Here's the story...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=2241034202

Apr 30: auction (see above link) ended. Buyer agreed to send me an International USPS MO for the final price plus shipping.

May 12: received MO from buyer.

May 14: wrapped the item in 2-3 layers of bubble wrap all around it. Put it in a box. There are spacing around the item which is filled with foam chips all the way to the top of the box. Taped it shut with packing tape. Put 10-12 FRAGILE stickers all over the box. Dropped by the local and only UPS depot. Filled out a waybill. Description of goods box: STATUE OF DRAGON. Declared value of shipment for insurance only: $250 CAD. Declared value of shipment for customs only: $250 CAD. Item send by UPS Standard service. I paid by cash for the shipping.

May 20: According to the tracking on UPS website, item got delivered.

May 23: Got an e-mail from the buyer. Sent me these pix.




May 25: called UPS.

CSR: what is the item made out of?

me: porcelain

CSR: sorry but UPS does not insured items that are fragile such as porcelain, glass, ceramics, etc.

me: how am I supposed to know about that????

CSR: you're supposed to be responsible for finding that out yourself (wtf????). All information are posted on the website (I seriously don't see that policy on there http://www.ups.ca)

me: I was verbally asked what the item was at the UPS depot and I said statue of dragon. The lady at the UPS depot did not ask me anything else. She DID NOT told me anything about UPS policy about not insuring any fragile items and like I'm going to have any hints that UPS does not insured items like that. I put 10-12 FRAGILE STICKERS all over the box too. I wrapped the item up in 2-3 layers of bubblewrap plus spacing around it in the box with foam chips. How the heck can it get damaged???

CSR: During the time the item is with UPS, sometimes the item is not handled by a human being but by conveyor belts. So it may have dropped or tipped over. Umm, we'll fill out a claim and send it to the claims dept. Make sure the receiver keep all packaging material and the item itself because we might send someone to go see the item.

May 28: UPS made a visit to receiver's place and inspect item.

June 1: Got a call from the 3rd party insurance company that UPS deals with.

Adjuster: so what is the item made out of?

me: porcelain

Adjuster: sorry but your claim will be denied. UPS does not insured fragile items like that.

me: but I was not told about the policy, etc. etc.

AdjusteR: sorry but I have to go by UPS policy. It's what I'm given and I have to go by their rules. You'll have to call UPS up yourself and deal with them directly.

I called UPS right after getting off the phone with Adjuster.

me: I got a call from the adjuster and he told me claim is denied because of UPS policy.

CSR: I apologize on behalf of UPS but there's nothing we can do.

me: but I was NOT TOLD about this policy, about UPS not insuring fragile items.

CSR: I'm sorry again but that is UPS policy.

me: DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY HERE? WHY AM I DENIED A CLAIM? WHY AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS WHEN IT'S UPS MISTAKE FOR NOT INFORMING ME IN ADVANCE OF THE INSURANCE POLICY? I'd like to talk to your supervisor please.

CSR: My supervisor will tell you exactly what I told you.

me: I don't care, I want to talk to someone else. I want to talk to your supervisor.

CSR: ok, please hold.

....

Explained the situation the the supervisor.

Supervisor: let me call your local UPS depot and get back to you within 1/2 hr.

1/2 hr later.

Supervisor: ok I've spoke with the personnel at your local UPS depot. This is what I can do. Send a claim in to our claims dept. They usually deals with items that are insured $100 or less. And we'll go from there. You should hear from someone named Cathy by the end of the week (June 4). My name is Michelle and my extension is .... if you have to get a hold of me.

It is now almost June 11 and NO CALLS YET FROM UPS. ARGH! What can I do from here??? Other than calling Michelle????? I just want the god damn $250 CAD that was what the item was insured for!!!!!!!!!!!!! btw, I am refunding all the money to the buyer.

 

What a useless fvcking company! I hate big companies, it's all about "That's not my department" "Let me talk to me supervisor" "I'll transfer you to someone else"
What ever happened to Customer Service?
I ship with FedEx on almost a daily basis, and have only ever had one problem with them in the past 2 years. When I did have the problem, I complained, and they refunded the cost of my shipment.

 

Ummm, wouldn't it be worth calling Michelle?

I would point out to them that you consider that they took money from you under false pretences .... You informed them that it was a fragile statue of a dragon and they accepted your money for the insurance of the item. In my view they have accepted the risk since they accepted the payment .... try pointing this out to her and tell her that you WILL be taking if further if she cannot deal with it.

 

I have been preaching AGAINST UPS for years. Canadians get ROYALLY HOSED by UPS for brokerage fees on anything they send to us here. I try to get all sellers to ship by ANY other shipper but sometimes that's all they deal with. And sometimes, I won't buy from them because of this.

Sellers should begin to realize that if UPS is their only shipper, they will LOSE BUSINESS if they don't find another shipper.

 

Fedex is not any better...

I shipped to a member here my AEM EMS to Estonia. For all those who don't know Estonia, it a small country next to Russia. The member called me with an account number which he even used to call in a pickup at my location. So i shipped the package he gets it, then 1 week later, Fedex sends me a bill for $428.67. I'm like . So i called them up and they that the account number i had could not be billed. Then i asked if the account number is even existant, they said yes but it could not be billed however pickups can be called in using that account. Also their policy is to send the bill to the sender and not the buyer. How was i to know if that account could be billed or not? Fedex sent all the paper work through like everything is fine.

 

^

I've had the same thing happen with FedEx too - if you read the fine print on the back of waybills, it's the policy of every courier to charge the shipper if the recipient's account is no good, or only setup for outbound shipping (rather than inbound collect)

I'd def. call the supervisor Michelle - every day - until she resolves it. It's the old adage, squeaky wheel gets the grease.

 

UPS accepted your money to insure the package even after you told the person it was fragile. To me, this means they accepted liability for the contents of the package. If they have a policy against insuring fragile items, they should have refused your insurance money.

 

UPS has definitely become a ship-at-your-own-risk company. Sorta like the USPS. I had a wake up call a few weeks ago in my local post office. A lady in front of me at the window was there to try and locate a lost parcel. She became irate when the clerk told her to fill out a form and pay a rather large fee. The lady sarcastically asked why SHE had to pay the postal service a fee to find a lost parcel that she had already paid them to deliver in the first place. It's like paying them to lose your stuff!!

 

After searching throughout the website (http://www.ups.ca), there is NO mention of UPS not insuring fragile items. The only thing I found in regards to fragile items:

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/resources...ms/service.html

3.4 Articles Requiring Pre-approval for Shipping within Canada and Internationally


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