Shipping a turntable..who to use?

[manchu]

Any suggestions who to use (or who not to use) for shipping a TT (Rega) interstate in oz?   

[Candyflip]

I can only recommend e-Go (online, under that name) for interstate movements of heavy packages, with the following VERY LARGE caveats in regards to sound equipment:

 

1. You *must* pack solidly, carefully and completely yourself before the door to door courier arrives.

He will be a contractor with a van, and not interested in what you are sending, beyond filling in the paperwork.

He will then chuck the package in the back of his van with a hundred other packages. It could travel most of the way to it's destination, upside down, despite it having 'this way up' stickers attached.

Once at the depot, it will be removed and stuck in an e-Go cage with other large packages, awaiting it's flight.

The same process happens at the other end when it arrives interstate, unless you want to pick it up from the depot yourself (or at least, your customer should), or even deliver it to the depot yourself.

The unknown then is how it's handled, onto the plane - and I think we know how that goes generally...

 

So, it's certainly not 'gentle'....at all... but by god, it's cheap.

 

2. Take out insurance, take photos before you send of your packaging, and make sure the box is plastered with the hand written addresses you have made, including the one about insurance coverage ('Handle Like Eggs' etc).

e-Go provide all this paperwork for you to print out, but double up with your own hand-written instructions.

 

Again, a bit of work, but by god... they are cheap....  

 

I have sent some very large, very heavy (40 kgs +) sensitive electronic equipment this way in 2013, but because those boxes were about 1 meter x 1 metre, they were handled quite differently. I would think something the size of a turntable box would be handled like most other 'small' boxes, and probably not with kid gloves....unfortunately.

[blybo]

I would of thought a TT without factory packaging to be one of the riskier to freight. Maybe see if a local member is driving to the destination and offer up some coin for the task.

[EV Cali]

I have sent a couple of turntables through Australia post with no problems but in line with the concerns expressed by Candyflip, I did spend a lot of time wrapping them up.

Remove platter , wrap it with bubble wrap and place it under turntable, secure arm to its rest with tape or cable tie.Make up triangle of cardboard to stand between base of turn table and lid to support perspex lid.Place some bubble wrap between lid and turntable to stop rubbing when it is closed .Tape lid to sides of turntable.Wrap turntable in bubble wrap a couple of times one way and then three time the other way.Find a thick cardboard box that is a close fit for the wrapped unit or alter one to fit. Liberally tape up box .Print address labels ,yours and destination and tape over them in-case parcel gets wet and they run.

Any other suggestions for packing would be welcome as even after all this I still handed them over with some concern about how they would be treated.

PS  I forgot to mention that there are normally "transport screws" that need to be fitted or tightened when moving around.

Edited May 4, 2014 by EVcali

[henrysnark]

TNT Technology Sensitive via baggagefreight.com.au

Worth every $

[manchu]

Thanks all. Will check out those options, and make sure I pack very well.