UPS never again for me

[wil]

What Wil says here is generally correct.
However, I have collected on a “damage claim”.
The package was severely crushed and the amplifier was nearly bent in half.
Initially they denied the claim saying that they didn’t know how it was packaged.
Fortunately I had photos of the amp being packaged.
After an almost two month ordeal they finally relented and paid the claim.
Best rule of thumb with most any shipper and insurance is:
If lost, good possibility of reimbursement
If damaged, no reimbursement.

Right, even though your claim was a slam dunk, they dragged you through an ordeal for two months. I went through the same experience.

That’s their corporate strategy with claims— make their customers suffer, knowing that all but the most stubborn will eventually give up.
I’d love to see their books on how much this adds to their bottom line every year.

Imo, it’s criminal that they take insurance money for this upfront.

 

[Elliot G.]

Hi
Welcome to the real world. Here in Portugal, everything that comes from outside Europe/CEE is taxes and more taxes. Interestingly, UPS and Fedex are the worst, while DHL has the best prices.
I personally work with NACEX and when it comes to shipping outside of Europe I only ship via DPD.

Atentamente
Jon

I am in the real world I receive and ship freight every day of my life. UPS charged me 1121 dollars plus with no explanation, no invoice, no receipt, no way to get in touch with a real person, just call and wait for a mechanical answer
'that is horrible

 

[wil]

Am I the only person who likes couriers? I've had the same DHL delivery guy for 10+ years, called Lens. I used to have an office about a mile away, if I was not in the office he's bring it to my home and vice versa.

Audio deliveries have never been a problem, local dealers deliver personally. My Gryphon amp was sent using a door-to-door service and he helped to get it in the house.

Sure, no problem at all until they damage it and won’t cover the expense for their damage.

 

[Kingrex]

Sure, no problem at all until they damage it and won’t cover the expense for their damage.

They do fight damage claims. You have to show something like a fork lift blade went through the box. I had one amp show up and the wooden crate looked like they used it as a wheele on the truck. They denied the damage claim. Said there is no such think as a damage claim. Your paying for a good feeling, not coverage.

 

[John T]

I loathe each and everyone of them! FedEx/UPS/DHL. All of them! Before the tariffs they were all incompetent. Talking with FedEx recently (Costa Rica) unreal experience. Epidemic of incompetence. I can tell you stories you would not believe....

 

[Moiz Audio]

UPS is the worst

 

[John T]

I live in a very rural part of NC. Most around here have large pieces of property and live long distances off of the road. At one time the drivers were so bad and so focused on GPS (which isn't always accurate in these parts) not enough savvy to associate the NUMBERS on the MAILBOXES corresponded with the house! I've had 6k cartridge blowing around along the road after UPS tied the bag to the mailbox. This topic gives me flashbacks...

 

[NigelB]

paid for a small rack being shipped from the Toronto area made of wood and valued for shipping at 1500 Canadian, I paid extra for two day shipping and that cost 470.00. I did that since I needed the item before Thursday.
Today I got it and the UPS driver asked me for almost 1100. He could not show me or tell me why other that he said I had to pay it or he can't leave it.

Did he present you with official UPS paperwork? Or was he working a side hustle and trying his luck?

Were you given the option (emailed a link) to pay any charges due online? in other words, how authentic was this? Maybe a dumb question, I know, but which courier has standard operating procedures which dictate that rather than contacting you in advance to set expectations, clarify the nature of the charges, provide documentation etc, the driver just turns up on a doorstep and demands an amount which is not exactly loose change and with no explanation?

Obvious answer is "UPS"! But I'm smelling rogue driver but am sure you'll put me right gently...

 

[Elliot G.]

Did he present you with official UPS paperwork? Or was he working a side hustle and trying his luck?

Were you given the option (emailed a link) to pay any charges due online? in other words, how authentic was this? Maybe a dumb question, I know, but which courier has standard operating procedures which dictate that rather than contacting you in advance to set expectations, clarify the nature of the charges, provide documentation etc, the driver just turns up on a doorstep and demands an amount which is not exactly loose change and with no explanation?

Obvious answer is "UPS"! But I'm smelling rogue driver but am sure you'll put me right gently...

he's not a rogue, hes a good guy and he told me this was f-ed up before he unloaded the truck and the payment was to UPS but I got ZILCH

 

[marty]

Something everyone should know when they pay for “insurance” on a shipment through FedEx:

When they damage the contents, through their negligence, no matter how perfectly packed, their claims procedure is very straightforward: they will deny the claim. I assume UPS is the same.

If they lose the shipment they might pay, but don’t have personal experience with that. But I would expect the worst .

Most of us have experienced poor shipping service somewhere along the way for our gear. 1 comment/2 suggestions

1) I never use FedEx ground anymore. As wil said, no matter how well you have packed something, I have never known anyone to make a successful claim against FedEx ground. They ALWAYS say it's your fault! The main difference between FedEx ground and UPS is that FedEx outsources its ground deliveries to a 3rd party. UPS does not and I've had successful claims with UPS. No matter who you use, take pictures of the package innards during preparation and the outer box on all sides prior to pick up or drop off. It doesn't matter how small or how big it is. They will surely attempt to play football with it during their lunch break. Good photos are essential to argue against it not being packed properly (even if it doesn't work!)

2) I've found that the best company for shipping moderate and large stuff is Pirate Ship. Excellent rates, lower than UPS and FedEx. Good customer service. https://www.pirateship.com

 

[ssfas]

Sure, no problem at all until they damage it and won’t cover the expense for their damage.

I work in the insurance industry!

Send stuff in original packaging, that's the key. Take pictures, keep invoices and check the exclusions. Never had a problem. Sent a phono-stage on Monday last week and was delivered safe and sound 9:19am the next day.

I use ParcelForce in the UK. Here are the exclusions:

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/sending/items-we-exclude-compensation

Sadly they won't deliver a cake. How do you pack a cake?

 

[Elliot G.]

Thank you for contacting the Post Entry Mailbox about your US import shipment. Your request is very important to us!

Recent changes to US import guidelines have created a significant backlog of disputes for both UPS and US Customs. As a result, it will likely be 8 weeks before your dispute is assigned to a researcher. They will follow-up with you to confirm the details of your dispute and to request necessary substantiation. Some examples of substantiation that could be needed would be things like product literature, color photos, etc.

Post Entry prioritizes our work based on the Liquidation Date with US Customs; typically, 1 year from when the shipment made entry into the US. We do this to avoid being assessed penalties by US Customs and to treat all UPS customers equally.

Post Entry has received your communication. Please be patient and refrain from sending multiple emails to this mailbox about the same issue. Multiple emails only create more work for our team and add additional time to resolving your dispute. Again, it will likely be 8 weeks before we are able to reply to you.

Here is contact information for other UPS departments, depending on your need:

• Exporting Customer Concerns – 1-800-782-7892.
• Brokerage Accounting for billing concerns – 502-485-2222 or 866-493-7140.
• Entry packet or ACE report requests – sdfupsusfileprep@ups.com.
• Temporary In-Bond (TIB) shipments – UPSSDF-SPTIBGROUP@ups.com.
• Government Contract shipments – UPSUSSPGovernmentContracts@ups.com.
• Canada/Mexico Ground shipments – casbseattleground@ups.com.

Thank you for choosing UPS, and we look forward to resolving your dispute.


F-CK YOU UPS NEVER AGAIN

 

[Another Johnson]

I work in the insurance industry!

Send stuff in original packaging, that's the key. Take pictures, keep invoices and check the exclusions. Never had a problem. Sent a phono-stage on Monday last week and was delivered safe and sound 9:19am the next day.

In guitar trading/selling shipping, even original packaging is not good enough to make a claim easier. It literally has to be a brand NEW never before used outer package. They will deny a claim if the original packaging was used in shipping at an earlier time. Gruhn, Carter, and others insist on new packaging as a consequence. Fortunately for the seller, the nominal fee for new packaging is charged to the buyer.

FWIW, I’ve recently received a number of shipments from Germany and Italy (in a different hobby). None have been via UPS, and none have been delayed or tagged with extra charges.

 

[NigelB]

Thank you for contacting the Post Entry Mailbox about your US import shipment. Your request is very important to us!

Recent changes to US import guidelines have created a significant backlog of disputes for both UPS and US Customs. As a result, it will likely be 8 weeks before your dispute is assigned to a researcher. They will follow-up with you to confirm the details of your dispute and to request necessary substantiation. Some examples of substantiation that could be needed would be things like product literature, color photos, etc.

Post Entry prioritizes our work based on the Liquidation Date with US Customs; typically, 1 year from when the shipment made entry into the US. We do this to avoid being assessed penalties by US Customs and to treat all UPS customers equally.

F-CK YOU UPS NEVER AGAIN

8 weeks!!!

 

[Elliot G.]

In guitar trading/selling shipping, even original packaging is not good enough to make a claim easier. It literally has to be a brand NEW never before used outer package. They will deny a claim if the original packaging was used in shipping at an earlier time. Gruhn, Carter, and others insist on new packaging as a consequence. Fortunately for the seller, the nominal fee for new packaging is charged to the buyer.

FWIW, I’ve recently received a number of shipments from Germany and Italy (in a different hobby). None have been via UPS, and none have been delayed or tagged with extra charges.

Actually it needs to be new “approved “ packing
Which is their out

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...I recognize this FedEx option won't work for everyone, but I believe if you have them do their "custom pack" option they guarantee the delivery. Although I am not certain of every possible caveat, so please check for yourself.

I did this for an expensive three-box MSB sale. Factory MSB boxes, and then off to FedEx and have them box each piece. Cost more, of course, but I did not want to sweat the shipment. FWIW: this solution worked for me.

 

[fbhifi]

what's worse is the shipper wants no part of this. Blames the US and wont do anything even to investigate the issue.
He chose the shipper
He prepared the paperwork
He chose the description
He chose the harmonized code
He shipped it
But he did nothing wrong and its my problem.
I spent 3 hours on the hone, I wrote 20 emails, I paid the fee to satisfy my client, I didn't refuse it so it didnt go back to Canada and get damaged and I of course didn't demand a refund. DAMN I am a horrible person.

Last sale for this product

Perhaps you should talk to Arnold at Core Audio. He’s in the old good old US of A. He, arguably, was the originator of this specific design of wood audio racks. IMO, the vendor of the racks you are using copied the Core Audio design which has additional internal design enhancements which enhance performance. Arnold is a prince of a guy to work with and his racks, which I have three of, perform marvelously!

 

[wil]

I work in the insurance industry!

Send stuff in original packaging, that's the key. Take pictures, keep invoices and check the exclusions.

This, sadly, does not matter in the least. The reality is, FedEx will deny any and every claim. It doesn’t matter how many photographs you have and it doesn’t matter how perfectly it’s packed. It is evident to me, from my experience, that their corporate policy is simply not to pay claims.

The revenue they generate from “insurance”fees is no doubt a significant part of their bottom line and they are ruthlessly committed to keeping that revenue stream.

I would love to see a good investigative journalist dig into this.

 

[Elliot G.]

Perhaps you should talk to Arnold at Core Audio. He’s in the old good old US of A. He, arguably, was the originator of this specific design of wood audio racks. IMO, the vendor of the racks you are using copied the Core Audio design which has additional internal design enhancements which enhance performance. Arnold is a prince of a guy to work with and his racks, which I have three of, perform marvelously!

yes he is and I have some of his stuff.

 

[mtemur]

I paid for a small rack being shipped from the Toronto area made of wood and valued for shipping at 1500 Canadian, I paid extra for two day shipping and that cost 470.00. I did that since I needed the item before Thursday.
Today I got it and the UPS driver asked me for almost 1100. He could not show me or tell me why other that he said I had to pay it or he can't leave it.
For the math challenged 25 percent ( if that is the correct tariff ) on 1500 is not 1100. I am now over one hour into the process of waiting on hold talking to someone with marbles in their mouth, repeating the entire story along with tracking numbers and now on hold again.
Customer service is such a f-ing misnomer.

For me personally I will NEVER EVER ship anything to anyone , anywhere , at anytime via UPS ever again, and even then after I am dead NO.

WTF happened to treating customers with some dignity and help? Shipping costs are ridiculous and this is their best?

Me I will demand more and pay for more for real service.
Hey UPS GO F-yourselves

sorry i needed to vent

I thought you were referring to Uninterruptible Power Supply by UPS when I read the topic.