Advice on bike damage during shipping

[mojomonkey]

My brother recently shipped his bike (2009 Tarmac Expert) to and from Colorado for a vacation. Both time were with the same ground service. Fortunately the trip to went smoothly. Unfortunately the bike did not fare as well on the return. The bike was packed the same way both times, and the same cardboard box was used both times. The main damage is to the chain stay / rear dropout area.

Given the width of the box, the rear skewer was removed. The wheel was zip-tied in place and pulled upwards. On the return trip, the tooth of the zip-tie was broken, allowing the rear wheel to bang into the frame. The box seems to have been banged in transit - there is a worn out/punctured spot on the bottom that looks to be from impact.

For the shipper's claim process he has to repackage the bike. They will pick it up, send it for assessment, and repackage and ship it back. They estimate he would get it back week, and have an assessment within a week of the actual inspection. I'm not clear if this is an accept/reject claim or they will offer an estimated price. They said not to take it anywhere else for an assessment and we have no idea if it is even something to worry about.

Hopefully we are just being paranoid and the damage is not serious. Some pictures below. So, in a legally non-binding way:
1) anyone have any thoughts on the significance of the damage?
2) repair needed / cost?

And has anyone had any claim experience that can offer any pointers on the process?

Dropout with chips (just paint? carbon fiber?)

Another view
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/jamesgpolk/7af3f091.jpg

Other side

Another view
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/jamesgpolk/e88426ce.jpg

Chain stay

Cabling cracked too

 

[ElChingon]

Well was it insured? If not then you are S.O.L., but you should still bring it up with the shipping company. If insured then fill out the form and wait for the check.

 

[mojomonkey]

Well was it insured? If not then you are S.O.L., but you should still bring it up with the shipping company. If insured then fill out the form and wait for the check.

Yes, it was insured. It is a pain to be pack it back up for them to assess (and two more trips for it to possibly get damaged more) though so I was looking for advice or things to remember to make the process run smoothly or what to expect from personal experience.

 

[JayKosta]

I 'think' the proper shipping method - for when the bike is packaged for assessment - is to have the wheels removed and the front & rear dropouts braced with a wood/plastic spacer that is securely held in place.
The wheels should be inside the box and separately padded & secured. the chain should be secured around a chainring and held in place with wire. The loose part of the chain should be wrapped in cloth and secured to the chain stay.
Nothing should be loose or rattle around in the box.

Maybe go to a LBS to observe how a new bike is packaged.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[JayKosta]

Also...
Check with the shipper to determine whether the entire bike is needed for assessment.
If NOT, then don't ship the wheels and pedals, and also completely remove and do not ship the chain.

Find out if the 'assessment' is:
1) to determine the extent of the damage & cost to repair / replace.
and/or
2) to determine the cause of the damage.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[mojomonkey]

I 'think' the proper shipping method - for when the bike is packaged for assessment - is to have the wheels removed and the front & rear dropouts braced with a wood/plastic spacer that is securely held in place.
The wheels should be inside the box and separately padded & secured. the chain should be secured around a chainring and held in place with wire. The loose part of the chain should be wrapped in cloth and secured to the chain stay.
Nothing should be loose or rattle around in the box.

Maybe go to a LBS to observe how a new bike is packaged.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

Thanks for the reply. I've had bikes packaged by an LBS as well, and they left the rear wheel in place with only the front removed (with plastic spacer in).

Talked to the shipper again and they are going to send someone out instead of packing and shipping two more times. Looks like the assessment is just for the "appropriateness" of the packaging, which we fortunately had lots of pictures of just in case. Three bikes total were shipped there and back this way (and have been shipped previously internationally as well without issue) with this as the only damage.

Looks like the next step is to get the assessors opinion of the packaging, then get a quote for any repair/replacement costs.

 

[Steve H.]

Happened to me on a flight from France. We just got our own estimate and submitted it to the airlines claims department. We were paid in full. Just like your car, I wouldn't rely on the people who damaged your bike to give your a fair assessment. I suggest getting an independent estimate from the repair shop as there may be damage to the frame other than the visible spots.

 

[LauraLyn]

My brother recently shipped his bike (2009 Tarmac Expert) to and from Colorado for a vacation. Both time were with the same ground service. Fortunately the trip to went smoothly. Unfortunately the bike did not fare as well on the return. The bike was packed the same way both times, and the same cardboard box was used both times. The main damage is to the chain stay / rear dropout area. . . .

My usually have my bike packaged by my LBS. This way I know it is packaged right and they also have some of the responsibility.

The biggest challenge is always TSA when you are flying. They almost always open it and they can easily lose parts or repackage it incorrectly. Best to keep this in mind when packaging for a flight. (I know this wasn't the case here.)

 

[hiero2]

My brother recently shipped his bike (2009 Tarmac Expert) to and from Colorado for a vacation. Both time were with the same ground service. Fortunately the trip to went smoothly. Unfortunately the bike did not fare as well on the return. . . .

For the shipper's claim process he has to repackage the bike. They will pick it up, send it for assessment, and repackage and ship it back. They estimate he would get it back week, and have an assessment within a week of the actual inspection. I'm not clear if this is an accept/reject claim or they will offer an estimated price. They said not to take it anywhere else for an assessment and we have no idea if it is even something to worry about.

. . .

You don't tell us where you are, but one thing concerns me about this:

They said not to take it anywhere else for an assessment

I have a brown cow-pie for that. I'm probably posting this too late, but I would take it to at least two other sources for assessment of repair cost before you gave it back to them. "Don't take it to somebody else"? Man - that sounds like a dodge to me. You might also want to hammer them to get somebody to talk specifics about what they are doing.

I won't speak to the subject of whose responsibility this might be - yours or theirs, or how well packed it was - or not. I quit using cardboard a long time ago. OEM bikes from a mfr are shipped on carriers who are certain to care a bit more. And those OEM cardboard boxes would likely never be alone. Cardboard packed in with other stuff the same size will fare much better. As an individual, your box is going together with who knows what, and the guys doing the heavy lifting are not going to care as much about your individual behind, if you know what I mean. So I'm not inclined to think even a bike packed as properly as an OEM bike is good enough for my travels. You shipped ground, but I'm sure that those guys doing the baggage handling for the ground service are just as prone to baggage rage as some ramp rats (airline baggage handlers) I've known. 90% of all the bags the airlines handle are done well. The other 10% makes them look pretty bad.

 

[Fenald]

Hello,

If your problem is that it doesn't shift well or brake well. it is not a warranty issue at all and it'll be unlikely that you'll get any response. If there was damage during shipping then you should contact the carrier, not the retailer and you will need all the packing material for them to inspect. The only thing that anyone in the supply chain is required to honor is the warranty which covers only defects in materials and workmanship, not quality. The legal option is not worth it and neither is the time you are spending grieving over a few quid. hope this will be useful for all members.

Thanks a lot!
Fenald

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