dba4life

Everyone has an opinion and this is mine. In line with others I think both the OP and Gene have handled this well. Similar to Ultimate Respect above I believe the only objection I have is not taking ANY responsibility for the shipping. Of course no one can have full responsiblity for any of the shipping companies out there, the bottom line it is part of your supply chain. Also the vendor selects the shipping company. There is some responsibility in my mind there. Of course the vendors need to protect their business and is free to set their own policies. I would not go as far to say it is unprofressional as it is in the T+C's, but I would call it unfriendly. Personally I am very careful before ordering from companies with 20% restocking fees. However I have ordered from Gene before. It almost went all wrong due to delayed shipping but they were able to redirect a shipment to the location the car was at and it saved it. So I was a happy camper.

Now in this case, obviously the original buyer is not satisified and wants to return them. Given the condition they arrived, they should be accepted back without a restocking fee. That is my opinion. However I do not own my own businsess and work in a location where customer satisfaction is of a greater priority versus saving a bit of any profit margin.

chasboy

where do you get your information? Where does the OP state that he has no mechanical background, and who are the experts you refer to and what are their credentials? When a delivery problem is the fault of the shipper there should be NO restocking fee.
It also amazes me how a well meaning post to this forum degrades into nonsense.

robsball

I know it upset you, but seriously if you have one inkling of a doubt, send them back, listen to your inner voice.

jimb100

I have bought from Gene, had problems with UPS and Gene resolved them quickly and to my complete satisfaction.

His prices are excellent but if you'd rather pay hundreds of dollars for extra cardboard, buy Koni.

If this was some no name vendor who just started selling here, sending them back might be the way to go.

But this guy has established credibility. If he says they are fine and that's the way they are supposed to look, per GM, I think he's owed the benefit of the doubt.

Put them on and if they don't work, then call him out.

MSG C5

You really want to go there?! You're right, I bought the Konis for the extra cardboard! The lifetime warranty and improved performance have nothing to do with it. However, going forward, please send me your email and I will make sure I check with you first before I spend any more of my money on my car...

My post was to show how another vendor shipped their products and I took the high road with both the OP for his questions and Gene/GM Partshouse as I've ordered from him before and agree he is an excellent vendor. I then get called out with your stupid comment.

I guess that's what you get for trying to help...

egrand333

I purchased a set of C6 Z06 shocks from GM PartsHouse less than a year ago and 2 of them had the light oil coating. I posted a question on this forum if the oil was normal and got a couple of replies that it was. Can't remember how the package looked when it arrived but one of the flanges was bent a little but straightened as it was installed.

flynbyu2

Are those supposed to be new parts??? The outer housing looks like it has a dent in your picture, plus looks scratched up.

jbondfl

I bought some genuine GM shocks on Friday, direct from the dealer (sorry Gene, my sister works there )

I just went out and opened one just for grins



personally, I'd say you have nothing to worry about. mount them and enjoy.

I could have taken more shots but take my word for it,,, at least on MY shock there is no indication the "oil" is coming from inside the shock.

pewter99

well don't buy any shocks from GM...

$$$frumnuttin'

That looks like the proper way to prevent a "loose pack", which should be the norm for shipping ANYTHING....maybe $5 more in materials....I think it's worth it. Nothing should rattle in shipping, if only to keep the packaging intact in transit. My motto has always been, "pack it to ship around the world, even if it just goes to the other side of town".

Oh, I should mention I worked for UPS during college...I loaded 2 semi trailers each night in 4 hours....I have seen it all.

pewter99

well if the shocks were just thrown in a box I could say, "yeah" but they come packed in small boxes and then placed in a bigger box...I suppose you could always throw some paper in there to protect the boxes from hitting each other but I guess that depends on how big of a box you use.


FWIW freakin Amazon shipped me a photo scanner packed in a box that allowed about 3 inches of movement in any direction...they kindly tossed in 1 piece of paper on top of the scanner box and called it good ...I was like WTF really? certainly more fragile than shocks

I have pics

SaberD

the only way these could be damaged during shipping is if they got run over by the freaking ups truck. the shocks take the imact of the weight of the vehicle, and they are extremely heavy duty components. i dont think ups sends their packages through a crusher.

$$$frumnuttin'

I hear ya on the Amazon deal In the case of the (quite heavy) shocks, all that movement can lead to one getting out of the outer box....then the OP would have gotten something like 3 shocks; and that would have created an awkward situation for sure. The weird thing is, and most people do not know about this (it's in the fine print), UPS has a 2 inch minimum space requirement, a dead zone, between the item and the shipping box. If the item gets damaged, and you can't prove you met the requirement, your claim is denied. Just ask Pat Scorzetti and me how we know...

Vetterthanyou2

Id send them back on sheer PRINCIPAL! They dont deserve your business. Look beat to hell and like they are actually LEAKING. There is a diference in a light coat of preservation oil and a LEAK.

$$$frumnuttin'

They call it...."Internal Packaging"...this is what I was trying to describe in a lot fewer words....be sure to scroll through the paragraphs...you might learn something useful... By the way, the KONI packaging engineer clearly did his homework.

Internal packaging provides shipment protection during the distribution process. Good internal packaging should have the ability to protect the product from shock and vibration, and then return to its original shape to provide further cushioning. There are a number of internal packaging materials and methods to consider before shipping a package.

Internal Packaging Materials

Loose Fill
Primarily used as space fillers for lightweight items. This type of internal packaging is not recommended for use with flat, narrow, or dense products that may migrate within the package. Because loose fill may shift and settle during the distribution process, the product can shift within the package, exposing it to a higher probability of damage. The minimum guideline for loose fill materials is to use a minimum of two inches (5.08 cm) around all sides of the container. In addition, the package will need to be overfilled slightly to allow for shifting and settling. Loose fill materials such as Expanded Polystyrene Peanuts cause static electricity and may damage electronic items. Anti-static peanuts should be used for electronic items. Use plastic bags, bubble sheeting, or other items to wrap the item so peanuts will not work themselves into areas that may cause harm to your merchandise.

Encapsulated-Air Plastic Sheeting
Packing material made of air bubbles that are encased between two poly sheets as they are sealed together. This process allows encapsulated air to provide a cushion to protect against shock. Encapsulated air provides good cushioning for lightweight items, is flexible, and cuts to wrap virtually any shape or size product. It should not be used to wrap heavyweight products. When using encapsulated-air plastic sheeting, use several layers to ensure that the entire product is protected, including corners and edges.

Polyethylene Foam Sheeting
Lightweight, soft, resilient foam sheeting material that provides excellent surface protection and cushioning properties. Ideal for protecting lightweight items.

Inflatable Packaging
Inflatable packaging uses air pressure to secure and hold products in place inside the shipping container, and provides an air barrier of cushioning. Extreme climate conditions will affect the amount of air pressure in the bags. In extremely cold conditions, the volume of air will decrease, causing extra space inside the package and increasing the risk of product damage. Extremely hot conditions will cause the air bags to expand, which can create stress on the seam of the shipping container.

Altitude variations can also affect the volume of air inside the air bags. Traveling from high to low altitudes (for example, packaging a shipment in Denver, Colorado, and shipping to New Orleans, Louisiana) will cause the air bags to decrease in size, and traveling from low to high altitudes will cause the air bags to increase in volume.

Foam-in-Place/Foam-in-Bag
Foam-in-place/Foam-in-bag is formed by a chemical mixture that expands and forms a protective mold around contents. Foam-in-place forms a mold around any product, supports corners, protects edges, and is useful where cushioning is needed. For maximum effectiveness, the foam-in-place must be evenly distributed around the items. Otherwise, the foam will not protect the product. Select the appropriate density of foam to meet packaging needs, which can range from void-fill applications to high-performance cushioning.

Kraft Paper
Kraft paper (not newspaper or newsprint) is wrapped and crumpled to fill empty space inside a package with light-to-medium weight, non-fragile items. When using kraft paper, tightly wad the paper and use at least two inches (5.08 cm) around and between the contents. Make sure that there are at least two inches (5.08 cm) of kraft paper on all six sides of the box.

Paper Cushioning
Multilayered paper (not newspaper or newsprint) padding is ideal for wrapping medium to large sized, non-fragile items and those that may require moisture absorption. Paper cushioning is excellent for filling empty spaces.

Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS)
EPS is a moldable, lightweight, low-cost foam with minimum impact cushioning abilities. EPS is often designed with ribs that will compress on impact and return to its original shape. It is not as resilient as other poly foams, such as polyethylene and polyurethane. EPS is well suited for less fragile shipments.

Polyethylene Foam (PE)
PE is a low-density cell foam. Molded or fabricated PE offers superior shock and vibration reduction capacities, making it suitable for cushioning high value or fragile items.

Polyurethane Foam (PU)
Polyurethane is a low-density, flexible foam that offers good shock absorbency and resiliency. Because it is a lightweight, flexible foam, it is more suitable for light loads.

Corrugated Board
Two or more layers of single- or double-wall corrugated board may be laminated together to form blocks or pads. These pads can be used to form a protective shield between the product and container. Corrugated pads are best used with heavy, semi- to non-fragile products. Corrugated board can be shaped to form trays, liners, partitions, and other package accessories that work to cushion semi- to non-fragile products and increase the integrity of the shipping container.

Cushioning Methods


Blocking and Bracing
By using a resilient material, you can block and brace shipments by absorbing the shock energy and direct it towards the strongest point of the product. The blocking and bracing method is the preferred cushioning method for heavyweight packages.

Floatation/Stuffing
Floatation is a method of surrounding an object with small pieces of cushioning material that shift or flow to fill empty space in the package and distribute the impact over the entire surface of the product.

Wrapping
Using sheet material of various types, individual pieces are wrapped to protect small items. This method is not adequate for the protection of heavyweight products.

Suspension
Suspension is a method of holding the packaged product away from the sides of the container for protection. Materials used for suspension are straps, tape, slings, poly-film, or other supports that can act as flexible restraints.

Molded Enclosures
Molded enclosures form to the shape of the product and distribute the force across the product.

pewter99

yeah UPS and their insurance is

I know Pat kinda local to me...good guy