Question Shipping finished pieces

[Hephaestus]

Hello. I have a small framing business where I frame just needlework projects. Now and then a distant customer will ask about whether I could frame for them and I’ve so far declined because it seems like the glass could easily be broken during return shipping. Am I being too cautious? Are there ways to safely and securely ship framed items that have glass? Or would a better policy be to only use acrylic for shipped items?

 

[wpfay]

Damage to shipped goods is at an all time high according to some of the suppliers I buy from.
I won't ship by the usual methods (UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc.) when there is glass in the frame. Their policies all deny insurance coverage for items shipped with glass in them.
Yes to using acrylic, or shipping without glazing and having a framer install glass or acrylic at the recipient's end.
I have shipped lites of glass packaged separately in the same box as the frame with instructions on how to install the glass.

 

[Larry Peterson]

I have been 100% acrylic since 2001 and have shipped 1000's of pieces with it. I have NEVER had a customer complain of using acrylic over glass. The slight difference in cost is well worth it.

 

[Hephaestus]

Thank you both for your thoughts! It sounds like acrylic would be the way forward.

 

[Larry Peterson]

BTW, I don't recall ever having any acrylic damaged in transit; be it USPS, UPS or FedEx.

 

[cvm]

Acrylic is definitely the safest. If you must have frames with glass, up to 16x20 can be safely shipped as well if packed correctly. You have several insurance options and USPS and UPS will insure items with glass.

 

[Nikodeumus]

I had a customer pick up 3 pieces a few days ago.
He didn't mention until he was paying that he was planning on shipping 2 of them across the country.
I would have made different recommendations (acrylic instead of glass, or having glass fitted at the receivers location) if I had known this was their plan.
All I could say at that point was "Make sure to package them really well".

I think practically all framers have experienced this problem.
I have had 2 frames with glass broken during shipping brought in the last 2 days.