Binnacles

[robvanderveer]

2 days stuck in Amsterdam here

[Lightning]

Looks awesome!

Mine has been sitting in San Francisco since Sunday. SF is only 85 miles away. If only they would let me drive over and pick it up....

6 days total for me. Hopefully they will hurry up for you.

[robvanderveer]

Hurray! I know what my weekend will look like



Thank you very much!

[stevie67cars]

Guys,

I have had 3 pm's from people who's binnacles have arrived damaged. Before signing for them, could you please open the package (very carefully so as not to scratch the surface) and check them. This is really disappointing as I could not have packaged them any better and they are covered in 'Fragile' stickers, they must be throwing heavier items on top of them regardless. This has me fearful for the state of the other binnacles when they arrive- I am going to have to figure out what to do. That said, the vast majority have arrived just fine. I have some binnacles here still to ship and I am hesitant to do so until I see how these other ones arrive.

I wrap them up tightly with a closed cell foam 4 times around and then 4 times around with bubble wrap- you could literally bounce the package on the ground with no damage- they have to be seriously careless with them to cause any harm. If I put them in a sturdy box with styrofoam, the weight goes over the 2kg threshold and the price gets crazy (like 3 times as much), but that's something I may have to do sending others out.
I could not be more pissed off about this- it was hard enough work the first time round without doing it again.

Stephen
#10213

[stevie67cars]

I spent the morning researching (again) possibility's of shipping individual binnacles in a box- it is just not economically viable. For a 75 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm box which weighs 3 kg, they calculate the volumetric weight which is 18 kg and base cost on it instead. Here is a cut and paste from the parcel force website:

The volumetric weight of 18 kg, calculated using the dimensions you have entered, is greater than the actual weight of the parcel. Therefore we will base the pricing calculation on the volumetric weight.

Your pricing results for a delivery to USA weighing 18 kg are...

View further delivery speed information for USA
Where available, Global Value and Economy products are only available from a Post Office or Parcelforce Worldwide depot. Only single parcels can be sent on these services.
Global Express transit times may vary from those quoted below as they are specific to origin and destination postcode . Please visit our worldwide directory or contact our customer service team on 08448 004466 for further details. All delivery speeds quoted are based on document traffic.
Use Refine search to add on additional compensation.
Service Delivery Compensation Tracking Price
Expand to to see service description of globalexpress
globalexpress Guaranteed from 1 day Up to £200 Tracked £181.70Expand to to see service description of globalexpress Send Now globalexpress
Expand to to see service description of globalpriority
globalpriority From 3 days Up to £100 Tracked £149.03Expand to to see service description of globalpriority Send Now globalpriority
Expand to to see service description of globalvalue
globalvalue Delivery Aim 5-9 days Up to £100 Not Tracked £144.65Expand to to see service description of globalvalue

Clearly at these prices it isn't an option. Before sending out these last few or any replacements I am going to wait to see how the rest arrive over the next few days. I can't go on making these indefinitely especially replacements for nothing. So fed up of this now, but I also have great sympathy for those whose binnacles arrived damaged.
The insurance included at the current shipping prices is only for £50. I can up that to cover the whole cost of the binnacle (£200) for around £4-5. In any event, I have no idea how easy or hard it is to make a claim from the post office- they probably don't make it easy.
As far as I can see this is the best option for the remainder to be sent as the boxing of them clearly isn't realistic.
Headaches........why can't shippers/handlers be careful?- these really aren't fragile and any sort of reasonable respect would see them arrive safely.

Thanks,

Stephen

[robvanderveer]

Have you considered other couriers? The prices you quote are simply insane..

[stevie67cars]

Have you considered other couriers? The prices you quote are simply insane..

Tried everyone Rob, those are the cheapest believe it or not. I think I will have to continue the way I am, but just increase the insurance.

Stephen

[Tomcio]

Stephen,
It's a good idea to check shipping costs from other countries. It might actually be cost effective to have them carried across the border and shipped from there.
If I were to ship similar packages the prices would be:
Priority mail package, weight 3kg, insurance $350, with tracking, price: $48
If the weight was 4kg the price would be $55
If it was 2kg the price would be $40

For EMS the prices are:
2kg $63
3kg $68
4kg $75
Insurance up to $350 is already included in the above prices. BTW, the insurance costs only $1.50

There are a lot of people going from the UK to Poland. Maybe you could find someone that will take the boxes with them and have them shipped from here.

[GS450-Junkie]

I haven't had to sign for either binnacle when they came. It was simply waiting for me by the front door each time. I'd love to sign for it, and open prior to accepting. That would save us some headaches.

[DavidProehl]

Before signing for them, could you please open the package (very carefully so as not to scratch the surface) and check them.

It is likely different in other countries, but in the US we are not allowed to open mail if we have not first signed for it.

From the USPS website:

Recipient Responsibilities
When you sign for a piece of mail, you acknowledge delivery. The Postal Service’s liability ends when you sign for the mail. You may ask the letter carrier for the sender’s name and address before you accept the mail. You may not open the mail, but you may look at it as long as the letter carrier is holding it before you choose to sign for it.

source: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/sending-receiving.htm