insurance and shipping with UPS


I recently shipped a Levinson 432 amplifier with UPS.I brought it to UPS and requested that they box it. It was insured. During transit UPS dropped the amplifier and pretty much destroyed it. I offered to pay for repairs, however the buyer had no interest in purchasing the item. UPS inspected the damaged amplifier and denied my claim, insisting  the  amplifier was not properly packaged. Corporate denied responsibility and said the issue was between myself and the UPS franchise that shipped it. I've been dealing with the franchise for a month and they are fighting with corporate in an attempt to adjudicate the issue. Meanwhile, I've repaid the buyer and have had  no relief from UPS. The UPS website clearly states that if a franchise boxed the item they are responsible. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to resolve this issue, other than hiring an attorney? UPS seems to be somewhat of a scam operation. I did not realize that all UPS offices were franchises and am wondering why anyone would ship anything of value with them.
catsally1
I actually thought that sfeay made a valid point. Personal comments on forums are never necessary, and I'm not talking about sfeay. We're all hear to learn and exchange ideas. I'll never understand why disparaging remarks are ever made and are usually precursors to food fights. These things really detract from the quality of the forum, and I'm sure discourage good people from ever posting. My takeaway from the posts and my personal experience is that regardless of how well something is packaged, if it falls off a truck or is run over by a forklift, it's going to be ruined. If an individual does his own packing, and even if it is packaged  properly, more often than not, UPS will find a way to deny the claim. There is actually a  greater likelihood of collecting what they call 'insurance' if you let them pack it. Okay, supervise the packing, but make sure they are involved.
whenEVER possible...save original boxes & packing.
they were specifically designed for your product.
an attic, a closet, basement, shed....
i know its a hassle.
but look what OP just went thru.
but IF you drop off to be packed, take multiple pics on their counter.
with employees if you can.
pictures are free...get pics or video of the packing process.
so happy for your outcome.
best wishes.
Uberwaltz--
Thank you. Nobody else mentioned using the Post Office. I have made over 300 tube amps from scratch. I'm also a retired Postmaster. The amps I mailed went through the Post Office. Never an issue.
Then again, i always did double box and significantly over pack.
It's much easier to spend a little time and effort on bulletproof packingthan dealing with a long distance claim.

If it is not considered too off topic, I have a question that may be best addressed by the retired postmaster kqvkq9 although I certainly welcome comments by anyone who cares to chime in. I have a small brick and mortar sports collectible business that I have owned and operated in the same location for 28 years. Naturally, I have insurance for my business and I pay a premium for that insurance. I must repeat, I pay for the insurance for my business. I use the USPS on a daily basis shipping mostly small, First Class packages and a few Priority Mail packages that can weigh up to 20 pounds . These type packages are very easy to package safely. The values on these packages range from $10.00 to $4,000.00. My question is this...If I pay the USPS their fee, which is based on weight and distance, to deliver a package, which is their job, why must I pay them extra to "Insure" that they do the job that I just paid them to do?! This of course holds true also for UPS, FedEx etc..
I recently had a similar problem with FedEx but I had done all the packing myself. I was able to sell the item that had slight damage but lost $2K in the deal. My packing was actually overdone but "gorillas" must have handled it in transit.