[bradkline]

I recently had an experience with UPS that I thought I'd share.
Purchased an item on E-Bay back in mid January and paid $23.75 for it incl shipping. Seller sent an e-mail late Jan indicating pmt received and that he would be shipping shortly. Didn't arrive so after two weeks I e-mailed seller asking for shipping details. He checked tracking number which indicated item was delivered on Feb 2nd. Searched all around outside no item. Sent e-mail to UPS to file claim. Three days later UPS delivery guy shows up at my home with claim form for me to sign. He also tells me that he is the regular delivery guy for my area and that a temp was on that day who never completed their Company form listing exactly which door he placed the package. Told me that UPS would probably settle the claim but warned they would pay the SELLER.
To make a long story short UPS did indeed refund the full cost to the seller. I was the guy who paid for the item and the handling cost (in essence the UPS charge) winding up with nothing for all my trouble. Luckily I was dealing with an honest E-Bay seller. He contacted me and today sent the whole amount back.
My question is what if my seller wasn't honest and what if there was significant bucks at stake?
UPS's only explanation was Company policy due to their "contract" being with the seller who engaged them... "Screw racing the truck"

[RixRide]

I have had similar experiences with UPS. Unless you are dealing with an honest person, you could certainly be out your purchase price for an item and the shipping costs. I found the claim process to be long, as well. In two cases, UPS denied the claim based on poor packaging. Luckily for me the seller made it right. In one case, UPS actually packed the item I purchased, so the claim was processed, but the refund check went to the seller! He could have double-dipped and there would have been nothing I could do about it. He forwarded the refund, however. It's frustrating. There's gotta be a better way to handle claims!

[Formulabruce]

I have had that happen as a seller, and refunded a guy. he then found the package a year later as the neighbor kid hid the thing behind his bushes(next to the house), and the kid was visiting and common thing to do at his house LOL .

[SCOTT ESTERLE]

That is correct UPS is going to pay the shipper. You guy's crack me up. You ought to try filing a claim with the Post Office talk about a joke. You will never see your money from them. I think UPS does an excellent job considering how many packages they handle per day.

[Ed at PY]

Scott is right. UPS is by no means perfect but when it comes to claims they are a blessing compared to the postal service. It is so hard to get any money for any claims whether you insure the package or not.That is why here at PY if a customer wants an order mailed through the post office instead of UPS we basically tell them that if it gets lost or damaged you will just have to re-order because it is just too much a hassle.

[tempestdude]

I would use UPS or the Post Office before I ever use Greyhound Package Express again. At least UPS has some sort of tracking system. Feel free to read my thread on shipping by Greyhound.

[74TA]

I have actually had good luck with the postal system. I received two magnetos from two entirely differant coasts. I live in Lower Michigan, and ordered one from a fellow in California, and one from a fellow in Florida. Both mags were received damaged. A claim was filed on each and the Post office settled the claims both times. On another occasion, I sent a windshield for a three wheel Cushman truckster to a fellow in North Carolina and it arrived broken in half. It was very securely packaged with one inch stryofoam on each side and triple wrapped in cardboard. It still arrived broken. A claim was filed, and within 30 days they paid off. I have had claims with UPS take between 60-90 days. The last one took the longest to settle. The ebayer that I purchased the item from dropped the item off at a "professional" packing company to package and ship the item. In my opinion, it was poorly packaged, but because of the volume of shipping they do with UPS, the claim was finally settled.
I personally prefer to ship either US postal for small items or Fed EX. Fed Ex is hard to get an account set up with but it was worth it in my opinion. On just one item, they were $36.00 cheaper than UPS. That was just one box out of seven that I shipped that day. They all went to the same person, and in turn he was able to save a bunch on shipping!!

Again this is only my opinion and experience.
Regards Brian

[Jeff Hamlin]

Over 1000 items shipped via UPS and only ONE damaged!
I filed the claim and had them send the money to the buyer. No problem at all.

[Colin]

Nearly every package I have ever recieved via UPS has looked like its been through war. Luckily I havent had anything that was actually damaged, obviously due to everything being packaged well. I wont use them unless I dont have a choice.

[Old Goat Racer]

Bought an intake manifold off ebay, seller put it in a box, no insulation, barely taped in a well used cardboard box. I was home when ups delivered. Driver handed me the box & it rattled?? Opened the box in front of ups driver & showed him a broken ear on the manifold. UPS picked it up the next day, sent it back to sender & told him it was poor packaging. Which was true but also poor handling by ups. Who's at fault here??? Seller fully reimbursed me!

[Gary S.]

The very mention of UPS is enough to make my blood boil.
There is no business on this planet that I despise more.
I have great luck with everybody else-post office,Fedex,you name it.UPS is always guaranteed trouble.
Last year I found a bunch of connectors I needed,at an online obsolete parts supplier.Bought all they had.
Never laid eyes on them,as UPS managed to make them vanish.
I did get my money back eventually,but I am 100% certain that I'd have gotten those connectors if the seller had used ANY other shipper.
God I hate them...

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Originally Posted by SCOTT ESTERLE

That is correct UPS is going to pay the shipper. You guy's crack me up. You ought to try filing a claim with the Post Office talk about a joke. You will never see your money from them. I think UPS does an excellent job considering how many packages they handle per day.

Ditto.


Won't use or receive Fed Ex. anymore.

They have a habit of changing the shipping labels or delivery forms to suit their needs. 3 times in a row is enough!!!!!!!
Now there's a FUBAR organization.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

When you pay the extra money for their Priority USPS service I hope you don't think it's gonna get there any quicker.

IT WON'T!!!!! and they don't tell you that when ya pay for it too.

Found out the hard way when a customer needed something in 3 days and it didn't get there till a week later. The customer refused the item and we lost the sale. Ya think the Post office cared or would cover the $250.00 lost sale? ???????????
They don't guarentee 3 DAY, even thou they bait ya with it!!!!!!

I like their rsponse. Most of the time...........................

[Ken -Ace- Brewer]

We STOPPED using UPS about 3 weeks ago!! I have had it with them! They are so destructive with packages!! We now have a Fed Ex station in our shop! Instead of UPS! Fed-Ex is less destructive on auto parts!! LOL!! The last starw was when I recieved my regular shippment of Dougs Headers!! One of the box's was COMPLETLEY ripped open!! And on the bottom the tubes were sticking out!! The UPS guy had the nerve to say that Dougs had sent it that way!! LOL!! I got VERY upset and said " You are trying to tell me that it left Dougs like this?" So forget them! And for me to ship a whole engine to Wissconsin was only $379!!! And the customer recieved it with NO PROBLEMS!!
So as of now we only ship Fed-EX!! Another advantage is Fed-Ex is cheaper on the customer!
PontiacDude what kind of problem did ya have with Fed-Ex??
Be Cool,
Ace

[Larry Navarro]

99.9% of parcels shipped by UPS are damaged because of POOR packaging from the shipper, PERIOD.

My wife has worked for UPS for nealy 20 yrs. and 3 different dept's.
She worked at the customer counter her first couple of yrs and witnessed first hand the shoddy packaging customers bring in. Bottom line, people are lazy and my wife refused many packages because of it.

As a shipper of goods myself, you can bet your bottom dollar that my packing was HIGHLY scrutinized before it left my garage.

Rule of thumb: If ANYTHING in the box rattles.....it NEEDS more packing!!

I've shipped over 400 packages with UPS and NEVER had a problem or a claim.

Ace....I'd bet that those headers were packed in a box with MINIMAL protection, hence a pipe protruding from the box.
I've seen how headers are boxed. They rattle all inside the package, so the shipping customer is at fault.

Instead of dissing UPS you might talk to your buddies at DOUGS.;)

[GTOWAGON]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

When you pay the extra money for their Priority USPS service I hope you don't think it's gonna get there any quicker.

IT WON'T!!!!! and they don't tell you that when ya pay for it too.

Found out the hard way when a customer needed something in 3 days and it didn't get there till a week later. The customer refused the item and we lost the sale. Ya think the Post office cared or would cover the $250.00 lost sale? ???????????
They don't guarentee 3 DAY, even thou they bait ya with it!!!!!!

I like their rsponse. Most of the time...........................

I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH USPS I REGULARY SHIP FROM NY TO CALI. AND 3 DAYS IS THE NORM PRIORITY. I HAVE HAD ITEMS TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED BUT NOTHING IS AS BAD AS UPS THEY HAVE TO BE THE SLOWEST SHIPPER AROUND UNLESS YOU PAY AN EXORBADANT AMMOUNT FOR NEXT DAY OR 3 DAY DELIEVERY. I HAVE A FRIEND AT UPS HE SAYS THEY HAVE FUN SEEING WHO CAN THROW THE PACKAGES THE FURTHEST DISTANCE FROM THE CARTS TO THE TRUCKS.

[Larry Navarro]

Originally Posted by GTOWAGON

I HAVE A FRIEND AT UPS HE SAYS THEY HAVE FUN SEEING WHO CAN THROW THE PACKAGES THE FURTHEST DISTANCE FROM THE CARTS TO THE TRUCKS.

And you don't think that goes on anywhere else?

[GTOWAGON]

Originally Posted by Larry Navarro

And you don't think that goes on anywhere else?

I AM SURE THIS IS THE SAME STORY WITH ALL SHIPPERS BUT THE ONLY DESTROYED PACKAGES I HAVE EVER GOTTTEN HAVE BEEN FROM UPS. I HAD A GUITAR THAT WAS SO BAD MY UPS DRIVER ACTUALLY MADE A POINT TO FIND ME INSTEAD OF JUST LEAVING IT IN THE GARAGE AS WE USALLY DO IT HAD A GASH ABOUT 2 FEET LONG THAT WENT THROUGH THE PACKAGING THE HARDSHELL GUITAR CASE AND GOT THE GUITAR AS WELL, THIS WAS NOT FROM POOR PACKAGING BUT FROM SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT UPS. THE OTHER RECENT PACKAGE PROBLEM WITH UPS WAS A BROKEN OPEN BOX CONTAINING SOME SUSPENSION PARTS, THIS WAS THE SENDERS FAULT AS HE JUST THREW THEM IN A BOX AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND AND BROKE OUT. SO NOT ALL PROBLEMS WITH UPS ARE THEIR FAULT, MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THE SLOW SHIPPING TIMES, BUT I DO LIKE THEIR TRACKING SYSTEM AS IT IS VERY ACCURATE.

[Brian '74]

USPS is hit and miss w/ their Priority. I think it depends on the time of year. I purchased something on Ebay that was 45 miles away and should have been a 1 day delivery, but took 2 weeks. But I also sent a package to Alaska from NJ and it was 2 days.

UPS I haven't had any issues w/, yet. I like getting billed by them instead of having to use a credit card like FedEx to open an account. Like Larry said, package well, just incase.

FedEx had more busted up boxes delvered to us than any.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Didn't say that 3 day wasn't done. But ask them when you PAY EXTRA for that service what happens when it doesn't happen. Nothing. They don't Gaurentee 3 day even thou you are paying for it. Ask them.


Point #2: Have you ever ask USPS to find or locate a package being delivered and not on time as the customer wants to know where it is with USPS ???????

USPS has no way of knowing if and where your package is once it leaves you possesion or till it get's there............. if it gets there. Even with confirmation. Sorta the same operation as when you put your luggage under the counter getting ready to board your plane. Ya hope it's there when ya get there. LOL. Ask them.