Posting a guitar (some very basic questions)

[dave_mc]

Hi everyone,

Not sure if this qualifies as tech, but I'm not really sure where to put this if I don't put it here.

As you may know from my other recent thread, my new BC Rich Gunslinger was faulty and I'm going to send it back.

Of course, I haven't ever actually posted a guitar before so I have a couple of very basic questions about the procedure.

(i) The courier will pick it up from my house, correct? I had a quick skim of the dhl website, and I think they will, but it'd be nice if some of you guys could confirm this, I don't fancy having to cart the guitar to the post office :lol:

(ii) What courier do you guys normally use for guitars?

(iii) This is the important one- what about insurance? Does it have to be in a hard case? The guitar didn't come in a hard case, so if I have to send it in one I'll probably have to lose one of my hard cases, which obviously isn't an ideal solution (though if it came down to it I'd rather lose a hard case than the entire cost of the guitar). Also, this might not even be possible, because I'll probably have to send it back in its original packaging to actually get a refund, and obviously the guitar box won't fit in a hard case.

Any ideas? I don't want to be without the guitar and without my money if the guitar gets smashed and the seller starts digging his heels in...

Thanks in advance for your help :)

[Twinfan]

i)  Yep, they'll collect from your home address

ii)  I use the broker "interparcel", who use DHL and DPD amongst others.  I take whatever's cheapest!

iii)  I insure my guitars for the full amount if possible, or the most I can get (I think it's around £1500).  I've never had to claim, so you could say I've wasted my money, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I've sent two guitars that weren't in cases - both of them bolt on necks removed.  Check with the seller if they're OK with that, remove the neck and then bubble wrap both parts and gaffa them together!

[dave_mc]

thanks dave :)

Does interparcel work out a lot cheaper normally?

Don't really want to take the neck off, I don't want to give the seller any excuse not to accept it back, lol, I'd prefer to send it back the way it was sent to me. Were you able to take out insurance when the guitars weren't in a case? Like you, I'd be wanting to insure for the full value of the guitar, it's a false economy not to.

[Twinfan]

I insured them not in case, and they were sent Royal Mail Standard Parcels.  You may need to check their small print if you're going to send it that way.  It's the cheapest I know of.  You could also try Special Delivery as that's how my PRS arrived today!

I use Interparcel for foreign buyers and high cost items.

[dave_mc]

Thanks Dave.

Yeah I'll check the small print- I seem to remember reading before where some of the couriers would take your money for the insurance, but if you tried to claim, say it wasn't covered as it wasn't in a hard case :lol:

Just to check, Royal Mail Standard Parcels picks up from your house too, does it?

EDIT: I seem to remember hearing somewhere that the max insurance for royal mail was something like £150? Or am I way off?

I'll check the royal mail website... :lol:

[Twinfan]

Aye, check the Royal Mail website for the small print.

You'll need to go to the Post Office if you want to use Special Delivery or Standard Parcels...

[dave_mc]

ah dang.

Oh well, thanks anyway, dave. I'll check it out- if it's the only one that offers insurance without a hardcase i might have to go to the post office :lol: