I have shipped items via FedEx (it might have been UPS, can’t remember) with high valuations ($5k). I had to go to a specific depot to do that, which locks the packages up. Getting paid on a loss is another story, but as long as you have receipts you stand a chance of recovering. |
I have shipped and received thousands of uninsured packages over the years (international shipping) and never lost any of them!
Stop your paranoia and ship your worn cartridges with any available shipping method. Your chances for “lost in transit” is near zero.
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Use original packaging to secure cartridge - double box with plenty of poly puffer, styrofoam popcorn etc. Pick FedEx or UPS if you can't stomach USPS. Insure for whatever amount you can support with documentation. Say Hail Mary three times and drop package off. VAS and others will usually send back via USPS unless you specify - at your cost - make sure you specify insurance amount. USPS only offers insurance up to $5k for priority mail.
A lot depends on your risk tolerance. I only insure for a couple of hundred dollars - just to let them know there's something valuable in there. There is always a possibility that the package may get lost, but the probability is low. It has happened to the unfortunate few. |
You could fly them to be repaired, and drop them off yourself. The way you're talking, it may cost less.
I think if you overnight the package and write fragile, glass, handle with care. You might be surprised. You won't have to worry for more than one or two days too.
I went through the same thing with Soundsmith. Everything worked out perfect. Mine were hand made carts from the 70s. They fixed them right up and sent them back USPS. Carts and Tubes, it seems they all prefer USPS, 9 out of 10 times.
300 + deliveries to my house last year before Christmas alone. Other than a late arrival or two, not a single package was lost.. NOT ONE... Amazon, Target, EBay, and 2 or 3 more. I even ordered underwear and had a pair tombstones delivered.
Regards |
Bonded courier. With handcuffed Halliburton. Private jet.
Kidding.
I shipped various things back and forth with Steve L at VAS (I’m in Texas now) without a problem. Ditto Peter L at Soundsmith. Probably used Fedex or Priority.
But, I’m a little wary of USPS these days- have gotten a couple of records that were trashed in transit (I buy a lot of records, used, from all over)- and short of using DHL Express or equivalent for overseas (a vintage rectifier from India took only 7 or 8 days), I’m not sure what the best option is. I think UPS really gets you on the insurance charge last time I used them.
When I was shipping stuff back and forth with Franc Kuzma in Slovenia, he used TNT (I think they got bought by Deutsche Post?). He’d ship and I’d get it next day in NY metro. Crazy.
I know some folks that were shipping cartridges to UK for work-- they’d choose super speedy over high dollar insurance- it is a calculated risk. The less time the object is in the system, the less opportunity there is for bashing, smashing and crashing.
For what it’s worth, I did try to find someone to ship a safety deposit box of jewelry from NY to Tx. Impossible. There were/are companies that handle stuff for the diamond trade but nobody wants to take the risk for high value stuff short of a dedicated truck which in my case was unnecessary.
On the other hand, I had a friend in NY who would have vintage cars palletized and air freighted abroad-- I think back in the oughts, it was 5 grand one way. Which is actually pretty reasonable when you are dealing with something of extremely high value.
Good luck. I’m sure you’ll be fine. You definitely want signature and tracking, as well as expedition. Insurance too, if it isn’t crazy money. |
I shipped my cartridge via USPS Priority. Went from East Coast to West Coast in 2 days. |
Hard case the cartridge against possible crushing or flattening. Lots of padding. Make the package a lot larger than it needs to be. Less chance of it looking like it could be insured jewelry or something that could get "lost." |
@chakster
Yeah that sounds good and all. Until I remember my last order for a Dynavector headshell that came to a USPS facility about 30 miles from my home and never left it. Went to the post office three times to try to use the tracking number to locate it was fruitless. One time I spent 30 minutes waiting for a supervisor who never came out of the back room. I finally had to give up and leave. Fortunately it was an eBay purchase, so my money was returned to me. Your suggestion of shipping with the post office without insurance is idiotic. The only way I would consider it is if I use USPS registered, which has a tighter chain of security.
At this point Fed Ex super saver air is probably my best option at this point. |
I have had some recent bad USPS experiences so +1 on something weird going on in that organization
I have also had a hard time collecting on ahipping insurance so now consider it of little value...
get a cheap 'flight case' from say harbor freight that can hold the original box. then put that into a padded cardboard outer box and send overnight or three day max.
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So I shipped them off today. Decided to use FED EX Air Super Saver. Threw $2K insurance on it so hopefully they know there is some care needed. To go across country it cost me $64 with my discount for having an account. Hopefully in a bit Steve will do his thing and I will have my cartridges back. No damage, just worn diamonds, so stock cantilevers will stay in place. |
The more important is a return shipping from your retipper :)
In my county you can’t insure a cartridge to whatever value you want, you must prove the real cost with real/valid documents. For example you can’t ship a $500 cartridge (or a piece of junk) with $5k insurance pretending you will get $5k if it’s lost :)
For international shipping (not your case) insurance must be equal to declared value, so the import tax will be charged by custom, in Europe import tax is extremely high (can be over 20%) and it’s better to declare as low as possible without any insurance. |
Which is why I prefer a domestic option if possible. Whenever I have my Ikeda done it will have to go to Expert Stylus, and that will require me to follow those rules and take more risk than I would like to.
At the moment I have one of these new generation AT OC9 cartridges installed. I have the XSH and XSL, with the XSH on the SOTA/SME V and I am quite impressed with how good this cartridge sounds. Significant improvement over the OC9 III in terms of tonal balance and low level resolution. I think this is the best cartridge I have heard at it's $650 price point. I could easily use this as my casual cartridge. I am very curious to hear the XSL, as I am thinking of installing it on the Dynavector arm. |
Expensive cartridges should always be insured. The cost are
modest. Track/trace is not insured. I lost 1300 euro this
way. Post. nl lost my packet and deed not made any excuse.
Packets are delivered by cheap immigrant workers who don't
speak the language of the host country while the computer
can't read each hand writing.
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@nandric What is the import tax in the Netherlands if you got an incoming parcel not from the EU ?
You will immediately pay import tax once your shipper declares the real value of the cartridge (for example if your EUR 1300 cartridge is insured to full value you will pay import tax from the full value, so you will pay at least 260 EURO tax which is 20% I believe).
The insurance will cost you not only the modest price of insurance itself, but in addition it will cost you 20% of the total value. Of course you do not pay import tax if you bought it from the EU, but if you bought it from the USA you will pay import tax and the reference for your custom control in declared value on your custom declaration. The import tax in the EU is extremely high in every country and in some countries they will summaries the cost of shipping and the cost of goods to change tax from the total.
If your parcel is not insured your custom has no idea of the real value and your shipment can declare $20 instead of $2000, so there is no tax at all.
In my country no one drops a parcel by the door like in the USA, I pick up my parcels from the post office myself and they are fully trackable.
So in my opinion insurance for international shipping is nonsense.
For domestic shipping insurance is a good option. |
Dear chakster, The state can be seen as ''laws making machine'',
Politicians think in terms of ''output'' . What they forget is that
each law needs ''execution'' to work. But it is impossible to use
a half of the population by execution. Think of the former Sovjet
Union in which one half of the population worked by KGB in
order to check (spy) the other half. There are millions packets
which crosses the border each day. The champion of free trade
Holland charges 12 % import duty + 21% VAT ( = 33%). The
problem of execution is that it is impossible to check each packet.
So only ''at random checks'' are possible. Why should just your
packet be checked? This is what philosopher call ''possible word''
in contradistinction to the ''real one''. In the ''real one'' nobody is
willing to pay 33% tax. People are inventive you know...
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