Sooooooo... I received a guitar yesterday shipped .. No box

[mystixboi]

In my 20 years of buying and selling, I've never had this happen(nor have a I done this to someone).

I got a guitar today(shipped from New Hampshire to NJ) from a seller off of a Facebook group. I'm travelling for work and I got a text from my wife that said:

"Sooooooo.... did you know this guy was going to ship without a box?"

What?!?!?! she then sent me this pic

Who the hell ships a guitar without a box?!?!?!?! The seller used plastic zip ties to keep the case shut, but damn... I'm worried as hell. I don't get home until tomorrow... I'm hoping that the guitar itself is ok.

Hopefully, I'll be posting a HNGD thread tomorrow!!!

 

[Steinmetzify]

meh.....it'll be fine. I get guitars all the time from MF or Sweetwater and they don't pack like we do...usually just a box with no packing materials. Had a guitar shipped like that to me a few years ago, no issues.

 

[Racerxrated]

Yup. What he said. I'd take that method vs no case, guitar in a box with little packing. I've ordered guitars new with a case, only to have them ship the guitar and case separately!! Wtf???? That's why I bought the case!!! I did sell a guitar once and shipped it like that, but I wrapped bubble wrap around the case and taped all around it. No complaints.

 

[Les Zombie]

I bought a esp jh2 and the dude bubble wrapped the case and then covered it in brown paper, he didnt use a box and i was scared to open the case but it arrived safe.

 

[jkdsteve]

Had one arrive like that, outside of a couple of case scuffs, it was fine. The case is meant to protect the guitar after all but more worried about a latch popping open......they at least were taped down well.

I'm sure it'll be fine.

 

[Stumplegriltskin]

As long as it got there and when you opened it there actually was a guitar inside.

God damn people are fucking lazy as fuck. I spend about a solid hour packing guitars when I sell them. Sometimes it requires a 20 min ride to Lowes to get bubble wrap, but I do it because I'm not a moron. The last thing I want is a paypal hassle. Christ.

A lot of times I don't have a box, but I have enough big cardboard around, so I make one. No excuse for laziness when it comes to shipping gear.

Fuckheads.

 

[glip22]

Better than it being in a box with lots of void banging all around in the box. Bet it's fine. Still....

 

[spanny]

That happened to me last January. I nearly crapped myself when I arrived at home seeing a $2000 guitar sitting on top of the snow with a shipping label taped on it.

Guitar turned out to be fine, case was a bit beat up. Definitely got a good chunk of change back.

 

[evhfan]

i don't get how a guitar can be damaged INSIDE if there's no damage to the case...should be fine...

 

[RJF]

i don't get how a guitar can be damaged INSIDE if there's no damage to the case...should be fine...

exactly. People ship guitars this way all the time, I've done it that way once. Just run some tape all the way around the case so that no one can easily open it, taping the latches too. The hard case does a better job protecting a guitar than a box and some peanuts. That would be like someone complaining that they received an amp in a flight case, instead of a card board box.

 

[glip22]

i don't get how a guitar can be damaged INSIDE if there's no damage to the case...should be fine...

Easily if there is play in the case. Especially if the guitar has lateral movement and the head stock can make contact with the case end. One good knock on the end and it's over. I opened up a box a couple of months ago that showed zero signs of abuse. Packed well all around the case. Opened it up and the stock was cracked off and bent to the side. Too much lateral movement was the cause.

 

[rupe]

If something is going to damage your guitar through a hardshell case, what difference do you think 1/16" of cardboard and some styrofoam peanuts are going to make? This is really a non-issue aside from the fact that it might put a bit of excessive cosmetic wear on the case.

I'd certainly prefer a box for those rare instances where a hinge or lock might get damaged, but it will likely make no difference regarding the actual protection of the guitar.

 

[DrugDM]

Wow. I have never seen a guitar shipped like that! I hope all is well and look forward to the pics.

 

[sleewell2]

at least that way they can grab the handle and know its something fragile.

that case inside a big, awkwardly shaped box they will just grab and throw.


however if it is damaged they wont pay the claim because it was not packed sufficiently.


hope its ok!!

 

[spliffsperlunk]

Shipping unboxed like that is an easy way to get a damaged case broken latch at the least, hopefully they weren't equally as lazy with securing the Trem bar and Allen wrenches inside or there could be scratches galore.

 

[Mailman1971]

Had a similar experience. Bought a damn near mint Shocking Pink Jem off Ebay back in the late 90's. I was living in Japan at the time. Since the guitar was coming across the world I asked if the guy could pack it good. He said "No problem!"
Guitar arrives. Just a case like what you got. Had priority tape wrapped around it. I about passed out when I saw this!

But got it home and opened it up.
Guitar was perfect. Still in tune.

 

[snowdog]

You are lucky the fool didn't have a gig bag for it.

 

[jcmtone1]

That happened to me a few years ago. The shipping sticker is still on the case.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I bought a Rivera TBR SL-1 (HEAVY ass rack mounted amp) a while back. The seller packed it in a small wimpy box with a handful (at most) of packing peanuts). When I opened it, there were shattered tubes and around 20 or so broken pots. Luckily JerryP fixed it and the seller paid for the repairs

 

[squank]

I bought a guitar from a guy here at RT and he shipped it without a case, wrapped loosely in some eggshell foam. Cardboard pieces taped together to cover the outside, but nothing I would call a box. Amazed that it arrived undamaged. What a dumbass.