Shipping damage

[weezimp]

I shipped my Sears CompuCarve from CT to FL as I am spending the winter down south. Something very bad happened during the shipment. I had packed the CC in the original Craftsman box with the original styrofoam as best as I could remember. When it arrived, it was in the box upside down, and the bottom cardboard piece with the styrofoam footprint was missing. Judging by the bends and warps in the outer metal pieces, it had been dropped hard.

I packed the flash card with my computer gear which was not shipped but came with me on the drive down. I put the card in and powered it on and nothing happened. After playing with the buttons a bit, the truck went thru a homing motion. The display is blank, but the machine is getting power and seems to be mechanically OK.

I disassembled it to the display panel and found the ribbon cable partially severed. I replaced it, and put it back together. Still no display, still able to home the truck. I checked other ribbon cables in the vicinity for continuity and they seem OK.

So I'm wondering:

1) is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot the display?

2) I probably should just have this serviced (and file a damage claim with the shipper, UPS). Should I take it to the local Sears, or contact LHR, since I understand they are going to get it anyway? The advantage of going to Sears is I don't have to worry about the missing packaging, whereas with LHR I have to ship it myself again.

Any recommendations appreciated.

[Jeff_Birt]

Contact UPS pronto. Take pictures of everything. I would then contact LHR directly, they will send you a new shipping box if you need one.

[Router-Jim]

Just the other day I turned on my machine and nothing on the display. I first checked the outlet...checked out good. Then I thought about the contrast, sure enough it must on gotten turned. So you might check that if you haven't already.

Sure hate to hear about your shipping troubles. :(

[weezimp]

I did check the contrast, no effect.

Interesting thing about the damage claim... the day after it arrived I went to their web site and found a place to initiate a claim. I started to fill it out and it stopped me saying "you cannot make a damage claim against a package that has not been delivered". I went back and looked at its status and it is still "out for delivery". I shipped 9 packages that day and the other 8 are all delivered and their status on the web site reflects that. This one, the biggest and heaviest (and with $2000 insurance coverage) is still listed as undelivered.

I'm half tempted to claim it as "lost" (in a manner of speaking, it is lost to me) and see where that takes me. Also makes me wonder what the end delivery guys knew about the handling of it... they pretty much dropped it off and ran (and obviously did not scan it in at the end).

[weezimp]

Just thought I'd post an update.

I had shipped my unit UPS via Staples. When it arrived damaged and UPS wouldn't let me start an online damage report because it was not listed as "delivered", I called Staples. They were very businesslike. They asked me for my claim or tracking number. I told them. They looked it up on their computer. They found it was never marked delivered. They took care of it from there. They put out a trace, never found it, and eventually paid for the loss. I never stated or declared it as lost. They assumed it was.

The next question was whether I could repair this damaged machine. I called LHR and talked to someone, telling the whole sad story of the damage, and how I was hesitant to ship it anywhere again. He talked me thru some stuff while at my machine and came to a similar conclusion that the LCD panel was probably the only failing component. He arranged to send me a new one. While I expected to pay for it, he wrote it up as under warranty (machine was purchased from Sears May '07), no charge.

The replacement is the whole keypad and LCD assembly. I've replaced it and it is working again. I'll be keeping my eye on it closely as I get back into using it, but for now, it looks like a happy ending.

I just wanted to mention it to reiterate two points I've read on this board, that the LHR folks are great people who do aim to please, and that the machine itself is one tough cookie. The weakest links are the computer-ish parts, but fortunately they are the easiest to unplug and replace.

[Jeff_Birt]

Thanks for the followup report. I'm glad you have your machine up and running again.

I have noticed over the last few months that the problem reports have mostly shifted from Z-packs and board sensors (which LHR has taken care of) to shipping damage. Good thing you got the extra insurance.

[weezimp]

Yes... I don't have my receipts in front of me right now, but IIRC, it cost about $80-90 to ship it from CT to FL, and $2000 insurance was an extra $16. Definitely the thing to do.

[TIMCOSBY]

and $2000 from the insurance? cool deal i hate insurance companies.

[weezimp]

hehe... don't get me started on the old "insurance=fraud" topic, this is not the place. But you are more or less correct. Despite insuring for $2G, they did manage to lowball it down to the receipt value of the machine... of course. But still, it's enough to replace it. My plan then, assuming I will be snowbirding north/south for the next few years at least, is to leave this one here and spend the $ on another machine once I get settled back north.

[Cmdr.Rav]

I tought of a question, does CW insure our machines when we need to send them in for repair? Plus does this apply both ways and if not do we have the the choice to add insurance?

Rav

[weezimp]

You'll need to ask LHR for their specific policies, but generally companies advise you to insure things you send to them, and they in turn usually insure those they send back to you.