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Advice on how to get FedEx to pay up on damage

HELP! I recently shipped a subwoofer via FeEx ground. I put it in a heavy box with a lot of packing around it including about 6 inches of padding on the top because the speaker and grill are on the top. I marked the box all around with bright red arrows labeled "this side up" since it was very heavy and turning it over could damage it. Guess what. The grill and speaker were damaged and FeEx is claiming it was not properly packed. I figure they turned it over. Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed with this? I have spent hundreds of dollars shipping via FedEx recently and this is the first problem I have had. This is complicated by the fact that the speaker is now 2000 miles from where I am. Any thoughts?
herman
jvr
105 posts
 
fed x should be able to provide you with what they consider to be accepatable packaging (it should be a list of approved shipping and packing material). if this is what you have packed the sub with...you have a chance. if you have that; you should ask for a claims supervisor and work up from there. if you did not use what they consider approved packing; you are out of luck (even though it was better packed than they would require). a future thought is using the airlines; bax global and the like. some of them are not door to door svc but they are better on handling. good luck (i have been in the shipping business for 16 years).
proaudiow's avatar
proaudiow
9 posts
 
With FedEx you need to use the original carton and have pictures and prove the value. Then you can win a claim.

If it's double boxed, you can do well to.
Pictures before and after are helpful. Retail value
to show them is of help to.

Showing them other products that sell for the same price.
You will need to submit a typed claim to them and present
to them everything.
Takes 2-3 months.

Bob,
ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,370 posts
 
I had a situation similar with UPS, they damaged a CD player I had sold to someone. I had insured the player and it was obvious that had hadled the box roughly. They denied the claim on the grounds that the player wasn't packed properly. I marched down to my local courthouse and filed a lawsuit against them for the insured amount, and guess what I got paid. If it is under 5000.00 in damage, you could try doing that yourself, it is very easy and it costs about 30.00 including service via certified mail.
njonker
107 posts
 
I have ample experience with FedEx and the like damaging very expensive equipment. If it was insured, you can proof it was working prior to shipping, and you can proof it was packed OK, you just go through the lengthy claims process which will take a few months. Call them, ask for a claims supervisor, get them to mail or fax you instructions. Do everything in writing if you can, it takes time but gets the best results.

Not trying to scare you here, but I lost a claim on a $30,000 piece of communications gear that got damaged by FedEx Ground; it was packaged in original boxes and all; FedEx claimed the box was in tact, so they could not be at fault. Nevermind the 3 foot high chassis was bent and half the cards were snapped. We had no way to proof it was in tact when shipped...

Niels.
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