This came up in my build thread, but I'm sure there are people who are not excited about reading through that whole thing, who will also benefit from this bit of advice.
When my new spars arrived, the box they came in was damaged. Clearly it had received some abuse somewhere along the way, although I wasn't sure what had happened. However, when I checked out the box (before signing the receipt), it was also clear that the visible damage only went through about half the layers of packaging. Based on that, I signed for the box, thinking that the only choices I had were to accept the thing unconditionally, or send it back. I did not want to send it back after waiting so long.
Fortunately for me, the spars inside were undamaged, but in conversation with Aircraft Spruce afterwards, I was told what I should have done.
If you get a shipment that shows the least sign of distress: bumps, scrapes, punctures, anything other than a perfectly clean box, make a note on the form before signing. That note should indicate that you have reservations about the condition of your shipment. The ACS rep I was talking to recommended the phrase, "Possible hidden damage", and Larry Lyons suggested "Damaged as delivered."
What this does is provide you with a legal or policy pathway to file a damage claim with the shipping company in the future. If you just sign with no note, like I did, then the company can legitimately say that you signed for the box indicating no damage, and they can't be held liable for any damage discovered after that signature. In my case, I would have been out a set of 8 spars that cost around $1000 and, more importantly, 9 months of waiting.
Most people I've mentioned this to have expressed surprise that it was a possibility, so I'm hoping I can help others know about this important protection option you have when shipping often-expensive and often-fragile airplane parts.
You do have a third choice beyond refusing the shipment, or accepting it as undamaged. Just add a little note showing your reservations before you sign, and it's your get-out-of-jail-free card if you do find any damage.
When my new spars arrived, the box they came in was damaged. Clearly it had received some abuse somewhere along the way, although I wasn't sure what had happened. However, when I checked out the box (before signing the receipt), it was also clear that the visible damage only went through about half the layers of packaging. Based on that, I signed for the box, thinking that the only choices I had were to accept the thing unconditionally, or send it back. I did not want to send it back after waiting so long.
Fortunately for me, the spars inside were undamaged, but in conversation with Aircraft Spruce afterwards, I was told what I should have done.
If you get a shipment that shows the least sign of distress: bumps, scrapes, punctures, anything other than a perfectly clean box, make a note on the form before signing. That note should indicate that you have reservations about the condition of your shipment. The ACS rep I was talking to recommended the phrase, "Possible hidden damage", and Larry Lyons suggested "Damaged as delivered."
What this does is provide you with a legal or policy pathway to file a damage claim with the shipping company in the future. If you just sign with no note, like I did, then the company can legitimately say that you signed for the box indicating no damage, and they can't be held liable for any damage discovered after that signature. In my case, I would have been out a set of 8 spars that cost around $1000 and, more importantly, 9 months of waiting.
Most people I've mentioned this to have expressed surprise that it was a possibility, so I'm hoping I can help others know about this important protection option you have when shipping often-expensive and often-fragile airplane parts.
You do have a third choice beyond refusing the shipment, or accepting it as undamaged. Just add a little note showing your reservations before you sign, and it's your get-out-of-jail-free card if you do find any damage.
