shipping subs and such....

krabby5

just wondering,

I have never shipped anything the size of a subwoofer or receiver...

Who do you all use most often and how do you pack it up so it won't show up to the buyer damaged?

janmike

Double box plus the support pieces (usually Styrofoam) that surrounds the item. In Canada, I use the postal system (best rates). My experience and preference coming from the USA is USPS. A lot better that UPS or FedEX. Just my experience.

cmy330go

Usually I use UPS and insure everything for replacement cost. So far I have not had any problems shipping this way to others.

I have had some items delivered to me from various carriers damaged. What I find interesting is they were all uninsured. It may be coincidence, but I have never had trouble when insured. I'm not sure if they actually are more careful with insured stuff or if it has just been chance.

Just my experiences.

kingtut

Generously bubble wrap the product until it fits snugly in the inner box. Fill the gap between the outer box and the inner box w/styrofoam peanuts. The material can get expensive.

billbillw

kingtut wrote:

Generously bubble wrap the product until it fits snugly in the inner box. Fill the gap between the outer box and the inner box w/styrofoam peanuts. The material can get expensive.

This is pretty much what I do too. For bubble wrap, make sure it is the large bubble type and wrap it with the bubbles facing inward. Do at least 3 layers in delicate areas and tape it really good so it stays where you put it.
When you use peanuts, make sure you put enough in to pack the box tight and tape all the corners, edges of the boxes tight.

I disagree on the materials being expensive. Find a shipping materials distributor/reseller and go straight to them. They Yellow Pages usually has them listed. I bought a HUGE roll of the large bubble wrap more than a year ago and I still have plenty of it. I think I paid $15 for the roll. I've shipped a dozen or so large items. As for peanuts, I never have to buy them. I just save what is sent to me in garbage bags, and reuse them when I ship stuff out. I think I have two garbage bags full in my attic right now.

Tour2ma

Not the appropriate area of the Forum for this thread, but...
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/packandship/

Polk65

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25324

Another option is let the shipper pack it for you. I think you are automatically insured if there is damage when they pack it. The UPS Store (drop off location) charges around $30 for packing a computer. Most Kinko's have a FedEx shipping counter.

http://www.fedex.com/us/officeprint/packship/packingsvcs.html
http://www.theupsstore.com/products/proandser.html

Early B.

Whenever possible, keep the manufacturer's boxes and packing material. If not, buy a big roll of bubble wrap at your local box retailer and use boxes designed for transporting electronic gear. U-Haul sells them, for instance. ALWAYS double box.

Tour2ma

P'65,
Some of the worst jobs I've received have been "Pro" jobs. All they seem to know is "does it fit?" and "peanuts".

EB,
I've an attic ful of OEM boxes and packing. Either will make a great sale or a helluva bonfire someday.


If you have to buy, 270# double walls are the way to go. And they make double boxing unnecessary on many things. 3M styrofoam sheets (4x8) are great for reinforcing boxes for extra heavy things like speakers.

U-haul is OK, but pricey. Direct from Manufactuers is cheapest, but not always an option. Many metro areas areas have someone like I use:
http://www.anchorbox.com/

As for peanuts... heavy objects sift right thru them to the bottom/ side. I've found that filling some of those thousands of plastic grocery sacks half-full of peanuts, makes wonderful pads... No sifting thru one of those. Also if item is big and/or heavy, give the shippers an assist and cut some handholes.

And one of the most basic things is often overlooked... bagging or wrapping the item. Whether it's a garbage bag or Saran Wrap, it's important in preventing potential water damage and protecting the finish. I've had a couple "naked" items have their finish marred by being rubbed by peanuts in transit.

steveinaz

Packing peanuts are all but worthless. Use bubble wrap, heavy filler packing paper, etc. Peanuts are only good for small relatively unbreakable items in a big box. If you have a good fitting box, peanuts will just be an extra expense.