Another UPS Horror Story

The seller is responsible to work with you period. Do not let him off the hook.

Never, never, never, ship a heavy and expensive amp with UPS or Fedex. Always go to a trucking company like Pilot Freight and arrange for dock to dock delivery. You drop it off at the dock and the buyer picks it up at the dock. Your amp will be shrink wrapped to a pallet all by itself and it will stay on that pallet until the buyer picks it up. I do it all the time. It is the only way to ship a heavy and expensive piece of gear. UPS and Fedex will break it. It will get abused. It will get dropped, turned every which way from Adam, and dropped again.

They are not set up to handle heavy and fragile gear folks. I had too many broken amps show up to ever use them again on heavy gear.

"Actually, the normal claim process you cannot take the box to UPS/FedEx and ship it back. They have to send an agent to your home to inspect it and pick it up. I had this happen just about two months ago. The seller made arrangements for FedEx to come to my house and pick up the damaged unit. I had the seller return my money before I agreed to wait around for hours for FedEx to arrive. After all, he would not have shipped the package to me if I hadn't paid him first. The process works the same in reverse."

I know that they send someone out to look at the damages and to pick up the package. I just never thought about keeping the box until a refund was issued. I just figured them taking possession of the item was a prerequisite for any type of claim to be paid to you. That's good to know.

Just to note, I use Fedex ground for shipping audio components and the few claims I did have, got paid. And for the right amounts. Once it was established that there was, in fact, shipping damage, and confirmed what the real value of the item was (the items new list price, along with the price from the add or auction that it sold for), we got paid with no problems. I at least have to give them credit for that. Fedex did end up doing the right thing with all my claims. I think where some people have problems, is when they try to take advantage. I know people that always declare a value that is far more than what the item is worth. (I'm not saying that's the case here, its just a general observation.)

I spoke with his arresting officer in NJ and his wages and everything else get garnished by the court.

Jarrett- I hate to say it but the fact that the guy has an "arresting officer" says it all. I hope for your sake that he didn't send you a damaged amp in a damaged box and try to put UPS on the hook.

04-03-15: Zd542
I just figured them taking possession of the item was a prerequisite for any type of claim to be paid to you.

Taking possession of the item is a prerequisite for any claim. However, the claim has nothing to do with the buyer. The claim is not paid to you, the buyer. The claim is paid to the seller, the person that bought the insurance. Crossing your fingers for the claim payout is only the seller's nightmare. The buyer had nothing to due with improper packing or shipping damage.

Fedex is wonderful?????