Hi Gentlemen (and Ladies!),



Last week I posted off a practice set of UPs to a customer the USA. This is the practice set in Palo Santo that I had up on Ebay. Despite sending it via our Post Office's supposedly secure tracked system, it did not even make it into the system and I believe it has been stolen. It could be on either side of the Pond, so would you keep your eyes open for a 4 key Taylor style chanter in Palo Santo, Brass and Alternative Ivory. No doubt about it's provenance, only I and Chris Bayley make these chanters; his are stamped, mine are not. Bellows have the flush fitting outlet plate with brass shield and brass plate strain reliefs. Bag stocks are also in Palo Santo, fitted into a square style bag in Sage Green leather.

Thanks.

That's terrible Mike. I really hope they turn up.

I had a similar experience recently with Fedex, who 'lost' two Dell servers. We believe that a local driver may have had some 'arrangement'. They never turned up, and we were finally compensated by Fedex-- but there is no adequate compensation for a lost hand-made musical instrument.

A question-- I've done my share of back and forth mailing between the US and Ireland, North Ireland, and the UK, and the process always worries me, though I've had no problems so far. Are their preferred services for reliably mailing pipes across the waters without loss or damage?

hi there
I have sent a few items to USA and Canada and also Brazil and a few did not reach the destination.
My main concern is a 6kg item to any of the above countries costs between 60 and 90 euros with (an post)
but the insurance cover is 35 euro max. I have had to pay out of my own pocket to cover the balance.
I am sorry about your loss but if I spot them here I will send you a pm and keep watch for you.
Gearoid O Bhriain.

I do hope they have not been lost..

Just to maybe make you feel better.

If you mailed them a week ago, the Christmas nonsense more than likely is why they have not arrived yet..

I got a set from a fellow in florida that shipped them 2 1/2 weeks ago and just came today.
I also ordered a pipe tutor book with cd through Amazon.. The shipper was in New York.. I ordered that on Dec 6.. Still not here yet but shipper says he shipped it a few days after order..

Yours are probably tied up in the Postal jungle and at an intersection were nothing is moving.. Hope so !!!

Not a fix for your problem but you might not have thought of that.

Seasons greets to all , and have a great safe New Year's eve and a prosperous 2010 to you all and families.

Johnnie

I've used parcel tracking several times and it is far from an exact science. Give it a bit more time.

Got a package on Dec 30 from the folks in Germany. They mailed it October 12th and were told it would take two weeks to Alaska.
So there is still hope!

Don't despair Mike - post can be weird this time of year. An Olwell flute was posted to me a month ago from Ireland, and according to the tracking number it left Cork on the 3rd of Dec., then Dublin on the 4th of Dec., then nothing. Off the radar, then on the 22nd of Dec. it appeared in Stockholm, and I got the flute on the 22nd of Dec.. Nearly three weeks to get from Ireland to Sweden!!! Both EU countries. The flute was undamaged thanks to carefull packaging although one end of the parcel was very damp. Happy new year and I hope the pipes turn up safe

Don't give up hope Mike- tis the season for straying packages! It took 2 full weeks to receive a package sent to me from just over the border in Quebec this December- one could have walked it to me in way less time . It may well show up later this month....

I've got my fingers crossed for ya'.

Thanks everyone for the messages of hope!

The package is fully insured, so there will be no financial loss to either my customer or myself, but the real annoyance is that he will be without his pipes if they don't turn up, and will still wait for me to get a replacement set to him once the Post Office agree they are missing in action.

Fortunately this sort of thing does not happen to me that often, only twice in recent years.

Turning to insurance for posting pipes; the only sure way is to send them from the UK using Parcelforce International Datapost for anything over a Practice Set, and then sending two parcels - one containing £2500 worth of pipes, and the remainder in the other parcel. It goes without saying that this is horrendously expensive!

At the moment I am discussing Transit Insurance with British Reserve Insurance for future deliveries, where I would pay them the insurance premium and pay the carriers the postage costs. This might solve the problem for other pipemakers if it proves feasible and I will certainly publicise it on here should that happen.

Have a happy and prosperous 2010, and remember that only one thing contains all four vital food groups; alcohol, sugar, caffeine and fat - Irish Coffee!

Mike

Hi Mike,

did you post them to a fellow in Utah (Provo, I believe)? If so, my piping buddy Joe Perry informs me that the gent received the set on Saturday - an unusually-colored wood, Taylor-style keys, wire bridle, yes?


Cheers,
Mark

Hi Mark (and Fr. Patrick for the heads up!),

Yes I just got told that my customers' pipes finally made it. They still don't show up on the tracking system, but I suppose you can't have everything. However, there is a very definite upside - I decided to make a replacement set for the one which has not gone walkabout, so I now have another Practice Set for sale.

The wood is Palo Santo, by the way, and smells absolutely gorgeous.

Cheers All,

All's well that ends well.

[quote="Mike Hulme"]so I now have another Practice Set for sale.

[quote]

ohhhh! how much?
probably sill too expensive for me but 'you have to have a dream, if you dont have a dream, how you gonna make your dreams come true'

Hey Mike did you ever think of going on "The Apprentice" . I bet Alan Sugar would be well impressed with your unique sales technique .


RORY