UPS Shipping

[Rivets]

Hi,

I know that this forum is about welder issues proper, but if a unit arrives damaged then it becomes a welder issue.

With so many posts complaining about units damaged in shipment, would another carrier, say Fedex, be an option if the customer was willing to pay the difference in shipping costs ?

I really would like my prepaid PP256 to arrive in pristine condition.

How about it Oleg ?

Thanks,
Rivets

[Oleg]

Rivets

I am in the process of geting pricing from FEDEX .. They are NONE UNION copmany and do much better job on moving freight.

oleg

[everlastsupport]

The number of units with problems posted here are far lower than the units we ship out. That said, I agree with you 100%. That would be a great option. You should have seen the forum when we used DHL.

UPS in some areas of the US are not kind. And with the time of year, they have a "helper" on the trucks and a lot more packages.

[Rivets]

Oleg and Mike,

Thank you both for your quick and positive replies.

In the last year, I made three major online purchases, and in every case the seller INSISTED on using Fedex, because of his negative experience with UPS. It worked well for me.

Surely it can't be a good thing for Everlast to have damaged equipment returned to them. And it's definitely not a pleasant experience for the customer.

Mike, it's a good thing that you have fewer units with problems than units you ship out :-) Yes, I know I quoted "slightly" out of context to make a point.

Cheers,
Rivets

[everlastsupport]

You are not the first guy to ask about FedEx.

Ask Oleg, I think I was, for the reason you mentioned.

[mp006ltk]

It really depends on who is working that day at either place. My business is super high end audio, and allthough I tend to use FedEx ground becasue they are cheaper, I have seen damage with every carrier. For the heavier stuff, I usually prefer fedex, but once again that is mostly because of price. I recently shipped a 100 lb $12,000.00 amplifier and it arrived both times handled well with FedEx ground. I also usually get less attitude from FedEx. The UPS people around here act like pissed off teamsters and allways want to rip open my packages to make sure I know how to pack. Which is rediculous when most items are in factory shipping containers... The only thing I was told once by someone at FedEx that registered a little, was this: They said their conveyor system wasn't equiped to handle large boxes, so past a certain point they get moved by hand. Theoretically moving them on a cart is less abusive than the tosses and turns on the conveyor system. Popular Mechanics shipped a few accellerometers and, if I remember, found that the postal service was the best, but that they flipped the package the most times. It think they said FedEx was the worst, so who knows....

[mp006ltk]

this is just an uneducated observation, so take it for what it's woth.

When I was shopping I looked at some of the pictured shipping damage. It seems that in each case the shelf in the top of the machine buckled. It would seem that if you added a screw from the outside of the chassis on each side the shelf would be greatly strenghtened by the ouside case. Then, assuming the board mounted to the shelf has enough standoffs, it would be able to withstand a lot more bubba abuse. If it works it's a 2 cent soloution to an expensive problem.

Just an idea...

[Titan winch]

I ship a lot of my winches south of the border and i still use Fed-Ex for this.
when all of my shipping was done by Fed-Ex ( Canada and the US ) i had very few complaints or damage on the Canadian side and a larger problem with US handlers . In fact i have only ever had to replace one Winch from the Canadian side but i have at least half a dozen replaced from the US .
I now use DHL ( For all Canadian Shipping ) partly for the price but mostly for time as they can ship on average 2-3 days faster than Fed-Ex for the West or East Coast.
I have minimal damage due to shipping but when i do have any damage it is a doozey , and it requires machine replacement.
In the last year i have two replacements and one broken bezel which is really not that bad fom my point of view.

[Jason]

I know this post is a couple months old but has there been an option or decision on shipping carrier? I have had tons of problems with packages shipped UPS and never had one complaint against Fed-Ex here.

[performance]

Jason,
I believe we are in the final stages.

[Rivets]

Yup, you guessed it.

FWIW, my new PP256 arrived a few weeks ago, and the front bezel was broken.

The box showed no exterior damage, so I have to wonder how these things get smashed. Unit powers up okay, although I haven't tried any of the functions yet.

Replacement bezel is supposed to be here shortly.

Rivets

[performance]

The damage can still be caused if it was hit square and dropped, which does happen.

[Slick]

To address what a previous poster said.

I worked for FedEx Express, and when a item was over a certain weight, a odd shape or over sized it would not go through the sort system, and it would be handled by hand. The weight changed over the years as they upgraded the matrix in the HUB.

Its not that one 100 lbs package would shut it down, but if you added say 100, 100 lbs packages to the million plus other packages it would require some serious HP, and belts to move them through the 100's of miles of belts.

It truely is an amazing system to watch. These Packages were called "Non-Cons" or nonconvebles. The would be put on a bottom belt in input (where all freight enters the system from trucks and planes) allowed to run to the end where baggages carts waited for them to be pulled to the different slides. They would then be carried to the next container that it would need to be placed in. This is also the same system they used for hazardous materials.

And yes, if Jimmy or Sally was pissed that they were put on "non-cons" your package didn't get handled with the greatest of care. It was not the assignment most wanted.

I find it odd that USPS would have got a better rating as I helped train the "Evergreen" people that did most of their shipping in the 90's, and they didn't really care about anything, as long as it would fit. Although last I heard FedEX was now doing shipping for the USPS.

I also had the pleasure of touring the local UPS facility, and the UPS Louisville ramp. They new we were VIP's and still handled box's like they were playing football with them, so lord only knows how they acted when they didn't think people were watching!


So to recap.... yes larger, odd shaped, and hazardous materials are not sent through the sort matrix at FedEX.

I cannot speak for Ground as that was a trucking company that FedEx bought out, and is treated as a seperate entity.

[presure2]

To address what a previous poster said.

I worked for FedEx Express, and when a item was over a certain weight, a odd shape or over sized it would not go through the sort system, and it would be handled by hand. The weight changed over the years as they upgraded the matrix in the HUB.

Its not that one 100 lbs package would shut it down, but if you added say 100, 100 lbs packages to the million plus other packages it would require some serious HP, and belts to move them through the 100's of miles of belts.

It truely is an amazing system to watch. These Packages were called "Non-Cons" or nonconvebles. The would be put on a bottom belt in input (where all freight enters the system from trucks and planes) allowed to run to the end where baggages carts waited for them to be pulled to the different slides. They would then be carried to the next container that it would need to be placed in. This is also the same system they used for hazardous materials.

And yes, if Jimmy or Sally was pissed that they were put on "non-cons" your package didn't get handled with the greatest of care. It was not the assignment most wanted.

I find it odd that USPS would have got a better rating as I helped train the "Evergreen" people that did most of their shipping in the 90's, and they didn't really care about anything, as long as it would fit. Although last I heard FedEX was now doing shipping for the USPS.

I also had the pleasure of touring the local UPS facility, and the UPS Louisville ramp. They new we were VIP's and still handled box's like they were playing football with them, so lord only knows how they acted when they didn't think people were watching!


So to recap.... yes larger, odd shaped, and hazardous materials are not sent through the sort matrix at FedEX.

I cannot speak for Ground as that was a trucking company that FedEx bought out, and is treated as a seperate entity.

interesting stuff!
i guess i've been super lucky over the years..i havent had a package come in damaged...yet..

[yotarover]

you will learn to hate ups when i first got my power arc 160 the box was smashed but thank god my welder was in perfect condition my truck parts came a few days ago the box was actualy in perfect shape