Miscellaneous Carrier for shipping a saxophone

[Vetinari]

So my ad should read:

Saxophone for sale
Postage is free, but delivery may take a while, the packing may have been ripped off, and it may never arrive.

Pretty much the same as saying I will send it by second-class post.

Yes but good fun for those taking part🙂

 

[nigeld]

Yes but good fun for those taking part🙂

Café members are not supposed to be having fun!
Playing the saxophone is a serious business.

 

[Vetinari]

Cafe could request a donation via yard sale when the service is used ?

 

[QWales]

And how much do you normally pay including insurance?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I use P4D for most courier jobs, insurance is 2%

 

[QWales]

Thanks Pete, I've just been trawling through a similar minefield on Parcel2Go, where I have ended up finding out that some companies won't ship instruments and some only cover you for £250, others want £30 insurance up to £1K. Do you choose a specific courier on P4D?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Thanks Pete, I've just been trawling through a similar minefield on Parcel2Go, where I have ended up finding out that some companies won't ship instruments and some only cover you for £250, others want £30 insurance up to £1K. Do you choose a specific courier on P4D?

Haven't sent a saxophone for a couple of years, mostly just smaller stuff. I generally choose the cheapest.

I think you can get info from P4D over the phone, might be best to ask them about instruments. I know they do have a clause about packing them somewhere, always worth checking those things.

BTW I used to use interparcel, but didn't have a great experience, can'tt remember exactly now.

 

[Jimmymack]

Did you ever come to a conclusion with this nigel? I'm thinking of listing my tenor on here but the practicalities of packing and finding a shipping agent send me into a state of mild hysteria mixed with despair.

 

[nigeld]

Did you ever come to a conclusion with this nigel? I'm thinking of listing my tenor on here but the practicalities of packing and finding a shipping agent send me into a state of mild hysteria mixed with despair.

I haven't had to ship a saxophone for a while, and I can't remember who I used last time. I think it may have been UPS via Parcel2Go. Basically you have to look at a lot of carriers and read the small print carefully. Some carriers exclude musical instruments from their insurance, and others have maximum limits on insurance. Parcel2Go allows you to choose between several carriers.

It depends how much the instrument is worth - if it's £500 then it is fairly easy to find a carrier, but if it is £1500 it gets expensive. I ended up delivering my tenor in person - I agreed with the seller to meet in London. It was cheaper, and safer, for us both to buy a train ticket to central London than to ship the sax, and I could enjoy a day out.

 

[Jimmymack]

Ok, thanks.

 

[DavidUK]

NB. If you use Parcel2Go, and your sax gets damaged they will NOT compensate even if insured.

Why? Well, you have to click the tick box to say you've read their "prohibited & restricted items list", and so you think "Hmmm, maybe I should read that" and you do, but you miss the small print at the bottom of the list which says "To view the full list of prohibited and restricted items list click here."

The FULL list says:

Items Protected For Loss Only:

The services provided to us by the couriers will send the following items, however, they will not protect for any damage.

• Musical Instruments Including Guitars, Amplifiers, Speakers, Turntables, Violins, Keyboards Etc. All Musical Instruments Must Be Sent In A Hard Case And Boxed. - maximum Parcel Protection value for damages is £0, up to £1,000 for lost items.

How do I know this? From experience when the Majestic Alto I recently bought arrived damaged.

Now, when Parcel2Go refused to pay I did contact UPS (the chosen carrier) who were concerned and emailed a claim form for me to complete. But as by then the seller had conceded at least some of the damage was there when he sent it, he agreed to take it back for a refund so I didn't find out if UPS would have done anything for me directly.

So, what to do? Use Interparcel.com instead. Their rules are that so long as it's in a hard case it IS insured for loss AND damage. As here: Interparcel | Guides | Prohibited and Restricted items

Pete may have been unfortunate with Interparcel, and I've had a few run ins with them myself, but generally they're OK and you can online chat (as I just did to check what I'm saying is correct).

But be warned, there's always a chance a sax is going to get damaged, and it's a hassle sorting it out afterwards. Where possible get the buyer to collect in person. That way there's no argument later.

 

[Jimmymack]

Thanks, looks like some form of meeting up is the only way to be sure, which kind of limits your options. I’ve always been reluctant to have horns sent on approval as I fear they will have been damaged which defeats the object but people seem to do it all the time. What a useless state of affairs.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Pete may have been unfortunate with Interparcel

It may have just been that many years ago they switched to only doing account holders (with minimum monthly spend).

I may start using them again as I had a two terrible horrible time recently with P4D and musical instruments.

1

• Paid for shipping tenor to Germany
• Courier never turned up that day
• Rang them next day, they told me as it's a musical instrument I must send photos of packaging
• Sent photos of packing
• Courrier finally picked up next day

2 (even worse)

• Paid for shipping tenor to Poland
• Sent photos of packing and rang to confirm the got them
• Courier never turned up that day
• Rang them next day, they told me as it needs insurance for $4000 I must pay for a different more expensive service
• I pay the extra
• Courier doesn't turn up
• I ring them and they say they cannot take it as over £2000
• They say they will refund my initial payment
• Payment takes two weeks

I sent it UPS, no problem BUT their online system is rteally clunky and horrible.

 

[Pete Thomas]

It may have just been that many years ago they switched to only doing account holders (with minimum monthly spend).

No, I remember now that was CityLink Couriers (subsequently are no more)

Interparcel I think charged my credit card when they shouldn't.

However I may gpo back to them as that was years ago, I've punished them enough and they certainly I think aren't as bad as P4D horror story above.

 

[rhysonsax]

I'm resuscitating this thread to ask specifically about sending a saxophone from the UK to EU. Which carriers would people recommend nowadays (2024) and what about insurance cover ?

Thanks in advance

Rhys

 

[scotsman]

Log in or register to view this reply.

 

[rhysonsax]

Log in or register to view this reply.

 

[scotsman]

Log in or register to view this reply.

 

[Targa]

Log in or register to view this reply.

 

[rhysonsax]

Log in or register to view this reply.