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Getting ready to ship a horn. For those of you who have shipped several horns is it worth photographing it before shipping? Wish I had asked before bubble wrapping the the case, but it's not in the box yet... so what does your experience recommend? It's going by truck and I am going to insure it for what I think the retail would be.

Thanks

@Sandlapper, seems like it wouldn’t hurt, considering the cost to take the photo and what it could be worth if something happens.

Only shipped very few until now, but after some discussion with a buyer about a transport damage I take pictures of the horn before packing, of the packing process and of the ready packet and send them to the buyer. So (s)he knows in advance what is coming and can check properly for damages.

Yes. I’ve never had a tuba damaged in shipment, but I want good, date/time stamped photos before I wrap and put it in the box.

How about insurance? I have talked to two freight companies and have been told by both that because the horn is used they won't insure it? When I told the guy at one place it was a tuba, he response was we don't ship them. The box is too big for UPS.

Like many I have my more valuable instruments insured with Clarion. It covers them no matter where they are.
I don't know whom you are shipping with, but for example if it is a used instrument UPS will simply say it was damaged before shipping and give you nothing. I don't know if photos would help or not. Your best defense is incredibly good packing, so that if they throw it down a flight of stairs it is still undamaged. It WILL be tossed about and dropped and land on the worst possible spot on the box.

Clarion

And shouldn't that be paid by the new owner (because after all, if they already paid you, it already belongs to them... You're just trying to send it to them).

When I bought the PT-7 and had it delivered to me from Venezuela, I bought, insured w/Clarion, and then had it sent up here. Just in case it got destroyed in shipment. It ended up NOT getting destroyed, but it did get damaged. The deductible exceeded the repair cost, so it didn't make sense to use the policy for anything, but it was nice to have.

Years ago, I bought a Rudy Meinl, and the seller shipped it to me through UPS. Had it packed and shipped from a UPS store. And of course, the bell got crunched. I forget exactly what order everything went down, but basically I filed a claim, it was rejected, they send an appraiser to see the (lousy) packing that they did, the damage to the tuba, etc. I sent them an estimate for repairs. Very shortly afterwards, I got a call from the manager of the UPS Store that send the tuba, saying he was mailing a check for the full repair value. Sure thing, a few days later I got the check, and I got the tuba repaired.

Start to finish, each of those was about a 4-6 month ordeal.

"Not recommended", but insurance CAN work.

What are you shipping, and from where to where?

Its a 3/4 Jupiter going to Dillon Music for consignment. I was planning to take it to the trucking terminal and have it shipped from there. Not familiar with Clarion. I just need the insurance from the terminal to Dillon.

If they put it on a pallet, it may very well arrive just fine using a trucking company. Unless they "miss" with the fork lift. Which you would be able to see quite easily from the "tines holes" in the box.