On starting a business

[lerxstcat]

Re: On starting a business

I think half the weed would be gone by the time you got there! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] J/K!

I think that for far less money, a class action suit could be successfully waged against the shippers for their arbitrary
insurance claims and the rough handling
the items get by the Samsonite apes. UPS
in particular, OWNING their insurance company, would probably tighten up their ship once the publicity of the suit and spycam footage of their guys tossing stuff about hit the airwaves. 60 Minutes
would probably love this stuff - send in some producers (notice everybody on TV newsmagazines is a producer? - anyway!)
to hire on and carry one of those wireless cameras while a van outside records the carnage. At that point the shareholders get scared, and UPS starts firing the assholes who like to break shit.

Such a class-action suit would best work with the victims of other fragile-item breakage added in for moral and financial support. Pictures of forklift-broken items along with "insufficient packing"
claim denials would be golden too!

I aree that Fedex is safer, but their no insurance over $100 on guitars over 20 years old is BS too. Since 60 Minutes likes to go after everybody in an industry, they could hit Fedex for that.

At the end of such a story, whichever company has the best safety and most reasonable insurance practices would also be named, giving them free publicity and
lots more business.

Class action suit + expose'= shippers cleaning up their act, hopefuly.

[Chuckracer]

Re: On starting a business

So Newc, I have a SD Charvel I want to send from Arizona to NY.

Two questions:

How much will it cost me?

How much will it cost you?

Here's a starter hint: Fuel will be over $250. How much is the truck for a week? How much do you pay the driver?

We're looking at well over a $600 shipment here.

Oh, you're not gonna send a truck across the country with just one item on it? Smart. What else is going on? How soon? When will it leave? How many stops before it gets there?

Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade here, but I don't see this as feasable in the least unless you were to do the multi billion dollar start up, and nobody in this business climate will back that.

[ April 03, 2004, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: Chuckracer ]

[Newc]

Re: On starting a business

$30

[L]

Re: On starting a business

ridiculous. my idea is better. please replace "16 year old high school kids with zits" to "cute college girls". now do you see it my way?

[kevhogAZ]

Re: On starting a business

Why don't you just invest in 10 or 15 flight cases, and "rent" 'em to sellers/buyers? Keep a credit card on file, and tell 'em it's a set fee, both ways, as long as you get your case back. It would only cost about $20.00 to ship an empty case to somebody, they use it to ship their guitar, the buyer sends it back to you, or something like that.

I've got a rifle case, made of aluminum, that's pretty damn strong, but also light as hell when empty.

What about that idea?

[Newc]

Re: On starting a business

Bah! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Newc

[stsk]

Re: On starting a business

i dont think you have enough of a market


but then again you would be suprised at how small some businesses have started

[Chuckracer]

Re: On starting a business

I'm backing L's proposal! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: On starting a business

Like homebrew tattooing and drug dealing...

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: On starting a business

Hmm, just trying to develop the inflatable innards idea a little bit here... What if you were to surround the inflatable bags on five out of six sides using a solid puncture-proof material and have it sitting in the shipping box? The remaining side is exposed to the guitar case for the cushion to do its work. Have six appropriately-sized box inserts and you'd have a guitar inside a nice hardshell case surrounded by air bags with an impenetrable shell and then your cardboard shipping box.

[RacerX]

Re: On starting a business

Originally posted by Boxcar Willie 84:
Like homebrew tattooing and drug dealing...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Man, he's never gonna live that down around here, huh? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: On starting a business

There is far too much competition in the shipping industry in order to be competitive and profitable. You would need to partner with someone in order to provide a reliable service. The reason why FedEx and UPS are popular is because of the convenience and cost factor. Sure I could go counter to counter service with an airline and local hot shot services but its a hassle and too costly. Even if you eliminate the hot shot services who's going to want to take a guitar to the airport and who's going to want to go to the airport to pick it up? Will customers be willing to pay the additional costs of the service? The big boys have cheaper costs because the move high volumes.

I think the better thing to do would to supply packing materials and techniques to people who ship. I think we see way too many snapped pointy headstocks because because of people who just throw then in a case and in a box. I know a lot of the issues could be preventable with some extra care when packing.

Sorry to sound negative I think new ideas are great but this one falls in line with someone trying to re-invent the automobile industry.

[chopper45hd]

Re: On starting a business

i think its a better idea to design a case and sell those rather than start a shipping biz.
anyone know why the chainsaw charvel cases got discontinued? i have always liked that design, maybe improve on it in the way of materials.