Valuation?

[Bri]

I'm about to move cross country and need to put my three newly completed Modula MTMs in the hands of the movers! I need to fill out a valuation form for them just in case they get damaged (knock on wood) 8O. I used pretty good components (14ga air core inductors, poly caps) and have H1212 tweeters. I know they are worth a lot more than the parts, but have no idea what to put down. If they were injured I would probably have to show that they are comparable to a name-brand set. Any ideas?

Brian

[joecarrow]

Honestly, I'd add up the value of the receipts (you saved those?), and then add on the number of hours you spent building the cabinets and multiply by however many dollars per hour is equivalent to your regular job- maybe call it time and a half since it was on weekends. That's the only way I can see it being something that would stand up to legal scrutiny. Saying, "You owe me $2500, since my speakers were at least as nice as a pair of XXX-Audio speakers", is a little hard to defend.

If you saved the Parts Express boxes, they should be reasonably well protected. I'm quite happy with how thick those boxes and how much the closed cell foam should do to prevent damage from moderate drops.

[kgveteran]

Honestly, I'd add up the value of the receipts (you saved those?), and then add on the number of hours you spent building the cabinets and multiply by however many dollars per hour is equivalent to your regular job- maybe call it time and a half since it was on weekends. That's the only way I can see it being something that would stand up to legal scrutiny. Saying, "You owe me $2500, since my speakers were at least as nice as a pair of XXX-Audio speakers", is a little hard to defend.

If you saved the Parts Express boxes, they should be reasonably well protected. I'm quite happy with how thick those boxes and how much the closed cell foam should do to prevent damage from moderate drops.

Sad, but true.Your speakers are as good, sound as good, but since you didn't shell out with a receipt, they won't give a value price like that.

KG

[TacoD]

Price of the parts I would say. If they damage a woofer you can show them what replacing the woofer costs.

[Gir]

Sad, but true.Your speakers are as good, sound as good, but since you didn't shell out with a receipt, they won't give a value price like that.

KG

So are you saying he couldn't include his own labor as part of the cost? I mean, if it's a commercial model isn't labor included in that price? I think that could hold up well in court :T

[ThomasW]

So are you saying he couldn't include his own labor as part of the cost?

Correct, they wouldn't pay labor unless he had some form proof as to the value added. This means they'd need to be appraised and I've never heard that occurring with DIY speakers.

[Chris7]

You should value them at their replacement value, which includes the work you put into them.

Ultimately this will be governed by the specific contract of carriage you have signed, as well as applicable insurance contract law. The contract of carriage may specify some mandatory third party method of determining value (should an item go astray) similar to arbitration, but that may be overridden by state or federal law related to this type of contract. If the rubber hits the road and a dispute arises, most small claims court judges would be willing to accept some evidence of the work you put into the speakers.

[Dennis H]

Rather than concentrating on insurance, I'd concentrate on making sure they are well packed so they don't get damaged. If the movers are going to box them up, I'd at least tape a piece of MDF with cardboard or foam spacers over the front baffle so rough handling can't damage the drivers. If you leave it up to the movers, they'll probably just toss them in a box with a bunch of foam peanuts and the drivers will take a pounding.

[Bri]

Thanks for all the responses. I am packing them up in the original PE cabinet boxes, which have thick foam inserts. I'm also wrapped them and padding some more in addition. Guess I'll have to do my best on packing, gather my receipts, take some more pictures, and just hope all goes well.

[chasw98]

Actually, I had a similar incident occur. I had an amplifier shipped that got damaged by the guys in brown. I got the replacement cost for the parts damaged and I got an estimate from a local repair shop of what it would cost to repair the unit. They paid for the parts and labor. So if you have a problem, take your speakers to a local repair shop, or if needed, a woodworking shop and get an estimate for the price of repairing the units and present the bills to the carrier.

Dennis made the most sense though when he said prevent the damage before it occurs with good packing!

Chuck

[Bri]

Just an update for those who need to move their DIY speakers in the future. They survived basically intact, although the process exposed some of the weak points of the crossovers and their attachments:

* Industrial velcro adhesive failed. The velcro itself was fine, but the sticky backing didn't cut it. I would recommend either putting some real glue like epoxy on the backsides of the velcro strips or screwing the xovers down.
* Hot glue failed on xover components. This stuff seemed plenty strong when I was assembling the boards but it was no match for the movers. Only a few large inductors came loose.

All in all, everything is fine and this stuff was easy to fix, but on future builds I'll make sure the innards are mounted down a little more firmly before letting other people move them!

Brian

[Brian Bunge]

Hot glue dries hard and becomes brittle. I find that construction adhesive works much better. Especially if it's something that you are planning to ship.

[---k---]

Good stuff to know.
Thanks

[Dennis H]

I like using zip ties or something similar to hold the components down and glue to keep them from rattling. About velcro, I've had problems in other applications (hang gliders) with the sticky glue on the back. It's better to fasten it down (sew it, screw it, stronger glue, etc.) than to trust the factory stickum.