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One Tough Apple

B

BuggZ

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
285
Location
East Texas
I picked up a Performa 5200 on *bay a couple of weeks ago and was really excited when the DHL delivery arrived. My excitement ended when I saw the driver unload a box that wasn't really shaped like a square anymore. I opened the "box" and found the plastic housing for the performa had some significant damage. The seller was really great about the whole thing and contacted DHL. DHL said I had to bring the computer in to their local office to file a claim. I took the computer in along with the picture from the auction listing showing what the computer was supposed to look like. The DHL rep said they had to send the computer in to their claims office to determine if the damage was covered or not. About 10 days later I got a notice that I had a package to pick up at the local DHL drop-off point. When I got there there was a large box packed by DHL that had the Performa in the box that I originally received it in inside. When I got the box home, I opened the outer box only to find DHL had done even more damage to the computer. The original box was crushed and split down one side with pieces of plastic protruding through the holes in the cardboard. More than 90% of the plastic housing was shattered into various sized pieces and scattered throughout both boxes. On top of that, DHL said the computer was not adequately packed to prevent damage so they refused to pay the claim, even though they did more damage the second time. The seller was great about the whole thing and we were able to work out an agreement on a partial refund and I got to keep any usable parts. The crazy thing is I decided to try to power the computer up and IT STILL WORKS!!!

Check out the pictures of the damage and the working computer here.
 
And that's why I always go with UPS or USPS. But UPS is my first choice. Never had a problem out of them.

I can't believe they won't do anything about it. You can perfectly see from the pictures that it was *damaged.* I'd compare DHL to the police in Ecuador. Both don't do a thing about any problems.
 
I hadn't intended for this to turn into a rant about shipping companies. I just wanted to see if anyone else had a similar experience with an older (non-ruggedized) computer still working after being subjected to this level of abuse. I thought the CRT and/or the hard drive would have been trashed to say the least.
 
DOS lives on!! said:
I can't believe they won't do anything about it. You can perfectly see from the pictures that it was *damaged.*
Click to expand...

Huh? Why should they pay for that? It wasn't even thinking about being anywhere near packed correctly. The computer is just cram-a-lammed into a box that barely fits it. Of course it got damaged. What did the seller expect?!?! Honestly, I have no idea what is in some people's heads. You can't stuff a computer into a box with no padding and no packaging material and have it make it to it's destination without damage.

-Ian
 
I can only agree - if those pictures show the truth then it's about the worst packaging I've seen ever. I wouldn't trust that kind of packaging for bringing it from work to home in the trunk of my car even.

I received a small camera lens in the post the other day. The guy who shipped it had bubbleplast-wrapped it to the extent that it came in a box about the size of the one in those pictures. It could easily have survived a 3 meter drop. That's how to do it.

-Tor
 
I'm not arguing that DHL should have paid. I agree the computer should have been packed better. The point I was trying to make is that the computer still works! Would a desktop built today still be working after being treated like that?
 
WOW. That's some of the worst packing ever. That's not how you pack a 50lb computer!

It should have at least been packed with styrofoam on all 6 sides, as well as the computer itself being wrapped in bubble wrap. Then the empty space left around it should have been filled with packing peanuts. Oh, and in a thicker box as well. I know I'd never ship my 5500 like that.

The other reason it was busted up so bad is that it was made of Spindler plastic. Stuff is VERY brittle.
 
Yep, it should've been packed better. When I got my 5260, the box was sagging prety badly, but the computer itself was wrapped in bubble wrap, along with rolls of bubble wrap all around it. And on the outside of the rolls, there were blocks of styrafoam.

I hate spindler plastic, especially since I accidentally broke an internal clip holding one of the covers to the TV tuner card port on while installing the card.
 
I agree. I did have a pretty adequately packed Mac Plus that got shipped to me and UPS definitely chugged it over the fence, onto the stairs, which it then promptly rolled down. Needless to say, the case was pretty cracked up.
 
I realize the plastic on these models was brittle and I also realize the computer was not properly packed. The point I am trying to get at is should I be surprised the computer still works after being handled roughly enough to bend the metal frame around the CRT?
 
BuggZ said:
......should I be surprised the computer still works after being handled roughly enough to bend the metal frame around the CRT?
Click to expand...

Most definitely...

2 points

1, They don't make 'em like they used to.

2, Colleges now teach students to design things so that they fail soon after the warranty expires, breakdowns and lack of the latest features combined with marketing promotes new sales.
 
mnbvcxz said:
1, They don't make 'em like they used to.

2, Colleges now teach students to design things so that they fail soon after the warranty expires, breakdowns and lack of the latest features combined with marketing promotes new sales.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, that is true. I've got stuff made in the 40s and 50s that's made out of hard metal and was made to last. Nowadays, cheap Chinese made products hold the #1 spot for our most bought products.

And I really don't understand why colleges would actually teach the students to make products that are pretty much designed to fail. That's just a horrible way to teach the manufacturing process and students need to learn to make quality products that they can be proud of. It may be more work, but to me, that's definetely worth it.
 
DOS lives on!! said:
And I really don't understand why colleges would actually teach the students to make products that are pretty much designed to fail. That's just a horrible way to teach the manufacturing process and students need to learn to make quality products that they can be proud of. It may be more work, but to me, that's definetely worth it.
Click to expand...

There was a program about this a few weeks ago, it all began in the 20's when light bulbs were beginning to last a loooong time, and sales were declining, so all the manufacturers agreed to cut the working life of their bulbs to about 1000 hours, those manufacturers who failed to meet that target (as in worked longer than 1000hrs) were fined, soon all manufacturers saw the sense in making short lived products and the practice spread.

At the turn of the century, some companies went bankrupt because the products they made out-lived the company.

P.S. We have been programmed to want the latest thing and do not want something that is designed to last because we will throw it away long before it's obsolete.
 
I would say that the reason for cheap products is that the economy is bad so companies could make more money, but it is more of the changing times. Both of my movie projectors are made out of some type of metal, but you can go to Walmart and buy a DVD player for $20 and it's fully made out of plastic. 100% break prone.
 
Holy canoly, Batman. That is the worst shipping job I've seen in a long time. The seller should reimburse 100%, why would the delivery vendor have anything to do with that?
 
TanruNomad said:
Holy canoly, Batman.
Click to expand...

I will agree that is one well built computer. :D

And it is funny how the shipping company packed the computer much worse than the original shipper did.

http://www.wap.org/journal/minimacreview.html

americangirlsmac.gif


Is this what it should look like?
 
Speaking of lightbulbs, there are edison bulbs on ebay from like 1900 that STILL work.

As far as design and manufacturing go, there are still really well made products that cost three times as much that will last you three times as long. They basically just cross collateralize selling you something that you're paying for 3 times, that will last 3 times as long.

I think Apple still does a fairly good job of this though, they just like to bring out a lot of new features. I had a powerbook that was dented and 7 years old and it still worked just fine when I sold it. It's because they use metals and actual glass. It's truly quality stuff.

The adapter on the other hand for the powerbook with the plastic tip, was just a bad idea. I actually had Steve Jobs' assistant call to have it replaced for me for free, they did work 3 years out of warranty because the computer was getting hot and I was on my 3rd adapter. I had fired off an email, and I'm pretty convincing. :)

Needless to say, the tip warped again and the next email got back a response from el jefe himself. I'd have to go and find it but it basically said that I was using it wrong and to go to an apple store and have them show me how to use it correctly.

Still love the man though. :)
 
To get back to the original intent of the OP, no, you shouldn't be surprised that it still worked because the stuff was just built out of tougher materials.

Shipping was cheaper back then, gas was cheaper back then (in "back then" dollars), so, making a case out of solid metal didn't add significantly to the price of the unit.

I'd guess, that if the system was shipped in the same state when it was new, the damage would have been considerably less severe than now because the plastic wouldn't have been as brittle.

Today, you need 4 inches of rigid foam around the thing just to get it from the store to your home. I could dent the case metal of a current computer with an angry look LOL.
 
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