Need advice on shipping LARGE FRAGILE electronics!

[Madcowz]

Viper GTS is going to be sending me his 20" 60lb TV (hopefully), but we're a bit concerned on how to go about shipping this thing. Everyone has been saying how every single monitor or TV they have shipped or have received through shipping has broke, and this really scares me. So does anyone have any advice on how to secure this thing? Viper is thinking about double boxing... is that a good idea? Would styrofoam peanuts be better than expanding foam? I figure the peanuts would give better cushioning since the expanding foam would make the TV quite stiff in the packaging. Would FedEX be a better choice than UPS? How about if he put 'fragile' stickers all over the box? You think the UPS/Fedex workers would just laugh at it?

Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated!

 

[DaveJ]

Do NOT pack it in peanuts! I'd say the best packaging is the original box it came in, with some extra material to fill in where the original foam packaging won't. If you don't have the original box, use solid foam instead. I've had good luck with both Fedex and UPS (had a 21" monitor shipped from Chicago to Texas without a problem).

Dave

 

[Madcowz]

I don't believe he has the original box
I figure if you drop a box w/ solid foam, the TV would be more likely to break than if you had cushiony peanuts... perhaps my assumption is wrong?

 

[Barrak]

The Fragile stickers wont do a damn thing. Have him pack it in the original box if he has it, if not solid styrofoam works best. What ever you do, pay the extra and have it insured!!!! With something that valuable it is worth the extra cost.

 

[The Stigenator]

try putting both types

 

[unclebud]

call FEDEX package shipping @ 1-800-go-fedex
even if you don't use fedex, at least get some good advice from them
i've seen jaguars to camels come through unscathed due to good packaging
gl and hope the deal goes smoothly

 

[Madcowz]

Here's my idea:
Wrap TV in bubble wrap & put inside a box full of peanuts or expanding foam. Slap 'fragile' stickers on each side of the box (just in case) & then ship out!

You think this will do? Feel free to add or edit it!

 

[NakaNaka]

put every type of foam/protection there is ... bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, everything .. Put FRAGILE all over the box (not that it really does anything) and make sure you get the tracking and the insurance .. Make sure its packed very very tight ..

 

[FriedToast]

I work for UPS.

#1 suggestion. Leave the Fragile stickers to the little ol' ladies and their improperly packed jars o' jam. Why tempt fate?

#2 If you don't have the original packing, try to do as close to original as possible. If double boxing is possible, DO it!! But double boxing does not mean wrapping a box around the TV, then putting padding in the other box.

#3 If you can find those air-filled hard plastic packing thingies (don't have the slightest what they're called or where you get 'em), try those. They seem to be excellent packing to me. Very simple. No mess. Peanuts are crazy and messy and shift, therefore the TV can end up against the side or bottom of the box. I've seen TV's packed like that. It's not pretty.

Shipping large fragile items is a pain. If he has a the original receipt, have him send it separately. In case of having to make a claim, you'll need a receipt to prove its worth. That goes for about anyone, not just UPS.

Good luck! Don't know if I can say much more, but if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[Sluggo]

If it was me, I think I would wrap the TV in a trash bag or two, then put some expanding foam into a box, drop the TV in, and let the foam expand around it. I think that would really "coccoon" the TV in foam, after filling a box w/ TV and expanding foam, I would then double box it, using the same system. That system would encase the TV in padding, and also make the box more solid, to prevent crushed corners.

It would be a real mess to unpack, but it MIGHT get there in one piece

 

[MillionaireNextDoor]

use the insurance money to buy a similar TV in your area

 

[Muadib]

I also say go with expanding foam. I send monitors out all the time at my gig with no problems. The key is the box!!! Make sure it can handle the weight.

 

[kami]

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE UPS! That is just guaranteeing that the TV will arrive BROKEN. Use FedEx.

Wrap the TV in a couple layers of bubble wrap, put it in a box, then get a slightly bigger box, line it with some foam or some kind of cushioning until the second box fits in TIGHTLY. It should arrive OK then...but even with that, UPS would probably damage it. They have motherf*ckers working for them who get their jollies destorying packages...and I've experienced it first hand. My package arrived so badly damaged once that there is NO WAY that even dropping it from a 20 story building could have done it...f*cking ridiculous.

DO NOT USE UPS.

 

[Idiot56209]

Don't use the foam peanuts at all. The weight of the TV will shift and the peanuts will displace.

The best ideas here are the air bags and the se;f expanding foam, but either way I would STILL Wrap the entire unit in sheets of bubble wrap. Over and over and over again.







Wrap It Up (Fabulous Thunderbirds)

 

Pack it like red does.
Put it in box.
Then put that box in a bigger box, reinforce thhe inside walls with thick cardboard, peanuts, paper, whatever you can use that will absorb shock.

 

[Viper GTS]

OK...

Madcowz found out from Fedex that I can have a box up to roughly 35x32x32 and ship it Express...

UHaul has these boxes that would work well for an inside box. I can wrap the TV in bubble wrap & foam, pack every gap with bubble wrap, & then tape it up good. Then I need to find another box with dimensions around 35x32x32, maybe a large TV or monitor box? Then I can either:

1) Fill the gap between the two boxes with expanding foam (this I think is a good idea, to give a nice shell aruond the padded interior).
2) Wrap the inside box with bubblewrap/foam just like the TV was.

Any thoughts on this? Any idea where I could get a heavy duty box around 35x32x32?

Also, can I make an insurance claim without an original receipt? Unless Nutdotnet has his original receipt, I certainly don't have it.

Viper GTS

 

[jamison]

What I did -

Shipped a 17" monitor from NJ to Kansas via UPS Ground.

Wrapped all sides of the monitor with about 5 layers of bubblewrap and tapes them tight. Then I put it in a box, and filled the spaces with foam peanuts.
Make sure when you shake the box nothing moves...

The monitor arrived safely, however the Klipsch speakers and original manuafacturers packaging (via UPS) is a different story.

 

[Viper GTS]

I gave Fedex a call, & even their absolute cheapest express service (happens to be 3 day) for a 32x32x32 package weighing 65 lbs was $266. They said there was no cheaper way to do it.

Anybody else have any ideas?

Viper GTS

 

[rahvin]

I really doubt you can find a cheap way to ship a package of that size and weight cost effectively. Seriously it would be easier to sell it locally and buy a new one. Take out an add in a local paper.

 

[Rogue]

Ever stand by and watch the UPS guy drop your new Compaq Proliant 4-way PIII 700MHz Xeon server on the pavement, not once, but twice!!! Oh the horror!

 

[brtspears2]

Hang around a downtown office distrct and watch your UPS/FedEx man in action. I made it a point to hang outside my office during coffee breaks just to watch the UPS man every weekday open the back, and shove packages off back of the truck, then loading them onto the dolly.

When I asked why he did that and if he cared if it gets damanged, he replied quickly, "not in my contract to get the packages here working, just to get them delivered."

 

[Sluggo]

When you call Fed-Ex you have to be sure and tell them you want to use Fed-Ex ground, it is kind of a seperate deal.

 

[Muadib]

absolute cheapest express service
You don't want express service, you want ground, or home delivery. With $400 insureance, it should be around $40 bucks.

 

[Idiot56209]

Sluggo: I've been told that FedEx Ground is only for FedEx account holders. Of course, if you can find someone with a FedEx accout... Ka-Ching!

UPS is still, no doubt, going to be the cheapest.







Please, Mr. Postman (Marvelettes)

 

[Sluggo]

I have used Fed-Ex Ground on several occasions, never been asked if I am an account holder or not.