UPS. Friend Or Foe?
Recently shipped two speakers and the stands all in very good (8/10) condition to a buyer in another state. One speaker and the stands were in the factory boxes. The other speaker was boxed by UPS. The buyer sent pictures and stated they arrived damaged. One of the speakers had a rattle but no visible damage, the other speaker, (the one UPS boxed), had visible damage. Not surprisingly, the stands arrived unscathed.
All items were picked up by UPS in that city and taken for inspection.
And the results were...UPS is not at fault because they have a policy, buried in very fine print, that it is the shippers' (sellers') responsibility to ensure proper packaging.
My wife and I also found out the local UPS stores are legally not affiliated with UPS!!!
We are currently attempting to discuss this with the owner of the local store.
Sad but true...
I had Audio Classics refurb my MR 78 a while back. First I bought their dedicated shipping box, then I packed it properly and left it with local UPS to ship insured. Audio Classics said it arrived with a broken glass faceplate. But insurance covered it and they replaced it. I got it back in perfect condition. Glad the insurance worked. |
Tom, Sorry to hear about you bad shipping experience. UPS and FedEx just don't care. They are just giant robots that move packages from one address to another. They know packages regularly get damaged and have their fine print and cleanup crew that takes care it. They make more money jamming as many packages through their system as possible and them dealing with the aftermath as opposed to being more careful with people's goods and having fewer claims. That said, they have to deal with people trying to get away with false clams, too. It's a giant system that has us over a barrel. We use LTL shipping for everything except for a few item that are relatively small and lightweight and they are over-packed. We have had good luck shipping this way. Most manufacture's corrugated packaging is really good for only one trip, maybe two if it wasn't too beat up the first time. Some are better than others. Shipping has become so expensive, one would think the service would excellent. |
@jwei Glad you had a good experience. Thanks for sharing. Nice when things turn out the way they are supposed to. |
@arion Thank you! And thanks for the advice about LTL. |
I've had mixed results with UPS. The one time I had a major shipment - including the maximum insurance - they damaged several boxes and lost 6. After 18 months of hassle, even securing 3rd party help, I gave up. They had no intention of honoring in insurance. I will not use UPS to ship items of value anymore. That said, USPS is worse.Good luck filing a claim much less getting paid. All that said, 1. if you use them, pay the extra to have them pack it, take pictures, and save documentation. Won't matter if it's damaged but maybe helps. 2. Don't use them with expensive stuff. 3. If ordering from a retailer, get in writing (email) their precise policy and get a person's contact name/email. 4. FedEx and or DHL are a tiny bit better but it's still a crapshoot. None of these folks care, that's the bottom line. Last, I often pay more to purchase via Amazon. When I receive a package that's crushed, I take pictures of all sides before opening but I must say, they have always honored a return or replaced a damaged shipment.
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