Guide to Shipping Repairs

GUIDELINES ON SHIPPING THE ROBOT FOR REPAIR

Fill out the return form sheet. Please place the return form inside the carrying case. This is found on Robotronics.com, under service and return form. It is a good idea to print multiple copies (one in the carrying case and one in the box or crate) as paperwork sometimes gets lost in shipping. In the letter include the following: Specific problems that you have experienced.

What should be sent back with the robot? Everything that you would like checked out should be sent. You do not need to send the large batteries that go in the robot. If you need new batteries, let us know in your letter. Charge all of the batteries including the RC batteries before sending the robot. The transport cart only needs to be sent if you need repairs to it.

What carrier should I use? For the vehicle robot, a LTL freight company can be used. If you are only shipping the upper portion of the robot, you can sometimes use UPS or FEDEX. Make sure that you pack it tight so that nothing can bounce around. Leave enough space above the robot so that if something is stacked on top, the top of the robot will be safe.

How much should I expect to pay for freight? This varies quite a bit depending on the carrier and the weight. For vehicles and standup robots it’s about $250.00 each way and for Pluggie, about $100.00 each way. It’s always good to shop around for the best rate. Make sure that the freight company serves your city direct because this affects the freight charges. Your company may have a contract with a freight company that gives you a discount. If you are a government agency you may have a contract of this kind. Robotronics can arrange the pickup if you would like and add the shipping to the repairs.

*VERY IMPORTANT* What is the robot’s class with the Freight company?

This information goes on the freight bill. List the weight as accurately as possible.

Mechanical Device | Item #61558 | Class 92.5

What should I insure the shipment for? To cover yourself for the possibility of total loss, you should insure for the current replacement value of the shipment. Find the current price in the current product catalog. If you are not sure of the value, call the Robotronics’ service department or go to www.robotronics.com. With most freight companies, the specific class of the shipment carries with it a certain amount of insurance in case of loss or damage. This is usually a certain amount of coverage per pound. Ask the freight company for more details on this. If you want 100% coverage, you may have to pay extra for this. If you use UPS, make sure that you insure it also.

Finding a Container

Option 1: You can find a box, double wall, allowing for 4-6 inches of cushion all around the robot or parts.

Option 2: You could have a packaging store put it in a box and ship it.

Option 3: You could have a crate made to ship it in. (One big advantage of using a crate is that we will use it for the return trip.)

Whether you use a cardboard box or a crate make sure that it has enough room to put 4-6 inches or more of cushion all around and have the robot tight in the package. If the container cannot safely be used for the return trip, we will need to ship it in new boxes. This costs from $100-200.00 for the boxes and packing material, depending on the type of robot; so it makes it worth using good containers.

Remove the robot battery You can keep the robot batteries there. Keep them charged up.

Put the robot in a plastic bag! This will protect the body and keep any loose fill from getting all inside the robot. If you do not put the robot in a plastic bag, you may be charged a small unpacking fee. It can take a very long time to get all of the peanuts out of the robot. PLEASE, just put a bag (or something) around your robot.

Loose fill: If you use popcorn loose fill for cushion, it’s more effective if it is put in plastic bags and the bags are put around the robot so that it doesn’t just shake down and shift around.

Ship the controls in the padded case. Ship the radio control, voice and accessories in the carrying case, if you have one. This is the padded case that came with the robot. This is especially important to protect the fragile joysticks of the radio control. If you do not have a carrying case, put cushion around the joysticks (such as Styrofoam) and then wrap the entire radio control in cushioning material (such as bubble wrap).

Markings on the Box. Put THIS SIDE UP signs with arrows on all sides of the boxes. (UPS or FedEx do not necessarily comply with these designations, so pack it well enough so that the package can be positioned upside down or on its side.)

Contact our service and repair department, if you have any further questions. 801-489-4466 Ext 3