Fight it big time.They routinly reject these claims hoping you go away.All you need to do is prove they where shipped in their factory cartons and they will have to pay.Make sure you have kept the cartoon and the packing material and climb the ladder and get aggressive and if you have to be get rude.Keep pestering them call them avery 30 minutes and bug the hell out of them.Make their lives a living hell.If you still get now where get a lawyer involved. |
On June 30, I shipped a $5K+ amplifier via UPS-3Day, COD, to an Audiogon member in Denver. On July 13, delivery was confirmed via written confirmation from UPS and an email from the buyer. On July 19 the buyer's check was cashed by UPS although it was a cashier's check made payable to me. Following numerous email and phone calls, I received a UPS check on August 17...almost 8 weeks after the initial shipment. I have attempted on several occassions to gain a refund for the shipping charges of $89. UPS refuses to refund the shipping charges and simply replies via form letters that they apologize for the inconvenience. This is the 2nd time I have experienced difficulties with UPS. I should have learned the first time. In contrast, I have made and received many shipments via FedX which has always met my expectations. Ever try to track a package through UPS from the web site? Forget it. UPS is antiquated from a technological standpoint and from a customer standpoint. Go FedX! |
Regarding the previous comments relative to "climbing the ladder" at UPS and contacting management. Great idea but UPS management is so well insulated you can not break through. On several occassions I have received customer complaints that could not be satisfied through my company's consumer service center. My involvement results in resolution as we believe that the customer must be satisfied. Not so with UPS. I had difficuly getting past the call center supervisor which is 1 level up from the person taking the call. I wrote letters to the CEO. I got form letters. Maybe you will have better luck in breaking through to the insulated management team at UPS. Next time, just join me in my BOYCOTT of UPS! |
I feel for you. Been there. Done that. Try calling their corporate national complaint @ 404-828-4300. They'll ask you how you got the number but they will help you. They even sent me a letter of apology and a fruit basket once when I had a problem. Be persistent and good luck to you. |
Once I took a package to UPS, the clerk opened the package & inspected it to make sure it was adequately packed. She then slop taped it back together completely destroying my good packing job. Another time when she wanted to do the same inspection routine, I got pissed & took the package to FEDEX. She said some people send a piece of junk or whatever, insure it for a fortune, then the recieving party says it was damaged & tries to claim the insurance $. So she wasn't really inspecting my packing job but the actual contents, I guess. |
Bad news, my friend, my wife works for UPS and, since it was "your packaging", it is a call by UPS claims if it is or is not "proper packaging". She hates it when I say I will only ship Fed Ex, but she does have a solution. Go to your UPS customer counter, have them package your item, then UPS is liable for packaging (i.e. the way it is packed). Many counters use a "Versa=Pak" machine (molded styrofoam), and there is a service charge for this, but if must "Absolutely, positively" ship UPS, this would be my choice. Be sure to note the time of day and who waited on you. Otherwise, Use FedEx or anyone else if possible (I will get my butt chewed if she sees this). For your personal situation, get a lawyer to write a letter, and I bet your claim gets resolved. |
greetings; I too have had problems with UPS regarding damaged goods. A used tube amp ($3000.new) insured for $2,000. was dropped and broken beyond repair. UPS claims to settle claims in ten days.I was asked to produce a catalog showing the price. When told that most high end audio is not available from such dealers, UPS said that I must prove the value in order to collect on the claim. I had a letter from the manufacturer stating the MSRP and a letter from a dealer stating their selling price. Nothing was good enough.Finally after almost 90 days I told them that since they carried their own insurance they should be treated as any other insurance company would be under these conditions and that I was going to write to the Insurance Commission and the Attorney General in the states where the package was sent from and received in. Results, next day I got a phone call saying that I would receive a check the next day. BINGO, hand delivered to my door. Life is good, make some noise, kick some butt, don't stop until you get your money. |
PS, all UPS requires is that you use the original packing carton. |
Seems like UPS has a pattern of behavior here that would leave it exposed to class action legal problems. Any hungy sharks out there? |
I was able to bypass UPS once and recovered from my insurance. I think they may have later recovered from UPS themselves (don't know for sure). It was for a Notebook computer sent for repairs that never arrived. Probably depends on your coverage. |
BS Potsy: "PS, all UPS requires is that you use the original packing carton". Nice urban legend.100% un true. UPS requires items be doble boxed and have packaging in between each box. 99% of hifi packing does NOT meet this requirement. LOOK at the back of a UPS form and they show this, including a diagram. |
Additionally, UPS requires a minimum insulated clearance of 3 inches in all directions from the item to the box. I have sent quite a bit of high-end gear via UPS and have not had a problem. I maintain the 3 inch rule and then double box after that. It's expensive to package this way but if you're going to use UPS you're going to have to come up with a way to defeat the UPS gorillas! It's almost impossible to get an insurance claim paid by UPS. From what I've been told, even if UPS agrees to process the claim, you're looking at 60-90 days to get paid. Fed Ex is the best for shipping audio gear. But if you positively, absolutely must use UPS, package the gear like a nuclear device. |
SOME TIMES YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE WILL COVER THE CLAIM UNDER PROPERTY LOSS--HOWEVER I CAN'T TELL FROM YOUR NOTES WHAT TYPE OF TRANSACTION YOU WERE INVOLVED IN-- DID YOU SELL THE SPEAKERS TO SOMEONE WITHOUT COLLECTING THE MONEY FIRST ?? IF SO DON'T EVER DO THIS AGAIN FOR THE VERY REASON YOU'RE EXPERIENCING HOW MUCH ARE THE SPEAKERS WORTH ?? CALL UPS AND GET A LOCAL FIELD MANAGER NAME AND GO FACE TO FACE AND DISCUSS WITH YOUR SPEAKERS AS IS |
i guess it's sometimes a matter of dumb-luck - i was the recipient of damaged goods twice - once, it was obviously damaged prior to packaging, the second time, it was packed by an imbecile. incredibly, both times, ups paid the shipper. go figure.... doug |
I believe UPS has a policy that packing materials must be new unused, so even though they accepted the parcel in a used carton, they might try to deny on this ground. It would be in your best interest if the carton was new unused. |
Fight the #*@#&*s they use any excuse to not pay claims. If they accept your package without reservations and they sell you their worthless insurance without qualifications they can not dodge total responsibility. But you have got to fight them hard as they are masters at denying claims and they know that by stalling and setting up barriers you will will eventually go away. They will settle if you can get behind their lines of defense and attack them relentlessly. |
