Shipping your stuff at buyers expense.

[AL7F]

I live in Alaska which IS one of the states of the US. I realize that shipping outside the 48 states is more expensive unless you are using a flat rate box. When you list something for sale with shipping to be paid by the buyer what is the problem with shipping to Alaska or Hawaii? I know that some of you will say that you have had problems with buyers in Alaska or Hawaii. I want say that has not happened, but I see a lot of post about scammers from the 48 and haven't seen any from Alaska lately, so I don't know if that is the reason or not. Having lived up here for over 20 years I've bought lots of STUFF from the lower 48 and I'm well aware of the additional shipping cost and I'm willing to pay when I see something I want or need. I just don't understand why someone will list something and say shipping to Lower 48 Only. 73 Mike AL7F

[K4ICL]

Well said, Mike.

I had the privilege of living in Juneau for six years. It is astounding how many American tourists from the tour boats asked if American Dollars were accepted in Juneau.

AL
K4ICL (KL7QH)

[N9LCD]

I was trying to sell a Racal RA1795 with complete manual, asking $1,500 -- picked up in Chicago.

This guy wants a HIGH-END receiver but doesn't want to pay; he offers $1,250 plus packing and shipping.

You got a deal.

I shopped around and found a commercial crating service. They'd crate the receiver and air freight it (minimize handling) to California for $250.

Now you're dealing with a military-surplus rack mount receiver that weighs in at about 50 pounds and that probably has to be shipped back to the UK for service.

This ***** tightwad comes back "I wouldn't pay more than $65 - $75 for PACKING AND SHIPPING"!!!

NO SALE!

Jerry

N9LCD

[ka7niq]

Unless an item is in it's factory shipping box, shipping companies will NOT pay the claim if damage occurs, no matter how well it is packed! I learned this the hard way. The loophole is this - If the UPS Store packs it, and damage occurs, you are fully covered for 100% of the insured amount!
Big heavy high end transceivers, like the ICOM 775DSP I just bought are well known for arriving broken, unless in the factory box.
I bought a Yaesu FT 1000D, and when it arrived here in Tampa, I literally hit the roof.
It was a very clean radio, but it's VFO was broken, and guess what, despite I paid for insurance, the claim was denied, because it was not in it's factory box!
The seller flat out lied to me, and said he thought he had the factory shipping box!

Also, be aware that in the event of a damage claim that gets paid, the check goes to the SHIPPER, not you !
My friend bought an Alpha Amp that was destroyed by Federal Express. It was a clean amp, but arrived in Tampa destroyed, and was in it's factory box.
Fed EX paid the claim, and the shippper flat out KEPT THE MONEY !
My friend hit the roof, but the FBI said there was nothing he could do!

The seller sold the amp for 3500 dollars, insured it for 5 grand, and sent it here to Tampa. The buyer filed an insurance claim with Fed Ex here in Tampa, and the 5,000 check went to the shipper, who kept every dime
The shipper made 8500.00 on his Alpha, and the buyer here in Tampa was out his 3500.00, because he sent a postal money order, instead of PayPal.

I will never buy anything w/o using PayPal, and the guy here in Tampa learned a very costly lesson.

[N9LCD]

Al, the other and the often unseen point is substantiating the fair market value of the damaged gear.

Your carriers aren't going to pay $1,000 for a rig they totaled just because two hams say that's what it's worth. They're going to ask for some third party information to substantiate its value.

I once sold an Avcomm SDU with spare CRT for $750. The SDU was damaged. The carrier wanted something to justify the $750 price and the $325 repair charge. Luckily, I had the a catalog page showing the selling price.

Also, NO carrier will pay more to repair damaged goods than their "FAIR MARKET VALUE". And "FAIR MARKET VALUE" is not necessarily what two hams claim it is.

[KL7AM]

I was selling 250' reels of RG8X coax here on QTH. The reels wouldn't fit in any of the Postal flat-rate Boxes. I had a KL7 ask me if I would unwind it and roll it up manually small enough to fit in a Flat-Rate Box. I agreed and shipped it to him. My Thank You was to have him bitch that I used too many cable ties. I used the cable ties to help keep it from turning into a tangled mess. Never again!

So does that mea if you had a buyer in California complain you would never sell to California again?

[kg8lb]

Chris, I don't know where you got your information but I don't believe it. As long as the packages are packed within the companies guidelines they cannot wiggle out of a claim. I have never been told that original boxes had to be used either. The biggest problem when filing a claim with a shipping company is that 99% percent of the time the stuff ISN'T packed properly. A little common sense goes a long, long, way in packing. I have received quite a few damaged items and every time it was because it was not properly packed. I have even had stuff damaged that was packed by the UPS STORE. Keep in mind that those stores are independently owned and operated ant that guaranteed shipping deal is given by the store, NOT UPS. I finally got a claim paid from them but the store ate the claim because it was NOT packed properly. It was only a Yaesu SP5 Speaker. I knew the speaker would be damaged before I even opened the box. I have had one problem shipping and that was because a guy helping me decided to save me some money by packing an R4B in a box about half the size he should have used. He was a great packer but he was used to shipping books and it is a lot easier.

The true standards for packing electronic equipment is first box has 3 inches of protection around all sides. This box must be put in another box with 3 inches of protection around all sides of the first box. Some say you MUST use solid foam but that isn't true either. You can ever use crumpled up newspaper if you have it dense enough. I will tell you right now if you have damage and the come to inspect the box and you end up with 3 inches of air around your box, you are screwed. I use a rather goofy method but it hasn't failed me yet. I take crumples up newspaper and squeeze it into the 5" wide newspaper bags and tie them off. I have shipped like this all over the world and only had one problem because they would not allow American newspapers into the country. You know Propaganda and all that Crap. I know guys that use confetti from shredders and it is a real PAIN and turns into a real mess. The ones I like are the ones who don't put the radio in a plastic bag first and then use confetti. Like I said before a little common sense goes a long way.

The UPS depot in Madison Heights Michigan will flatly refuse to ship electronic equipment that is not in the original box , period . They do not care in the least how well it is packed . The sign is on the wall and they stick to it . As soon as you say the contents are electronic equipment , their next question is "factory packaging?" If you say no , they say no .