Make sure the uke is double boxed. Put the uke in the case and make sure that it can't move (wrap it in bubble wrap or towels or something soft but secure. Wrap the case in several layers of bubble wrap and put it in a box. Again make sure that it is secure and can't move around. Then put that box in another larger box, pad the empty space between the boxes again ensuring that the inner box can't shift. Make sure the distance between the inner and outer boxes is several inches so if something accidentally penetrates the box it won't hit the inner box. If you pack this way it really doesn't matter which shipper you use. They all give reasonable service with occasional problems, but in general, the problems are with individuals not companies so they are difficult to predict. UPS offers a "we pack" option in which they guarantee the "packing". They broke a 5K piece of my sculpture and it took me about 7 months and lots of wrangling to get paid off even though the piece was going to a gallery and had independent appraisals. The problem is that things like insurance are now subcontracted and when you deal with the subcontractor their main goal is keeping claims down for the business, and the business doesn't care about what you think because they just say "it's the decision of the company we subcontract to". There seems to be little interest in corporate responsibility, but this thread was about packing <g>. There are some differences in insurance policies between the companies and they are worth checking out depending on the value of what you're shipping, but even with insurance it can be a hassle to get your money. Really it sounds a lot more complicated than it is and if you pack well you'll have few problems. cheers, g2