[kb466]

As you will no doubt recall, on the forum, there was a Corgi B-24D "Strawberry Bitch" on the forum that was horribly mangled by the Post Office in shipment. Well, I just had a similar experience. I just bought a Corgi B-24 "Michigan" on Ebay. It arrived today also broken inside its original box. Both rudders were broken off and one rudder was then broken in two. There are only four propeller blades still attached to the propeller hubs and they are bent back (I found all the other propeller blades in the box). The tail guns and nose guns are broken off. I can't blame the seller for this as he had very securely packed the airplane. It seems pretty clear that it must have received some very rough handling by the post office however. I thought about trying to send it back, but I am going to keep it. I bought if for a very good price so I will just try to repair it, which I think I can do. I was planning on remarking it as an 8AF Liberator anyway, so I will do that.

By the way, this is not the first time I have had this problem. I sold a Corgi 1/144 B-52 on Ebay a couple of months ago. It was in its original box and packaging and I packed it well. It arrived with broken wing tanks and engines. Even though it was the fault of the USPS and the buyer insisted on not buying insurance and I refunded the buyer's money together with his shipping, he still left me negative feedback. That is still a bit of a sore spot as well. I got the B-52 back and I will fix it, remark it and keep it. Still, it is all a very frustrating experience. I don't know why the USPS cannot ship these things without breaking them.

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by kb466

. . . and the buyer insisted on not buying insurance and I refunded the buyer's money together with his shipping, he still left me negative feedback.

And I don't know why jerks like that won't buy insurance and then leave negative feedback after you refunded everything. Sounds like you were MORE than fair, under the circumstances.

JPN

[Biggie]

I gotta tell you I have never had an issue with USPS on smaller stuff but big stuff they seem to have an issue with. I always ship or receive planes that size UPS or FedEx, they seem to be able to handle bigger models better most of the time.

Biggie

Originally Posted by kb466

As you will no doubt recall, on the forum, there was a Corgi B-24D "Strawberry Bitch" on the forum that was horribly mangled by the Post Office in shipment. Well, I just had a similar experience. I just bought a Corgi B-24 "Michigan" on Ebay. It arrived today also broken inside its original box. Both rudders were broken off and one rudder was then broken in two. There are only four propeller blades still attached to the propeller hubs and they are bent back (I found all the other propeller blades in the box). The tail guns and nose guns are broken off. I can't blame the seller for this as he had very securely packed the airplane. It seems pretty clear that it must have received some very rough handling by the post office however. I thought about trying to send it back, but I am going to keep it. I bought if for a very good price so I will just try to repair it, which I think I can do. I was planning on remarking it as an 8AF Liberator anyway, so I will do that.

By the way, this is not the first time I have had this problem. I sold a Corgi 1/72 B-52 on Ebay a couple of months ago. It was in its original box and packaging and I packed it well. It arrived with broken wing tanks and engines. Even though it was the fault of the USPS and the buyer insisted on not buying insurance and I refunded the buyer's money together with his shipping, he still left me negative feedback. That is still a bit of a sore spot as well. I got the B-52 back and I will fix it, remark it and keep it. Still, it is all a very frustrating experience. I don't know why the USPS cannot ship these things without breaking them.

[1250ships]

I was the one with the Strawberry Bitch and mine was shipped UPS, not through the Post Office.

Any of the shipping companies are more than capable of destroying something. I have shipped litterly thousands of ship models using the Post Office and 99.9% of the time I have no problems. I don't buy insurance and accept replacing that 0.1% of damaged goods as the cost of doing business.

Years ago I worked for a manufacturing company and I've seen UPS destroy equipment. We had some rack mountable equipment with quarter-inch rolled steel flanges and UPS managed to put 90 degree bends in the steel. If you've ever seen UPS load a truck at a customer's shipping dock you'd be surprised anything survives shipping intact.

If you want to give something the best shot at surviving a trip here are the keys:

1. Use a strong outer shipping carton. Re-using a carton is a bad idea as much of the strength is removed in the first trip through the shipping system.
2. Have defensive space inside. Fill all voids with foam peanuts or other material that will compress to absorb shocks and impacts.
3. Have the item in question inside another box. It must be secured in that box and unable to shift or move around. If it starts to move it is just going to batter itself to bits inside its box. That is what happened to my B-24 and sounds like the same issue for kb466. Using the original factory shipping materials is usually the best bet though as the B-24s show not a garantee of survival.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Guys i will tell you first hand that these handlers toss these boxes around while they are being loaded up.
Just last week i had to pick up my friend that works for one of the shipping companies ( i won't say which one) and as i was walking over to the shipping office to pick him up i had to wait a few mins for him and i
saw the belt line where they unload the main trailer to the trucks that ship out our packages and let me tell you i was a little shocked at how these handlers where handling the packages....
No wonder why somethings break ...But the Corgi's are pretty well packed up in the molded styrofoam box the planes come in..I have been lucky not to having any problems so far.
JP

[kb466]

Actually, I have not had any problems with shipping damage except for the Corgi B-24 and the Corgi B-52-- and I have shipped and received hundreds of items. I have looked at both boxes of the B-24 and the B-52 and I think I have figured out how these Corgi airplanes are being damaged. It looks as though they will be fine as long as they stay in their molded slots or cradle in the styrofoam. However, I think they somehow ride up, over and out of the molded slots and that is when the damage was done. How does this happen? I think there are two factors involved. First, I suspect that the box top on the B-24 may have not been closed all the way or might have worked its way slightly open during shipping. When this happens, the B-24 is able to work its way out of the molded slot or "cradle" as it is not kept tightly in place. The second factor is the high wing design of both the B-24 and the B-52. Because of the high wing, it is not as deep into the styrofoam so it does not have to come up that much to become loose and bang around inside the box. I have two Corgi B-17's--a Memphis Belle and a Bit O'Lace, which were shipped with no damage whatsoever. However, the B-17 has a low wing which is deeper into the styrofoam and thus has to travel up more distance for the wings to become loose. As far as I can tell, if the plane stays in its slot or cradle, it will not become damaged. I hope I am making sense here. Therefore, my advice is if you ship or receive a large Corgi plane such as a B-24 or B-52, make sure the top is tight on the box so the plane cannot get loose. I am thinking it should be taped or tied with string or something. Just my two cents.

[kabelace]

I get the vast majority of my models in the post, and have not had any major problems. I would never use UPS for shipping or ask for a model to be shipped by them. The main office for were I work is in an industrial plaza and UPS also has a regional shipping warehouse here, and I see how they drive. There is a large speed bump that has many scars on it from car hits and the UPS trucks just ram the dam thing. You can actually here packages falling in the trucks as they hit this bump. The speed bump was put in to slow the UPS trucks down in the plaza but all it does is shake up there cargo.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by kb466

Actually, I have not had any problems with shipping damage except for the Corgi B-24 and the Corgi B-52-- and I have shipped and received hundreds of items. I have looked at both boxes of the B-24 and the B-52 and I think I have figured out how these Corgi airplanes are being damaged. It looks as though they will be fine as long as they stay in their molded slots or cradle in the styrofoam. However, I think they somehow ride up, over and out of the molded slots and that is when the damage was done. How does this happen? I think there are two factors involved. First, I suspect that the box top on the B-24 may have not been closed all the way or might have worked its way slightly open during shipping. When this happens, the B-24 is able to work its way out of the molded slot or "cradle" as it is not kept tightly in place. The second factor is the high wing design of both the B-24 and the B-52. Because of the high wing, it is not as deep into the styrofoam so it does not have to come up that much to become loose and bang around inside the box. I have two Corgi B-17's--a Memphis Belle and a Bit O'Lace, which were shipped with no damage whatsoever. However, the B-17 has a low wing which is deeper into the styrofoam and thus has to travel up more distance for the wings to become loose. As far as I can tell, if the plane stays in its slot or cradle, it will not become damaged. I hope I am making sense here. Therefore, my advice is if you ship or receive a large Corgi plane such as a B-24 or B-52, make sure the top is tight on the box so the plane cannot get loose. I am thinking it should be taped or tied with string or something. Just my two cents.

Makes sense, and sounds logical, to me, kb.

[raddger]

Have sent and recieved loads of stuff through the UK mail system (300 plus items) and agree totall with all of 1250 ships comments.

So far to date I've only had two models damaged on arrival - and two still missing in action somewhere.

When people sometime comment that my postage is expensive I tell them it's because I pack how I'd like to receive my items with LOTS of padding, additional in some corgi and FM stuff I've sent to keep them solid and prevent slopping about.

Sure, you can pack cheaper - but it will be in pieces by the time it gets there.

Incidentally, the worst items i've had to try and post were 1/100 scale Armour airplanes. Horrible to try and protect.

I've been lucky and not had anything damaged on it's way to me, either by courier or postal service.

Had a lucky escape with a corgi 1 squadron set which a courier decided to 'deliver' in my absence by hurling over my six foot garden gate!

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by raddger

Had a lucky escape with a corgi 1 squadron set which a courier decided to 'deliver' in my absence by hurling over my six foot garden gate!

Glad it was OK raddger. That said, and knowing it turned out OK, I had a good hearty belly laugh while imagining the scene you described. Nicely written. You and Jim have that in common. He writes great stories!