8 May
2008
8 May
'08
12:30 p.m.
Richard wrote:
In article <200805081307.59458.pat at
computer-refuge.org>,
Patrick Finnegan <pat at computer-refuge.org> writes:
Actually, my Cromemco Z2-D traveled safely from Phoenix AZ to Austin
TX with no packing or crating at all. It did, however, stay in the
garage of a trusted acquaintance for almost a year until I had occasion
to travel to Phoenix and bring it home myself. Yes, I made it
worthwhile for my friend. :)
There's a very simple logic in Pat's point and in my previous post.
If I care much about the delivered state, i.e. it's irreplaceable, I
see three reasonable options.
One, personally perform/supervise the packaging (or have someone I
trust do it according to my spec). My PDP-11/04 stayed in the seller's
warehouse for several weeks after I bought it. I knew I'd be in that
city on business soon, and the seller agreed to hold it until I came to
crate it and ship it myself.
Two, go get it. I've bought several items like that Z2-D that sat
where they were or with someone I bribed for a while.
Three, don't buy it. *Especially* if it's something I covet, I'd
rather pass than look at a shattered item that I wanted. It's nothing
to do with lost money or effort; I just hate getting my hopes stomped
on. If a seller or broker has a record of botched shipments, it's
likely that nothing I say or do will induce them to do it right.
On Thursday 08 May 2008, Richard wrote:
Give me a break.
Its simply not feasible to fly 2,000 miles (one way, 4K round trip) in
order to pack up some SGI workstation boxes to my satisfaction. Every time I've trusted a freight company to
palletize and ship me
SGI stuff from dovebid, I've gotten stuff that was damaged and in
some cases not even packed the way the freight company told me they
would pack it.
I think I've said this before, but if you care enough to bitch
about
something arriving broken, you should probably have done the packaging
yourself, or by a trusted individual, that you personally know (and who
either takes directions, or knows how to pack things). The only shipping company that can be trusted so far
is Craters &
Freighters. And gee, they are a company that was founded to handle
the needs of shipping fragile art and electronics. What a surprise!
I've had realy good luck with Forward Air. If I pack it, I palletize
it, and I put it on their dock, that's 3/4 of the break points in my
hands, not theirs.
Oh, and packing peanuts are just wrong. For lighter items, they can
be made to work. For a heavy piece - 100+ pounds, if the carton/crate
is mishandled, the peanuts will shift no matter what you do, and the
piece ends up on the bottom of the box. That's not opinion. That's
elementary physics. And don't get me started on th mess they make.
Doc