[Heathkit] Free Heathkit QF-1 Q Multiplier

Sat, 27 Sep 2003 23:52:44 -0400

Gentlemen, 	

We have had this same discussion a dozen+ times, same complaints every time.
Plese take it private or go read it in the archives. This thread always goes the
same place, nowhere.	

thank you.	

Duane Fischer, W8DBF	
List Admin	

----------
From: Glen Zook <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Heathkit] Free Heathkit QF-1 Q Multiplier
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2003 11:31 PM

Well, your shipments definitely have not been going
through the Mesquite, Texas, hub.  Until about 3 years
ago I shipped exclusively by UPS.  However, starting
around Christmas of 2000 UPS started tearing up about
75% of the items that I shipped and almost 100% of
those that came in!  If the box wasn't trashed, the
unit had been subjected to so much vibration that
there was extensive damage.

This included things that were double and triple boxed
and even some that were in wooden crates!

>From 1970 until 2000 I used UPS exclusively and only
had one problem and that was when they ran a pair of
fork lift tongs through a box.  Even then they tried
to say that the box wasn't properly packed!

Since switching to FedEx ground I have not had a
single package either outgoing or incomming damaged
and there have been some that were incoming that were
pretty poorly packed!  But, no damage at all from
FedEx ground!

A few weeks ago someone in Florida bought a Collins
R-388 from another person who had that radio shipped
to me for alignment.  The person in Florida actually
had UPS pick up the box at my house.  When it arrived,
the box was OK.  However, all four of the rubber feet
had come loose (completely off the radio due to
excessive vibration) and they were held in place by
1.5 inch machine screws.  Also, the mode switch had
been vibrated so bad that the contacts were no longer
in alignment!

I owned the Motorola reconditioned equipment center
for the south-central US from 1970 until Motorola went
out of that end of the business in 1979.  We shipped
on average about 10 boxes by UPS every day and with
the exception of the fork lift problem we never had a
single problem.  But, since 2000 I have been having
all sorts of problems with UPS.

Also, at least in the Dallas area every box that is
presented at a UPS owned counter must be opened and
inspected for "proper" packing.  Failure to do this is
grounds for immediate dismissal of the employee. 
However, they still try to say that things were
improperly packed when presented with a claim. 
However, when you "remind" them that they accepted the
box as being properly packed by opening it, they then
"change their tune" real fast and then pay off!

Now, the Mail Box Etc., or as it is now known, the UPS
Store, are mostly independently owned and operated. 
Therefore, I do admit that you can find specific
stores that do a good job.  However, from the comments
on the various reflectors and Internet sites, those
stores are few and far between.

Also, I have been in the company owned UPS Customer
Service Centers and have observed the UPS employees
packing things for people.  Frankly, in most cases, I
wouldn't even send a cast iron cube by the way that
they packed!  Those people just put a bunch of
crumpled up brown paper around the items being
shipped!  And, they didn't put that much paper to
start with!

I definitely do know how to pack.  In fact, when I was
still using UPS the counter personnel remarked many
times about how well the packing job was on my
shipments.  But, that still doesn't do any good when
it gets to the personnel at the hubs.

Now, my local delivery people are "super".  They do
take care in how they handle the packages and even go
that "extra mile" in getting the packages into my
house, etc.  If all of the UPS personnel were as good
as them then UPS wouldn't have all of the problems!

Glen, K9STH

--- [email protected] wrote:

The local store I use (now a UPS Store franchise) has
shipped dozens of boatanchors for me up to and
including a Central Electronics 100V with absolutely
no problem. But, critical issue here is that I took
the time to be sure the proprietor knew what he was
doing. Neither UPS nor FedEx had a special license on
taking care of radios -- they both bash the tar out of
the boxes. The critical issue is how much care is
taken protecting them.

=====
Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
http://shopping.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________
List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF        
** For Assistance: [email protected] **         
$$ See the vintage area on the HCI web site - http://www.w9wze.org $$ 
Heathkit mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/heathkit