Monday, January 14, 2008

Beware of United Parcel Service Insurance

Long story short. Marilyn sent some blades to be sharpened. The business was a few states away. Several hundred dollars worth of blades.
She paid for the extra insurance for the package.
The business had moved to a new location.
Now the blades are missing and a call to UPS gets a reply that we're stuck.
UPS tells her she needs to find out who is at that location (where they dropped the blades) and contact them. There are no signs of life there.
To me there are two steps to a successful delivery. Correct address. Correct business.(or person)
I wouldn't drop a package in the snow in front of a vacant building.
I generally don't fight. I quit doing business with those I think I need to watch. UPS needs to be watched. Our local UPS delivery guy (the best in the country) says to fight it because they owe us the money.
Nope, I'll find another company to deliver my packages.
I can't choose who delivers the packages that I get, but I can choose not to use UPS.
I do wonder what the insurance would cover if it doesn't cover the package not getting to the business named on the label and disappearance. Maybe it would cover hail damage.

24 comments:

Peter said...

I wouldn't hold my breath for hail damage by the sound of things Cliff, its a sad state of affairs when you can't trust someone like UPS.

1 plus twins said...

if i am correct the insurance is to cover damage to the package and if it is lost!! for our business we have used them and they have told me that it is to cover loss and damage. plus you need to talk to them and they don't just drop normally ups needs a signature. so you need to call them back and see who signed for it. it sounds like they screwed up and they know it and they are hoping you just let it go. don't let it go!! get to the bottom of it by starting at the top. skip all the pions and ask for the person in charge!! and then when they find the package demand they refund your money and ship it for free since they screwed up!! don't let them walk all over you!!!

Janell said...

Yes, they definitely need to make good on this expensive goof.
On the other hand, the UPS man who was working our neighborhood during the holidays was the EPITOME of "tall, dark and handsome," had a great smile and was charming in every way. I was looking forward to summer when they switched over to shorts, but alas, he must have been transferred. Haven't seen him since Christmas. Sigh....

JunieRose2005 said...

Cliff,

I hope you don't just give up on this!

They (ups) need to refund your $$$.AND/OR get your package back! It shouldn't be up to YOU to track down your package and who it was delivered to.

UPS needs to correct whats going wrong with their delivery people!

possum said...

Here on the Shore we avoid UPS like the plague. I have this huge carport attached to the side of the house, yet they leave things out on the front stoop. I even have a sign on the front storm door saying to use the side door.
ANd no one has to sign for it - all they are required to do is deliver it to the address on the package - so my neighbor says.
More than once I have had to call someone and tell them I have a pkg here for them. It just got left here - no idea why. Not even the right address!
Whenever we order anything from a catalog, the first thing we have learned to do is ask if they mail standard mail to a POB. If they do not, we just don't order it. Sorry for your loss. Keep us posted!

LaDawn said...

Do not let UPS win!

Anonymous said...

Boycott - Boycott!

Jim said...

YouPeeEss Bad(ly)!
..

Anonymous said...

You should not have to fight, but might have to do a little talking... Call UPS at 1.800.742.5877, don't navigate through the menu's maze, just say "operator" a couple time so you can talk to someone. UPS should do a "tracer request" and redirect the package to the new address OR start a claim to pay you. Talk to a supervisor if needed to, sometime the operator is fairly "green" and may not fully understand the issue.
We've done this before and they will pay you albeit might not be as fast as you like but once the claim is in, you should get a claim number, you will get the check eventually.

Hope this help

Rachel said...

Fight Cliff, Fight!! UPS here just leaves stuff beside the door on the front porch. They don't even pull into the driveway. They just pull off onto the edge of the lawn. If my hubby was able to see them do that they probably would refuse to deliver to us anymore after he got through with them!!

Looks like anonymous had some good advice.

Hope you track it down and they find the package or repay you.

Lucy Stern said...

Who knows who has your blades right now......could be the UPS driver. So far, (fingers crossed) I haven't had any trouble with UPS. I'm sorry to hear about this but I would fight it, if it were me....

Paul Nichols said...

2 - 4 - 6 - 8! Who do we appreciate?
Clee-iii-ffff!
Fight, Cliff, Fight!

Jamie Dawn said...

Did these blades just vanish??
I guess someone may have stolen them when they got dropped off at the old location.
What a royal pain!
What a hassle!!
What an outrage!!!
Holy Hail Damage!!!
Insurance...my rear end!!!!

Anonymous said...

It seems like everyone is always after your money -

Ralph said...

Cliff
While I'd like to say - Stick it to 'em. I have been there and lost. They will bury you in paperwork and in the long run the results will be the same - you get nothing.
Switch carriers. As much as it pains me to say this the USPS is still the best. They lost a package I had insured once and asked me to fill out a simple little forn (yeah, I know this is the government and simple forn and little forms are not a part of day to day business). I handed it to the person at the post office and within a week I had a check and note saying they were sorry.
Ralph

nora leona said...

I also am a big fan of the US Postal Service. I still think it the best deal around. For 41 cents I can send a letter any where in the country or in the military.

That said, my UPS man at work wears shorts year round.

EV said...

I've heard horror stories about all the carriers. Most people don't realize that they also insist you prove the items worth AND that it was properly packed. I've even heard they refused a claim because it wasn't packed properly .... and THEY packed it. Long story short ( as you said ) like most insurance, the money stays in their pocket. AKA it's a one way street. I'm sorry to hear about this, Cliff. Grrrr.

Anonymous said...

Cliff, if you press UPS on this issue then they *will* respond. Granted, you might have sent the package to a business that has 'moved', but its up to UPS and their local delivery team to know that a business on their regular route has moved and for them to find out a forwarding address, or else to return the package to you as "Deliveree Has Moved".

I deal with this type of incidence every day in my job, and often UPS will deny a claim on the first inquiry, but if pressed will relent and grant full claim. After all, UPS, like any big business, doesn't want bad publicity.

That being said, overall UPS does a terrific job .... I'd say that 99.999999999999999% of what they transport have no problems whatsoever.

Sorry that you happened to have one.

MM

Granny Annie said...

You must "fight City Hall" in this modern age and you can. Banks, Credit Card companies, delivery services, rebate services, etc., will all tell you what you "have to do" and none of that includes putting your concern in writing. All you "have to do" to receive the service you paid for is put your complaint in writing and if possible show copy notation to their headquarters or their regulatory agency. Once you have put the complaint in writing they must act and usually do very quickly in your favor.

Dan said...

Dad,the couple of times that Vern has used UPS to ship antique motorcycle parts, disaster has struck. He is too tight to buy the insurance. One part he sent was involved in a train wreck and was gone for good. Then he shipped and Indian Motorcycle magneto worth hundreds, the UPS truck burned up in a fire. And on top of all that bad luck, he owns llamas!!! Anyway, I told you I have all the connections. We just repaired a vehicle for the plant manager for Lincoln UPS. email me your claim # info.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Fight for the return of your blades or the value of them from the insurance which you paid for. I thought this was the purpose of paying for insurance...in case things get lost, stolen or damaged.

My son has a long driveway and they leave his packages beneath his mailbox out on the main road. So far he's managed to get to his packages before anyone else.

ptg said...

Sometimes the fight isn't worth the aggravation, its true. UPS knows this. I'm glad you are avoiding them. I found out they aren't forthcoming in their advertised promises to be a global business shipper. When I wanted to ship a product to Australia, I went to one of the UPS Stores. They told me to use the Postal Service. Go figure.

Anonymous said...

If you think that's bad, beware of working for UPS! I recently started writing about working for UPS corporate here:

http://bradbrown.com/?p=18

My article might explain why some of their priorities seem backward. When I worked there, they always said "We charge more because we offer better customer service." I guess that isn't true.

Brad

Anonymous said...

Good post.