UPS claims another victim

[tonyle08]

I purchased a pair of used 804s on audiogon last week. The shipper decided to go with UPS ground. While I waited for the UPS truck to come the seller called me and told me the htm3s that he sold was damaged by UPS. He said the tweeter was pushed in and they left the package out in the rain. After that I was just praying that my speakers arrive without damage. When I saw the truck roll up, I grabbed some scissors and came out to the truck, I told the guy I wanted to inspect the speakers before I take delivery. The box from the outside seemed fine; I opened the first box and the aluminum tweeter was disconnected from the enclosure (my heart just sunk when I saw it) I decided to open the second box and the same thing happened. I refused shipment and notified the seller what happend and requested my money back. After that I called my local dealer and placed an order for a new pair. I figured what the hell, I'll pay a little bit more, but at least I have the peace of mind knowing they have been untouched, and I'll be the only person that will break them in.

I just wanted to give you guys a heads up to be cautious when you ship your speakers through UPS.

[tboooe]

Sorry to hear that. I had a very similar experience with UPS, except that my 804s were new...it took a while but I did get another pair...freight is the only way to go...

[Hallett]

I feel for you. you did the right thing going with the new one's
i got my 804s about two weeks ago and was woried that they
would be damaged but got luckey i guss. i did tell them to ship
them Fed X.. good luck with your new one's it sucks to have
to wait i just ordered a new bryston amp & they said three
weeks. keep us posted when you get the new one's. :T

[RebelMan]

tonyle08, Sorry to hear of your mishap. Maybe you should have bought my 803S on Audiogon instead, they would have been perfect. I specifically state fragile freight ONLY, NO UPS or FedEx.

[yourtoys7]

I too had isue with UPS when I sold my JMlab 716S and buyer recieved them as they were dropped couple of time on corners. 5weeks in and still waiting for UPS to refund me. I don't think I'll ever ship or buy speakers online, just not worth it.

[tonyle08]

RebelMan, I was giving your 803s some serious thought, but they are too big for my room.

I've always purchased used b&w fronts locally, so these brand new 804s will be my first new fronts so I'm pretty excited.

Yeah I agree with you guys, it is just too hard to buy or ship speakers without anything happening to them. It's sad to see all these speakers die due to the hands of our local shippers.

[cjrivera]

OK, now you guys are scaring the crap outta me.

I have a set of N804s from a seller on Audiogon on the way via UPS. He sent them yesterday and are due tomorrow, but now I'm getting really worried (especially because I might not be home to open them up).

<<crossing my fingers>>

[tboooe]

DO NOT ACCEPT THEM WITHOUT FIRST INSPECTING! Believe me, its worth it. Once you take delivery it a pain in the rear to file a claim, and have UPS come pick them up. I had to go through this process and it took more time and patience then if I would have used if I was home when the speakers were delivered in the first place. Learn from my mistake...you wont regret it!

[Race Car Driver]

Yup, I had a Monster 3250 amp damaged by ups a few weeks ago.
I opened the box right after it was dropped off, and the driver was gone.

Not even a few days later, my trailer hitch showed up... BENT, a fugging hitch!!
me and the driver put it up to my truck and it was off by a good two inches...
Me and all my muscles, bent it back and i sent him on his way. :lol:

On a side note, shipping any of the 800 series, I just picked up an HTM1 local, and they guy said where he worked, they had alot of the tweeters busted off in shipping, not really that the shipping co was all that bad with handling, but the design of the speaker and how fragile the tweeter is.

Regardless it sucks big time, Im still dealing with UPS and the shipper on my refund.

From now on, all packages will be inspected when they are dropped off.

[RebelMan]

I don't think I'll ever ship or buy speakers online, just not worth it.

ALL of B&W's speakers are shipped to the dealer showroom. The problem is not in shipping but WHO does it. UPS and FedEx are not properly equipped to ship large fragile items. My speakers, that are for sale, will be shipped on a skid like most product is when shipped by freight. No matter what dealer you purchase from, the product is shipped and usually by freight but even then there are no guarranties that they are using a freight shipper! Just be prudent and check ALL packages.

[tonyle08]

I would say it is a requirement to check the package of any audio component when it is shipped to you especially speakers. I know the claim process from UPS is a pain, but I'm glad I don't have the package and that it is going back to the sender. The guy wants me to wait till the investigation is over but I feel that the problem is between him and UPS. If he can't send me back the money in the next few days then I guess I will just have to file a claim with my credit card company that I don't have the merchandise. I'm also glad I paid via CC so my recourse will be smoother than with paying by cash.

[ZX10 Guy]

I think you guys that were given the opportunity to check your packages before accepting them were lucky. I want to say that UPS generally will not let you inspect the package before accepting it as this issue has come up before sometime in the past for me. I just can't remember when and under what circumstances.

[cjrivera]

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!

I waited for the UPS guy to show up so I could inspect the speakers, but had to leave for 15 inutes due to a prior obligation I could not get out of.

Opened the first box and &@!% - tweeter dented in and the round plastic casing around the tweeter was cracked!

Second speaker (tweeter) looked OK.

I haven't unboxed them totally yet.

So, I guess I have to contact UPS.

...does anyone know how much a new tweeter and enclouse for a N804 is?

[tonyle08]

you still want to keep the speakers? I would send them back to whoever sold them to you and request for my money back. one lesson i've learned is that the 800 series speakers are very hard to ship. Sorry to hear that happened to you.

[cjrivera]

I jusst unboxed them so I know what to tell UPS.

Everything else is fine with them.

The boxes were packed well in the original packing.

I can't really blame the seller for the shipper's mishandling.

I'm going to test them later, but if everything else is OK, I'll try and get the money out of UPS for repairs.

[Race Car Driver]

UPS pays the shipper for damages, it is then the shippers responsiblity to pay you.

Pretty bogus if you ask me, if the shipper gets a full amount and the product, while you wait... and wait.... and wait....




Currently what im doing with a 940$ claim through UPS...

[tonyle08]

yeah...i knew about UPS paying the shipper the claim money, that's why I had them take it back to the shipper since he was gonna get the money anyways. all I wanted was my money back and to forget about the whole ordeal. The claim is the shippers resposibilty from my point of view. So far he is refuseing to give me back my money and telling me to wait till the claim is over. But I know how long these claims can take so I just called my credit card company to take care of it.

[theMaximus]

yeah...i knew about UPS paying the shipper the claim money, that's why I had them take it back to the shipper since he was gonna get the money anyways. all I wanted was my money back and to forget about the whole ordeal. The claim is the shippers resposibilty from my point of view. So far he is refuseing to give me back my money and telling me to wait till the claim is over. But I know how long these claims can take so I just called my credit card company to take care of it.

UPS claims do take forever, and they often deny claims for stupid reasons. If they do pay the shipper, they will come to his house and pick up the damaged items so they could auction it off or something to that nature. IMO, the shipper is responsible for getting the speakers to you in promised condition even though it may be the UPS's fault. The problem must be resolved between the shipper and the UPS. You should get your money back right away since you never received the speakers you were promised.

[cjrivera]

Just tested the speakers...

Both cabinets were undamaged and in great shape.
The one that had the undamaged tweeter sounded fine.
The one that had the damaged metal dome of course sounds bad from the tweeter, but the 6" woven Kevlar cone midrange (yellow) also sounds muffled. Can this be caused from just the tweeter cone being damaged?
How easy is this to fix?

I could see UPS being more willing to pay for repairs, than a whole new speaker.

[tonyle08]

sorry to hear that crivera...if it was insured, why don't you just take your money back and buy another pair. If it was me once a speaker has been damaged, even though it has been repaired, I always feel like it's damaged goods.

I do feel that I should get my money back promtly, but the shipper is telling me to be patient with the claim. So if he doesn't want to pay me...my credit card company will just have to go after paypal for me cause I paid via paypal.

[cjrivera]

I think it would be hard to find 1 N804 for $1000 (which is what it was insured for).

And I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hopefully you get your money back soon.

[yride]

Who can ship B&amp;W safely?

I know I got lucky with an HTM3S which UPS delivered. The speaker is fine but the exterior of the box was scuffed and had several cuts. I am still looking for a pair of 804S speakers. Who should I use to ship when I find them? I have searched fragile freight carrier and get lots of hits but none stand out. Anyone have experience with a specific shipper?