Crating and shipping cross-country.

[mikael3]

I’m considering an offer on a range in San Francisco.  Incredibly enough, it’s the same old Thermador that I was eyeing several months ago.  It’s back on CL, and the temptation is overwhelming!

 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/app/4847448372.html
 

I have no idea if the seller will work with me, but if I’m going to get this thing, it will have to be shipped to me in Atlanta.   I can’t drive to California to pick it up!!

 

I know this topic has come up before, but I can’t seem to find the old posts.  So...

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to work with a shipper, which shipper to use, that sort of thing?  Does anyone have suggestions on how to work with a CL seller on something like this?  Any help would be appreciated. 

 

[travis]

I normally send an email through CL that I am interested in their appliance, but that I would need to find a shipper. I then pay the seller via paypal, money order, or check. I leave the method up to the seller. I also get the deminsions of the appliance, address and list the item on U-ship.

Uship is fickle. Sometimes you get a great deal, other times not so much. The key in working with a shipper is having all the info they might need. When is the seller usually available to allow the pick up? How many steps are involved, etc.

When you list on U-ship, upload a picture of the stove. They'll ask the address on your side and the zip code on the pick up side. I normally ask that the appliance be blanket wrapped. You may ask the seller to remove knobs or loose parts.

I recently had the Maytag combo shipped from that area to St. Louis for $350. Remember, that whatever the bid you get from the shipper, will have a $25 fee from U-ship added to it.

Other members have used a lady named Jackie to ship for them. I am not sure what areas she travels in. Others have used U-crate, but that's more work on the seller than I would suggest. The key is getting the seller to work with you, is to make it as easy as possible for them. There's no committment in listing with U-ship to see what's available. I have met some great shippers.

If you want to get crazy, you could make a post on CL under rideshare. I once had a Bendix washer delivered from Denver that way. I figured hauling a washer would be better than a random stranger.

Good luck in getting your new stove home!

 

[chachp]

Jackie Dempere

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Her E-Mail is [email protected].  Drop her a note and see what she says.  She has done a lot of shipping for members here.</span>

 

[mikael3]

For the record, I ended up using U-Ship.  I wasn’t thrilled with their process, but the shipper I chose was very good and reasonably priced.

 

I now have a fantastic-looking, old Thermador-branded range made by Lindemann & Hoverson.  The design is obviously L&H, and this must be from the early years of their merger with Thermador.  Unfortunately, I can’t find out anything about it.

 

I also can't hook it up right now, which is really too bad.  Eventually, I’ll post something more about it.

 

[goatfarmer]

There is also this.

http://www.youcrate.com/