Ever have a keyboard damaged in shipping by FedEx?

[Docbop]

3 hours ago, Outkaster said:

My buddy works at Fedex.  The difference between express ground and freight is different.  Sometimes ground can be rough.  I just had a Leslie shipped from CA with no problems from Fedex Freight.

I recently bought some studio monitors from a online store that uses FedEx for all the shipments to where I live.   No charge shipping so they use FedEx Ground.   Well the shipment was slower than usual and eventually FedEx wasn't even giving status.  Call FedEx they weren't sure where the shipment was the FedEx computer was messed up for over a day.   Call the dealer they can only track via FedEx computer so they have no info.  So dealer said they would overnight me monitors via  regular FedEx and send a return to shipper to FedEx ground.    I said but it's still FedEx they said regular FedEx uses different distribution hubs and system so it should arrive tomorrow.     All worked out with regular FedEx they got me my speakers next day and my lost set of monitors sent via FedEx Ground found their way back to the dealer.    Amazing how FedEx Ground and FedEx are like two different companies. 

 

 

[eric]

Brother @Joe Muscaramay see this thread and jog my memory about our collective experience many years ago, when I sold him a mildly customized Roland RD-700 of some variant and there was a pretty major shipping disaster.

 

Joe will probably remember it better than me. I recall that I shipped FedEx using the original factory box (pretty sure I did) and this was right around the time of Hurricane Katrina or one of the big hurricanes. The keyboard was traveling from VA to TX. Joe and I were pals as I'd hung out with him in TX and been to his house, etc. There was complete good will on my part to ensure that this thing happened properly and safely. Which, by the way, is how I operate with everyone! Just thought it might be good to point out that we were friends at the time.

 

Anyways, what I recall is that the keyboard got stuck in the shipping backlog related to the hurricane for perhaps weeks. It eventually arrived to Joe and the package was damaged in such a way that neither of us could comprehend how the shipping company had mishandled it. I believe it was still functional with mostly cosmetic damage, including some of the nice customized parts (walnut end caps).

 

There was a time-consuming process of filing an insurance claim and I had fully insured it. I do not remember the precise outcome, though I believe that we ultimately collected what was needed to make the situation a wash for both of us and we may have even gotten a little extra? This is the part I cannot remember as this old man's brain is old. 

 

It was stressful and may have been the last time that I shipped such a large piece of gear.

 

I hope @Joe Muscarahas more memories of this, if he's willing to share!  

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, FatFingers said:

Sorry to hear the news, ABECK.  That sucks and I hope you make some headway on appeal.   I recently sold an SK Pro that was shipped via UPS and deemed totaled by the buyer when it was received.  I sold it using Reverb and used their safe shipping guarantee.  Reverb relied on the buyer's photos and descriptions and the claim was settled in a few days -- I was able to keep the money he paid, and he got a complete refund.  I had taken photos before and after I had packed it, but Reverb said not to bother sending them in.  I've sold a few keyboards on eBay but count myself as lucky, and after that good experience with Reverb, I'll never bother to sell a keyboard on eBay again.  First choice, tho, continues to be a local sale if at all possible.

Yeah, Reverb fills in that gap nicely don't they?

I've recently started using them, bought an item that simply did not work at all and sent them a video of me running another item from the same power strip, plugging in the item I purchased and it just sat there, dead as a post. Immediate and full refund from Reverb. Their safe shipping guarantee is a bargain and they hold their end up. 

[o0Ampy0o]

Did this packing job involve sheet metal, rebar and auto tires?
 

I wonder whether the destination area could be a factor in a damage claim response. I shipped a printer to The South (USA). It arrive damaged. UPS reimbursed more than I probably could have found anyone willing to pay for it undamaged. I imagine people like those who opened up their home and made dinner for the tormented rafters from Deliverance working the Insurance Department at UPS in The South. They made good on the damage.

 

[kaptainkeys]

46 minutes ago, o0Ampy0o said:

I imagine people like those who opened up their home and made dinner for the tormented rafters from Deliverance working the Insurance Department at UPS in The South. They made good on the damage.

Maybe it's just southern/midwestern hospitality?  Something like that would never happen in the northeast.

[Outkaster]

18 hours ago, Docbop said:

I recently bought some studio monitors from a online store that uses FedEx for all the shipments to where I live.   No charge shipping so they use FedEx Ground.   Well the shipment was slower than usual and eventually FedEx wasn't even giving status.  Call FedEx they weren't sure where the shipment was the FedEx computer was messed up for over a day.   Call the dealer they can only track via FedEx computer so they have no info.  So dealer said they would overnight me monitors via  regular FedEx and send a return to shipper to FedEx ground.    I said but it's still FedEx they said regular FedEx uses different distribution hubs and system so it should arrive tomorrow.     All worked out with regular FedEx they got me my speakers next day and my lost set of monitors sent via FedEx Ground found their way back to the dealer.    Amazing how FedEx Ground and FedEx are like two different companies. 

 

 

They also use three different databases from what I can see.

[funkyhammond]

That really sucks about the damaged keyboard and denial of insurance. Sorry to hear about that.

 

Good to hear about people's positive experiences with Reverb. I was just looking up some other online comments about that. It sounds like the extra few percent or whatever for their safe shipping label is worth the peace of mind.

[Old No7]

42 minutes ago, funkyhammond said:

Good to hear about people's positive experiences with Reverb. I was just looking up some other online comments about that. It sounds like the extra few percent or whatever for their safe shipping label is worth the peace of mind.

 

Yes, +1 to that.

 

Old No7

[Julius D Majestic Studios]

On 4/12/2022 at 11:22 AM, GotKeys said:

I'm shocked that your wife was able to walk between the boxes to get into the house.

 

We have a garage.  Lol

[Joe Muscara]

19 hours ago, eric said:

Brother @Joe Muscaramay see this thread and jog my memory about our collective experience many years ago, when I sold him a mildly customized Roland RD-700 of some variant and there was a pretty major shipping disaster.

 

Joe will probably remember it better than me. I recall that I shipped FedEx using the original factory box (pretty sure I did) and this was right around the time of Hurricane Katrina or one of the big hurricanes. The keyboard was traveling from VA to TX. Joe and I were pals as I'd hung out with him in TX and been to his house, etc. There was complete good will on my part to ensure that this thing happened properly and safely. Which, by the way, is how I operate with everyone! Just thought it might be good to point out that we were friends at the time.

 

Anyways, what I recall is that the keyboard got stuck in the shipping backlog related to the hurricane for perhaps weeks. It eventually arrived to Joe and the package was damaged in such a way that neither of us could comprehend how the shipping company had mishandled it. I believe it was still functional with mostly cosmetic damage, including some of the nice customized parts (walnut end caps).

 

There was a time-consuming process of filing an insurance claim and I had fully insured it. I do not remember the precise outcome, though I believe that we ultimately collected what was needed to make the situation a wash for both of us and we may have even gotten a little extra? This is the part I cannot remember as this old man's brain is old. 

 

It was stressful and may have been the last time that I shipped such a large piece of gear.

 

I hope @Joe Muscarahas more memories of this, if he's willing to share!  

We're still friends, @eric.  

 

You pretty much nailed it. I may have written a thread about it back then in 2008. Hurricane Ike was her name. FedEx nearly destroyed the keyboard (RD-700GX), though the metal chassis on those Rolands are tanks. They broke one of those gorgeous end caps you had made and might have chipped the other. There were a couple of nicks in the metal chassis, but overall, it was fully functional. When the box arrived in my hands, they had cut away half of it because they presumably had damaged it, and reboxed that end in loose packing peanuts. That's right, the one end was just flailing around. I have no idea if the damage happened before or after that. I still remember how I felt when I could feel that end of the keyboard moving around in there, and when I opened it to discover what they had done.

 

Hey, in my gmail archive the claim email to FedEx always pops up at the top and turns out it has the photos I sent as well. Enjoy! It reminds me that the damn styrofoam bits were everywhere.

 

P.S. That's my old address. I don't live there anymore.  

 

[ABECK]

Did they accept any responsibility on the mishandling?  

[Joe Muscara]

51 minutes ago, ABECK said:

Did they accept any responsibility on the mishandling?  

Yeah they reimbursed me a good amount, close to the value of the keyboard IIRC.

[ABECK]

Update:  After days of back and forth, I finally got FedEx to accept liability and cover the repair cost.  It was amazing how many walls they put up to avoid any kind of responsibility (my favorite was "there's an old bar code on the box" - it was a partially ripped off barcode from another carrier).  

 

Thankfully the buyer is a backline company with easy access to repair resources and the ability to quickly get it assessed.  

Lesson learned - either local buyers only, or possibly Reverb shipping.  Not interested in another headache again.

[ProfD]

50 minutes ago, ABECK said:

Update:  After days of back and forth, I finally got FedEx to accept liability and cover the repair cost. 

Brotha @ABECK that is excellent news.  Glad it's working out in your favor.  👍🏿

 

I just sold a piece of gear and dreaded having to ship it.  Turns out the buyer is someone I already know and he can pick it up locally. 😎

[KuruPrionz]

3 hours ago, ABECK said:

Update:  After days of back and forth, I finally got FedEx to accept liability and cover the repair cost.  It was amazing how many walls they put up to avoid any kind of responsibility (my favorite was "there's an old bar code on the box" - it was a partially ripped off barcode from another carrier).  

 

Thankfully the buyer is a backline company with easy access to repair resources and the ability to quickly get it assessed.  

Lesson learned - either local buyers only, or possibly Reverb shipping.  Not interested in another headache again.

I am glad to be wrong on this one!!! Hopefully everybody is happy and joyful now. 😇