FedEx will no longer insure "musical instruments" over $500

bionicears · 10th February 2006

So, I go to FedEx to ship a guitar and they have a new policy: no insurance over $500 on musical instruments (not sure if this includes rack mount gear/microphones). You may insure via an "independent" company, but they no longer will insure. Great. I guess I'm left with UPS. Maybe if FedEx didn't leave so many items just sitting on doorsteps (and open for theft) they wouldn't have so many claims and wouldn't have to start this policy.

dfegad FedEx.

AdamJay · 10th February 2006

i hope this doesn't include rack gear.

UPS has a habit of just literally dropping gear on my porch (to the point that even rack gear in 5 inches of bubble wrap gets damaged

), thank god the ones they've ruined were insured. So whenever i can i use a different company.

So, do they give you options at the shipping desk for 3rd party insurance?
or is that something you need to procure elsewhere?

bionicears · 10th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamJay

i hope this doesn't include rack gear....
So, do they give you options at the shipping desk for 3rd party insurance?
or is that something you need to procure elsewhere?

I forgot to ask about other gear. They said they could give me a 1-800 # for an insurance company. I'm going to check with my insurance company and see if my (already insured) gear would be covered in transit. FedEx is going to lose a lot of business. I'm sure they did the cost/benefit--they must have tons of claims.

AdamJay · 10th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by bionicears

They said they could give me a 1-800 # for an insurance company. I'm going to check with my insurance company and see if my (already insured) gear would be covered in transit.

thats a good idea, i'll call my insurer as well..

what a PITA though, i'm sure they'll need serial #'s and such.
I'm coming from the side of receiving gear that is being shipped FedEX from someone else.. where if it gets screwed up by the time i receive it all i get is a lousy $500 for it.
eBay sellers who offer insured shipping are going to be hating this new policy for sure.

pan60 · 10th February 2006

that sucks
i have preferred fed-ex to ups, but now
it sucks that they choose not to handle the packages they are entrusted with a bit better.
my guess is they make more money off crap they can throw around, they don't need to ship musical gear.

Sounds Great · 10th February 2006

Try USPS. I don't know about sending guitars through them, though. They may not do that.

Ol' Betsey · 10th February 2006

Well, when I get stuff shipped over from the US, not guitars but audio equipment, it's normally classed as electronics or audio electronics or something like that.

Can't remember the exact term they use for Tax purposes but it's never 'musical instruments' so I would assume you'd be OK.

I guess it's one of those insurance-type grey areas, huh?

R.

10th February 2006	#1
bionicears Gear maniac Joined: Dec 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 183 Thread Starter	FedEx will no longer insure "musical instruments" over $500 So, I go to FedEx to ship a guitar and they have a new policy: no insurance over $500 on musical instruments (not sure if this includes rack mount gear/microphones). You may insure via an "independent" company, but they no longer will insure. Great. I guess I'm left with UPS. Maybe if FedEx didn't leave so many items just sitting on doorsteps (and open for theft) they wouldn't have so many claims and wouldn't have to start this policy. dfegad FedEx.

10th February 2006	#2
AdamJay Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 2,825	i hope this doesn't include rack gear. UPS has a habit of just literally dropping gear on my porch (to the point that even rack gear in 5 inches of bubble wrap gets damaged), thank god the ones they've ruined were insured. So whenever i can i use a different company. So, do they give you options at the shipping desk for 3rd party insurance? or is that something you need to procure elsewhere?

10th February 2006	#5
pan60 500 series nutjob Joined: Nov 2004 Location: 500 series Guru SKANK! ; ) Posts: 10,940	that sucks i have preferred fed-ex to ups, but now it sucks that they choose not to handle the packages they are entrusted with a bit better. my guess is they make more money off crap they can throw around, they don't need to ship musical gear. __________________ www.pan60.com Pan60 Facebook Page Pan's Facebook BLAST PAD Inventor just one invention among others. A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE 500 FORMAT, MAFIA it is easy to sound as though one was endowed with great intelligence, whilst speaking amongst a crowd of total morons

10th February 2006	#6
Sounds Great Gear Guru Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 15,301 1 Review written	Try USPS. I don't know about sending guitars through them, though. They may not do that. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/sounds-great-1 -Rob And these children that you spit on As they try to change their worlds Are immune to your consultations They're quite aware of what they're going through

10th February 2006	#7
Ol' Betsey Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2002 Location: London Posts: 2,035 1 Review written	Well, when I get stuff shipped over from the US, not guitars but audio equipment, it's normally classed as electronics or audio electronics or something like that. Can't remember the exact term they use for Tax purposes but it's never 'musical instruments' so I would assume you'd be OK. I guess it's one of those insurance-type grey areas, huh? R. __________________ The Speaker Snuggy is specifically designed to compensate for the additive effect of using plugins which literally remove the blanket from your speakers. These plugins can sound good when solo'd, but when used across dozens of tracks they can leave your speakers sounding cold and insecure. (Casey / Bricasti) When I haven't any blue I use red. (Pablo Picasso) Ol' Betsey Satan - The Original Flower Shop 8 track - "She fought long and she fought hard..."

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