I hear that!

I don't think the UPS guys work harder than the guys at FedEx, Purolator, or any of a number of other courier companies, big or small.  My experience has been that UPS is a PITA to deal with, packages are always in way worse shape than FedEx'ed or Purolator'ed packages. But the abuse of packages by UPS employees is easier to understand now that I know they're Teamsters.

I had my vac delivered with FedEx and the box came damaged...so it's not just UPS.  Not to mention left at the wrong address.  Thankfully my neighbor is a good guy and the damage was only to the box, although I am not sure how the vac wasn't damaged.

I've certainly had some problems with UPS over the years, but over all my experience has been good. I'm lucky to have had the same drivers at both my home and shop for over ten years. Those guys always go above and beyond the call of duty for me (of course a nice fat envelope every Christmas doesn't hurt). When there is damage to a package, I suspect it's the handlers at the depot rather than either of my drivers. And it's my drivers who point it out first.

As has been said, it's the packing that makes the difference, no matter how it's shipped. And when it comes to Festool products, Bob M. always gets the packing right.

I've been getting more and more shipments sent through the USPS lately, and the reason seems to be lower cost (so the vendors are saying). Talk about frustrating experiences. The USPS tracking system is almost worthless, and shipments often go missing for days (sometimes weeks). And the bad attitude and stupidity level of the postal workers seems to be very high in my area. I've watched several times as a carrier will leave a notice in my mail box to pick up a package at the post office, ASSUMING I'm not home, but being too lazy to get out of the van and check. That means a trip down to the post office where I wait in a long line to get my stuff from a counter person who seems to be angry at me being there. Other times I've seen them toss a package on the porch from as far as 10 feet away. Any complaints to the postmaster always get only a shrug.

Unforthately it goes with the territory if you are going to do the mail order thang! I've had good stories and bad ones.   I've had a table saw arrived beat to heck (I refused shippment).  Recently I had a rail ordered and it arrived with the packing case destroyed and the rail wrapped in cardboard and taped by the carrier.   I called the dealer and he made it right and the second one came fine (thanks Bob).   It's a risk but you just have to take it in stride.   

isn't there a "must be signed for" check box any more?

I haven't seen your website's order page, but it should be easy to add a check box to see if the customer would like to require a signature upon delivery -- would save both parties time and there would be no need to make any assumptions...

I just got TS55 saw & MFTcombo , extra rail and accessory rail kit from Bob.
So far I haven't had the chance to try my new toys... I mean tools. :-)  I need to reorganize my garage to set up my "shop".

After receiving the boxes from UPS at my office,  the boxes were a bit beat up from handling as expected. But after opening them here is what I observed:

1- Each boxes were carefully packed by Bob's staff with a lot of bubble wraps and air pillows. Even the heavy MFT/3 table was double boxed. For that it is a A+
 
2- The rails came with the original boxes.  I boxes of the rails got a bit beat up by the guys from UPS despite that a bunch of labels to handle them carefully and not to bend, drop, etc. were added. I took all the rails out of the boxes and inspected them.  No damage.  The areas of the boxes that got a bit crushed were the ends.   I hope that Festool will revise the packaging. Maybe by adding foam inserts at the ends will help from having the ends from crushing.  On the side note: I noticed in each rail boxes there was a 1 x 2 piece of stock.  You don't notice it until you unfold the box.  At first I thought that Bob added the stock for trimming the splinter guard but he confirmed that it was for added rigidity and prevent shipping damage.
 
3- Original packaging of the MFT table is quite good with the foam inserts.  No issues with the table as far as I can see.  There were a small tear/ hole in the middle of the original box but not in the shipping box. After inspecting surface of the table there was no evidence of damage due to the gap was as created by the foam inserts. 

My only issue was the accessories boxes were free to move around inside the main box.  I could hear some of the accessories boxes moving around inside the main box a few times when I was loading and unloading it to and from my car by my self.  I do remember that there were some air pillows but it did not helped much with the guide rail. 
The protractor rail was fine but the saw guide rail has a small dent in the corner. There was another small dent in the area were the connector rods goes.  For me not a big deal because I can use a small file and fix the dents. Of course, if is something major like the rail was completely bend, or the saw quit working at first use I would have contacted Bob right away.  Maybe someone will differ because it is a lot of money invested. Besides the area that was dented it gets covered by the rail deflector.   

I just got and idea.  Why not Festool to take advantage of the holes in the table and use it to secure the accessories boxes by using zip ties just like the toys you see at the stores. That way in combination of air pillows the contents will no go anywhere. A few cents of zip ties and small change in the packaging process will reduce the rate of shipping damage.

Anyway these are my observations.  I hope that Festool is paying attention to their customers and distributors.
Roger

Peter,
Thanks for the welcome.  I got the idea while writing an email to Bob commenting his efforts to avoid shipping damage.
Roger

I just had a cabinet-style reciprocating spindle sander delivered to a customer today - a customer, of whom, I'm very fond. It was encased in a sort of crate that was pallet-like plus all sorts of plastic wrap, etc.

It came via LTL (less than load/18-wheeler) and when it arrived, the bottom of the pallet/crate was broken and missing the central supporting bottom member and apparently some other parts. The tool was askew inside the "crate" but still captured.

BTW: When I build a shipping crate, it's a crate...

Luckily, in spite of all of this mishandling, the tool worked fine and the only damage was cosmetic (a little paint on the very bottom disturbed). I, personally, found that offensive but the customer didn't seem to. It worked fine and all was good.

The reason I write this is your post, Harry!

On all 4 sides of this "pallet-like crate", were notices that the shipper was completely responsible for any damage to this perfectly packaged item. Ironic?


Tom

ugh, I was happy my Jessem router lift was shipped today, then saw this post and its coming UPS.   

I realize this thread is almost 2 years old but I thought I'd add my experience as well - The freight companies seem to be even less concerned with the handling of their shipments than UPS or FedEx - my guide rail was one of their casualties. I went yesterday to pick up my 3000mm rail from DAYTON FREIGHT . Now keep in mind I was picking this up in Huber Heights, Ohio which is only about 100 miles from the Festool headquarters in Lebanon, Indiana so this package did not travel very far, as a matter of fact its a pretty straight shot right across I-70. In any case when the warehouse jockey (with a big grin on his face by the way) came back with my package, it looked like a 10' banana!!!! The wood packaging was blown open at the midpoint - the 1x2 was in splinters and the poor rail was damaged beyond repair, what a waste. And this guy has the gall to be smiling at me when he hands me this atrocity? Obviously I refused delivery and actually had to explain to him why? I assume one of the careless warehouse guys ran into it with a forklift or Bubba sat on it suspended between 2 barrels during his lunch break. How can these freight carriers afford to incur these damage claims? That's a $300 guide rail that is now nothing more than scrap aluminum. 

Never any ISSUES with Bob's packaging....I do believe that if there was he would make it right immediately, how's that for confidence and trust in a business partner  .

Frank

Apple somehow makes arrangements with the delivery trucks that they will ALWAYS require a signature for an Apple product unless a sign is hung in the door with a signature saying "leave Apple products at such and such a location..."

That sign would scare me; if anyone came up earlier in the day to knock on the door and saw the sign, it would be like, "expensive stuff will be left here later today and I won't be home, come steal it..."