back. I see it also instructs the sender to loosen guitar strings.

Edited May 30, 2007 by BB2000

[BB2000]

[quote name='guitarnbass' post='7207' date='May 26 2007, 05:05 PM']Why loosen the strings when sending instruments?[/quote]

To remove stress at the headstock/neck join. Certain designs (such as gibson guitars) are susceptible to breakage at this point, and weakening the strings is alleged to reduce the risk of this happening. In the case of fender basses I doubt if it makes any difference (and I don't bother).

[BB2000]

[quote name='OldGit' post='8490' date='May 29 2007, 10:14 AM']Hi Do you have a link to a website please?
Ta[/quote]

+1

I've a bass to send this week - always used PF in the past with no problems but now looking to change.

[TheButler]

I have used CityLink to post countless amounts of things, i even got them to pick up a 4x10 for me, it was only covered with the cordura cover and one sheet of cardboard (what else could you do) i recieved it in perfect condition. I have also recieved a 23.5KG CME UF-8 keyboard via CityLink, it wasn't packaged that greatly but i still recieved it in perfect condition, well it had a crack in the end but that was already there apprently

[john_the_bass]

i've used citylink and they've never broken anything. Apparently, they lose plenty!
I've just booked a collection through Interparcel (www.interparcel.co.uk) with DHL. I've packed the bass up as well as I can in a double walled cardboard box and about 3 scrunched up Saturday Guardians to pack it out and try and protect it from the top and bottom of the box.

Hopfully it will turn up in one piece.

[Waldo]

At the end of the day, you just have to be pedantic with your packing. Pack whatever you're sending so well that it can't possibly break, even if it takes the recipient ten minutes to open it. Simple.