2. analog
  3. 191210-63554

Can You Trust a Shipper? (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc)

No you cannot, and here's why: In July, I bought a Rotel tuner from an ebay seller with a rating of 99.8% on hundreds of transactions. He shipped the tuner via UPS, who delivered the tuner to a business a few miles from my house. Someone from that business signed for my package (it is a warehouse that takes in merchandise from retailers that is being returned to the wholesaler from whence it came). It took several weeks to find this out, and I went to the business back around Labor Day to see what they had to say. I was allowed into the warehouse to do a cursory search for the package, but there must have been 4,000 - 5,000 boxes. PayPal denied a claim I had filed, because the tracking info the seller shared with them showed the package had been delivered. I went to the local UPS store today and was told that a claim had been filed by the seller with UPS and they would have reimbursed him. Moral of the story: Always have your signature required when you have anything shipped, unless you want to fall into this same black hole. Better yet, avoid having anything shipped unless it is from an actual retailer or other reputable company.

 

discnik
br3098
994 posts
 

I understand your frustration, but I have some different thoughts about your comments.

1. Yes, shippers suck. But not very much. They are large corporate monsters and they can't help it.

2. Almost all sellers suck. That is, most sellers can't pack a piece of audio gear worth a damn. Wrapping a turntable into a trash bag and loosely packed in an oversize box 2/3 filled with packing peanuts is not good packing. And sellers need to understand that until the item I paid for arrives safely at my address AND I have unpacked and inspected the item, the sale is not completed.

If, as happened to the OP, the package arrives at the wrong address - not my (the buyers) problem. If it arrives damaged - not my fault. If it doesn't work (assuming that I'm an honest guy, like all of us here on A'gon 😁) - not my fault.

3. PayPal and I believe eBay require a seller to provide tracking information, purchase insurance and require a signature upon delivery. If not then the seller is required to reimburse the buyer within a fixed (short) amount of time following request for a refund, whether the seller is compensated by the shipper or not.

4. Ask the seller to provide you a photo of the unit, ready for shipping with the box open. If the packing is clearly deficient then void the sale and ask the seller for a refund if your payment has been processed. You don't need to accept crappy packing which almost always results in a damaged or inoperative product.

larsman's avatar
larsman
1,916 posts
 

You had a bad experience, so nobody else should use a shipping service. OK....  

discnik OP
160 posts
 

I am not doubting that the unit was packed to survive the trip; my point was that even though it was clear UPS had delivered the package to the wrong address, I'm still out of my money because PayPal's unbending rule is that if the shipper shows a package was delivered (even if it was the wrong address), they will not make a refund. The seller not only got my money for the purchase of the unit, UPS paid HIM when he filed a claim for a lost package. It is like trying to fight a cloud.

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