Can I do a little ranting about shipping?? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Tony_G
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 02:02:14 am
content: I just wanted to do a little ranting about shipping. I bought 3 items from an industrial auction (not the big one that people have been recently talking about) and I used a shipper who I've used many times before. They previously have done a fantastic job of packing & shipping gear (you can see a lot of what they shipped on my channelTGSoapBox).Today they really worked over the pooch without any lube...I bought 3 items, a E4436B Signal Generator (which was just out of cal, looked pristine and was optioned up), a 16902A Logic Analyzer (which worked and looked good) and a 16902B Logic Analyzer (it powered on but didn't display). I went down to the UPS Freight hub today to pick them up and they were in a cardboard box, strapped to a pallet - Fairly typical and generally gives good shipping.When I got home I opened the box up and was, to say the least, surprised to see that there was absolutely no packing material inside the box:Whoever packed this just picked a large enough box and dumped them in. You can see where they rubbed against each other:Because they were just floating around in the box, the connectors punched into other untis - Here's an example:In fact they moved around so much that when I cut the box open to get the analyzers out, you can see the "dust" sitting there:That is plastic and metal bits.Now I get it, the guys packing this stuff aren't going to do the same job that HPAK would do but I'd expect then to use something - Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, solid foam sheets, thick paper, anything - Not just drop this stuff into a box.So now I have, several units that were pristine/low wear and now they look like their ex-military units out of the field. At least I checked the E4436B and it seems to be working - It turns out that I don't have the IEC C15 (or is it C16) plug for the LAs to test.Damn it - I'm just annoyed. Anyway, thnaks for the rant - I return you to your regularly scheduled programming.TonyG

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 02:26:14 am
content: Ouch.I'd be pissed, too - especially because their previous care had encouraged you to use them for this shipment.Even a couple of dollars' worth of bubblewrap could have saved just about all that.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 02:51:27 am
content: That just sucks! You'd think that people who ship things for a living would have more sense than that. It's a shame that your formerly nearly pristine gear got damaged like that. I'd be inclined to raise some Cain with them to at the very least get some of the shipment cost refunded.It aggravates the hell out of me when good (and in many cases rare) equipment is damaged by incompetent packing.-Pat

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 03:47:33 am
content: Please tell us the name of the shipping company.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 04:25:43 am
content: Call them and tell them exactly what you're telling us. With the photos.Quote from: Tony_G onTodayat 20:02:14TGSoapBox).Today they really worked over the pooch without any lube...I bought 3 items, a E4436B Signal Generator (which was just out of cal, looked pristine and was optioned up), a 16902A Logic Analyzer (which worked and looked good) and a 16902B Logic Analyzer (it powered on but didn't display). I went down to the UPS Freight hub today to pick them up and they were in a cardboard box, strapped to a pallet - Fairly typical and generally gives good shipping.When I got home I opened the box up and was, to say the least, surprised to see that there was absolutely no packing material inside the box:......

author: Tony_G
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 04:47:13 am
content: I did pass these photos and commentary to the shipper. I'd prefer not to share their name because it's the first time and it could just be a mistake.(I really was just taking an opportunity to vent).TonyG

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 05:22:57 am
content: Did you take "before" pictures at the auction?

author: Tony_G
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 02:59:58 pm
content: I wasn't physically at the auction (conducted over the net) but the images for the entry are clear and show no damage on the units.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2017, 10:04:39 pm
content: Good,then they will probably see what happened without any ambiguity.Quote from: Tony_G onTodayat 08:59:58

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 12:11:33 am
content: Quote from: Tony_G on September 22, 2017, 04:47:13 amThat's very decent of you.Let us know if they were decent to you in return.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 06:47:13 pm
content: Wow that blows. I've gotten lucky in this regard, never really had a bad shipment with all the stuff I've ordered from various places. But I imagine it really sucks when it happens as there's not much you can do. Shipper will try to say it was already that way, and the seller will blame the shipper and won't refund (rightly so, not their fault if shipper messed up).

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 08:56:58 pm
content: acceleration, the force, rate of change of momentum, inertia, etc........yep, those BNC inputs look un-wellThese people should know better or not be so cheap on packingPoint this out to them and ask for some amount of refund

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 09:07:57 pm
content: What does the fine print on the shipping agreement say? Unless it says something like "we're not responsible for anything and by using our service you agree to that", you might be able to sue them - not just for the shipping costs, but for the repair costs.Ed

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 12:42:16 am
content: I know that usually in these auctions they include the serial number of expensive equipment.Did you check the serial numbers of the auctioned units against the serial numbers of the ones you received to see if they matched?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 01:34:55 am
content: Quote from: cdev on September 24, 2017, 12:42:16 amWhat? Are you thinking the old "bait and switch"?While not impossible, I would put this down as "unlikely". The ground up case dust in the bottom of the box is not something you would do - and it seems to fit the damage observed.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 01:58:18 am
content: I'm just saying, you should double check.To me it seems more unlikely that somebody would be so stupid as to send them with no packing, than it would for there to be some kind of foul play.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 02:53:13 am
content: Quote from: cdev on September 24, 2017, 01:58:18 amYeah, I wouldn't bet on that...People can be pretty mind blowingly stupid when it comes to packing things for shipment. The four wads of cardboard around the edges are the extent of the 'cushioning' this instrument had during shipment. The bottom was flat on the bottom of the box, and the top had that one square of cardboard you can see to the left.-Pat

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 03:01:48 am
content: Quote from: cdev on September 24, 2017, 01:58:18 amOh .... no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.......Somewhere buried deep in the archives of my computer, I have a photo of what one guy I knew "packed" something for shipping. It was an irregular shape - I'll give him that - which made for a challenge, but the result was something you could not imagine. Seriously, you could not imagine it - and I could not begin to try and describe it.

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 07:56:34 am
content: Quote from: cdev on September 24, 2017, 01:58:18 amI guess you dont buy many things on Ebay then?

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 04:11:39 pm
content: I do buy things on ebay but not many large used pieces of test equipment. But the few I have bought there (maybe five?) have all came well wrapped. Not a large sample, I admit.This situation just seems kind of extreme for the newness and likely relative value of the equipment undamaged versus damaged.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 04:15:01 pm
content: Once I saw a delivery person literally throw a box with something heavy in it onto a neighbor's front porch.I can see what you're getting at. Maybe that is the case now.Just if its possible to double check serials, I would.If the data was available.Quote from: Brumby on September 24, 2017, 03:01:48 am