Shipping via UPS.


I just shipped an item via UPS, COD and insured. Well, UPS did an excellent job getting the package there. They left the package at the door, collected no money, and there, BINGO, is UPS in all it's glory. My warning to fellow audiophiles is to always INSURE items, use Fed-Ex for big ticket items - say over a couple thousand $$, but don't just send UPS ground and forget about it. Last 2 weeks ago, UPS left $2,000 worth of equipment at door, even though the package had a "adult signature required" sticker on it. Can you imagine losing several thousand dollars worth of stuff and then have to cough up legal expenses while fighting UPS in court for 18 months. Not a pretty sight.
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I recently shipped a pair of speakers coast to coast via UPS COD and they warned me it would take a full week to get them there. I guess they made it OK, but they must have sent my COD money by pony express because it took almost three full weeks from the day I shipped them to get my money! I usually use FedEx and would never use UPS again for any audio equip- ment. Pay a little more, get a whole lot better service and get you money the next day...
I bought a pair of speakers from Ohm accoustics last summer; one was severely damaged during shipping. UPS claimed that they were not at fault and would not honor the insurance claim. To their credit Ohm made the deal right. This is one of the two bad experiences that I have had with UPS over the last year. An amp shipped to me via FedEx arrived damaged. They paid for the repairs without putting up a fight. I'm done with the rat bastards at UPS.
I shipped a STEEL Target equipment rack thru UPS and after the receiver called to complain about the condition it was sent back to me for filing a damage claim on the rack. IT WAS RUN OVER BY A FORKLIFT. I did not have "extra" insurance to cover the value of the rack but I claimed that this was obvious negligence on the part of UPS but it turned out that was MY fault for not properly insuring the item. They also dropped and caused $1600 damage to a large amp that I had shipped but I got my $$ on that one !!!
Recently, I bought a pair of speakers on audiogon and UPS totally destroyed them. They were returned to the shipper and I have heard that they will not cover the damage because of poor packaging although the speakers were sent in original boxes, albeit old but well protected. There were several holes in the boxes obviously caused by shipping. Bob