As an update: UPS denied the claim for shipping costs on the destroyed box package as well as the costs to get it back down to the customer / damages to the case. Weird situation... 🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 🔴Reverb: reverb.com/shop/troglys?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
I don't know how many time I've gotten packages delivered by UPS that had damage on the outside that was cringe worthy. One of the drivers usually will try and balance a package on my porch rail if its longer than two feet. Or even leave a small package on my vehicle closer to the street. They are the worst. Seems to me you paid them to deliver the package in the first place returning it isn't delivering it. And they owe you. If nothing else you know who has the paint for the sparkle top.
I used to work frantically at UPS sorting belt wide packages coming nonstop and or jamming up in the corners, as a puller sort reading zip codes and pushing boxes off a conveyor belt into their designated spaghetti network of chute slides all leading off to semi trailers with at UPS. Crazy things certainly happen when it’s all chaotic, but unless everything’s changed which I’d highly doubt, no guitars really should ever travel through UPS’s conveyor belt systems, they should be instead loaded and unloaded separately in the facilities and handled by way of bulk cart trains with drivers who hand load the bigger items and over 70 lbs packages to their destinations semi trailers, through out their regional hub networks, eventually ending being up hand loaded onto the local brown delivery trucks…8)
Theres a reason why Sweetwater uses Fedex and not UPS... all of our shipping is done with Fedex between our 4 buildings. They are far more reliable. Get ahold of your business rep.
One time UPS told me my package was “damaged or lost” I was like well if it’s damaged I want it back. But they wouldn’t do anything for me. Kind of ridiculous. There’s a pretty big difference between damaged and lost.
True, also the fact that ups made him pay to bring it back to him, then pay to have it brought back to the buyer… they should’ve refunded trogly if they felt they needed to send it back
As a fan of your show and a UPSer, this is crazy to me. I'm a HUB expeditor which means it's my job to rebox or patch damaged packages and this is the first time I've ever heard about something like this. Thank you for teaching me about guitars and my job 🙌🏽
@@Trog that part of it was ridiculous...there is no reason the return to you, and then the return to the customer should have even been a thing. They should have covered both, for the damage that they caused
I work at ups at a hub as a supervisor. When I use to load trailers and even now when I monitor loaders, if I see a guitar or amp I go out of my way to personally load the guitar very safely. And yes, your guess was correct. More than likely box got torn before it went down a freshly waxed chute. We wax our chutes before every shift and sometimes during as well. Glad the guitar was unharmed Trogly! After working here I greatly appreciate double boxing even more
As a person who works in shipping I really appreciate your $#!% happens approach to a package incident like this. I know there are bad actors out there but most want to see a completed delivery w/o incident.
Here in the U.K. we have one delivery company who’s employees would have left the package either outside in the rain, thrown it over the fence, or have actually stole it. ( but still claimed it was delivered)
I used to work for them you would not believe the things boxes go through unbelievable thrown smashed on belts caused by box jams on belts mostly to due with hot shot supervisors pushing people and equipment to go faster and faster so they can look good and move up the corporate ladder horrible system so glad those times are behind me 10 years of that garbage !! The explorer is a trooper for sure 🤘
Why should you have to pay shipping back to you when THEY damaged your stuff? I always had to carry insurance to cover me if I made a mistake in my professions. It was usually "errors and omission" insurance. Why is it now that WE have to pay for it?
I never ship in a box identifying it as a guitar. Reduces risk of it being stolen. If I buy online I also ask that the box not identify it as a guitar.
My only damage guitar story was via FedEx. I purchased a beautiful wine colored 1990 SG in fantastic shape. It arrived with a severe crush on the corner of the box, much worse than what was on your example. I opened it up and the guitar appeared intact. I reached down to grab the neck to lift it, the neck came up and the body stayed behind. The drop completely obliterated the neck joint, it was a splintered mess. Filed a complaint and sent a copious amount of pictures. I was getting a little bit of a runaround. Fortunately at the time I was getting a lot of deliveries at my house asa medical device rep. and my company had a ver large national account with FedEx. I told them if they didn’t make it right I was gonna switch everything over to UPS. I was then transferred to somebody and began to get some traction. Finally after about a month, I was given a full refund for the purchase of the guitar with the caveat that I had to send the guitar to FedEx. It’s a shame, I would have liked to pull the pickups and harvested the components.
A friend of mine works at UPS and I have been there during the morning when they are loading trucks. They literally throw every box in the truck regardless if it says fragile or not. It's seriously pissed me off when I seen this. Every box is tossed like a rugby ball.
I saw a UPS guy slam my guitar down, upside down and leave it laying on the head, despite the box having arrows and fragile written all over it. Who would not understand a triangular-ish object ought to have the big side down?
I would bet an employee of ups cut your box open, planning on stealing at least the guitar, if not the whole thing. But they got caught, so ups repackaged it and sent it back to the original sender. They not surprisingly won't admit that is what happened. That perfectly explains why the box was cut open. Accidental damage won't cleanly cut anything, especially not in two different directions.
Lol theres no way you could walk out of ups with a guitar. It had a leaky box loaded on top ill bet. It got sent to the damaged area. Then it got opened and reboxed to see if it was salvagable. They cut too deep. They dont have the brightest people working in that dept. They tape boxes all day lol. One loader prob put it on the bottom of a load with some crap on top to start the whole chain of events. Im a upser
FedEx isn’t much better. They crushed the bridge on my 50th birthday present - a Murphy Lab Gibson Custom. I never even got to strum it once, it was so bad.
My first Gibson was and still is an '81 Since 180 custom with double dirty fingers. Of course I wanted a Les Paul which took me years to buy on my own, anyway, I tried to flip my guitar " over the shoulder" like the cool '80s players. 😭 It hit the ceiling, then the floor, head first. I thank the Lord every day it didn't do a thing; other than cosmetic dings,/ paint chips. It still plays great and I'm glad yours is ok. Great vid, bad memories, all good!! Keep up the great work Trog 🎸👍 Sonex ,180 custom 👍
UPS lost my Carvin Icon 5 bass I had just received a couple days before. I had to send it back to Carvin for a slight finish repair, took them a month to finally find it. Thankfully I got it back in perfect condition.
I remember when my buddy sold his 1964 Firebird 3 and it’s headstock was completely snapped off when it got to the customer 😢 whys it gotta be so difficult to get a perfectly shipped guitar sometimes?!
Shipping an old Firebird is like a recipe for broken neck. They are great guitars and should be treated like the museum piece they are. There must be a 'white glove' delivery service we can start to use for these great guitars, like 'Reliable' for classic cars.
I worked at UPS one summer. Their sorting facilities, with all those conveyor belts, things get torn open all the time. They don't even bother scanning it into the system as damaged. They just throw it way and play dumb about it being lost.
I know of someone who had a late 60s Martin D-28 with Brazilian rosewood that was destroyed by UPS. I realize that horror stories like this are rare, but my heart goes out to anyone that this kind of thing happens to. The worst that I've experienced, was UPS losing a pair of running shoes that I had ordered...
FedEx broke my 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V back in 2007 or so. I didn't pack it right and it was moving inside a non-original case. I forgot to fill out the insurance amount on the old hand-written form, so FedEx only gave me $100. Broke at the body/neck joint and I had the buyer send it back to me. I sold it for parts and ended up breaking even on it! I've mailed about 1000 guitars since then and had only one other major problem around the same time, so you live and learn!
I worked for fedex as an unloader... as a 3 income. I watched unloaders on purpose destroy boxes and the stuff inside of it. Mosty likely... your box was cut open for theft. The rollers would never do that. As far as the goo... not sure.
Just Amazing this kind of shit happens! Why should you have to pay to have it sent back to you when they screwed up in the first place?? Anyway I'm glad to see that the Explorer didn't get damaged and made it back to its new owner safe and sound. Too bad on the sparkly Les Paul getting dropped/damaged though! 😢
EVERY DAY, the serfs bend over......so there is ZERO MOTIVE by the bad humans to STOP BEING BAD. We let politicians rob us 100% of the time, every decade. No wonder they INCREASE their crimes every week! CAUSE......MEET EFFECT. The moment a serf burns their shit down, you get REFORM.
A person I knew in the early 90's in CA who said he used to work for UPS told me packages were trashed on purpose by some workers! Guitars were especially picked out to be given extra 'attention'! I'm not saying it's true, it's just what he told me!
I work at ups now. I make sure they get thru the system safely as possible lol. But thats just me. Most just look at it as another box, especially if its not gibson or fender lol. Nobody else seems to have a clue whats in these jackson or ibanez boxes lol
It’s their job to make sure the item they are shipping arrives in its original shape. You shouldn’t have to pay more money to help cover their mistakes.
I worked at a UPS facility for two years during college loading trucks. Let it be known that the people in those warehouses do not care in the slightest what happens to your packages. They get thrown, dropped, stepped on, anything you can imagine, to the point where I’m nervous to ship anything at all. Double wrap and double box everything, and consider paying for express shipping for anything valuable so it spends as little time as possible going through the facilities.
If you lay down a hardshell case for an SG, Les Paul, Strat or Tele on a table to open them up they all have round metal glides on the bottom to protect the bottom of the case. I don't understand why Gibson does not put these same metal glides on the bottom of the larger rectangular cases they make for the Firebirds, Explorers and Flying Vs.The bottom of these cases are apt to get dirtier and more chewed up without them.
Recent guitar purchase was shipped UPS, I asked it be sent USPS, store only used UPS. I paid for the shipping too. Well box dropped off at the house, with damaged side facing the wall driver left, I got to the door and noticed the damage, tried to flag the driver, nope. Took pics, opened box the case is damaged, since the case was specific to the guitar (blue color) it makes the value extremely less. Contacted store and UPS, store said could not replacement case, take a 100$ refund or return the purchase. UPS said the store already made the claim. Gave up on the store/UPS. Contacted Gibson, showed the pictures and how the store responded. Gibson said they get me a proper color case shipped within the month, no charge and no shipping costs. I was astonished, Gibson customer service truly went the extra mile. This is why I will buy their instruments but not at the store on original purchase.
I bought a replica of Eric Clapton/Todd Rundgren's "Fool" SG. I got it after 3 months of painting and customization, opened the case and the headstock was snapped. The seller was in a panic and told me to pack up everything EXACTLY the way it was and send it back. UPS charged me no shipping charges but I had to wait 6 months for a replacement because the woman that painted it was in college and was doing it as a side job. I told the seller to ship it with the strings slack so no additional pressure was on the neck. Thankfully I got it with no damage
Ironic you had a pic of that explorer with the holes in it cause Stu Mackenzie had on that was smashed in a fork lift on stage. Brutal blow to a collector let alone a touring artist.
I am surprised that , given this is a known problem with Gibsons (neck breaks), that there is no way of packaging the guitar which could protect it better in transit. Surely some extra packaging support under/around the head stock.? Anyone have any ideas.?
I think it's best if the headstock itself isn't supported, but rather "free floating". AND be sure the guitar can't move inside the case AT ALL. That way the headstock will never receive any force in case there is an impact of some sort. I did it that way when I was on vacation in the US and shipped a guitar back to the Netherlands. The guitar was fine. It's what makes more sense to me, as opposed to supporting under/above/around the headstock. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.
The neck break on the LP is why I always detune all guitars (usually 1.5 turns on each tuner), but esp those w/14 deg. angles, before shipping. I also insist the seller detune before shipment to me. Takes close to 100 pd of pressure off of that neck and headstock juncture.
The only time I have ever shipped a guitar, the buyer said it looked like someone curb stomped the box and broke the neck. It was through UPS as well. I still have that guitar and UPS did pay to fix it.
I bought a guitar from Reverb, the seller sent it to me and luckily it was double boxed because the outer box was utterly destroyed and there wasn’t much left to the point the Courier called me and said we normally would deliver this thing but do you want to come down and look at it because it looks like there might be some damage. When I saw the box my heart sunk but when I pulled out the inner box it was untouched and the guitar was fine, no damage at all. Austin you might be right these larger boxes might be getting caught on a conveyor occasionally.
UPS: We couldn't complete the service you paid us for UPS: We damaged the goods you entrusted us with UPS: You need to pay us more to undo the half, incomplete job we didn't complete UPS: You need to pay us a third time to complete the job you originally paid us for that we didn't complete due to our incompetence Me: Yup, well that sounds like a lot of other scams I've heard of
Actually one of your more entertaining episodes despite the doom and gloom. I assume the papyrus font was for dramatic effect at the beginning. Even UPS wouldn't have the cojones to offer up such an affront.
If possible, double box or pad the guitar case really well and then box it with a beady cardboard box. I work in the shipping industry. Half the time it's to people who unload and load the trailers between warehouses. They get loaded and unloaded and reloaded every time they go from destination to the next destination to its final destination. All I can say is really pack and secure your guitars to withstand being dropped, thrown or stepped on. Glad the explorer made it.
7:49 just wondering do you brace the headstock with anything underneath it inside the case during shipping ? I heard somewhere that it can prevent a break.
DHL was delivering guitars to a music shop in Belfast N.ireland and the shop owner watched the guy drop every guitar on their head stock and when the guitars were brought into the shop every guitar neck was split or cracked,the shop owner told the same company dumped a delivery of guitars in a persons garden that was supposed to be meant to come to him the guitars were pissed through with rain..
Wait, THEY charged YOU to send the package that THEY damaged back to you? That's ludicrous!!!! I'd tell them to f**k all the way off with that charge. That's bananas.
@@EclecticHillbilly I hear you: in my case it's a bit less than that, maybe 80 miles. I don't own a car, so I have to take a train / bus or carpool. And sometimes even the big stores don't carry the particular model I am interested in, which sucks b@lls. I guess it's a matter of convenience versus risk. I accept putting up with the inconvenience in exchange for a less risky purchase, but I can see how it can be the opposite way for other people.
I just ordered a gaming computer build kit and it shipped through UPS. They knocked on my door once, I was holding my baby at the time in the recliner. By the time I made it to the door, the truck pulled out of my driveway. The order updated to delivering to UPS drop point. Two days later I was allowed to pick up my computer from an advance auto parts store. The guy even put the new sticker over my name so there was an ordeal trying to prove it was my package.
I cannot remember the last time UPS or FedEx delivered a package to my house that was not damaged. I imagine them sledding down stairs on top of the boxes in the warehouse. The drivers are so embarrassed, they won't even look me in the eye when they come to the door.
Ive had the same luck at my music store. The drivers are saying the trucks aluminum boxes are worn out and they are leaking like rain storms inside? Ive had boxes arrive that are soaked and torn all up?
I insured a guitar I returned to a seller for $3000. UPS damaged it in transit. That was 3 months ago. Still waiting for my settlement. I'm out $3000 as it sits right now. Nightmare
You’re the best person I can’t think of to ask this… I’ve searched all over and no one seems to explain it. What is the neck shape, of the 1958 V, and Explorer? (From my understanding, they’re identical). I’ve found posts of the 1st & 12th neck thickness, but NOTHING on🤘🏼 the shape. The fretboard radius is 12, but any help with the shape would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! 🙏🏼
i bought a couple 335 style guitars to test out, the UPS shoved the cardboard over my front door handle and completely broke the headstock off, they didnt do a thing for me despite having it on camera, luckily the company i bought thru worked with me and settled it all in house
Stuff like this is why I prefer to buy in person. Of course that is not always an option And unless you go in person to where the guitar was made & carry it home, it is shipped at some point But if it it is damaged before you see it, you aren’t the one to deal with it
Hi Austin, I hope you're having a fabulous day, always a pleasure watching your videos. That white sparkly guitar is absolutely beautiful, I love the multicolored inlay in the head stock, what a beauty. It's an absolute shame that the gorillas treated this masterpiece so horribly. I hope you can find it, repair it and add to your collection, this beauty deserves to live. 😟
Long time watcher/subscriber , first time commenting (I think) , I just want to say , I admire how upbeat you always are when you could be and deserve to be annoyed (I know you more than likely are) , but on TH-cam you always take the high road ! Inspiring!!!
Pretty sad about that white guitar. Also sad to hear about the inner workings of Gibson. I understand not wanting to make an exact replica, but isnt their business plan mostly making replicas? I bet PRS would make a better version of that no questions asked!
I just had a Fender Esquire that I bought from Eddie’s Guitars get destroyed by UPS. Package was thrown hard enough the cause the neck pocket to fracture where the pickup routing is… Never seen something like it. I genuinely hate UPS as a company
Very Cool, Thankyou. Glad it mostly sort of worked out in the end. I have been surprisingly lucky with buying guitars online and shipping them in. So fragile in a little cardboard box ( Often with No Case). No-where near the volume of guitar shipments you deal with, but I am still impressed with couriers used. Cheers
I had a Mesa Boogie amp arrive at my home Via Fedex and the cabinet was broken, someone must had dropped it from height for it to have to amount of damage it did.. I really wanted that amp too... It was ruined. the seller was great and had to be reimbursed. I think they do it on purpose when they recognise a instrument box. seems like an inordinant amount of guitars get damaged for it to be accidental...
I actually just got a guitar today that UPS cracked the finish right next to the binding. It's a great playing skatecaster. This video makes me want to look it over more closely.
Usually get that from fedex. Also never get a response from them after emailing. Multiple times I’ve paid for a signature and they just dump the package on the porch without knocking.
Gonna be honest, UPS broke 1 of mine that went out last month. A Les Paul from the 90s. The response from UPS was surprisingly lackluster. Lately, their service (at least with me) is not good.
I have a close friend who has had 3 guitars stolen on the way to him , one was irreplaceable ....not UPS ...also had to order on 3 separate occasions a Epiphone Jason Hook Explorer to get one that wasn't damaged in transit ....FEDEX !!!! 😡
Working at ups it probably got in a jam on a belt, happens randomly out of nowhere absolutely destroys boxes, that could explain why something was spilled onto it and why it’s torn up
Doom and Gloom is right..reminds me of my 2021 Gibby 61’ SG Maestro that arrived double boxed with snapped off headstock..Thanx FeDX for that one.. it was made right!! Another..Marshall Origin 50 Combo arrived with a huge CRACK in the top of the cab.. same deal FedX..made it right again second go around!! Thanks God for local Craigslist
UPS busted the headstock off a new Epiphone Les Paul Muse I bought last month. Never even totally unboxed it. As soon as I saw the flopping wrap, I called it a day. What's suprising, is that there was not real heavy damage to the outer box. The store took it back with no problems, and Reverb quickly issued the refund. I got a another one from a different store yesterday, and it made it unscathed by Fed-Ex. Even though this time the outer box was tore the hell up. lol. Go figure.
Dylan of Dylan Talks Tone just got a new Epiphone Korina Explorer delivered today and the box was flayed wide open. The case sustained minor damage, but the guitar arrived intact, thankfully.
I use lays guitar shop in Akron Ohio for repair , they are very Gibson knowledgeable, and many of famous rockers have had instruments built and fixed there.
UPS are the pits..... Awful, poor grade delivery company. When I buy any gear and am told it's coming with UPS I literally fear for what will appear at my door. They used to be the best, now they are the worst.......
I've tried UPS, FedEx, DHL and even some 'small local delivery' firms, and they're all about the same any more. Actually, after twenty plus years of buying and selling collector art and musical instruments, the USPS has had the best damage-free delivery record ... until lately... Now I don't know who is trustworthy enough! Maybe local sales only with personally hand-delivered items? Quite the dilemma ain't it ......
Can't say I'm a huge fan of UPS after watching a driver bounce the end of a box containing an 80's Charvel Star down every step of his truck. Shout out to whoever built that case because luckily there was no damage.
Thus far 🤞 my only bad experience with shipping, USPS lost a set of Jaguar pickups with RF claws and covers that I shipped only a few counties away! This was post 9/11 NYC area so maybe they were doing X-rays and thought two copper coils with metal plates side by side = bomb??? No one ever explained what happened, just a mad buyer wondering, “where’s my pickups dude?”
UPS destroyed a custom built amp for me. They dropped it on the end and one transformers with all its weight kept going and bent the crap out of the chassis. I had to sent it back to the builder for repair. Every time I see BROWN going down the road I think about it. That was over 10 years ago and to this day I have never used them to ship anything. UPS at one time was more professional business.
Just got my new prs and there was a huge hole in the front of the box it was sent in. Half the bubble wrap was hanging out. The guitar seems fine for the most part but I'm not sure how they even managed that.
I honestly dislike UPS with a passion… Recent box I received came OPENED along the whole length, all the tape cut and so on. Happy no contents were missing. But the previous one came torn completely in half, and it was being held together by a single strip of duct tape. Who does that
This is no surprise to me at all. I live 1000 ft off the road back in the woods and though I request signature required delivery on all packages, the driver just forged my name, recorded that he left them at the front door and then left packages out by the road (next to an open gate) for anybody passing by to see on a heavily traveled road. Last time he did it, I caught his ass in the act. Long story short, UPS sucks and I will never use them again and I won't do business with somebody who won't ship with other companies or USPS.
I'm not a fan of UPS, I avoid them whenever there is another option even if it is a couple dollars more expensive. I ordered a medium size car part once and UPS was the shipper. Those jerks left a giant wad of carboard on my doorstep with the car part halfway hanging out of it. Really seems like they really don't give a crap about what they are doing.
As an update: UPS denied the claim for shipping costs on the destroyed box package as well as the costs to get it back down to the customer / damages to the case. Weird situation...
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I don't know how many time I've gotten packages delivered by UPS that had damage on the outside that was cringe worthy. One of the drivers usually will try and balance a package on my porch rail if its longer than two feet. Or even leave a small package on my vehicle closer to the street. They are the worst. Seems to me you paid them to deliver the package in the first place returning it isn't delivering it. And they owe you. If nothing else you know who has the paint for the sparkle top.
Find the supervisor and keep egging them on for it don’t lose to the mega corporate bullies
I used to work frantically at UPS sorting belt wide packages coming nonstop and or jamming up in the corners, as a puller sort reading zip codes and pushing boxes off a conveyor belt into their designated spaghetti network of chute slides all leading off to semi trailers with at UPS. Crazy things certainly happen when it’s all chaotic, but unless everything’s changed which I’d highly doubt, no guitars really should ever travel through UPS’s conveyor belt systems, they should be instead loaded and unloaded separately in the facilities and handled by way of bulk cart trains with drivers who hand load the bigger items and over 70 lbs packages to their destinations semi trailers, through out their regional hub networks, eventually ending being up hand loaded onto the local brown delivery trucks…8)
Then UPS loses a customer.
Theres a reason why Sweetwater uses Fedex and not UPS... all of our shipping is done with Fedex between our 4 buildings. They are far more reliable. Get ahold of your business rep.
One time UPS told me my package was “damaged or lost” I was like well if it’s damaged I want it back. But they wouldn’t do anything for me. Kind of ridiculous. There’s a pretty big difference between damaged and lost.
True, also the fact that ups made him pay to bring it back to him, then pay to have it brought back to the buyer… they should’ve refunded trogly if they felt they needed to send it back
maybe it equals STOLEN
I’d imagine having 20 minute documentaries of each guitar, before it gets damaged in shipping, really makes it easier to resolve some issues.
As a fan of your show and a UPSer, this is crazy to me. I'm a HUB expeditor which means it's my job to rebox or patch damaged packages and this is the first time I've ever heard about something like this. Thank you for teaching me about guitars and my job 🙌🏽
I'd be really interested in learning more about this policy too. Seems like a scam to get triple postage + insurance charges haha
@@Trog that part of it was ridiculous...there is no reason the return to you, and then the return to the customer should have even been a thing. They should have covered both, for the damage that they caused
Also a Upser, I've seen so many guitars been loaded in trucks terribly. It makes me very sad to see.
@@johnworkman3950 they must be former USPS employees.
I work at ups at a hub as a supervisor. When I use to load trailers and even now when I monitor loaders, if I see a guitar or amp I go out of my way to personally load the guitar very safely. And yes, your guess was correct. More than likely box got torn before it went down a freshly waxed chute. We wax our chutes before every shift and sometimes during as well. Glad the guitar was unharmed Trogly! After working here I greatly appreciate double boxing even more
@Mike E so where do these returns get auctioned off at?
Love the "this is not an I hate UPS video" while repacking it in a FedEx box
As a person who works in shipping I really appreciate your $#!% happens approach to a package incident like this. I know there are bad actors out there but most want to see a completed delivery w/o incident.
@@justfacts1308 Do you mean Trogly, UPS, or both? Guitars in a hardcase should always be double-boxed with styrofoam peanuts in between.
what do you think happened here ?
Here in the U.K. we have one delivery company who’s employees would have left the package either outside in the rain, thrown it over the fence, or have actually stole it. ( but still claimed it was delivered)
No in uk we have more than one. Royal mail is a joke ups will damage it fed ex will lose it and evri will just kick it up your street.
Hermes
Not only them...had even a bad/sad issue with DHL in Germany...
I used to work for them you would not believe the things boxes go through unbelievable thrown smashed on belts caused by box jams on belts mostly to due with hot shot supervisors pushing people and equipment to go faster and faster so they can look good and move up the corporate ladder horrible system so glad those times are behind me 10 years of that garbage !! The explorer is a trooper for sure 🤘
Why should you have to pay shipping back to you when THEY damaged your stuff? I always had to carry insurance to cover me if I made a mistake in my professions. It was usually "errors and omission" insurance. Why is it now that WE have to pay for it?
UPS hired The Who apparently to deliver! 😂
I never ship in a box identifying it as a guitar. Reduces risk of it being stolen. If I buy online I also ask that the box not identify it as a guitar.
My only damage guitar story was via FedEx. I purchased a beautiful wine colored 1990 SG in fantastic shape. It arrived with a severe crush on the corner of the box, much worse than what was on your example. I opened it up and the guitar appeared intact. I reached down to grab the neck to lift it, the neck came up and the body stayed behind. The drop completely obliterated the neck joint, it was a splintered mess. Filed a complaint and sent a copious amount of pictures. I was getting a little bit of a runaround. Fortunately at the time I was getting a lot of deliveries at my house asa medical device rep. and my company had a ver large national account with FedEx. I told them if they didn’t make it right I was gonna switch everything over to UPS. I was then transferred to somebody and began to get some traction. Finally after about a month, I was given a full refund for the purchase of the guitar with the caveat that I had to send the guitar to FedEx. It’s a shame, I would have liked to pull the pickups and harvested the components.
A friend of mine works at UPS and I have been there during the morning when they are loading trucks. They literally throw every box in the truck regardless if it says fragile or not. It's seriously pissed me off when I seen this. Every box is tossed like a rugby ball.
UPS lost my guitar months ago and haven’t done anything
I saw a UPS guy slam my guitar down, upside down and leave it laying on the head, despite the box having arrows and fragile written all over it. Who would not understand a triangular-ish object ought to have the big side down?
I would bet an employee of ups cut your box open, planning on stealing at least the guitar, if not the whole thing. But they got caught, so ups repackaged it and sent it back to the original sender. They not surprisingly won't admit that is what happened. That perfectly explains why the box was cut open. Accidental damage won't cleanly cut anything, especially not in two different directions.
Yeah, I gotta agree with you. It didn’t look like the boxes, ripped or anything on that side, it looked deliberately cut open.
Lol theres no way you could walk out of ups with a guitar. It had a leaky box loaded on top ill bet. It got sent to the damaged area. Then it got opened and reboxed to see if it was salvagable. They cut too deep. They dont have the brightest people working in that dept. They tape boxes all day lol. One loader prob put it on the bottom of a load with some crap on top to start the whole chain of events. Im a upser
FedEx isn’t much better. They crushed the bridge on my 50th birthday present - a Murphy Lab Gibson Custom. I never even got to strum it once, it was so bad.
My first Gibson was and still is an '81 Since 180 custom with double dirty fingers. Of course I wanted a Les Paul which took me years to buy on my own, anyway, I tried to flip my guitar " over the shoulder" like the cool '80s players. 😭 It hit the ceiling, then the floor, head first. I thank the Lord every day it didn't do a thing; other than cosmetic dings,/ paint chips. It still plays great and I'm glad yours is ok. Great vid, bad memories, all good!! Keep up the great work Trog 🎸👍 Sonex ,180 custom 👍
That LP is incredible. It is really a one off.
i know you had covid a bit ago hope you are doing better
@@hikupmusicofficial thanks for the message. I still have it, over 2 weeks, but I’m making it. How are you feeling?
UPS lost my Carvin Icon 5 bass I had just received a couple days before. I had to send it back to Carvin for a slight finish repair, took them a month to finally find it.
Thankfully I got it back in perfect condition.
That explorer was hideous....and green is my favorite color, consider yourself lucky someone bought it.
I remember when my buddy sold his 1964 Firebird 3 and it’s headstock was completely snapped off when it got to the customer 😢 whys it gotta be so difficult to get a perfectly shipped guitar sometimes?!
Shipping an old Firebird is like a recipe for broken neck. They are great guitars and should be treated like the museum piece they are. There must be a 'white glove' delivery service we can start to use for these great guitars, like 'Reliable' for classic cars.
I worked at UPS one summer. Their sorting facilities, with all those conveyor belts, things get torn open all the time. They don't even bother scanning it into the system as damaged. They just throw it way and play dumb about it being lost.
We need to get Trogly a pair of shoes.
From Wallmart lol
Crocs would be funny.
It's the end of the world as we know it
@@tippytailmckitty2658 Something tells me Austin already owns at least one pair of crocs.
Does Gibson make shoes?
I know of someone who had a late 60s Martin D-28 with Brazilian rosewood that was destroyed by UPS. I realize that horror stories like this are rare, but my heart goes out to anyone that this kind of thing happens to.
The worst that I've experienced, was UPS losing a pair of running shoes that I had ordered...
Stop using boxes with the product name on it. Target for thieves.
This just happened to me too! It arrived to my city and then all of sudden its going back to the seller
Sorry to hear, but glad Im not the only documented case of this strange policy!
FedEx broke my 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V back in 2007 or so. I didn't pack it right and it was moving inside a non-original case. I forgot to fill out the insurance amount on the old hand-written form, so FedEx only gave me $100. Broke at the body/neck joint and I had the buyer send it back to me. I sold it for parts and ended up breaking even on it! I've mailed about 1000 guitars since then and had only one other major problem around the same time, so you live and learn!
When ur (UPS) an actual shipping/delivery company but can't seem to ship or deliver goods in good condition, somethings wrong with ur business model.
I worked for fedex as an unloader... as a 3 income. I watched unloaders on purpose destroy boxes and the stuff inside of it. Mosty likely... your box was cut open for theft. The rollers would never do that. As far as the goo... not sure.
Just Amazing this kind of shit happens! Why should you have to pay to have it sent back to you when they screwed up in the first place?? Anyway I'm glad to see that the Explorer didn't get damaged and made it back to its new owner safe and sound. Too bad on the sparkly Les Paul getting dropped/damaged though! 😢
EVERY DAY, the serfs bend over......so there is ZERO MOTIVE by the bad humans to STOP BEING BAD.
We let politicians rob us 100% of the time, every decade.
No wonder they INCREASE their crimes every week!
CAUSE......MEET EFFECT.
The moment a serf burns their shit down, you get REFORM.
A person I knew in the early 90's in CA who said he used to work for UPS told me packages were trashed on purpose by some workers! Guitars were especially picked out to be given extra 'attention'! I'm not saying it's true, it's just what he told me!
I believe it. Sad but probably true. There's some crazy individuals out there.
I work at ups now. I make sure they get thru the system safely as possible lol. But thats just me. Most just look at it as another box, especially if its not gibson or fender lol. Nobody else seems to have a clue whats in these jackson or ibanez boxes lol
It’s their job to make sure the item they are shipping arrives in its original shape. You shouldn’t have to pay more money to help cover their mistakes.
I worked at a UPS facility for two years during college loading trucks. Let it be known that the people in those warehouses do not care in the slightest what happens to your packages. They get thrown, dropped, stepped on, anything you can imagine, to the point where I’m nervous to ship anything at all. Double wrap and double box everything, and consider paying for express shipping for anything valuable so it spends as little time as possible going through the facilities.
I'm watching this on Thursday night knowing a guitar is coming to me via UPS tomorrow. I've gone from feeling like it's Christmas Eve to Halloween.
If you lay down a hardshell case for an SG, Les Paul, Strat or Tele on a table to open them up they all have round metal glides on the bottom to protect the bottom of the case. I don't understand why Gibson does not put these same metal glides on the bottom of the larger rectangular cases they make for the Firebirds, Explorers and Flying Vs.The bottom of these cases are apt to get dirtier and more chewed up without them.
Recent guitar purchase was shipped UPS, I asked it be sent USPS, store only used UPS. I paid for the shipping too. Well box dropped off at the house, with damaged side facing the wall driver left, I got to the door and noticed the damage, tried to flag the driver, nope. Took pics, opened box the case is damaged, since the case was specific to the guitar (blue color) it makes the value extremely less. Contacted store and UPS, store said could not replacement case, take a 100$ refund or return the purchase. UPS said the store already made the claim. Gave up on the store/UPS. Contacted Gibson, showed the pictures and how the store responded. Gibson said they get me a proper color case shipped within the month, no charge and no shipping costs. I was astonished, Gibson customer service truly went the extra mile. This is why I will buy their instruments but not at the store on original purchase.
I bought a replica of Eric Clapton/Todd Rundgren's "Fool" SG. I got it after 3 months of painting and customization, opened the case and the headstock was snapped. The seller was in a panic and told me to pack up everything EXACTLY the way it was and send it back. UPS charged me no shipping charges but I had to wait 6 months for a replacement because the woman that painted it was in college and was doing it as a side job. I told the seller to ship it with the strings slack so no additional pressure was on the neck. Thankfully I got it with no damage
Ironic you had a pic of that explorer with the holes in it cause Stu Mackenzie had on that was smashed in a fork lift on stage. Brutal blow to a collector let alone a touring artist.
I am surprised that , given this is a known problem with Gibsons (neck breaks), that there is no way of packaging the guitar which could protect it better in transit. Surely some extra packaging support under/around the head stock.? Anyone have any ideas.?
I think it's best if the headstock itself isn't supported, but rather "free floating". AND be sure the guitar can't move inside the case AT ALL.
That way the headstock will never receive any force in case there is an impact of some sort.
I did it that way when I was on vacation in the US and shipped a guitar back to the Netherlands.
The guitar was fine. It's what makes more sense to me, as opposed to supporting under/above/around the headstock.
I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.
The neck break on the LP is why I always detune all guitars (usually 1.5 turns on each tuner), but esp those w/14 deg. angles, before shipping. I also insist the seller detune before shipment to me. Takes close to 100 pd of pressure off of that neck and headstock juncture.
delivery services need to be liable for destroying packages that shouldnt be allowed in anyway to happen
good thing the guitar was ok
The only time I have ever shipped a guitar, the buyer said it looked like someone curb stomped the box and broke the neck. It was through UPS as well. I still have that guitar and UPS did pay to fix it.
I bought a guitar from Reverb, the seller sent it to me and luckily it was double boxed because the outer box was utterly destroyed and there wasn’t much left to the point the Courier called me and said we normally would deliver this thing but do you want to come down and look at it because it looks like there might be some damage. When I saw the box my heart sunk but when I pulled out the inner box it was untouched and the guitar was fine, no damage at all. Austin you might be right these larger boxes might be getting caught on a conveyor occasionally.
One of the reasons I purchase through Sweetwater is they double box their guitars.
UPS: We couldn't complete the service you paid us for
UPS: We damaged the goods you entrusted us with
UPS: You need to pay us more to undo the half, incomplete job we didn't complete
UPS: You need to pay us a third time to complete the job you originally paid us for that we didn't complete due to our incompetence
Me: Yup, well that sounds like a lot of other scams I've heard of
Actually one of your more entertaining episodes despite the doom and gloom. I assume the papyrus font was for dramatic effect at the beginning. Even UPS wouldn't have the cojones to offer up such an affront.
If possible, double box or pad the guitar case really well and then box it with a beady cardboard box. I work in the shipping industry. Half the time it's to people who unload and load the trailers between warehouses. They get loaded and unloaded and reloaded every time they go from destination to the next destination to its final destination. All I can say is really pack and secure your guitars to withstand being dropped, thrown or stepped on. Glad the explorer made it.
7:49 just wondering do you brace the headstock with anything underneath it inside the case during shipping ? I heard somewhere that it can prevent a break.
DHL was delivering guitars to a music shop in Belfast N.ireland and the shop owner watched the guy drop every guitar on their head stock and when the guitars were brought into the shop every guitar neck was split or cracked,the shop owner told the same company dumped a delivery of guitars in a persons garden that was supposed to be meant to come to him the guitars were pissed through with rain..
i’m trying to figure out why you had to pay to have it returned to you after THEY damaged it?
Imagine my surprise when they DENIED my case after filming this!
Keep fighting for it, they shouldn’t be able to neglect someone who has repeatedly done business with them for years
@@Trog is that why you reboxed it in a FedEx box?
@@Forest_Fifer It made me chuckle that he reboxed in a FedEx box. Not sure if on purpose, but funny nonetheless.
inro had me in stitches
Wait, THEY charged YOU to send the package that THEY damaged back to you? That's ludicrous!!!! I'd tell them to f**k all the way off with that charge. That's bananas.
I agree! They didn't even notify me of this whole situation and just billed my account for it. Then later denied my claim! crazy situation...
The best part about this vid is you chuckling and smiling!
I'd be *FUMING*
The extra sparkly Les Paul would look great with a stinger on back of the headstock.
I just don't buy guitars online.
Go to the store, try it, check that it's in shape, then decide to buy or not.
That works for some folks but for people like me, it's a 150 mile round trip to any music store that has a half decent selection.
@@EclecticHillbilly I hear you: in my case it's a bit less than that, maybe 80 miles. I don't own a car, so I have to take a train / bus or carpool.
And sometimes even the big stores don't carry the particular model I am interested in, which sucks b@lls.
I guess it's a matter of convenience versus risk. I accept putting up with the inconvenience in exchange for a less risky purchase, but I can see how it can be the opposite way for other people.
Looks like something spilled on the box and they cut the contaminated area out
That may actually be the best explanation
I just ordered a gaming computer build kit and it shipped through UPS. They knocked on my door once, I was holding my baby at the time in the recliner. By the time I made it to the door, the truck pulled out of my driveway. The order updated to delivering to UPS drop point. Two days later I was allowed to pick up my computer from an advance auto parts store. The guy even put the new sticker over my name so there was an ordeal trying to prove it was my package.
I cannot remember the last time UPS or FedEx delivered a package to my house that was not damaged. I imagine them sledding down stairs on top of the boxes in the warehouse. The drivers are so embarrassed, they won't even look me in the eye when they come to the door.
Ive had the same luck at my music store. The drivers are saying the trucks aluminum boxes are worn out and they are leaking like rain storms inside? Ive had boxes arrive that are soaked and torn all up?
I insured a guitar I returned to a seller for $3000. UPS damaged it in transit. That was 3 months ago. Still waiting for my settlement. I'm out $3000 as it sits right now. Nightmare
Man I started sweating when I thought I would see that beautiful explorer in pieces.
You’re the best person I can’t think of to ask this… I’ve searched all over and no one seems to explain it.
What is the neck shape, of the 1958 V, and Explorer? (From my understanding, they’re identical). I’ve found posts of the 1st & 12th neck thickness, but NOTHING on🤘🏼 the shape. The fretboard radius is 12, but any help with the shape would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! 🙏🏼
i bought a couple 335 style guitars to test out, the UPS shoved the cardboard over my front door handle and completely broke the headstock off, they didnt do a thing for me despite having it on camera, luckily the company i bought thru worked with me and settled it all in house
Stuff like this is why I prefer to buy in person.
Of course that is not always an option
And unless you go in person to where the guitar was made & carry it home, it is shipped at some point
But if it it is damaged before you see it, you aren’t the one to deal with it
Hi Austin, I hope you're having a fabulous day, always a pleasure watching your videos. That white sparkly guitar is absolutely beautiful, I love the multicolored inlay in the head stock, what a beauty. It's an absolute shame that the gorillas treated this masterpiece so horribly. I hope you can find it, repair it and add to your collection, this beauty deserves to live. 😟
Glad the explorer is in good shape!.darnit,you can repair that nice lp custom.i really like the sparkle custom.
I used to work for a golf company and ups used to damage a lot our packages. I would never use their svc again!
Long time watcher/subscriber , first time commenting (I think) , I just want to say , I admire how upbeat you always are when you could be and deserve to be annoyed (I know you more than likely are) , but on TH-cam you always take the high road ! Inspiring!!!
Pretty sad about that white guitar. Also sad to hear about the inner workings of Gibson. I understand not wanting to make an exact replica, but isnt their business plan mostly making replicas? I bet PRS would make a better version of that no questions asked!
I just had a Fender Esquire that I bought from Eddie’s Guitars get destroyed by UPS. Package was thrown hard enough the cause the neck pocket to fracture where the pickup routing is… Never seen something like it.
I genuinely hate UPS as a company
Very Cool, Thankyou. Glad it mostly sort of worked out in the end. I have been surprisingly lucky with buying guitars online and shipping them in. So fragile in a little cardboard box ( Often with No Case). No-where near the volume of guitar shipments you deal with, but I am still impressed with couriers used. Cheers
Good variety with the content 👌
Well done Austin for being so truthful and honest in this so corrupt world. 🎸👍
I had a Mesa Boogie amp arrive at my home Via Fedex and the cabinet was broken, someone must had dropped it from height for it to have to amount of damage it did.. I really wanted that amp too... It was ruined. the seller was great and had to be reimbursed. I think they do it on purpose when they recognise a instrument box. seems like an inordinant amount of guitars get damaged for it to be accidental...
I actually just got a guitar today that UPS cracked the finish right next to the binding. It's a great playing skatecaster. This video makes me want to look it over more closely.
Usually get that from fedex. Also never get a response from them after emailing. Multiple times I’ve paid for a signature and they just dump the package on the porch without knocking.
Gonna be honest, UPS broke 1 of mine that went out last month. A Les Paul from the 90s.
The response from UPS was surprisingly lackluster. Lately, their service (at least with me) is not good.
I have a close friend who has had 3 guitars stolen on the way to him , one was irreplaceable ....not UPS ...also had to order on 3 separate occasions a Epiphone Jason Hook Explorer to get one that wasn't damaged in transit ....FEDEX !!!! 😡
Working at ups it probably got in a jam on a belt, happens randomly out of nowhere absolutely destroys boxes, that could explain why something was spilled onto it and why it’s torn up
That Explorer looks so nice! Sparkle with sparkle.
Doom and Gloom is right..reminds me of my 2021 Gibby 61’ SG Maestro that arrived double boxed with snapped off headstock..Thanx FeDX for that one.. it was made right!! Another..Marshall Origin 50 Combo arrived with a huge CRACK in the top of the cab.. same deal FedX..made it right again second go around!! Thanks God for local Craigslist
UPS busted the headstock off a new Epiphone Les Paul Muse I bought last month. Never even totally unboxed it. As soon as I saw the flopping wrap, I called it a day. What's suprising, is that there was not real heavy damage to the outer box. The store took it back with no problems, and Reverb quickly issued the refund. I got a another one from a different store yesterday, and it made it unscathed by Fed-Ex. Even though this time the outer box was tore the hell up. lol. Go figure.
Wallmart
Dylan of Dylan Talks Tone just got a new Epiphone Korina Explorer delivered today and the box was flayed wide open. The case sustained minor damage, but the guitar arrived intact, thankfully.
I use lays guitar shop in Akron Ohio for repair , they are very Gibson knowledgeable, and many of famous rockers have had instruments built and fixed there.
UPS are the pits..... Awful, poor grade delivery company. When I buy any gear and am told it's coming with UPS I literally fear for what will appear at my door.
They used to be the best, now they are the worst.......
I've tried UPS, FedEx, DHL and even some 'small local delivery' firms, and they're all about the same any more. Actually, after twenty plus years of buying and selling collector art and musical instruments, the USPS has had the best damage-free delivery record ... until lately... Now I don't know who is trustworthy enough! Maybe local sales only with personally hand-delivered items? Quite the dilemma ain't it ......
Can't say I'm a huge fan of UPS after watching a driver bounce the end of a box containing an 80's Charvel Star down every step of his truck. Shout out to whoever built that case because luckily there was no damage.
It's appalling how many times Gibson has told you no on building guitars you want.
That Explorer is magnificent.
That Explorer is gorgeous ❤
Thus far 🤞 my only bad experience with shipping, USPS lost a set of Jaguar pickups with RF claws and covers that I shipped only a few counties away! This was post 9/11 NYC area so maybe they were doing X-rays and thought two copper coils with metal plates side by side = bomb??? No one ever explained what happened, just a mad buyer wondering, “where’s my pickups dude?”
I'd say check to see if it's in tune but it is a Gibson so .😆 I kid I love and hate em
UPS destroyed a custom built amp for me. They dropped it on the end and one transformers with all its weight kept going and bent the crap out of the chassis. I had to sent it back to the builder for repair. Every time I see BROWN going down the road I think about it. That was over 10 years ago and to this day I have never used them to ship anything. UPS at one time was more professional business.
Just got my new prs and there was a huge hole in the front of the box it was sent in. Half the bubble wrap was hanging out. The guitar seems fine for the most part but I'm not sure how they even managed that.
That’s a real bummer about the Les Paul. I would rather the Explorer were damaged instead if i had to choose. That’s a shame
I honestly dislike UPS with a passion… Recent box I received came OPENED along the whole length, all the tape cut and so on. Happy no contents were missing.
But the previous one came torn completely in half, and it was being held together by a single strip of duct tape.
Who does that
This is no surprise to me at all. I live 1000 ft off the road back in the woods and though I request signature required delivery on all packages, the driver just forged my name, recorded that he left them at the front door and then left packages out by the road (next to an open gate) for anybody passing by to see on a heavily traveled road. Last time he did it, I caught his ass in the act. Long story short, UPS sucks and I will never use them again and I won't do business with somebody who won't ship with other companies or USPS.
I'm not a fan of UPS, I avoid them whenever there is another option even if it is a couple dollars more expensive. I ordered a medium size car part once and UPS was the shipper. Those jerks left a giant wad of carboard on my doorstep with the car part halfway hanging out of it. Really seems like they really don't give a crap about what they are doing.