What Fed Ex did to a really expensive model.

[dkev]

Some of you might know Boyd over at Trekworks. If you don't he is a pro model builder that builds for clients.
Recently he was commissioned to build the 350 scale? Space Battleship Yamoto. This kit by it's self costs over $500. Needless to say he was pretty proud of it when he got it all done and built a custom shipping crate for it. Anyway, check out the video.
FEDEX Shipping Destroys Space Battleship Yamato Model and Claims Zero Responsibility

 

[Grendels]

This was very sad to watch. And Fed Ex is denying the claim. I would have kept at it and asked to speak to their supervisor.

 

[spud]

saw it on face book. they wouldnt get away with it if it was mine.

 

[TiM]

Whilst it is certainly a shame that a nice model (and expensive) got destroyed, my own view is that it wasn't packed properly.

I will justify my opinion thus;

an hour ago I got off a plane, an hour long flight and I nearly lost my lunch... very bumpy with turbulence. (the video mentioned airfreight..)

Now as the video shows, firstly the model has escaped from its strapping - so it wasn't fastened to the base itself, just resting on it. After that happened then the result is a forgone conclusion, it will rattle around and do the rest.

Applying straps front and back either side of a base appears to either, allowed model to move or applied a bending moment (pressure) the the hull so inevitable it broke it's back with a bit (or a lot) of vibration.

If the opening of the box is "live" as suggested then the package wasn't damaged was it? Yet the model is loose and broken. Certainly heart-breaking for both client and model maker, however, personally I don't see it as a clear cut case of the courier's fault. :-\

I'm going to add that a couple of wonky arrows and fragile written on by hand in thin black marker isn't going to be taken seriously either. Stickers, stencilled or printed and taped on would be an improvement.
I'm not suggesting blame for either party and I don't live in a country where FedEx operates so do not have a bias either way, just as I said, an opinion.

 

[dkev]

Tim, you make some valid points. I thought it was odd that he didn't do more to indicate just how fragile it was. Also, there was nothing to absorb the shock of the base of the model from the floor of the crate. It was secured directly to the base. A hard drop on the floor probably doomed this kit. I'm guessing from the amount of insurance that was put on it and the cost of the un built kit, I'm guessing it cost a little over $2000 to have this commissioned.

 

[cargoman5126]

If you didn't buy insurance the carrier will only pay $0.?? per pound on claims depending on international or domestic movement. Sorry man, a lot of work and effort and it looked like a beutiful creation. In the future I'd insure it for the total costs envolved plus 25%. I've been in the cargo industry for 20+years and even the best crating can fail. No i dont work at Fedx but have handled their freight before.

 

[dkev]

He insured it for $3000. So he was well over the 20%.

 

[Black Sheep 1]

It really doesn't matter how much insurance you take out on it, the claim is denied regardless.

This kind of crap doesn't surprise me in the least bit given the reputation (not to mention all the video evidence) these carries have.
I mean, there's a video of a carrier throwing a flat screen TV or monitor over a fence. And it was clearly marked!

In Boyd's case, the model was perfectly secured, it came loose from the ties after it broke.
What else does he have to do to secure it? freeze it in Carbonite?

 

[dkev]

I know. It was just a bad situation. When he was building it, I kept wondering how the hell he was going to ship it.

 

[Quaralane]

I admit that it could have been packed better.
I used to do the shipping where I work and am very used to how things get handled, or mishandled.

My old supervisor had a tip for shipping UPS or FedEx:
"Pack it like 60lbs will be dropped on it, because it probably will."

It still doesn't excuse how FedEx is treating his claim. It was clearly marked as fragile, so should have been handled better.

I'm not going to throw blame here, because that's being done enough already.
Could it have been packed better? Yes.
Would better packing have guaranteed it getting there in one piece? NEVER. There are FAR TOO MANY variables in shipping to make guarantees.

One factor a lot of you aren't taking into account is how much of the actual shipping is done WITHOUT human intervention.
I've been in the local UPS distribution center. It is a MASS of conveyors and barcode readers.
The guys handling the freight have to push for the highest speed they can because their wages are based on piece count.
But, that said, they only handle the pieces at either end of the conveyor. The rest is almost totally automated

 

[Grendels]

I second what Q said about the UPS center, it was that way back in the 80's when I worked for them, you only handled the packages at the start and end of shipment, the rest was done by conveyor belts.

 

[Black Sheep 1]

So the loading and unloading of the delivery trucks is done by machines as well?
I don't think so.
For that model to break like it did, that box had to be dropped.....more than once.
And having witnessed many times such actions by the carriers (all of them) it doesn't surprise me.
What I hate about this whole thing is that the carrier in this case gets away with it.

 

[Quaralane]

Wasn't making excuses, but I'd also point out that a LOT more could have been done to make sure the model couldn't move if dropped.
When packing things like this, you HAVE to assume that it WILL happen.

As I said before, wrong was done on BOTH sides in this, Black Sheep.
If my boss had seen me pack this like it was, I'd have likely been written up or worse when it got damaged.

What I am trying to say, again, is that ALL of the blame does NOT fall on the shipping company here.

 

[Black Sheep 1]

Wasn't making excuses, but I'd also point out that a LOT more could have been done to make sure the model couldn't move if dropped.
When packing things like this, you HAVE to assume that it WILL happen.

As I said before, wrong was done on BOTH sides in this, Black Sheep.
If my boss had seen me pack this like it was, I'd have likely been written up or worse when it got damaged.

What I am trying to say, again, is that ALL of the blame does NOT fall on the shipping company here.

I understand what you're saying.
But quite frankly, I don't see how else could this be packed without damaging all that detail on the top.
Maybe this is one example of "certain things should not be shipped"?

 

[Quaralane]

--nods--
Sadly, that's very likely the best answer in this.

If you're worried about moving it across the room, do you really want to ship it across the country?

 

[unttld]

Wasn't making excuses, but I'd also point out that a LOT more could have been done to make sure the model couldn't move if dropped.
When packing things like this, you HAVE to assume that it WILL happen.

As I said before, wrong was done on BOTH sides in this, Black Sheep.
If my boss had seen me pack this like it was, I'd have likely been written up or worse when it got damaged.

What I am trying to say, again, is that ALL of the blame does NOT fall on the shipping company here.

I understand what you're saying.
But quite frankly, I don't see how else could this be packed without damaging all that detail on the top.
Maybe this is one example of "certain things should not be shipped"?

I would've custom cut foam. Then filled all the empty space with packing peanuts. Even a single pop of turbulence while in transit would've put enough shock through this kit to snap it like it did.

I feel terrible for Boyd and his client, but I don't think FedEx is fully in the wrong here. There's lots that could've been done to make that packaging better. Sure they have some bad employees. And the only employees that end up on YouTube are the ones doing shitty things. But I bet every profession has a similar percentage of shitty workers.