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Another UPS Horror Story

I bought an Allnic T1500 amp here earlier this month. It was shipped in the original packaging by a UPS store from NJ to Seattle, fully insured. It arrived with a hole in the bottom corner and substantial damage to the amp (subchassis bent). I contacted the seller who refused my refund request and I processed a UPS claim.

UPS picked it up and did an inspection at their customer service center. They found no damage to the box (I have photos of the 6" hole in the bottom), did not look inside and have now sent it back to the NJ. Once again the seller has refused to refund my payment claiming he doesn't have the money to refund.

At this point the shipper will have my original payment plus the damaged unit, which might be repairable. Can a UPS claim be appealed? Can a UPS Store be sued in small claims?

I know I should never have given this back to UPS for "inspection". My best hope is that once it gets back to NJ they will ship it to the Allnic recommended repair shop in Pennsylvania and it can be fixed.
jarrett
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I had someone tell me they double boxed items so the outer box is too big to throw and catch.

It may be a good tactic but it certainly makes you think...
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
it's not the throw and catch you have to worry about, it's the 6' fall from the high speed conveyor onto the concrete floor of the sorting center. Onc3 you realize that is the major risk, you can pack accordingly. IOW, after packing, the item should be able to survive a 6' straight drop onto concrete, hitting on a corner. Also make sure that the item cannot shift AT ALL inside the box. Last time I sent a high value item by UPS, insured for $3K, they shook it like a maraca (I knew that the cable could not be damaged) and when they heard it shift the tiniest bit, they opened it and added more padding. Also remember that the insurance is mostly good only when they lose something, which is not very often. Otherwise, they will fight like the dickens to avoid payment. In that regard, the post office is MUCH better.

And there is no doubt that it is the seller's responsibility to pack it safely and make sure it arrives undamaged.
jarrett OP
38 posts
 
This original Allnic packaging is double boxed, although not with any real space between the inner and out boxes. I have a few Allnic pieces and they seem to make it from Korea to Seattle just fine by USPS.

Crawford Insurance is who UPS uses for inspection, although I doubt anyone actually looked at the box.

I agree that I bought a working item and received a non-working one and its the sellers reposnisbility to pay.
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Jazzcourier pretty much nailed it - overpack and hope for the best. I have had better experience with FedEx and USPS rather than UPS. If you must use UPS, the UPS Stores are a waste of money, pack it yourself, drop it off at a UPS depot and you will be better served for far less money...

-RW-
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
One final recommendation - it it is at all feasible, DO NOT SHIP. I have driven up to 500 miles to pickup a piece of gear and found the time and expense well worth it.

And for gear like turntables, I simply will not ship at all. If it cannot be picked up, no sale will ensue...

-RW-
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