The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I assume we've all been there... I certainly have.

Check out this story where a man caught a USPS worker on video delivering his antique cuckoo clock.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/1 ... 16901.html

Maybe we should all have surveillance cameras set-up. :-p

As you say, most of us have probably been there. I had a nice antique organette that I shipped to a repairman in another state. I had it packed by my local UPS Store, who as always did a good job, and shipped it by UPS. The repairman used the exact same packaging to send it back, which included an appropriate size box, plenty of bubble wrap and plastic “peanuts,” etc.

It arrived in pieces, something not easy with rock-hard century-old walnut, because UPS had crushed in the corner of the box while it was in transit. UPS denied the insurance claim, claiming inadequate packing because “the box was in contact with the item.” Well, HELLO, that is what happens when you crush in a box so that it is reduced to being no longer big enough for the content. Worse still, when they picked it up to review the damage they sent the remains back to the repairman, without asking me, even though it was my property.

Ultimately their loss. I had done a fair amount of business with UPS, but never used them again. They lost many times the money they would have been out had they honored their insurance as they should have done.

Clay

I had a similar experience with UPS. I was on a trip and found a record cabinet (always dicey to ship). But since I couldn't really take it with me on the airplane, I found a local UPS store and paid them to pack, insure and ship it to my home. What could be safer? Well of course it was totaled when it arrived. I filed a claim, standard procedure UPS sent someone out who then took the piece and all its packing and returned it to the UPS store - where the claim was DENIED! What? The UPS Store packed it, I paid Ins and UPS handled it and broke it and I am on the hook for creating commerce! Long story short (6 months), I later received my check. Here is something to know - the UPS Store is a franchise - it is NOT PART OF UPS! They are treated just like you or me when it comes to packing and insuring. In my case the store owner had to file with their own insurance to get this covered in order to pay me. I too will never use UPS again.

I saw a report on CNN a couple weeks ago where things like that were caught on security cameras en masse. Probably during the Xmas rush several different incidents with Fedex and UPS where brand new flat screen TVs, monitors, computers and other stuff in poriginal packaging was thrown over the fence, thrown out of the truck onto the driveway towards the door without the driver ever leaving the truck, or loading the truck by throwing everything inside. Fedex claimed they identified the driver in one of the cases and dealt with it internally, but the scary fact was that this seems to be more the rule than the exception. Lots of cases on youtube. I just don't know how to be able to avoid shipping at all
My latest record purchases - disk and cylinder - were more than 50% breakage, even when very well packed. I don't know what the heck they do with it?
Andreas

I don't think we should forget that these are exceptions. I have an extremely helpful USPS guy who delivers my things, and an equally wonderful UPS delivery man. As for FedEx, I've even written to them to commend my local driver, and in our recent bad weather, I left a note for the mailman thanking him for his great service.

I wonder if treating delivery people well may help encourage good service?

Not to excuse either of the guys on the video - but I do note that both seem to have been confronted with fences/gates (were there dogs?), which make it a lot harder to do deliveries. Again, this does NOT excuse them - but I think we should note that there are ways to make the delivery guy's job easier - or harder.

Nat

Don't forget that the SENDER takes out the insurance so if the item is damaged the SENDER is reimbursed. The buyer has no choice but to return the item for a refund if possible and let the sender deal with the insurance.

[quote="Covah"]Don't forget that the SENDER takes out the insurance so if the item is damaged the SENDER is reimbursed. The buyer has no choice but to return the item for a refund if possible and let the sender deal with the insurance.[/quote]

And mark my word - that takes forever, and then it takes forever to get your money back from the seller - that's if you do get it back at all. I ask sellers to use USPS flat rate boxes when at all possible. I had three EBay items damaged in 2011, and all shipped by "Big Brown", none by USPS.

briankeith wrote:

I ask sellers to use USPS flat rate boxes when at all possible. I had three EBay items damaged in 2011, and all shipped by "Big Brown", none by USPS.

I have had much better experience with USPS as well, and on the one occasion I did have a claim, it was handled rapidly and courteously.

Clay

briankeith wrote:And mark my word - that takes forever, and then it takes forever to get your money back from the seller - that's if you do get it back at all... I had three eBay items damaged in 2011...

eBay and PayPal and even your credit card give you money back guarantees if you return the item. Then the seller has to deal with the insurance. Usually if an item is damaged it is due to the seller's poor packaging. Let the seller deal with the insurance hassle. If the item arrives damaged and the seller tells you to file a claim, the seller will get the settlement because the seller took out the policy. The seller might make a big deal out of insurance but only the seller will be reimbursed.

If I am the seller and take out insurance, it's because I think the handlers in transit will be more careful. I always pack very carefully. There is something to be said for allowing the UPS store do the packaging because then the insurance provider cannot blame you for packaging. For example, newspaper is not allowed, you have to use styrofoam peanuts.

In my case (see the start of this thread) the packing was all provided by the UPS store, but UPS weaseled out of the claim anyhow.

Clay