UPS (Unionized Package Smashers)

[shibby1952]

So I am going to share this little tale of misery so that others can learn what a screwed up industry the shipping business actually is- in case you did not already know. Oh, and the mistake I made in assuming people in general can be trusted. Learn from my mistake, if you get anything from this.
I found a really nice Jetstream light bar down in Arkansas on Craigslist that I decided I HAD to have for some reason. (I don't even like bars that don't have seal beams- but I had to have this one) So I contacted the seller about driving down. He seemed genuine and offered to get a shipping quote for me since I was about 7 hours away. I figured it couldn't hurt, and might actually be cheaper than driving all that way and back.
So he goes to UPS and calls me to say they quoted him $100 to ship and $50 to box and pack it. So it seems a little high, but it is going to save 14 hours of driving- so I decide to go ahead. Now the light itself is $150 (supposed to be mint condition) and now the cost of boxing and shipping is $150 for a total of $300. So I ask about PayPal. Nope, never heard of it- he wants a money order. (File a complaint? HA!) He says send him the $300 and he will handle all the shipping. (BIG MISTAKE!)
At this point I should have told him to drop it at UPS and I should have made the arrangements myself. But like an idiot, I sent him the money order. So.... He sees the $50 that was supposed to go to having the light boxed. What do ya suppose he did next? Yep. Why pay them the $50 to box the light when I can just do it myself and keep the money? Right?
So he throws it in a cardboard box and shoves some wadded up newspaper around it. (He did add corner protectors to the box though- which was at least a little effort.) So he takes the boxed light to UPS and drops it off- and he did add $300 insurance to the package. UPS was happy to tag that on to the price.
You know what is coming next. So I come home and this box is in my driveway looking quite disheveled. I pick it up to carry it inside, and of course the light is sliding around inside the box. So I already know I am screwed without even opening it. Sure enough they found a way to drop it and crack the lens on one end. Another super day...
So I notify the seller that I have a damaged package. He gets back to me to say he tried to file an online claim- but they want an account number which he does not have. So I say I will try to file a claim on my end. I call UPS direct- and of course get connected to India. I do my best to get past the obvious communication barrier- and finally get connected to an American in the "damage exception group".
So I give my information and he sends me an email asking for all these pictures that have to be sent in for an inspection. OK- I take about 20 pictures of all the damage and email it back to them. They have to evaluate the damage to see if they want to pay the claim. They took the insurance money up front, but they may say the box was "inadequate" and deny the claim altogether. Oh, good to know. Now I wait...........
No word of course, so I have to call India again. They have to transfer me back to the "damage exception group"- who says they have reached a decision. So what is it? Oh, they can't tell me- I have to get that information from the shipping location (in Arkansas) because they are the ones responsible for the damage. So I call Arkansas. It takes about 3 tries before I finally get through.
I get ahold of a counter helper (the manager is unavailable) and explain my situation. He says the store has not been notified of any claims as of yet. Then he tells me that I did not follow proper procedure because the claim should have been filed with the store, by the seller. Then it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process. What? I have the damaged item, not him, and I am 8 hours away. He cannot provide any information about the damage. So I tell him the claim has already been filed- and that a decision has been reached. Wait, it gets better...
So the clerk tells me that IF UPS decides to pay the claim (just because you buy insurance, doesn't mean they have to pay any claim you have- it's at their discretion), then the store will issue a refund check- TO THE SELLER! The guy who already has all my money. The guy who pocketed the box fee and caused the whole issue to begin with. He gets the refund check (IF they issue one) and it is my responsibility to get the money back from him. Are you kidding me? I am out $300 and have a broken light- and now I have to negotiate with the seller to get damage claim!? I ask the UPS guy, what's to keep this guy from cashing the check and just disappearing? Uhh... I understand your concern, he says. Since he paid at the counter (using my money) he gets the potential refund. What a scam! And by the way, the store still has not contacted me with the decision. They said I have to email the manager.
So the lesson here is NEVER NEVER NEVER let the seller make shipping arrangements "on your behalf". Call UPS yourself and pay over the phone. AND let UPS do the boxing. Then if something gets damaged- they can't blame anyone but themselves. There won't be any of this "inadequate boxing" nonsense to get them out of paying the claim- to the seller. The real lesson though is never ship a damn light bar. I don't care if it is in Germany- drive over and get it yourself. I wonder how many times I have to get hit in the crotch before I quit stepping on the rake?

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

That seriously sucks..
I'm with you though on letting UPS pack especially if its coming from an unknown sender. This can get pretty pricey though.

Well on the bright side you can probably part the bar out if it comes down to it.. lol

 

[2004p71]

My aerodynic was shipped overnight by UPS (United Piece of Shit) from california all the way to canada by the seller that sended it COD . COD aka what ever it cost you to get your stuff .

-first I am glad that they didn't have the bar for more than 12 hours as only god know how worst it could have been as obviously the end cap were broken.

-Second do you have an idea how much can cost to ship a lightbar from california to canada overnight ??? An arm and a leg and 7 years later my friend that owns a ups counter who received the lightbar still refuses to tell me how much it costed for the shipping because it was that expensive!

So yeah I totaly get it , if you want a lightbar make sure it,s packed nicely.
I dont mind shipping lightbar but when I do so I pack them up and send the picture to the buyer and if he is satisfied with the packing I send them out. Never had any issue.

ps Fedex all the way !

 

[Jarred J.]

And that's why we call it oops

 

[ChargerLighting]

That's the normal UPS "process". Been there...talked to India, etc. & anymore when I do ship UPS (hardly ever) & something gets broken, I cover it myself. Supposedly I'm "on the list" because of the amount of claims I have filed. Uh, maybe I sell quite a few lightbars & ship them via UPS? Maybe quit breaking everything & I wouldn't have to file so many claims? (...LOL!)
Oh well...easy solution to that, much less business for UPS.
I just lost my a$$ yesterday sending a Back Rack to PA. I calculated the freight (on the UPS website) BEFORE I even sent it to make sure it wouldn't be a ridiculous amount (amounts ranged from $60-$100 or so). Imagine my joy when I charged the customer less than $70 to ship it & my box got hit with a $67.50 oversize fee. Bringing my shipping to $140+. There never was an oversize fee even mentioned before...or added that I could see.
The breaking everything, the "it's always your fault" & "we do nothing wrong" UPS-ims are alive & well. I even have friends & family who work & drive for UPS. One of which has been driving for them for 20 years + & had them nitpicking about why he was at this house X amount of time, etc. & the family member also drives for them...& in typical UPS stupidity .. they say "every accident is avoidable". They had the nerve to say this...to my family member when he was driving his route in the Detroit ghetto someplace...& was hit after some a-hole ran a stop sign while running from the Detroit PD in a stolen car & crashed into his UPS truck just behind the driver's side door. (It was hot out & he had the door open when it happened).
This is what kind of place UPS is. Frankly I want no part of it, especially looking back at how they treat people.
Rant off.....

 

[J-Rock1944]

I never ship UPS. Only FedEx and occasionally the USPS for smaller items. Most of my broken items (shipped or received) came through UPS.

 

[aznative78]

So I am going to share this little tale of misery so that others can learn what a screwed up industry the shipping business actually is- in case you did not already know. Oh, and the mistake I made in assuming people in general can be trusted. Learn from my mistake, if you get anything from this.
I found a really nice Jetstream light bar down in Arkansas on Craigslist that I decided I HAD to have for some reason. (I don't even like bars that don't have seal beams- but I had to have this one) So I contacted the seller about driving down. He seemed genuine and offered to get a shipping quote for me since I was about 7 hours away. I figured it couldn't hurt, and might actually be cheaper than driving all that way and back.
So he goes to UPS and calls me to say they quoted him $100 to ship and $50 to box and pack it. So it seems a little high, but it is going to save 14 hours of driving- so I decide to go ahead. Now the light itself is $150 (supposed to be mint condition) and now the cost of boxing and shipping is $150 for a total of $300. So I ask about PayPal. Nope, never heard of it- he wants a money order. (File a complaint? HA!) He says send him the $300 and he will handle all the shipping. (BIG MISTAKE!)
At this point I should have told him to drop it at UPS and I should have made the arrangements myself. But like an idiot, I sent him the money order. So.... He sees the $50 that was supposed to go to having the light boxed. What do ya suppose he did next? Yep. Why pay them the $50 to box the light when I can just do it myself and keep the money? Right?
So he throws it in a cardboard box and shoves some wadded up newspaper around it. (He did add corner protectors to the box though- which was at least a little effort.) So he takes the boxed light to UPS and drops it off- and he did add $300 insurance to the package. UPS was happy to tag that on to the price.
You know what is coming next. So I come home and this box is in my driveway looking quite disheveled. I pick it up to carry it inside, and of course the light is sliding around inside the box. So I already know I am screwed without even opening it. Sure enough they found a way to drop it and crack the lens on one end. Another super day...
So I notify the seller that I have a damaged package. He gets back to me to say he tried to file an online claim- but they want an account number which he does not have. So I say I will try to file a claim on my end. I call UPS direct- and of course get connected to India. I do my best to get past the obvious communication barrier- and finally get connected to an American in the "damage exception group".
So I give my information and he sends me an email asking for all these pictures that have to be sent in for an inspection. OK- I take about 20 pictures of all the damage and email it back to them. They have to evaluate the damage to see if they want to pay the claim. They took the insurance money up front, but they may say the box was "inadequate" and deny the claim altogether. Oh, good to know. Now I wait...........
No word of course, so I have to call India again. They have to transfer me back to the "damage exception group"- who says they have reached a decision. So what is it? Oh, they can't tell me- I have to get that information from the shipping location (in Arkansas) because they are the ones responsible for the damage. So I call Arkansas. It takes about 3 tries before I finally get through.
I get ahold of a counter helper (the manager is unavailable) and explain my situation. He says the store has not been notified of any claims as of yet. Then he tells me that I did not follow proper procedure because the claim should have been filed with the store, by the seller. Then it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process. What? I have the damaged item, not him, and I am 8 hours away. He cannot provide any information about the damage. So I tell him the claim has already been filed- and that a decision has been reached. Wait, it gets better...
So the clerk tells me that IF UPS decides to pay the claim (just because you buy insurance, doesn't mean they have to pay any claim you have- it's at their discretion), then the store will issue a refund check- TO THE SELLER! The guy who already has all my money. The guy who pocketed the box fee and caused the whole issue to begin with. He gets the refund check (IF they issue one) and it is my responsibility to get the money back from him. Are you kidding me? I am out $300 and have a broken light- and now I have to negotiate with the seller to get damage claim!? I ask the UPS guy, what's to keep this guy from cashing the check and just disappearing? Uhh... I understand your concern, he says. Since he paid at the counter (using my money) he gets the potential refund. What a scam! And by the way, the store still has not contacted me with the decision. They said I have to email the manager.
So the lesson here is NEVER NEVER NEVER let the seller make shipping arrangements "on your behalf". Call UPS yourself and pay over the phone. AND let UPS do the boxing. Then if something gets damaged- they can't blame anyone but themselves. There won't be any of this "inadequate boxing" nonsense to get them out of paying the claim- to the seller. The real lesson though is never ship a damn light bar. I don't care if it is in Germany- drive over and get it yourself. I wonder how many times I have to get hit in the crotch before I quit stepping on the rake?

View attachment 159828

I had bought a Federal Signal Vision lightbar back in 2005- 2006 and the seller even used the original box Federal Signal uses to send out their Vector/Vision lightbars from the Manufacture.

They sent it through UPS, who in-turn, sent it to me and delivered it (Jim Carey style from Ace Ventura, Pet Detective style) and it even had numerous different shoe prints on it in the center when I found it on the front porch coming home from work.

When I opened it the front center pod was broken, the two clear pods that move to rotate for take downs or rotator or alleys or can move to the back to sweep back and fourth were both crushed on that V shaped overhead bracket. Oh and both endcaps were also broken too.

I contacted the person that I bought it from on eBay and they in return refunded me the price it would cost to replace the parts to fix it. So, I found and bought the parts from eBay DocRoyalle who I think is the right seller and the seller refunded me that amount to repair it because we both know its a lost cause dealing with the claims department from UPS and know it's a joke.

This wasn't my first time dealing with UPS. Back in 1996 I bought a JetSonic lightbar from a friend in Minnesota and from this incident this was my first time going through by filing a damage claims report and just like how this guy described it in his report. So, I bought this near perfect FS JetSonic lightbar that was intact for the most part and from the pictures he sent me it was in great shape and not busted up. The lightbar was used from the Minnesota Highway Patrol and he sold it to me for $100 plus shipping to Phoenix, Az.

The lightbar had it's full wiring harness and it had the metal roof brackets that I like and highly prefer over those annoying preformed fiberglass ones that I so really hate because I cut my finger open pretty good, almost to the point that I nearly needed stitches when I was waxing my car with this other JetSonic lightbar that I have and I had to buy some new FS roof brackets so I could mount it to my car.

I'll never retain any roof brackets with these new molded roof brackets. Ever! I'll find a good set of the metal brackets and refinish them if I need to. His was mostly stripped and would've had a really nice set of domes on it and so I was going to build the lightbar the way I wanted to have it, it was the perfect project.

I got it. The box looked like it was dropped off from the cargo doors of the aircraft if it was on one. It had tire tread marks on it like it had been run over and it was taped back to keep the contents in it and then sent to continue delivering it to me. When I opened it the domes on each side were broken in two to three pieces and the lightbar frame under the speaker housing was sandwiched with a slight downward fashion probably from being dropped at the great height that it endured.

I bought a new NOS Code3 Excalibur lightbar from someone in Portland, Oregon and he shipped it to me in the original factory box and unopened and they used FedEx to ship it to me and it came to me with a perfect box and with no damages to the lightbar.

I don't know why UPS is that way or has to be that way and careless??? I don't know nor would I and would hate to see how they would treat human remains that some funeral home using UPS to ship the remains of that loved one to another funeral home for the funeral. They would probably drop it and run over it and deliver it that way and blame the funeral home for poor and inadequate shipping to send it through them.

 

[SomeBloke]

Never used UPS much, but havent had anything major (did have a box go missing, that was mysteriously signed for, then miraculously turned up after I rang UPS and demanded to know why fraud was being committed).

FedEx are awesome though, I bought an English Pewter Tankard from Amazon's UK site, shipping it to Seattle. I ordered at around 11am, and had it the next day by 3pm. So they got it to me, from the UK all the way to Seattle in a day. I even took a screenshot of the delivery confirmation from fedex because it was that good.

 

[TactMedic]

In December, I shipped three edge lightbars. After they lost the bars, they open an investigation and finally they didn't found them. They send me the claim papers and without any notice or tracking info, a UPS guy drop the bars back to me ... After 1 month ! They refuse to refund me the shipping charges and I need to pay again for the shipping ...