Fedex Weekly Damage Report

I should add that not only was I dealing with a thug at Fedex, but what appears to be a less than truthful seller. After examining the speakers, (initially I was concerned about getting them working) I noticed that the speakers have been taken apart and modified, and the side trim is cracked on one side. I don't believe these speakers were designed to be taken apart and put back together, as the screws that hold the main area, once taken apart, the wood gets enlarged and the screws go back in less snug and secure. I may pursue this person through small claims court as he lives in the same state. I don't take getting screwed lightly, and the time and expense to make his life miserable is of no consequence to me. WORD TO THE WISE, if you are going to buy of the net,buy from people here on Audiogon, who have past sales history.

Any shipper can destroy an item. Packaging is the key to your item surviving. Sometimes I think these guys aren't happy if they don't go home knowing that they destroyed something. I just shipped a Tice Power Block from the east to the west coast using UPS. I made a crate out of 2x12 lumber and 3/4 inch plywood. The crate weighed almost 40 pounds with a total packed weight of 95 pounds. I marked all of the sides "HEAVY", "FRAGILE", "ELECT INST". The item arrived in perfect shape. Even after being loaded over a dozen times as it crossed the country. You can not "overpack" an item enough if you want it to survive. Factory packing is not enough. FedEx dropped a Thiel 2 2 that I shipped and smashed the top. It was in the factory double shipping carton. I think that crating and banding a heavy item to a pallet and shipping via common carrier is a safer way to ship. Once on a pallet, the item will not be handled by "hand". Handling haevy items by "hand" is what destroys them. A person(s) tries to lift something heavy and they drop it.

Thats pretty good advice, Mrderrick. I had a 135 lb TV shipped to me cross country by a freight carrier and even tho it was only protected in the original single box it arrived just fine. Freight unfortunately, seems to be generally more expensive. Maybe because they handle it more carefully/professionally?

FedEx Ground mangled an extremely well-packed reel-to-reel tape deck I shipped to a guy in Connecticut, then took 2 weeks to pick it up from him to inspect it for damage. When they eventually got around to inspecting it, the inspector reported that there was “no damage to the shipping carton or contents,” and they “returned” the damaged tape deck to a completely unknown third party. To date, they still haven’t found the tape deck, and they have no idea who actually has it.

However, after dozens of phone calls, faxes, and certified letters, FedEx has finally agreed to settle the claim and send me a check. I haven’t seen the check yet, and it’s been 7 weeks since the damage claim was originally filed, but this is the good news that a FedEx customer service rep reported to me this morning.

I guess the moral of the story is that you have to fight ‘em every step of the way, or you’ll be left holding the bag. FedEx does not like paying damage claims, no matter what they’ve done to your shipment !!!!

It is not only FEDEX who does not want to pay, but I have an exceptional case when UPS refused to honor an insured item that was damaged when I received. A Dragon Tape Deck. I bought the item from an EBAY auction, and it went for $750, but when it arrived, the tape door was damaged. I did this transation on October 2000 and it was not until about March 2001, when I was able to get the item paid for. The problem was that being such a vintage piece, there were no receipts in what it was really worth, and on top of that, UPS had inspected and tried to fix it, but it was not doable. The one thing I have learned from the experience is that one needs to fight them each step of the way, because once the money is sent and the other side ships, most likely you are at the risk of losing, if something goes wrong with it. UPS and maybe the other carriers do not want to pay, and they keep demanding things that are difficult to obtain....the best is to keep a good working relationship with the shipper, until the problem is solved. Never give up answering back to UPS or FEDEX and eventually you will succeed.