shipping tips

1. If you ship UPS read their packing requirements carefully.

2. If you've accepted paypal read their requirements carefully. There's a checklist that includes countries you're not protected in as well as the most broken rule...ship with a confirmation receipt ALWAYS. You have to meet all their requirements to be covered (which is to stay you're still wide open for a scam but...)

3. I once had an inspector come over and the best thing I did was to be very friendly to him, offer a cold drink and chat about his job...The buck stops with the inspector who has lots of leeway deciding whether or not to cover you.

In the future if you ship UPS have the UPS store pack and ship, more expensive but they cant fight you on poor packing, large speakers ship BAX Global, good luck and sorry to hear your bad fortune.

Ship FEDX ground insured. Pack heavy items (30-+LBs) with 2-3 inches styrofoam .shipper processes claims. GOOD LUCK!
Call buyer to "feel him/her out" . Do they appear to be honest/sincere or are they part swappers. Buyers are really getting good at scamming buyers..

Lots of good advice already.

Large speakers and turntables are the hardest things to ship IMHO. Always use the manufacturers original shipping carton as the inner carton and pack this inside a much larger outer carton. Forget peanuts, unless they are used in concert with newspaper that keeps them from migrating. I prefer the inner box to not be rigidly attached to the outer box, so that a small bit of independent movement is allowed. If you have any question in your mind about the usefullness of your packing, then the item has a good chance of being broken. I too use BAX for large shipments. I hate shipping anything through the US post office; there is no accountablility.

When dealing with claims, the squeeky wheel gets the grease. Initiate the claim immediately. Always be respectful and firm, very firm. Continue to escalate the claim to higher levels of management, when possible. Take pictures of the damage. Lots of pictures, more than you will ever need. Get e-mail addresses and send them freely to everyone that you speak with on the phone. They will try to wear you down, be patient, they can be worn down, as well.

Thanks for all the good advice. "Part swappers"...never even heard of that...what's that about? How much importance do you place on the other party's prior feedback in weeding out potential rats?