Greetings,  There hasn't been really a lot of feedback to Mr. Mark
Forer's horror story about the handling of his Seeburg E [000412 MMD],
so I thought I might as well stick my oar in.  Much of this will be of
little use to Mr. Forer at this point, but there are some things that
we should all perhaps keep in mind in similar situations.

When moving anything worth more than $1.98, it is truly foolhardy not
to opt for additional insurance, which is available from the mover's
insurance company, and is obtained through the mover.  In many states,
possibly most, the moving company is by law liable for damage only to
the extent of X dollars per pound or even as little as X cents per
pound.

The liability varies from state to state, but is in no case of which
I'm aware, adequate to cover any real damage to a restored automatic
musical instrument.  It therefore makes a great deal of sense to pay
the small amount (which it is) for additional insurance up to the total
value of the instrument.  (When your 5'8" Knabe-Ampico is reduced to
splinters, 8 cents per pound for the 843 pounds it weighs is small
comfort.)

Frankly, I'm very surprised that (apparently) neither Mr. Forer's
restorer nor his mover mentioned supplemental insurance.

Mr. Forer said that he heard the truck rumble up and then
"dilly-dallied with the coffee, but finally wandered out to say hello."

Big mistake.  If you know more about handling whatever you're having
shipped than it seems likely that the movers do, you should really be
out there before the truck's brake is set to be certain the merchandise
is handled appropriately.  One can stave off a great deal of trouble
that way.

Mr. Forer says: "I got very uptight and told them I was concerned that
turning an automatic on its side was not a normal position for such a
delicate machine that I had spent thousands on, and that something
could be amiss, loose, or broken upon final inspection.  'Nobody told
us nuthin',' was the leader's reply, even though the rebuilder was
explicit in his instructions on how to handle the item from door to
door."

Unless you were actually there when the restorer spoke with the moving
company, and with these delivery men in particular, you don't know
that.  Assume nothing.  Supervise the unloading.

Now the good part: From Mr. Forer's description, my educated guess
would be that some or all of the violin pipes have fallen out of their
chest and that any real damage is unlikely if the only mishandling was
in up-ending the nickelodeon.  Since pipes can be easily dislodged with
even a short move and flawless delivery by something as simple as a
rough road, I'm kind of surprised that the restorer didn't either
remove the pipes and crate them separately, or at least "wedge" them
in place in the instrument with foam-rubber or other similar packing,
and provide Mr. Forer with explicit instructions on how to remove the
packing and ascertain that the pipes are in place if he/she was unable
to be present for the delivery and set-up as well as the pick-up.

It has long been my practice to be present for the delivery of any
restored instrument more complex than an 88-note player, unless the
move is cross-country.  I budget that into the original bid.  In the
case of a _very_ long distance move, I try to arrange for a reputable
local technician to be present for the delivery and to set up the
instrument, unless I'm absolutely certain that the owner is fully
competent to handle it.  I know I'm not alone in insisting on this sort
of procedure.

The remainder of Mr. Forer's post details mainly his pitching a fit
at the movers and the moving company.  While I fully understand the
emotions of the moment, I don't think that's the best plan.  You
probably don't really want the delivery personnel to be your bitter
enemies when they have your instrument on the truck and are departing
your driveway.  I know I don't!

Mr. Forer goes on to say: "I called HQ and read them the riot act about
their technique, both moving and customer-wise.  I then e-mailed my
thoughts to everyone from the president on down to two claims people."

In my experience, these things are _much_ better handled satisfactorily
if one "keeps one's cool" and details the problem dispassionately, both
orally and in writing. "Reading the riot act" isn't likely to endear
anyone to the moving company.

To keep this from getting even longer, I reiterate my view that we
should all be aware of the need for supplemental insurance coverage and
for the need to keep calm, however difficult, should a problem arise.

I'm sure there are those who would disagree with me.

With flame suit at the ready,

Dean Randall