Anyone ever have claims for damage with UPS?

I have had everything between taking them to small claims court and having a very considerate person there save my butt after Jim Anthon stold my AN DAC 4 Sig. I find nothing to predict what will happen. I also must say I find Airborne and the USPS worse and FedEx no better. Always keep original boxes and double box if those are worthless, such as from Marantz, duplicate the disassembly needed, address very clearly, and cross your fingers.

All these stories make you wonder how manufacturers actually get product to dealers.

Anyone who ships items UPS does so at their own risk. You can be assured that they will drop or throw the box (possibly more then once) from at least waist height. I recommend packing items very carefully and if possible double boxing. If you don't have the original packing material use plently of crumbled up newspaper. Also insure the item for it's full value; it only costs 35 cents for every $100 over the first $100.

UPS calls this the "shock" in their system. I suspect that maybe one box in 10 are dropped off the conveyor belts or in handling. I had one amp that arrived in a perfect box where all transformer (ALL) were torn off and rattling around. I figure that it fell from great height but landed perfectly flat on the top of the box. UPS bought both the damaged and undamaged amps.

You are right about packing. One thing you did not say, however, was not to use peanuts with anything that weighs more than a pound. I know this is the standard and unprofessional packing method of various packing services and thus they should be avoided. Crumbled newspapers are far superior.

Finally, you should include FedEx, Airborne, and the USPS in your use at your own risk.

Another caution with peanuts is they often generate a lot of static electricity. If using them for packing electronics an anti-static bag around the component is a must.