Advice on damaged shipment

If it's FedEx, you have a high probability that they'll discard the broken items and ship back the rest to you.

 

Just had this happen with UPS yesterday. They said my package was damaged, what remained was re-packed and is being shipped back to me.

 

The fact that anything is being returned is pretty lucky. The packages I've had damaged were all discarded.

 

Got my box back today and UPS had completely repacked it. They put it in another box, wrote "fragile glass handle with care" on it and put all my bottles inside of a big clear plastic bag. I thought that was pretty nice of them. Of course the bottle the trade was centered around was the one that broke but better than a total loss.

How did you fare?

 

I am currently waiting on a box to be returned, today was a week since it got broken on the truck for delivery like 15 miles from the destination on the other side of the country. In peoples experience with returned packages, what is the turn around time generally between the reported damage and the packages arrival back to your possession?

 

Advice I got from a fellow trader. "bomb proof the box" bagging every bottle and even double boxing. Shipping a bigger box is cheaper than replacing the beer and shipping twice.

 

I always go with the "Drop Test". If you're afraid to drop / throw the box around then you need to pack it better.

Also, NEVER EVER put Fragile (sticker or written) on the box. By doing this you are challenging the shipping company to a game of "lets see what I can do to break this".

source: worked shipping / receiving for 12 years and got to know the little nuances with shipping.

 

Tape caps, individually plastic bag bottles, wrap bottles in bubble wrap, if possible use styro or cardboard to separate bubble wrapped bottles from each other, put in box tightly packed with protection, wrap box in thick plastic bag, put this box into another box with thick packing between inner box and walls of outer box. If you aren't doing this you risk what happened to folks in this thread will happen to you.

 

First time I shipped I was stupid enough to ask the kind lady if I should mark it fragile. The UPS lady ACTUALLY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. Drivers, warehouse workers - they take it as a challenge to see if they CAN break it!!! FWIW, I have been going to the same lady each time. Nice as can be, never asks what's in the package.

I haven't shipped a ton of stuff, just a few bifs and like a trade, but I've been lucky enough to follow the lead of some excellent veteran shippers. I have basically STOLEN the shipping MO of @cavedave (sorry for stealing your packaging patent man, but that package was seriously bomb proof and leak proof!)

 

To me, the extra moments and material it takes to do it more than make up for the hassle and cost involved in a broken bottle(s)/destroyed package scenario. Even better, all the material I use, even the tape, is from the material stream at the Recycle Center I manage. Reuse is better than recycle.

 

Ugh having my first damaged box situation today, not even sure if FedEx is returning any of it or not. Made it from VA to San Diego fine, then damaged on delivery day. Bummer.

 

That's what happened to me. The box got to Cleveland and was out for delivery, then it wasn't. It took a day or so for the tracking to say it was going to be returned after repackaging. I had everything bubble wrapped, ziplocked, sides had double cardboard and I used packing paper too. The only thing I can think of is a beer exploded. I just re-sent the box and made sure to tape the caps and then put the bottles inside of a garbage bag and then wrap that bag with the heavy plastic bag UPS used. I guess it's up to the people handling the package if they feel like salvaging the box. Sounds like some do it and some don't. When I talked to UPS they didn't mention the contents of the box they just said it damaged then refused by the customer (which it wasn't) and would be returned.

 

I always do that and dont have problems except once in Orlando years ago...I bomb proof my box obviously, but I dont have problems...We recieve "fragile" Items at my work a ton and dont have problems either...

 

One of the most important aspects of packing that I think is underrated is to pack the box TIGHTLY using a bunch of paper/bubble wrap/styro/cardboard between bottles and around the sides. Your beer should not be able to move at all when you shake it. If you do that, you can get away with a wide variety of different packing materials/methods...there really isn't one magic way to do it, but as long as you pack tight and pad well, you'll be good.

 

The drop test is exactly how I gauge whether I've packed well enough. If I feel totally comfortable dropping the box and possibly kicking it around (not that I do), then it's good to go.

 

So FedEx packaged up my damaged box and returned it to me (sender) only missing the one bottle that broke. The part I found interesting was they wrote a note saying "you need an adult signature required label to ship alcohol."