Bezzera BB005 shipping problems in USA?

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
User avatar
drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#1: Post by drgary »

I asked Jim Piccinich about this grinder, since his company, 1st-Line Equipment, sells Bezzera products. He said I could post about his response. Essentially the frame is too thin to handle the inertial forces of US shipping, causing a 100% damage rate in the immediate predecessor to this grinder. He cited dents in the case, misalignment, etc. He says European shipping is more gentle, which may account for it being available there.


...split from Bezzera BB005 best value grinder by moderator...
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

dvanderson2
Posts: 72
Joined: 8 years ago

#2: Post by dvanderson2 »

Important information. Thanks for posting this, Gary.

DarrenAddy
Posts: 11
Joined: 17 years ago

#3: Post by DarrenAddy »

This shipping excuse is a bogus one, IMHO. Shipping the original box within an oversize padded box will virtually eliminate this problem (as anyone who has successfully shipped fragile items knows). This might be a bit more of a hassle for the seller, and they might need to charge a bit more for the associated labor, but it is not a deal breaker for someone offering the machine here in the U.S.

I'm smelling opportunity for someone a bit more resourceful in the packaging/shipping department.

User avatar
drgary (original poster)
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#4: Post by drgary (original poster) replying to DarrenAddy »

Please read what I posted more carefully before casually dismissing it. Double boxing and adequate padding is a no-brainer for a company like 1st-Line. They're saying that no matter how it is boxed the unit is damaged by the inertia it's exposed to in U.S. shipments. This means when it suddenly stops after a long drop the frame isn't strong enough to prevent movement of internal components, causing damage. Here, specifically, is what Jim wrote to me, quoted with his permission.

"We will not bring them in. The reason is that tinny description is a fault in the grinder. In USA shipping the thin frame is not thick enough to support the weight of the motor from inertial shipping forces. What results is the motor moving within the body causing outward dents in the sides and warped body on top where the motor mounts."

"In Europe the shipping is more white glove service. Here in the USA we had a 100% damage rate. That is why when you see certain products on our website that says pick up only, it means high damage rates in shipping."
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

realdoctor
Posts: 192
Joined: 16 years ago

#5: Post by realdoctor »

I am inclined to view this as an excuse too.

My grinder was shipped from central Germany to Austria. Before that, it went from Bezzera in Italy to Germany. No damage whatsoever. The original factory packing is superb. It comes in a box about triple the size of the grinder with massive, tailored foam inserts. It cannot move, and it cannot be seriously torqued by being thrown around. Nothing short of either putting a loaded pallet of bricks on the box or puncturing it with a very long sharp object is going to do serious damage.

100% damage rates? Has Jim Piccinich even seen the packing? Unless Bezzera is using entirely different packing when they ship from the factory to the USA than they use for shipping within Europe, this one really will not wash.

I don't know what the real problem is, but dealers in N. America just do not seem to be able to get stock in this item from Bezzera. I wish Jim were more candid about this one.

Jim

realdoctor
Posts: 192
Joined: 16 years ago

#6: Post by realdoctor »

A further note. I am not convinced that US shipping is so much more violent than freight in Europe. It is possible that an earlier model of Bezzera grinder had these problems, but the BB005 is not a modification of an earlier model. It is a different grinder.

Jim

realdoctor
Posts: 192
Joined: 16 years ago

#7: Post by realdoctor »

OK. I will stop after this post - sorry about multiple posts!

The BB004 is a 6 kg grinder with a 240 watt motor. The BB005 is a 4kg grinder with a 100 watt universal motor. It is quite possible that Jim had bad experiences with the BB004. But he may be making a mistake generalizing that to the BB005 without looking at it. Most of the weight difference is going to be the motor, and the inertial forces he describes will be much smaller.

Honestly, I have been living in Europe for the last seven years and I have seen no evidence that freight carriers are any more gentle than in the USA.

Jim

User avatar
drgary (original poster)
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#8: Post by drgary (original poster) »

I'm not in the business so I don't know. I like your reasoning that the earlier model has a bigger motor. But I wouldn't assume Jim P hasn't seen the later model since he sells Bezzera products and regularly travels to visit European manufacturers. I would not underestimate the hassle and business cost of dealing with many damaged shipments.

If he wants to comment he knows about this thread. If some of you want to try to get one shipped to North America please let us know if your grinder arrives intact.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

oronzous
Posts: 8
Joined: 8 years ago

#9: Post by oronzous »

if they experienced damages it might have been because of some internal weakness or unusually bad handling.
The packaging is as good as it gets.
I've throw away the Styrofoam inserts but I still have the box and it is 12x13x23 inches for a grinder that is basically 5x7x16. That's about 3 inches of styrofoam each side, plus double wall cardboard.

User avatar
drgary (original poster)
Team HB
Posts: 14348
Joined: 14 years ago

#10: Post by drgary (original poster) »

Yes, as noted earlier the unknown here is whether the current version suffers damage by movement of internal parts such as the motor against external parts. No amount of padding surrounding the grinder would prevent such movement.

I am not arguing that damage occurs if the current version is dropped from high up on a conveyer belt. I don't know.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Locked