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"UPS lost my $375 package!"

Posted by kp

Question: I recently used UPS to ship a package valued at $375. The employee at the UPS customer center filled out the shipping label for me, but never asked about the value of the package’s contents. The shipment was lost in transit, and UPS is telling me that they will only reimburse $100 (plus the shipping cost of $18.95) because I did not declare a value on the parcel. I feel they are at fault and should be responsible for the full amount. Do I have a leg to stand on? – Dave Bock, Hooversville, Pa.

Answer: Since only you and the UPS clerk were present when you shipped your package, this could have been one of those he-said-she-said situations that are never resolved. But the circumstances surrounding your dispute provided you with some extra leverage.

When I called UPS, spokeswoman Ronna Branch told me that employees at authorized UPS shipping outlets – like the one you used – are explicitly trained to let the customer fill in his or her own shipping information. In your case, the clerk filled out the information for you and never asked about the value of the package’s contents – a fault in communication that the corporate offices at UPS now acknowledges as a mistake. This didn’t guarantee reimbursement, but it gave your dispute a harder look.

Another important detail you had going for you was your own shipping history. During their dispute investigations, companies like UPS sometimes look for outliers from a customer’s usual shipping history and preferences. Your record of shipping high-value shipments with excess insurance coverage helped convince UPS to agree on reimbursing you the full $375 value of your lost package.

Tip: A few simple precautions can assure a problem-free reimbursement in the future. Just because this particular UPS clerk forgot to ask you about the package’s value – let alone have you fill out the label on your own – obviously does not mean that you shouldn’t bring it up yourself. Furthermore, creating a UPS account can help you sidestep this problem next time. Account holders can fill out label forms online (the question about insurance will come up automatically) and print the label right from home.

Reporting by: Alex Horowitz

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Well, I know for a fact that UPS can be sued and be held accountable in Contract law.

So that said, if you lost something en route or it was damaged because of USPS carelessness then you have rights under contract law. So I would first file a claim with them, if they deny that claim, then appeal it, and if they deny that again, then file a claim in the US District Court (they have jurisdiction).

You need affidavits from the recepients of the package.

Posted By denver, Co: October 27, 2009 5:19 pm

If youve ever seen the inside of a ups warehouse then youd know that you should never ship with them! i dont know if fed ex is any better, but when the trucks are pulled into to be unloaded the boxes are usually just shoved in there with noregard to weather it will fall or be squished in transit. it will also be tossed, thrown and stuck in a pile along the sorting belt. I personally will never ship or have anything shipped if its breakable or expensive. If its clothes, or toys them in not to concerned because those are usually fine even if the package is a bit messed up….

Posted By nikki dallas texas: October 6, 2009 3:52 am

UPS just lost my shipped sporting event tickets to a client. It going to be a battle already (I can already see it) I am hoping I can get the tickets re-printed (waiting to see)
but UPS doesn't really seemed to interested in making an effort to find the package. Their approach is to wait and see if they show up?

I also hate that all shippers including FedEX will only insure the cost of the paper tickets are printed on (not the real ticket value)
It's BS as their is no reliable way to have tickets shipped

Posted By Chicago, IL: June 1, 2009 2:45 pm

I just got off the phone for the sixth time with UPS because a package I was supposed to get yesterday, never came. The driver said he delivered it to my front door at 4:43. I was home and in front of the window working. I never saw a big brown truck. He lied. Outright lied! Who knows what happened to it. Maybe he kept it? Maybe some lucky person out there is enjoying my stuff? UPS keeps giving me the run-around telling me they don't have phone numbers to distribution centers, I'm lying, the driver didn't make a mistake, blah blah blah. Why did my usual driver go on vacation this week? He's so wonderful! I just don't understand how this driver is going to get away with it. He should compensate me. No insurance claim either. Because there was not a signature required for release even though extra insurance was paid for! What a scam they have going at UPS.

Posted By Maggie, Long Island, NY: April 2, 2009 5:14 pm

UPS completely destroyed a $1700 appliance that I shipped by dropping it. I packaged the appliance in the original box that the manufacturer had sent it in, complete with the foam inserts and, just to be safe, purchased the expensive premium insurance UPS offers. UPS refused to reimburse me, claiming that I didn't pack the box properly (never mind that the damage clearly came from a very high fall, as it completely mangled heavy stainless steel. Hard to imagine how any 80 lb metal appliance would survive any fall like that, even if wrapped in a bed of 1000 pillows, so their argument seemed doubly stupid). After fighting for several months and threatening a lawsuit, they finally relented and honored the insurance policy that I had paid for. I've had to use them since on rare occasion for convenience reasons but avoid them like the plague if I can now, preferring FedEx.

Posted By John, New York, NY: January 28, 2009 2:19 pm

Alex, your commentary is amazing and spot on. A simple investigation into this matter made a huge difference in someone's life.

Posted By Mike, New York NY: January 20, 2009 10:21 pm

At least using UPS or FedEx, you get a tracking number automatically.

Shipping USPS, you need to pay extra for any type of tracking. I sent a package recently with USPS and forgot to get a tracking confirmation number.

After 3 weeks and still no delivery, I ask for help in locating the lost package. I was directed to fill out a "stolen package" form with the USPS Postal Inspector. Their response…."thanks for letting us know about the theft, we will consider this example if any other similar cases arise." Basically, "sorry, your package is gone and we won't look for it." Not much help…..

This is why I generally use FedEx exclusively. I was lazy and thought it would be OK to ship USPS this time…I guess I was wrong.

Posted By Jeff, Colorado Springs, CO: January 13, 2009 2:16 pm

Jive,

You sure that your ebay seller didn't just rip you off instead of the people at UPS? eBay is kinda know for that type of thing happening.

Posted By Doubtful, Philly PA: January 13, 2009 1:57 pm

UPS is absolutely horrible about package handling. I have yet to receive a package where the box isn't badly crushed or shows many signs of abuse during shipment. Go with FedEx or USPS!

Posted By Victor, Atlanta, GA: January 13, 2009 1:41 pm

I also don't understand why someone who routinely ships high value parcels through UPS wouldn't be sure to declare this parcel's value, even though the clerk filled out the shipping label.

Posted By Josh, Orange County, CA: January 13, 2009 1:15 pm

Just my own reimbursement experience:

Used UPS to send a laptop valued at $1,600 for an HDD replacement. UPS "lost" the laptop in a distribution center. Even with the declared value, even with the original receipt for the laptop, it still took well over 90 days to get the check from UPS.

Posted By Glenn, New Cumberland PA: January 13, 2009 12:44 pm

UPS provides much better service when compared to FedEx or USPS. Just ask any shipping managers of large venders.

Posted By Mike, Salt Lake City, UT: January 13, 2009 12:15 pm

Want to feel totally ripped off? It's a double whammy. Try getting the "insurance" premium back from UPS if they have damaged your shipment and then refuse to pay for the loss by claiming it was not packaged properly. My guess is that they make extra millions per year by
keeping those insurance premiums. They've done in many times to our company.

Posted By Tim Oroville California: January 13, 2009 11:33 am

UPS is the worst, and more expensive than FED-X or USPS. I have to fill out my own label, UPS will damage, or lose the item, and they are the most expensive. no thanks.

Posted By Tom. Livonia, MI: January 13, 2009 11:30 am

Forget getting your package lost. How about those packages that do get to where they are going always being damaged?

Posted By Jorge, El Paso Texas: January 13, 2009 9:42 am

It is important to make any package as inconspicuous as possible when shipping through any means. Putting a large insurance value on it makes it more likely that it will "disappear" on the way since the handlers know it is valuable.
I have had trouble with UPS mangling packages and destroying the contents beyond repair. Thus, I rarely ever send or order anything breakable anymore.

Posted By Roger, Raleigh, NC: January 13, 2009 9:41 am

Never use UPS if you do not need to. I have gotten so many damaged packages. Also they lost a few. I have had better experience with FedEx or even the postal service.

Posted By Paramus NJ: January 13, 2009 8:44 am

having been a shipper for many years I have found both UPS and FedEx reliable.
Claims can be a hassle but UPS has always been very helpful and even have reconsidered some claims with a positive result. Sure I have some stories about every carrier but in the end it's how the company deals with it.

Posted By Sam, Old Saybrook, CT: January 12, 2009 12:09 pm

Absolutely NO shipping carrier is perfect, they ALL make errors and lose a percentage of packages, send them to the wrong place, destroy them by accident. ALL shipping carriers risk having problem employees who still or throw away packages. Every person using a shipping carrier must be responsible for their own documents and checking to ensure that any documents prepared by a shipping carrier are correct in all details. If you have on-going problems with a specific carrier — stop doing business with that carrier. I had several severe problems with UPS about 16 years ago — problems which UPS managers verbally admitted were UPS's fault, but which they refused to put anything in writing. While it is inconvenient, I have not sent anything by UPS or accepted any packages via UPS in about 16 years. If the ONLY way a company will ship an item is UPS, I can almost always find another company which will send an identical or nearly identical item via Fed-Ex or USPS.

Posted By Jim Cobb, Utica NY: January 12, 2009 12:08 pm

Please note that everyone here is using the incorrect word (this issue is becoming more prominant in today's world):

Lose – verb – to come to be without (something in one's possession or care), through accident, theft, etc., so that there is little or no prospect of recovery

Loose – adj – free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end

Posted By David, Boston MA: January 12, 2009 12:02 pm

UPS is notorious for lost and stolen packages. I purchased a pair of expensive speakers from ebay last year. The seller sent me the speakers in the original factory carton, which meant that anyone at UPS would know the package was a pair of speakers. To make a long story short, the packages never arrived. UPS claimed they were 'lost' but I know the driver or someone in the sorting facility stold the package.

Never ship with UPS: Use the US postal service of FedEx. They are more reliable.

Posted By Jive, New York, NY: January 12, 2009 10:53 am

If you declare a value with insurance and try to claim it after they loose it, be prepared for a long fight. UPS will do everything not to pay you from claiming they did not receive the paper work, to not responding or whatever else they can come up with to delay or not give you your money even though they clearly lost the package. You'd think after a week or two, it would be a closed matter. Nope, expect months and many phone calls. I bought a brand new portable for my mom, set it up with software and shipped it via UPS with a declared value and insurance from the UPS Store and it was lost. I filled out the proper paper work and provided a Best Buy receipt as proof of purchase. After two weeks, that's when I stared making phone calls. No one received paper work, the "tracer" wasn't issued, etc. etc. This went on for over two months until I finally got reimbursed. No one would ever give me an ETA for when I could get reimbursed. I was too afraid to buy another portable in the mean time because I had no idea if they'd eventually find the damn package and I'd be stuck with an extra portable. As an Aside, I've read on the internet, the UPS promises break even financial scenario for an UPS Store in 3 years which rarely materializes. The UPS Store essentially becomes a drop off location for UPS and a money loosing proposition for the UPS Store owner. This is on top of what the UPS Store owner had to pay to get into the game. So what do UPS Store owners do to get back at UPS: they steal or destroy the packages shipped by their customers. I used to think UPS was a world class organization but not after that experience and not after reading how they rip off UPS Store owners with unfounded promises. I no longer use UPS.

Posted By Robert Huang, Fairfax, VA: January 12, 2009 10:37 am

This story is the exact reason I will never use FedEx this is not just isolated to UPS. I have used UPS since 1996 and have yet to experience half the battle I did with other shippers.

Posted By John, Denver, CO: January 12, 2009 10:24 am

This person made a mistake and UPS realized she was a valued customer and decided to do the right thing in order to keep her business. So clearly, Matt from PA she does have a leg to stand on. Furthermore, again to Matt, you really should learn to read for content. The article clearly states that the clerk filled out the shipping information. Please don't ever post again unless you have read the whole article.

Posted By Nick, Mpls, MN: January 12, 2009 9:56 am

Stories like this should not even be posted. If the person had a history of shipping they should have known better! Sounds like a normal person yet again taking no responsibility for their mistakes! Whats new?

Posted By ML, OH: January 12, 2009 9:15 am

This person does not have a leg to stand on. When you fill out your shipping information, it asks for declared value in the section that you fill out. The form is then initialed and signed by the shipper before payment is made stating that everything is accurate. It is common knowledge that UPS insures for up to $100. Anything over that needs to be paid for in addition to the shipping charges.

Posted By Matt, Phila, PA: January 12, 2009 8:40 am

My advice would be to use FedEx or USPS. UPS probably didn't loose it, it was probably destroyed so completely that it cannot be recognized.

Posted By Bill, Caribou ME: January 12, 2009 8:33 am
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