What can I expect in a UPS damage claim?
Okay, you asked for it. (And you ain't gonna like it!) Here is exactly what you can expect from UPS. These are four posts made over at Audio Asylum, from a guy named Yech. (And while Yech is as an obnoxious a fellow as you could ever hope to avoid, still, he did not deserve this.) Initial UPS post: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=general&n=394676&highlight=ups+yech&r=&session= Initial UPS post UPS - 2nd post: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=general&n=398123&highlight=yech&r=&session= 2nd UPS post UPS - 3rd post: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=general&n=399908&highlight=ups+yech&r=&session= 3rd UPS post UPS - 4th post: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=general&n=402673&highlight=ups+yech&r=&session= 4th UPS post Good Luck, you'll need it! |
I had a Revel performa f30 damaged on the corners. Also the tweeter was bent in. Of course UPS tried to blame me for inadequate packing although they were in original boxes that were in good condition. Revel also tried to say they were damaged before shipment. I drove 9 hours to pick my next pair of speakers up personally. Tim |
I've no experience with UPS claims but if the boxes are original and all the original packing was used I would think about getting rid of any non-original packing that you added because I wouldn't be surprised if UPS tried to blame the damage on the extra packing materials. Also, to pick up on something the last responder mentioned, I would consider advising the buyer to "make sure" (by any means necessary!!!!) that BOTH speakers are damaged. Otherwise they will probably only going to cover one even though that really doesn't solve the problem as speakers are sold in pairs. Good luck dealing with "Big Brown." |
the 1st thing you can expect is for ups to pull a fast one,they are going to send a truck to your buyers house to pick up the speakers to take them to an"inspection center" tell ups that you need onsite inspection & that you will not allow the speakers to be transported from site. even though you tell ups most of the time they still try to pick up the item instead of sending an onsite inspector,once ups has the damaged speakers in their hands they will send them back to your doorstep without asking you. the second thing you can expect is for the ups inspector to deny your claim on the grounds of improper packing no matter how they are packed"unwritten policy" but as long as you know the ups packing guidelines & followed them or better than thats easy to beat. the third thing is that after you get an onsite inspection you will no longer be dealing with ups you will be dealing with their insurance carrier,ups does not insure their own shipping its outsourced,the insurance carrier will then send you some forms to fill out & request a damage repair estimate at that time your buyer will have to do a lot of legwork lugging the speakers to a dealer for a estimate. with electronics it isnt so bad but with speakers damage claims are a nightmare & unless your carefull everybody looses,as Kennyt said above if only one speaker received damage ups will not pay for the pair,cabinet damage can never be repaired without costing as much as buying a whole new speaker & if you didnt sell them for msrp they will only pay what you sold them for no matter how high you insured them for so cabinet repair is pretty much out of the question. if both speakers have not recieved damage its going to be a long hard road & your buyer or you will end up getting screwed,some reading between the lines here helps,both speakers need to recieve damage for ups to pay for them both. mike |
I had a similer experince. Speakers, originaly from France, were packed exactly as they had been when bought by original purchaser in their original shipping cartons. The box had obviously been dropped and this ruined the crossover. UPS sent a guy to me to take photos and then they denied the claim saying the pakaging was insufficent. The seller (who gets paid for the claim, not the buyer)knew someone at UPS and got them to finally pay for the damages. Not pretty. Good luck. |
Very interesting read. I bought a pair of speakers from a perfect ebay seller who said he over insured the speakers. They were damaged during shipment and it took me one call to UPS to realize I was screwed. What is your time worth? Mine is worth more than I had in the speakers so UPS wins. I have a pair of speakers listed for sale now; shipping is not an option. If I get desperate to sell they will go very cheap before I'll ship. |
Yep !!!!!!! All the above my friend. You should not have added any additional packing material. If the cartons were original and the inner packing original chances are these were approved by UPS. By adding packing this can be disapproved by UPS just as easy. I know, I have to have items we produce pre packed and sent to UPS for packaging approval. This I must do for my larger clients as we ship over 500 cartons daily. 80 percent is with UPS and 20 percent with Fed Ex. Even on thier approved packing it is always a fight to get paid if there is damage. However, I would not give up if you used the original packing even though you may have added a little on your own. Good Luck, Dave |
For really expensive items I like to take the items along with original boxes to the authorized shipper who will also package it all up for me. I also like to request an additional box that goes around everything. I requested this of a seller of a really expensive amp and it arrived in perfect condition. Also, I like to pay extra for fastest airfare available. I don't like ground. |
Nobody has brought up the fact that they were signed for. If there is visable damage to the box, one should refuse the shipment.----Bax global did this to me; the: "You signed,tough luck". BTW, those are just about the words they used. Remember they have a dream team of lawyers whom specialize in denying claims---THAT is their job. Exploiting the loop holes is their specialty. I wish you the best! |
gretsch. its really not as bad as we are making it sound,as long as you stick to your guns & know all the answers to the questions they throw at you in advance you will get paid,the key here is to be sure that both speakers have cabinet damage. i have had claims into the thousands of dollars & ups always pays as long as you let them know right from the start that you are not going away,you need to get on the phone with your buyer & get your stories straight & talk about all of this before ups gets into the mix,as long as both of you are on the same page you should get paid in full. if as i mentioned in my last post you shipped the speakers with a ups outlet you need to make sure that you start a damage claim from the exact local where you shipped from & try to do it in person. of all the shippers ups pays off easier & faster as long as you dont approach this like a door mat. mike. |
Just spend $10 and file a small claims complaint in your local court. UPS is unlikely to want to pay a lawyer thousands to defend it and will just pay up. I once had a claim with UPS that they paid quickly, but they had no defense. The package never arrived. So it likely was stolen. It was a lucky break for me. It was a year+ old laptop that was being sent in for a warranty repair. The insurance was enough for a new laptop. And since computers become obsolete so fast, the new laptop was twice as fast as the old one. |
They paid me on a crushed Nak Dragon. I did have insurance and had double boxed it up to their required packing standards. Many times, original packing is not sufficient for shipping. You also may want to inquire about other claims on the same route. Some drivers have bad track records and UPS is easier to pay. It took about 2-3 weeks to get paid on my deck. Good luck. It's nerve wracking. |
