Greyhound reliability

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but I'm really nervous about using Greyhound to ship an instrument that I recently sold.
I read online that if it's sent priority, that it can be loosely tracked, but that doesn't sit well with me

Does anyone have any horror stories?

[bisontuba]

Greyhound, if available where you live, is the BEST option...
Mark

[TheHatTuba]

None here... plenty of successful transactions though!

[roweenie]

Greyhound *itself* is very reliable. However, if at all possible, try to get the item shipped to an *official* Greyhound terminal.

I ordered a replacement bell from a Tubenet vendor and it was shipped to me via Greyhound, and it went missing, for over a month. Nobody could find where it went. Well, it seems that Greyhound sometimes contracts with local bus lines, to ship to stations where Greyhound buses don't stop. Long story short, I finally got a call from my local bus line's repair garage, saying that they had a bus in for repairs, and that there was a package in the luggage compartment with my name and phone number on it.

(Footnote - the bell was the wrong one, so I ended up sending it back, via Greyhound, and he got it).

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

The lack of insurance and tracking doesn't bother anyone?

[roweenie]

.....it went missing, for over a month. Nobody could find where it went.

The only tracking I could rely on was from a bus mechanic.

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

.....it went missing, for over a month. Nobody could find where it went.

The only tracking I could rely on was from a bus mechanic.

No way in hell I'm sending an instrument through that.

[roweenie]

I don't mean to turn you off from using Greyhound - I must stress here that my point is this: if you can absolutely assure that the horn will be shipped to a Greyhound terminal (that is, where Greyhound buses actually stop, you will likely have a better outcome that I did.

I hate to break it to you, but UPS or FedEx might not lose it, but there's a greater chance of them destroying it.

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

If you can absolutely assure that the horn will be shipped to a Greyhound terminal (that is, where Greyhound buses actually stop, you will likely have a better outcome that I did.

I hate to break it to you, but UPS or FedEx might not lose it, but there's a greater chance of them destroying it.

Yeah, but at leaSt ittl be insured

[Donn]

For the tuba I believe you're sending? If there's something better, I think it would be worth it.

Big US mail-order retailers use truck freight, don't they? When I bought a tuba like that quite a long time ago, it came on a truck. Not strapped to a pallet, just a huge box with a truckload of foam pellets, but I think carriers like this understand that they can't routinely trash the items entrusted to them, if they want to keep the business. This doesn't apply to parcel carriers (any more than airline baggage handlers), and they know it. If there's some way to get in on that kind of transport, that's what I'd look at first.

[roweenie]

..... I think carriers like this understand that they can't routinely trash the items entrusted to them, if they want to keep the business.

If UPS damages an item that you packed personally, you can count on them finding a way of absolving themselves of any liability.

[roweenie]

... and - if I can accept NO chance of damage and want to know where it is EVERY SINGLE MOMENT, I either TAKE IT or GO AND GET IT myself."

In the past, I have driven 1,000 miles each way, in order to obtain horns that I deem too valuable to ship.

Besides, road trips can be fun!!!

[Michael Bush]

The first few times it's hard to get your head around the fact that Greyhound is the safest, best option. After a half-dozen or so safe transactions, combined with a few wrinkled bells and worse courtesy of UPS, confidence builds. Like some others in this thread, I now wouldn't dream of shipping any other way, except in my own car. (Well, I would dream of it after all, and I have done it even after knowing better, to my regret.) Find Norm Pearson's instructions in a thread on here for packing, do that, and take it to the Greyhound station. That gives you the best chance (other than your own car) of having no regrets.

[Donn]

..... I think carriers like this understand that they can't routinely trash the items entrusted to them, if they want to keep the business.

If UPS damages an item that you packed personally, you can count on them finding a way of absolving themselves of any liability.

Right, but it barely matters whether they make the effort to do this. The bit you quote above is about truck carriers. UPS is one of the parcel services I mentioned, for whom that's immaterial, as people will continue to use them regardless. UPS is the most convenient and cheapest? Then they'll get the job. (Same with airlines. Baggage brutality? We deplore it in principle, but if a carrier took it upon themselves to earn a better reputation for baggage handling, they'd have to do it for free, because the only thing that counts when we're buying tickets is the price.)

No one in their right mind would send that tuba via UPS. (By the way, I'm a little sore about this, having recently received a tuba from someone who did exactly that. They actually did a fair job with what they had, but of course there was damage.) This time it isn't about UPS/FedEx vs. Greyhound/Amtrak, it's whether there's a decent alternative.

[Aglenntuba]

I just purchased and am awaiting a tuba that was masterfully rebuilt by Norm Epley after being dropped 30 ft off a loading dock. If you haven't guessed yet, I'll be picking it up from the Greyhound station.

[roweenie]

The bit you quote above is about truck carriers.

Donn, you are correct and I apologize. I misunderstood your statements, especially since when UPS delivers here, it comes in a truck  

This time it isn't about UPS/FedEx vs. Greyhound/Amtrak, it's whether there's a decent alternative.

This is absolutely correct.

[Dan Tuba]

I have used Greyhound several times without any damage to the tubas. I have used Fed Ex to ship a tuba before they had strict size limits. The tuba was packed in a large blue anvil flight case(huge rectangular case). The tuba was insured. When I went to pick the tuba up from fed ex, they brought out a cardbord box that was open. What I found in the box were pieces of the case and my tuba completely flattened, like a car had run over it...After months of "investigating," and aggressive negotiations, I finally received the insurance check. The investigation found that there was a mishap while moving around shipments and "something" was dropped on my tuba.

[roweenie]

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but I'm really nervous about using Greyhound to ship an instrument that I recently sold.
I read online that if it's sent priority, that it can be loosely tracked, but that doesn't sit well with me

Does anyone have any horror stories?

How far does the horn need to be shipped? Maybe you can "split the difference" in distance with the buyer?

If I were buying a valuable horn, I actually would be the one asking this of the seller (doesn't the buyer usually accept the risks in such a transaction?)

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but I'm really nervous about using Greyhound to ship an instrument that I recently sold.
I read online that if it's sent priority, that it can be loosely tracked, but that doesn't sit well with me

Does anyone have any horror stories?

How far does the horn need to be shipped? Maybe you can "split the difference" in distance with the buyer?

If I were buying a valuable horn, I actually would be the one asking this of the seller (doesn't the buyer usually accept the risks in such a transaction?)

It needs to go from Santa clarita california to mcallan texas. I've been thinking about amtrak ad they seem to have more reliable tracking.

[David Richoux]

I have used Greyhound several times, usually with no big problems. Tracking is a joke, and only really works a bit if the shipment is within your Zone (US is three zones, by the way - unless they have changed things.)

Pack it well, in a box that is big enough to provide enough foam and air gap space. Remember that the box will move on down the road on a "Space Available" system and you will have no real way of knowing where it is or when it will be on the next bus heading in the general direction of the final destination. But it does get there, eventually - so don't freak out if it takes 2-3 weeks (or even a month) to get delivered cross country. Sometimes it only takes a few days, but you never can predict.