Shipping Things Sucks - RANT

[MeesterJackson]

Across the country and probably like $30 pounds? That would be my guess on how much it costs. Shipping is not cheap man. USPS probably earned $300 from me so far this year. 

I got it pretty cheap with the regular post office...but I can see now that paying for faster shipping probably would have been a better idea. I think I did get insurance on it though. 

[NannerBeans]

I got it pretty cheap with the regular post office...but I can see now that paying for faster shipping probably would have been a better idea. I think I did get insurance on it though. 

How much cheaper was it? If it was like $50 cheaper I woulda gone USPS and made sure I got insurance. If it was like $10 cheaper then I woulda just gone UPS.

[MeesterJackson]

How much cheaper was it? If it was like $50 cheaper I woulda gone USPS and made sure I got insurance. If it was like $10 cheaper then I woulda just gone UPS.

Well I went with USPS. 

[Fred Castellum]

Well I went with USPS. 

Live and learn I guess, never ship fragile/expensive packages with USPS. Theirs a reason why major businesses avoid their services. 

[Leonard]

Ok so I built a computer for a friend and shipped it to him. Before I did, the PC obviously worked 100% fine no issues. 

 

So he gets the computer 3 days later right? Now he doesn't have a monitor with HDMI yet, he's ordering one. So he tried using his TV. Which he noticed no signal was going through on the TV (He later tried his laptop and that worked perfectly fine). 

 

First problem, there's a crack throughout the hard foam that was holding the case in place in the box (meaning that someone obviously dropped the box).

 

Secondly, there is a DENT on the METAL, STURDY, SIDE PANEL, that PIERCED THROUGH the sound damping foam (Define R4 Case) which then knocked out one of the 4 CPU cooler screws (it was a CM 212 Evo) on the motherboard side of the case.

 

Thirdly, and I don't HOW this happened, but like 6 of the fins on the 212 Evo were bent (which isn't too much of a big deal, I'm confident at least that doesn't need to be replaced). BUT HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN!? IT'S IN THE CASE!

 

Finally, after I instructed him on how to take apart the GPU and 212 Evo, MULTIPLE pins on the CPU were bent. My guess is where the dent is on the side panel is where the CPU was and it somehow bent the pins in the CPU (can that even freaking happen!?) and knocked off the one screw on the 212 Evo (it's not really knocked off, it's just unscrewed....again, somehow). 

 

So what are your thoughts on this? Do you think his motherboard is damaged as well? (It IS a Gigabyte board and it is part of their UD series, there were no scratches, dents, cuts, cracks, etc on the motherboard. The only thing that we can tell that obviously needs to be replaced is the CPU). Everything else checks out ok. 

This is a common thing with shipping. Once there is no fragile labeled on the box it gets tossed around like an old gym sock and even then sometimes it gets the same treatment. When shipping a PC you never want to ship the GPU, custom CPU coolers, RAM or any component in the PCI slots. Just by the momentum of a drop or them throwing and catching the box, the parts can put strain on the motherboard and cause damage.

 

Another thing is that you should always pay for the Insurance for items like this to get back your money and this way you won't be out of pocket.

 

I agree with you though sometimes it is really, really hard to understand how these damages happen, it is as if they deliberately try to damage you shit because they can't buy it or something.

[Caincard]

I really hope you purchased the insurance. Then again it is a learning experience. Just remember that the items are made to support themselves in a static (non-moving state) so it doesn't happen in the future. Most drops happen between 6 inches to 3 feet. So that is a lot of force and torsion on the fragile parts. If you do have to ship another computer all together. Try to find foam blocks and at least tape he anti static bag to the side that is going to touch the pcb surface to support them. Wish you good luck with your task of getting this straightened out.

[Kyuubixchidori]

Live and learn I guess, never ship fragile/expensive packages with USPS. Theirs a reason why major businesses avoid their services. 

I ship USPS because I never ship large items. Getting my graphics card, ram, and such in 3 days tops is great

 

had to RMA my ram, took 2 days to get there 2 and a half weeks to get back with FedEx. 

 

that being said, both my parents work for USPS. I been in several large faculties around the metro Detroit area, Almost everything is automated. the only time your stuff gets touched is really loading and unloading. But all of their machines are primarily designed for letters and magazines. that is 95-99% of their workload. that's what its designed for. that and they can handle small packages. I wouldnt ship anything larger then a graphics card though

 

they are the cheapest and quickest for small things, but that's what they specialize in, because, like i said the vast majority of their workload is just letters and magazines. UPS and fedex are designed and trained to carry larger items. 

 

and heads up starting wage here for the post office is 17$.

[chilicheeseburger]

Parcel services ALWAYS throw your stuff around. Next time make sure everythings securely wrapped up in bubble wrap or newspaper and take things like the gpu and fan off of the mobo.

[MeesterJackson]

Parcel services ALWAYS throw your stuff around. Next time make sure everythings securely wrapped up in bubble wrap or newspaper and take things like the gpu and fan off of the mobo.

How the hell would I send all of that then? I had barely any choice but to put everything together and have it all in one box. 

[chilicheeseburger]

How the hell would I send all of that then? I had barely any choice but to put everything together and have it all in one box.

I dont know how big the box is. I was thinking maybe you could fit the gpu box and fan box in there.

Maybe it also helps putting stickers on the box tha say GLASS, FRAGILE and so on.

[DarrenP]

You wanna talk about how much shipping sucks?

 

Where is @ForeseenVisionz

 

He bought a laptop, and  a computer  minus the case and GPU, from me. 

 

Guess how much it cost me to ship him all that stuff? 

 

250$ CDN, Guess how much money he paid me for all the stuff? $800, I was trying to be nice and offered free shipping without checking where he lived. Guess where he lives? Australia... The stuff was worth well over $1200, totally screwed myself over... 

 

Yeah shipping is a bitch, i can tell you first hand. 

[Kyuubixchidori]

Guys, how shipping should work is usps if its mail, or fits in a flatrate box. if not, go with someone else. USPS wins in speed and price, but don't use them to move large items. that's just not what they are designed for. 

 

and besides, don't use one service because they will treat your stuff better. ready to get your mind blown? shipping company's work together. guess who delivers many of ups and fedex packages in rural areas? usps. because its just cheaper then building their own network. I just learned this recently, and this article is 2 years old, but its still valid, and is actually surpising. because its one of the few businesses that work this way. I mean you don't see mcdonalds working with burger king or anything. 

 

http://www.minyanville.com/business-news/editors-pick/articles/postal-service-usps-post-office-post/8/3/2012/id/42951

 

what Im saying, is, just because you stick with one service, there's a good chance another one will also touch/handle your stuff.