bow shippin blues.

[nathan elliot]

I have often seen the bow trade on here and thought it would be cool to join in, but have always worried about shipping my bow to the US, should my recipient come from there, as I had heard horror stories about courier companies (our side of the pond I might add). Anyhow I sold a bow to a great lady in California the other day, made a nice wooden crate for it wrapped it really well in loads of bubble wrap, the crate was solid enough to stand on, I was confident the bow would arrive safe. Wrong!

First the courier mysteriously lost the package at there warehouse, then when they found it a few days later and then they said it could not be shipped as it had been x-rayed and contained arrows. Trouble was I hadn't put any arrows in the package. I told them this in an email, they then said that in that case they could ship it! Confused? I was. 3 weeks after I sent it, it turns up with both ends snapped! Luckily I insured the whole thing and am now in the process of claiming (but like all insurances they are going to try to wriggle out of paying) and it sure doesn't cover the stress and running around you have to do to make things right.

To me the breaks look like some idiot at the shipping warehouse has seen "longbow" on the shipping label and thought - great lets play! Then tried to string and pull it backwards. And how could the bow be broken inside an intact crate? Anyhow I'm now making the very understanding and gracious lady in California a new bow, for free of course, but this time fella's it going to be a take down - way easier to ship!

[Pappy]

Man that is to bad,always woried about but been lucky so far.
   Pappy

[PEARL DRUMS]

Cant package it much safer than a wood crate. I have never had an issue, "knock on wood".

[mikekeswick]

Nathan - that totally sucks. I made a bamboo backed ipe longbow for a chap in Brazil once, I got an email off him saying that the bow had arrived broken...so he sent me some pictures and returned the bow. When I looked closely it had been taken out of the packaging and stamped on backwards, the bamboo was intact but the belly was completely splintered. I could even see the tread pattern of the boot and the packaging was just stuffed in. Figure that one out?

[Badly Bent]

Looking at that pic of the broken tip and the shipping crate leaves little doubt that your right about what happened.
Thats downright sickening, sorry to see that. 

[nathan elliot]

Thanks guys, I only hope the insurance don't try and wiggle out of this one, I will be out of pocket no matter what as they wont give me back the courier fee as it got there (even if its broke). I have had it in mind for some time but this has got me convinced - take downs are the way to go; unless of course you come across "that stave" you know the one we are all searching for. Id like to get my hands on the fellow that did this though, I'm sure we would have a very amicable discussion........maybe not .

[4dog]

Looks like someone dont want ya shipping weapons or hurting any lil bunnies ,, cuz we all know they are scarce, so lets see, i know , we will risk federal fines and jail so we can keep ole bugs bunny and wiley coyote alive and unharmed.  (Sarcasm)

[dwardo]

I would be sending a letter mate. 14 days to respond with a full refund of the bows cost, the cost of the time to your business and the costs for perusing the matter.

If they do not respond within 14 days you will be immediately taking them to the small claims court for the costs plus damages. Dont be put of by the "we are referring this to our specialist department, escalating the matter to managers yadda yadda.

You are taking such extreme measures due to the fact that you think your package has been vandalised rather than mistakenly damaged. You will be able to prove that the bow could not have been damaged without the packaging being opened first and that they mislead you about the arrows.

Keep records of every phone calls with times and names.

Also check out to see if you have legal cover with any of your insurance policies, home, credit cards etc. Doesnt even matter that you didnt use them to pay for postage etc.

And uppermost name and shame the scumbags!!!!!!!

I am seething for you mate, we all know how much goes into a bow, especially for someone else.

[nathan elliot]

Letter and claim in + four weeks worth of emails back and forth and loads of photos, it reads a bit like a comedy - we lost the package, now we found it, now we cant ship it, sorry yes we can. My sister is a lawyer and my brother in law a barrister, I always CC them in all my corresponds with these jokers. Still I'm erring on them doing a wiggle and getting out of it, that way I'm only going to be pleasantly surprised if a check turns up. Its also given me a kick up the bum to make more bows, I've had my head buried in my other work a bit too long and as you know that cant be healthy . Its bow time again.

[adb]

I've had similar shipping nightmares. I shipped a bow once in a cardboard tube from a carpet roll. It was thick enough and strong enough that I could stand on it without it collapsing. The bow still arrived broken... completely in half. Canada Post admitted they had it on a fork lift with some other items, and the operator drove thru a doorway. The fork lift fit, the bow did not. They wanted to know if it "could be repaired." MAKE SURE you insure any bow you ship... it's worth every penny.

[tallpine]

Is it necessary in the UK to label the package as to the contents ?  I never do that, its just an invitation for someone  to open it up and play with it or worse take it home.

[dwardo]

I've had similar shipping nightmares. I shipped a bow once in a cardboard tube from a carpet roll. It was thick enough and strong enough that I could stand on it without it collapsing. The bow still arrived broken... completely in half. Canada Post admitted they had it on a fork lift with some other items, and the operator drove thru a doorway. The fork lift fit, the bow did not. They wanted to know if it "could be repaired." MAKE SURE you insure any bow you ship... it's worth every penny.

They would have to be pretty stupid to not just pay and be done with it especially given what they have admitted so far. Not had much time for the tools my self lately mate, little time to play and when I do my Scottish genes just dont let me work in the heat.

Will catch up soon bud.

[Bryce]

I would be down in there main office tearing faces off there skulls!
No excuse!

[toomanyknots]

I would be sending a letter mate. 14 days to respond with a full refund of the bows cost, the cost of the time to your business and the costs for perusing the matter.

If they do not respond within 14 days you will be immediately taking them to the small claims court for the costs plus damages. Dont be put of by the "we are referring this to our specialist department, escalating the matter to managers yadda yadda.

You are taking such extreme measures due to the fact that you think your package has been vandalised rather than mistakenly damaged. You will be able to prove that the bow could not have been damaged without the packaging being opened first and that they mislead you about the arrows.

Keep records of every phone calls with times and names.

Also check out to see if you have legal cover with any of your insurance policies, home, credit cards etc. Doesnt even matter that you didnt use them to pay for postage etc.

And uppermost name and shame the scumbags!!!!!!!

I am seething for you mate, we all know how much goes into a bow, especially for someone else.

+ 1... times 10    I have heard many tales of bows being broken before arriving at their destination, and it seems a lot of the time it had to be messed with in some way, maybe attempted to be strung? I think a lot of people do in fact mess around with peoples packages when they are not supposed to.

[Joec123able]

Sickening ! Some idiots have no respect I'm sure it was a couple dumb friends playing with it not knowing what in the world they were doing then tryed to string it backwards snapped the tips had a laugh about it and just put it back Not really caring SMH