ol fred Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Shipped my 58 CW to livemusic last week in an original Gibson shipping box wrapped with enough bubble wrap to raise the Titanic. Back was broken in two places and at least one brace broken. CAUTION, FRAGILE, DO NOT STACK. in eight inch letters. Really ? why waste the fffin ink ? After calling the claims department at UPS they told me to have the recipient repack the guitar and they would pick it up. So they could finish destroying it ???. I asked them where it would be taken after they picked it up and was told by the person in claims that he had no idea ! Sure go ahead....I really trust you at this point, HA! I told them the only way they would pick up my guitar is when their insurance check cleared my bank. They then promised that a "investigator" would be at livemusic's house yesterday so he took the day off work to wait for them. Did they show ? you get three guesses and the first two don't count. Last conversation with them this morning I informed them that if we don't see their investigator by the end of the day and resolution within 72 hours that they could deal with my attorney. UPS SUCKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 . Ouch. Sorry that happened to you guys. Good luck with the rest of it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 This story is just so depressing - I can't believe it happened to the precious J-50. Shipping box, , , was it in a hard shell case ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted August 9, 2013 Author Share Posted August 9, 2013 This story is just so depressing - I can't believe it happened to the precious J-50. Shipping box, , , was it in a hard shell case ? I only have two chipboard cases for six guitars, never owned a hardshell. It was packed the same way they come from the factory if you order, in a reinforced cardboard box weapped in a mile of bubble wrap. Orig. Gibby box. They have called me back after our last conversation and promised to contact livemusic today. Guess we can use Bill's name...Think he's more upset than I am if that's possible, I think he was planning on using it to finish his new album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Sorry to hear that Fred......I try to avoid shipping at all costs....hope it works out for you.....keep us posted!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 That just makes me physically ill, for several reasons. First, I've played that guitar, and it is really sweet. Great example of a mid-50's slope J in both tone and playability. Second, I've got to ship my L-OO Legend back home in six weeks, and I'm already fretting about it. It arrived out here in San Francisco in one piece, although the box is getting more an more battered. I do ship it in its hard case, contained in a Gibson shipping box with semi-fitted foam inserts at each end, which I think is key to holding the guitar and case in position properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDC Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I've bought a good many instruments from these folks and all have arrived undamaged. http://www.gruhn.com/features/packing/ They also pad the case inside the box at both ends with styrofoam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-200 Koa Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Second, I've got to ship my L-OO Legend back home in six weeks, and I'm already fretting about it. It arrived out here in San Francisco in one piece, although the box is getting more an more battered. I do ship it in its hard case, contained in a Gibson shipping box with semi-fitted foam inserts at each end, which I think is key to holding the guitar and case in position properly. Be careful using "used" boxes to ship guitars. I have had two incidents with damaged guitars....both times with FedEx. When the claims person comes by to evaluate the damage, the first thing they do is evaluate the box. If they deem the box is "too used" and not sufficient to ship the box, they will try to deny your claim. The condition and durability of the box is the shippers responsibility. I asked why FedEx would accept the box in the first place if it were not sufficient to ship. The response I got was that the counter people simply process the paperwork and keep the shipments moving. If a package is damaged and a claim is filed, it is between the shipper and the claims people to iron out the mess. The claims people will look for any reason to find fault with the shipper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 A few months ago I received a framed piece of limited edition signed artwork where it was obvious a fork-lift had punctured right through the whole works. Glass everywhere, ruined print. They paid. Good luck with this dilemna - how is value to be detemined on something like that ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I am sorry to hear about your guitar. I have to tell you though, if I had a 1958 I would have at least had it in a new Gibson hard shell case. Chip board cases are not worth a damn for protecting a guitar. Guitars that old and that valuable, there really is only one way to go and that is with a Calton case. There are also some new manufacturers that are making Calton type cases that would also be great. Yes they are expensive but to protect a 1958 vintage guitar, I think the price is worth it. I had UPS completely destroy a 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb amplifier. It was packed by the fellows at the UPS store and I stood there and watched them do it. They did a fantastic job. It is the gorillas in route that kill the merchandise . And, sorry to hear about the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Sorry to hear that, Fred.... And your intentions were so good, too - passing the C&W on to someone to use and all that. Things are not fair the way they work out sometimes. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 😱 Fred that's awful man. Sorry to hear that! Hope all works out well in the end for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Sorry Fred. I know the hassle you're getting from UPS, but what about the guitar? How damaged is it? Can repairs be made? (enough to still call it a '58?) I hate this all happened to you and LiveMusic. I'm interested on how UPS is gonna handle this, the repairs and all. Let us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Just a quick update. UPS finally sent someone to Bill's house to inspect the guitar and packaging. Bill was told that the packaging was a good job and took lots of pics of both the packaging and guitar. They have promised to have a resolution in seven to ten days, of course they have made promises in the past as well. We shall see. Will keep y'all posted. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Just a quick update. UPS finally sent someone to Bill's house to inspect the guitar and packaging. Bill was told that the packaging was a good job and took lots of pics of both the packaging and guitar. They have promised to have a resolution in seven to ten days, of course they have made promises in the past as well. We shall see. Will keep y'all posted. Fred I missed this one when it first was posted. What a D R A G ! IMO,, that is irreplaceable.. God luck Fred.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 That just makes me physically ill, for several reasons. First, I've played that guitar, and it is really sweet. Great example of a mid-50's slope J in both tone and playability. Second, I've got to ship my L-OO Legend back home in six weeks, and I'm already fretting about it. It arrived out here in San Francisco in one piece, although the box is getting more an more battered. I do ship it in its hard case, contained in a Gibson shipping box with semi-fitted foam inserts at each end, which I think is key to holding the guitar and case in position properly. Nick, I'm with you...having played that guitar....just last June, in fact, it makes me ill that it got damaged. It was a wonderful guitar, and I hope it gets put back together in some fashion and played for many years to come..... but most of all, I want Fred to get his money back from UPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Nick, I'm with you...having played that guitar....just last June, in fact, it makes me ill that it got damaged. It was a wonderful guitar, and I hope it gets put back together in some fashion and played for many years to come..... but most of all, I want Fred to get his money back from UPS. UPS has informed me that if they pay the entire settlement they will take possession of the guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 It does put the rest of us off deliveries a bit! Especially when you seem to live closer to Mars than anyone else here - like me! A couple of years back, I bought my 1959 Gibson LG3 from Elderly's - they were fantastic and the guitar was on Fedex about 2 seconds after I paid for it. I watched the Fedex tracking and the parcel was here in Aust in under 48 hrs! Then nothing happened and a week later, Fedex told me, after many frantic calls and emails, that Customs had it - and they sure did, because they kept it for about 3 weeks. Then I got notified it would be cleared Customs after I paid import duty, GST tax (Aust thingy - another 10%) and a quarantine fee and we were creeping up to the $700 mark. No choice then... So the truck turns up and Gomer Pyle brings my package to the door to my pure joy! Gomer and his truck are gone and I notice a couple of holes in the box: Heart Stopped! So in the back of my mind were confused advice from people saying: "Take photos of the box before you open it and .....yada, yada, yada yikes! As you can see the last pic shows a hole that is obviously made by a forklift, so I am by then thinking the guitar is going to be kaput, and the instructions on the box say not to open the box for 24 hrs or some guff to let it acclimatize and blah, blah, blah yelp! So I opened it and it was all in one piece, but the DeArmond pickup had come loose - hence the gaffa tape in the net pic: I say I have never recovered from that, Fred and I feel for you and Bill! I have had broken things before but never that kind of feeling. I got back on the horse, and have had 2 more guitar deliveries from Elderly since. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 UPS has informed me that if they pay the entire settlement they will take possession of the guitar How do they determine "full value"? Should have sold it to me when we were tossing around that $7,500 mark... What will they do with the guitar? Sell it for salvage value? Maybe you can buy it from them for a hundred bucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Well that seems to be a tough situation. I'm not even sure what I would do given that especially if you love the guitar. I would call gruhns maybe and see what full value would be. Either way if you accept it scarred and all you'll have to write a song about it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 How do they determine "full value"? Should have sold it to me when we were tossing around that $7,500 mark... What will they do with the guitar? Sell it for salvage value? Maybe you can buy it from them for a hundred bucks? First I want take a moment to thank all of you for your moral support and reminders of my responsibility in protecting vintage instruments. Dan, I'm really not sure how they determine full value. Some of the vintage collectors here have emailed the company in regards to the value and I have sent links to similar guitars that are currently listed online. As to the disposition of the guitar after a settlement, again unsure, I am sure that Bill would like to keep it, he has already mentioned that he would like to take it to his luthier in Nashville. We will without doubt talk to them if and when we reach a settlement Nine days at this point, time will tell. At this point I'm happy enough that they have at least started to move after the threat of legal action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I'd find comparable price on line, or get estimates from Dave's music, or some of those other high priced vintage dealers, and go for FULL VALUE replacement....this is such a sad story.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Wishing you a successful outcome, if that's even possible. Be a shame to think of that broken guitar sitting in a warehouse somewhere, or (horrors) a landfill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Fred.....FYI.... http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/topic/151073/TWO-early-1955-GIBSON-Country-Western-Guitars-Excellent-c#.Ug7h5hbG4y4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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