migosa said...
Hi Guys I know this might be late now, but be careful when using smart send services. I have used them last year to send my board from Townsville to Perth. The estimated price was $200. They came got the board bag and took it to Brisbane (2000km south) and no problems. Then when in Brisbane they said that I gave the wrong bag dimensions and the updated price to take the board to Perth was now $600. And unless I paid them the board would be retained in their depot in Brisbane. I tried to call them and but answer was "we are a internet based business and all our contacts are done over email" I tried to give them the board brand so they could check the official dimensions of the bag, but again they said their machine estimated the board bag as being 100 cm (wide) x 280 cm (length) x 40 cm(height). Imagine, I did not know that I was sending a small boat!!! After a heated exchange of emails I paid them as they refuse to have the board sent back to Townsville.
I will never again be using their services and will advertise against them to anyone who is planning to use them.
Sometimes what looks cheap is in fact bloody expensive....
Freight is measured with a laser so it will record the outer most extremeties of anything on the bag. ie. if you have a handle or a tag sticking out it will read use that point for the reading. Moreover if the board is highly rockered it will read the highest point to the lowest point, ie. tip of the nose to botom of base. Having said this they do make mistakes as well.
I work in the industry, and yes you get what you pay for. Moreover for any fragile freight, boards in particualar, good packing is critical. Mechanical sorting systems do take their toll on fragile gear. Cover rails form nose to tail with cardboard, add 2-3 layers of bubble and then a double wall cardboard box. If using a boardbag I would still use cardboard on the rails and bubble wrap.
