Pilot Air: Shipper beware!

pacray

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When shipping games I try to use NAVL exclusively. The few times there have been problems, I submitted an insurance claim and had a check for the full amount in hand within 10 days. But right before Christmas I had to ship 2 games out using Pilot Air because the buyers wanted them before the big day. These were completely restored Ms Pacman games, well wrapped in a layer of shrink wrap, then cardboard, then shrink wrap, and foam padding. I strapped the to a pallet and delivered them to their dock.

I then get a call from the distressed buyer who was watching their game being delivered. They sent out a guy to deliver it with a truck and no lift gate. He had no idea how to safely get the game off the pallet, and then off the truck. The driver was rude and used profanity as he struggled with the game, and ended up damaging it pretty badly in the process. The buyer took pictures of the game, as it sat in the snow with chunks of the side art ripped off. They called Pilot Air headquarters who told them to refuse the game, which they did.

2 Weeks later I got a call from Pilot to say the game was back on their dock so I could come pick it up. Besides the damage to the side art, the bottom was pushed in, there was damage to the top of the game where they obviously had stacked something heavy on top of it, and there was a large dent in the newly restored coin door where something had rammed into it.

I submitted a claim, and was told they wouldn't even look at it for 4 weeks, as that was their policy, and that they would make a decision within 10 weeks after that. Then I get a bill in the mail last week, charging me for the cost of shipping the game back to me. Will I ever see any money from my insurance claim? I doubt it, but if I do, I will post a response to this thread.

I will never use Pilot Air again. Even if I had built a crate around this game, I am pretty it still would have arrived damaged, as the force needed to push the bottom of the game up into the cabinet must have been done by it being dropped hard on the fork lift.

You can usually save about $100 when shipping a game with Pilot Air, but unless you don't care what happens to it along the way, or what condition it is when it arrives, I suggest using NAVL, or finding another shipper.
 
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Thanks for posting that Ray. I have had problems with them also. They smashed a pigskin I shipped and dropped a Evel Knievel Pinball game off a pallet infront of the customers.

I will stop using them also unless its a special request. They're biggest issue is their insurance, they only pay a % and wont insure the game 100%.

Jon
 
shipping is pretty safe and hassle free for those willing to spend the extra with navl, sti or precision. (they all might be the same company). I've used them numerous times without incident. Sorry to hear that happened Ray, that really sucks man.

this is why i'm soooo reluctant to ship a game!!!

Tom
 
Why did they even try to unload the games? I thought Pilot Air only did loading dock to loading dock. Anyway, hope you get what they owe you! Totally sucks to have restored games get damaged. :(
 
Screw Yellow Freight as well!!!

Left like this... Well packed and secured.

VentureonSkid.jpg


Arrived like this...

DSCN7849-1.jpg
 
Pilot air and warlords cocktail

I received a Warlords cocktail via Pilot Air a number of years back (picked it up at the terminal). The beautiful machine was dropped and the monitor (glass and boards) , game PCB and bottom of the cocktail were sitting on the pallet. Got the run around on it as well. They wanted me to pay to ship it back... Never again. NAVL is the only way to go. Shipped 5 machines with NAVL, never a problem.
 
FYI-NAVL doesn't have a collectibles division anymore and you either won't get a response from anyone, or they'll quote you about $800-900/game. You need to go with Precision, who used to be part of their collectibles division.
 
I used Pilot Air one time. They put a forklift through a restored Theater of magic pinball.
 
I used Pilot Air one time. They put a forklift through a restored Theater of magic pinball.

Agreed Pilot Air is careless and their customer service is crap. I had some non arcade stuff shipped from Vegas to WI. They billed the wrong people (how I don't know I gave them my credit card, and I filled outa Bill of Lading there!). When they called me to sort out the billing some guy called me a deadbeat and threatened me with violence, when it was there screw up in the first place. When it was all said and done which took two months (I refused to deal with the guy who called me) I got an apology (half assed one), and my credit card got double charged...had to dispute that one.

Oh and the 14' Rolled Tube I had shipped was...you guess it damaged.

Then again NAVL when I have called them to have games shipped won't ship from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana or Michigan to Wisconsin. I am quoting "we make our money on these types of shipments based on distance and well in your case it isn't worth it to bother the little distance". The other time I asked about a quote I had to call back twice got put on hold for 8 mintues (I hung up eventually) and then quote for the game was like 900 bucks Texas to WI. I wish there was a better alternative.
 
NAVL has gone through a number of changes over the years, but I haven't gotten a quote from them for shipping a vid for more than $400, except for when has was over $4/gal. These days it is right around $350, albeit I am shipping from Denver. It might be more from a less central location.

If you want to get in touch with NAVL, I suggest contacting Judy:

Judy M. Metallo
Precision Transportation Inc,
an agent for STI and North American Van Lines
Wk: 630-352-3313
Fax: 866-651-5919
[email protected]

She always emails back promptly, sometimes even on weekends!
 
I have had about 100 machines shipped back and forth with NAVL and only ONE problem I "thought" was an NAVL issue but a well respected member here shipped a game to me and DUCT TAPED the chassis to the base of the monitor. Apparently it was a big issue to get screws, I never got an apology, just a kind of "this is why I don't ship attitude and you're lucky I made an exception" deal.

LUCKILY I had a spare chassis I just replaced it with, but it was the one time I thought NAVL messed up when they did not.
 
That is absolute BS. There was a witness to the game being mishandled, and the delivery guy cursing.

Clearly THEY damaged the game, so I don't think you owe them a dime.
 
Guess I was lucky, I used them around 10 years ago and everything went just fine.
I shipped a spy hunter cockpit from Texas to Michigan
 
Then again NAVL when I have called them to have games shipped won't ship from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana or Michigan to Wisconsin. I am quoting "we make our money on these types of shipments based on distance and well in your case it isn't worth it to bother the little distance".

This sucks big time, but at least it's honest, instead of taking your money and then giving shitty service because they aren't making any money on the deal.
 
Screw Yellow Freight as well!!!

Arrived like this...

DSCN7849-1.jpg

There's your problem. The yoke isn't pointing at the front of the tube any more. A little duct tape will fix'er right up. ;)

ken

PS: For those with no sense of humor: yes, I understand how hard that cabinet had to be slammed to break the back of the monitor like that. I'm just surprised that is all the damage that occured.
 
I think you're rolling the dice anytime you ship a game. I used to use Pilot Air and Forward Air all the time when I first started without a problem. That was about 12 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. I used NAVL once and it was a horrible experience and it's amazing how unavailable Michelle can become when there is a problem. That's why I stick to local machines now, plus I'm at my space limit anyways.
 
This sucks big time, but at least it's honest, instead of taking your money and then giving shitty service because they aren't making any money on the deal.

I was put off by the attitude, it was hardly a polite denial, the way she put it sounded like I was asking for the fillings out of her teeth. My request was 190 miles. I asked what the minimum mileage was and if I could be charged that and was told, "I don't know".

Everything in any industry starts and ends with customer service. Many swear by them I was put off in my two experiences. But hey for every bad experience with a company someone is there to defend and vice versa.
 
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