monitor shipping -- is really that bad or a myth?

[compuhan]

Is monitor shipping really as bad as it's cracked up to be?? Whether you buy at a store or from mail order or online, don't monitors have to ship anyways? How else do they get to the stores. Is there something worse in shipping personal units versus large scale reseller shipping? Even at the retail outlet, one rarely if ever gets to see their specific monitor!

From all the comments i've read, even from thg, it seems buying online or mail order is a big no no. The only advantage of buying in store is saving on shipping back of defective units and somewhat more lenient return policy (if defective, as 15-20% restocking is popping up everywhere these days for "unsatisfied" returns, however). I think we need to dispel the shipping myth or at least revaluate it.

Also, how sensitive are monitors on "back to home" trips?? If it is very sensitive, then basically we are all screwed in trying to get the perfect in spec monitor.

Please post insights if I'm missing something.

Quality is better than name brand, even regarding beloved AMD.

 

[GoSharks]

We ship thousands of monitors a month, many are single units via UPS and Fed-x. There is an occasion where a unit gets dropped, and that is easy to tell from the damage to the outside of the box. Save the original packing materials. They are usually good for 3-4 shipments.

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
Cornerstone / Monitorsdirect.com

<A HREF="http://www.monitorsdirect.com" target="_new">MonitorsDirect.com</A>

 

[SDLeMire]

I wouldn't discourage from buying monitors online, but you can't ignore the obvious inconvenience of certain things. If you are unhappy with your shipped monitor, but yet can't prove it's defective, in many cases you'll swallow the shipping cost, both ways, which is a HELL of a lot more expensive than gas for a 10-20 mile trip to a local store.

Yes, monitors are shipped to stores to begin with but obviously the more time a monitor spends in shipping, the higher chance if it being mishandled or damaged. If you damage it yourself on the way home you have yourself to blame. Of course there's also the inconvenience of having to wait longer as well.

 

[prod]

I work for a large shipping company. Generally the packaging on new monitors can take a lot of abuse. Its when they are repacked that you have to be careful.
Personally I would rather buy from a larger local store. That way the boxes are handled better, shipped together on their own trucks. Shipping an individual monitor through mail/courier definitely increases the chance of damage. Trust me, I know