Is this normal?

Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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Unfortunately, if I want a decent custom board this is the only way. Only 2 or 3 local shapers here, and none that are really any good.
 
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Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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East Asia. AKA "the worst country for shipping boards".

Apparently...
 
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fishtank

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 20, 2010
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East Asia. AKA "the worst country for shipping boards".

Apparently...
you'd be better off visiting indo yearly and picking boards up over there, most of the big names have operations in the country. js and firewire make their epoxy in thailand.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
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I once took a gig in the middle of November to deliver a custom made product. Client requested delivery before Christmas. I knew it was dumb and that my supplier would be slammed for holiday delivery. I was cocky and did it any way. Product wasn't delivered until mid January despite all my efforts. It was not worth the stress and I ended up refunding my fee to the client.

I knew I shouldn't have done it but I did it any way. Sounds similar to what Gary said.

It was one of many painful lessons as a business owner. Learn when to say no.

He's saying he makes $150 per board and that you're in the worst place to ship boards. Just don't do it.
 
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Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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Yeah, but I don't really buy the "worst country for shipping boards" thing. I think it's just some misdirection. I've ordered about 10 custom boards in total from Aus and USA over the last 5 years. Never had a problem with any of them apart from this time with Gary. I think it was just bad luck with how it was handled. I go to Indo about once a year, but I stay far away from Bali. Some of the those Bali-made boards by the big shapers are pretty shoddy from the accounts I've heard...
 
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fishtank

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 20, 2010
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I go to Indo about once a year, but I stay far away from Bali. Some of the those Bali-made boards by the big shapers are pretty shoddy from the accounts I've heard...
Depends, some use sh!t blanks while others get em from Oz and more reliable sources. I despise surfing in Bali also, still good for a quick stopover but not a surf trip.
 
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waxurDyl

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 22, 2010
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Yeah, but I don't really buy the "worst country for shipping boards" thing. I think it's just some misdirection. I've ordered about 10 custom boards in total from Aus and USA over the last 5 years. Never had a problem with any of them apart from this time with Gary. I think it was just bad luck with how it was handled. I go to Indo about once a year, but I stay far away from Bali. Some of the those Bali-made boards by the big shapers are pretty shoddy from the accounts I've heard...
The ”worst country for shipping boards” excuse doesn’t fly here. Ryan and Scott got your Burchs to you perfectly fine with no harm done to the glass-on keels OR Angelo’s laminating
 

Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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Depends, some use sh!t blanks while others get em from Oz and more reliable sources. I despise surfing in Bali also, still good for a quick stopover but not a surf trip.
Yeah, but how do you know which is which? A lot of the FIrewires they sell there seem to be old stock that wasn't selling in other places. Also, they're about 6-8 months behind what gets released in Aus and USA. Plus the quality seems a bit dodgy; I had a Baked Potato in Timbertek from there about 8 years ago. It lasted about a month before the wood started to split along the grain. I got in contact with FIrewire, and they were quick to offer me a replacement. Just seems they might see the Bali market as a good way to get rid of boards to surf-stoked tourists...

The ”worst country for shipping boards” excuse doesn’t fly here. Ryan and Scott got your Burchs to you perfectly fine with no harm done to the glass-on keels OR Angelo’s laminating
Yeah, and I gotta say thanks to Chemistry Surfboards as they took care of the shipping for Scott and Ryan. They packed the boards really well with a lot of care and attention paid to sensitive areas like the rails and the fins. A lot of extra reinforcement all around. Plus the box was much sturdier than the one I got from Gary. Also, I liked the way they shipped it. They used mapcargo.com, so I was responsible for paying the shipping costs directly to the shipping company. This meant that if there was any issue with the boards, then I would have been responsible for following up the claim. Seems like a much better way to do things.
 
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fishtank

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 20, 2010
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I believe chilli ships blanks over from Oz, sure others do also. Best to ask beforehand, maybe get a custom made to pick up on arrival.
 

Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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Thanks for the advice, but I'm just not really interested in those kind of boards.
 

csarqui

Legend (inyourownmind)
Oct 11, 2009
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I live in Bali and was seriously considering an RTT as I have a lot of friends traveling back and forth from Australia. I'm putting that idea on hold to see if this situation improves. I'm a big believer in supporting companies who take good care of their customers. Thanks for giving me the heads up.
 
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Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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lol classic erbb donks! ask gary how it's hangin!
I think you mean he's playing me for a donk. Dunno why a customer should accept a faulty product on delivery, and then take the hit instead of the supplier taking responsibility. Why should I pay for the shipping on a board that was damaged in transit? Doesn't make sense. That's not really how the world works.
 

aldo

Nep status
Aug 13, 2012
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Not really. Surely the shipping company has insurance? If the board was packed well and shipped in good faith then the shaper has done their bit.
sh!t happens.....
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
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I respectfully disagree. Goodfish paid for the thing. The packing and shipping part is out of his hands. sh!t happens but this wasn't a little rail ding. Either the shipper mishandled the package, the shaper didn't pack it well enough or both. I'm guessing both in this case. Not his fault and he should be the last one to take the hit here.
 

aldo

Nep status
Aug 13, 2012
639
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Bahamas
Right. I think the shipping company should have it insured. Looks like a truck ran over it or something like that.
 

Goodfish

Michael Peterson status
Feb 22, 2014
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Not really. Surely the shipping company has insurance? If the board was packed well and shipped in good faith then the shaper has done their bit.
sh!t happens.....
Yeah, not really. The shaper has a duty to the customer to get the board there in one piece. If it doesn't, then the responsibility for that should be shared. Not just dumped on the customer. Gary told me "most freight forwarders will not insure boards".
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
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You guys are missing the part where the shaper got a shipping credit for the full amount of the insured board and isn't refunding Goodfish because it's a credit, not cash. Eventually shaper will use his entire credit and it will be cash flowed into his business because he charges customers for shipping when they pay (probably at a mark up, so he will actually profit from this hiccup). Meanwhile Goodfish left holding the bag.