I've never had a problem selling a bike locally for the money I was looking for, so I've never had to resort to packing/shipping a bike and hoping for the best out of UPS/FedEX..
I did act as an agent for OFG once, and bought and shipped a De Rosa to him. - CA to AZ. I packed it carefully, sent it on it's way, and sweated bullets until it arrived safe and sound on the other end.
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"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman