Do any commercial shippers care any more?

[jeffg]

Well, my third appliance shipment (in as many months) arrived today, and just like the other two it was damaged almost beyond recognition. In one case the box was both completely crushed AND soaking wet! Because of limited options from retailers all three parcels were shipped via UPS.

I've had it with these apes. Is FedEx or DHL any better?

 

[maytagbear]

The best luck I have had

recently, and it's only been average luck, at that, is with the USPS.

One of the things about declining UPS service can be traced to eBay, and the tremendous volume coming from all those sellers.

Also, UPS is too easy to use, all those "UPS Stores" in every strip plaza. I go way back with my UPS Store, been going to them since they opened in the late 80s, so I get as good a service as possible.

DHL is pretty good, I've recieved packages through them, and the damage has been minimal, but they are harder to find/use here.

Pack it well, and hope for the best, I guess.

I wish things were different.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[launderess]

Do not think eBay affects UPS that much; for one thing most eBay sellers are dealing with rather small packages, which cost dear using UPS versus the USPS. Indeed since USPS introduced flat rate Priority mail service, it is much cheaper to send smaller items that route.

As someone who has received damaged items via UPS, have to say most of the time it is due to improper and or poor packaging by sellers. Many eBay sellers are looking to make as much from a transaction as possible while minimising their costs. Now that the USPS has cracked down on them using their boxes, many sellers resort to any cheap box found in the rubbish, regardless of it's rated weight/crush proof limit. Packing materials (if any) are limited to a few scraps of yesterday's newspaper at worst, and at best some reused bubble wrap or peanuts.

Have always found UPS willing to pony up when damage can be proven to be their fault (such as an item arriving wet), but when a package is not properly done, they can and should refuse to compensate.

For the record, would NEVER ship any appliance via UPS unless one was willing to invest in crating and or a truly professional packing job. Have had two Thor GladIrons and a Hoover Twin Tub sent via UPS. All were eBay purchases and arrived intact. Well ok, the one of the wheels on the Hoover poked through the box and was damaged, but that wasn't UPS's fault.

One reason was so thrilled my Pfaff was fixed via an in home service call, was dreading crating and shipping the thing. The process would have called for a professional crating/packing job,and that would have cost money.

Have also found it best to insure the heck out of anything sent via UPS. Parcels with high insurance values are taken a bit better care of, IMHO. My UPS driver certianly takes note when picking up a parcel and the system indicates high dollar value insurance.

As for the orginal poster's problem. DO NOT throw away the package and any packing materials, and contact UPS ASAP to arrange a claim. Sometimes UPS will insist the shipper begin the claim process, but whatever you do, get the ball rolling as soon after delivery of damaged goods as possible. UPS will not process any claims for damage without the package and packing, however.

L.

 

[gyrafoam]

FedEx Ground

Is my favorite. I've used them for a few years now. The rates are the cheapest and the deliveries are fast sometimes beating USPS Priority (big surprise).

They have never damaged a shipment of mine.
I don't know about other locations, but UPS in both Atlanta and Omaha IMO sux.

 

[jeffg]

Thanks for the info. These weren't Ebay purchases, the problem has been limited shipping options from certain retailers. Looks like the best option is to find alternate retailers who use FedEx and/or USPS.

 

[oldhouseman]

Large items

such as appliances can be tricky. I had my heart set on getting the 1949 Westinghouse stove from Ralph in San Francisco. No shipper would give me any assurance about the safety of the item but they all wanted to sell me insurance. What good would that be for a kitchen stove that is 60 years old? Plus the shipping coast from California to Georgia....

My experience with antiques, furniture and artworks are similar. Even buying from Christies or Sotherbys is a total pain and a big cash outlay.

Quality service is a key factor but it costs...and costs dearly. And still you wonder about what you are getting.

Sounds like a business opportunity for someone with the right financial backing.

 

[jeffg]

My partner and I went into a Circuit City last week to look at flat panel TVs. We found one we liked, and the salesguy wrote up a claim check for us to take to the front counter.

We hand the claim check to the standard "I hate my life and it's all your fault" girl at the front counter, she goes into the warehouse and emerges with a box which is bashed in about a foot in one corner, with another corner that's missing altogether.

We ask her, "Do you have another unit?".

"No."

We nicely say, "Then please cancel this sale."

So she takes the box and hurls it about 15 feet against the back wall, right in front of her supervisor -- who didn't even seem to notice. We heard the TV's plastic bezel crack when it hit the ground.

God only knows how CC treats their merchanside when managers *aren't* looking..

 

[pturo]

Do any commercial shippers care anymore?

NO

 

[perc-o-prince]

Having shipped and received thousands of

packages over the past 10 years..... as long as items are properly packed, UPS has had the best track record, and the USPS the worst.

Also, something that needs to be added into the equation is the ease of filing/resolving a claim with your carrier of choice. Once again, for us, UPS has been A-1 for both ease of filing and speed of claim payment on those few occasions when it's been necessary. The USPS, on the other hand, has been insufferably slow and inefficient. The last claim I had with them took 10 months to settle! Standard USPS claims seem to take about 30-45 days for domestic, and 30-90 for international. Even my local USPS folks shake their heads when they help deal with these claims! On the other hand, I've never had a regular UPS claim take more than 2 weeks.

So, I use UPS for probably 90% of our domestic shipping. I'm stuck with the USPS for international because of the lower cost our customers want. Though, we have one customer in Spain who is adamant about not using the USPS, though it costs him 3x more for FedEx to handle his shipments.

Just something to chew on!

Chuck

 

[panthera]

USPS

I send a lot of stuff to friends in the US with DHL (duh) and USPS from Germany.
Every single time, absolutely, 100% of the time, when the package was labeled "fragile" or, worse yet, "glass" (that symbol of the cracked martini glass), the contents were destroyed with a thoroughness which convinces me it was intentional.
I pack things so that they can withstand being soaked (with salt water), stood on by a 300 lb. gorilla, smashed, thrown, dropped and otherwise abused.
I never, ever label them as to the delicacy of the contents, if glass is in a box, I only put that on the customs form when I absolutely have to.
There is no doubt in my mind that unhappy employees destroy these things intentionally. The labels asking for special care are like wearing a "kick me" sign pinned to the back of your T-Shirt.
Other pain in the butt: Sending things express or special priority from Europe to the US results in them being delayed by several weeks over normal delivery. The German post office says it must be the Americans, the Americans say it has to be the Germans...other way 'round is even worse, in 25 years only one registered letter from the US was actually delivered to me first try, all the others were sent back to the US with my "Address Unkown". Funny, 'cause normal letters and packages from the US arrive here in 5-7 days, year in year out.
My conclusion: Minimize human involvement and you will sidestep some of the bastards who delight in fcuking with you.

 

[whirlcool]

We use FedEx & USPS

When shipping small items, we use USPS Priority Mail services. They have never damaged anything and have delivered promptly. We recently mailed off a Tandberg pre-amp and amp set to Italy via USPS as they were the cheapest. Of course we used new boxing and doubled it as well as using a ton of that "inflatable" styrafoam packing material. They both made it to Italy in fine condition.
UPS has damaged a few items I have received. I sent a set of McIntosh amps that were in absolutely mint condtion to a guy in Denver. One arrived in perfect order, the other one was damaged beyond recognition. The box still had tire marks on it from the truck that ran over it. Of course they tried to blame it on me. Improper packing of course, it was like that when I dropped it off for shipment, etc., their catch all excuse. But after three months of proving to them that the items were packed just as good as the original manufacturer packed them, and a letter from my lawyer, they paid up.

But I will have to agree with the Laundress. Sellers, especially those "Powersellers" will use any old thing that they come across to pack their items. I have received stuff that was just dropped in old boxes with no packing whatsoever. It seems these powersellers have the "just get the crap sold and shipped as cheap as possible". But then again, these are the people who thing that the rules don't apply to them.

 

[danemodsandy]

Did they ever?

 

[turquoisedude]

Sounds like a business opportunity for someone with the righ

I agree, there is a definite demand for quality shipping out there!
I used Craters & Freighters (with Yellow Transport) recently and I can't say I had any trouble. Mind you, you don't just toss 1200 pounds of appliances around...
I've picked up a couple of items myself and I think that's the way I'd go for future purchases. Besides, it's worth seeing the look on hubby's face when I announce that we have to make a road trip to the Midwest!!

 

[launderess]

Shipping large and or high value items is not an easy business, nor an inexpensive one to set up. As petrol prices in the United States reach record levels, if professional truckers, shipping companies and so forth are having a hard time eking out profits, what hope would there be for a little guy trying to get a toe hold?

Most small trucking/freight operations normally move items on trucks with extra space already going to and from where the item is and going. Trying to do a small scale FedEx Ground or UPS works only as good as one's employee's or one's efforts to drive around town, collecting items and then taking them across country.

Good truck drivers and or movers are not cheap. Especially when you want people who can pass a criminal background check and or are trustworthy. USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and all the rest have departments to deal with in-house theft and rerouting of goods.

Finally in this post 9/11/01 world, one wants to be very careful what one is shifting.

Again, properly packaged, packed, palleted and so on large items sent via UPS normally work fine. What happens is persons try to get by on the cheap and not use freight service, when they should, and or skimp on packing and package materials. When shipping anything above a letter sized packet, the question on one's mind shouldn't be if the box will be abused, but how much. With that in mind you have to pack the heck out of something to make it almost bullet proof. This way if something does go wrong you have firm ground for a claim. Using a bit of dried up and crumbling Styrofoam and a few bits of newspaper in a carton designed to hold tomatoes, isn't going to cut it.

 

[retro-man]

I have used Yellow Transport recently in the past year several times. All have been intact with minimal box damage. But like you say having things shipped on pallets and shrink rapped helps alot also. Never thought but has anyone contacted them for appliance shipping? They are big in the northeast don't know if they are across the US. I also do recieve a lot of orders thru UPS and I would say 99% of the time things are intact. Boxes have been beaten to shit but if packed right no problems. You have to realize how many miles these packages run on themselves along conveyors and sorters then into the planes then sorted again and into trucks then slid across the deck of driveway. Amazing there is still a box left!
Jon