2. misc-audio
  3. 137161-113474

insurance and shipping with UPS

I recently shipped a Levinson 432 amplifier with UPS.I brought it to UPS and requested that they box it. It was insured. During transit UPS dropped the amplifier and pretty much destroyed it. I offered to pay for repairs, however the buyer had no interest in purchasing the item. UPS inspected the damaged amplifier and denied my claim, insisting  the  amplifier was not properly packaged. Corporate denied responsibility and said the issue was between myself and the UPS franchise that shipped it. I've been dealing with the franchise for a month and they are fighting with corporate in an attempt to adjudicate the issue. Meanwhile, I've repaid the buyer and have had  no relief from UPS. The UPS website clearly states that if a franchise boxed the item they are responsible. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to resolve this issue, other than hiring an attorney? UPS seems to be somewhat of a scam operation. I did not realize that all UPS offices were franchises and am wondering why anyone would ship anything of value with them.
catsally1
kqvkq9's avatar
kqvkq9
77 posts
 
While there is a 70 pound limit that would eliminate some of these items from consideration, Registered Mail can have insurance for up to $25,000with no issues. The items are passed from hand to hand in the Post Office with each person that handles the piece personally responsible. Those items do not go through the regular mail in any fashion. For a higher fee, armed guards are used. It's an archaic system that has never really needed an update. That's because it works.


The Hope Diamond went to the Smithsonian via Registered Mail.

I'm just sayin'...
builder3
145 posts
 
spin4cards7 posts07-26-2018 10:25pmIf it is not considered too off topic, I have a question that may be best addressed by the retired postmaster kqvkq9 although I certainly welcome comments by anyone who cares to chime in. I have a small brick and mortar sports collectible business that I have owned and operated in the same location for 28 years. Naturally, I have insurance for my business and I pay a premium for that insurance. I must repeat, I pay for the insurance for my business. I use the USPS on a daily basis shipping mostly small, First Class packages and a few Priority Mail packages that can weigh up to 20 pounds . These type packages are very easy to package safely. The values on these packages range from $10.00 to $4,000.00. My question is this...If I pay the USPS their fee, which is based on weight and distance, to deliver a package, which is their job, why must I pay them extra to "Insure" that they do the job that I just paid them to do?! This of course holds true also for UPS, FedEx etc..

You really only need to think about it for a moment. No business would willingly accept $4000 of liability for $15.95. If you have an item of high value, you need to act accordingly. Is the auto insurance the same for a 1970 Gremlin and a Ferrari? Do they weigh the cars to set the premium? Of course not.
93rubyz
18 posts
 
I avoid UPS at all costs. The last piece of gear I bought was shipped via UPS (I forgot to specify against UPS).  It was double-boxed by the seller yet arrived damage anyway.  From what I can imagine based on the damages, I estimate the box was dropped from at least waist-high onto a concrete surface.  Fortunately the amp was repairable and the seller even had replacement parts (surprisingly).  I didn't even bother with the claim expecting a similar situation as yours.  I made the repairs myself with the parts sent to me by the seller.
I much prefer FedEx Ground or USPS.  With USPS, filing a claim is so much easier than anywhere else.
spin4cards
26 posts
 
In response to Builder3's post...I'm still not buying it... I paid you (USPS, FedEx etc.) to do your job which is simply to deliver a package. If you can't deliver it safely and in a timely fashion then you need to do something about it. That "Something About It" would not be to make billions of dollars by charging the customer in case you screw up. Very convenient arrangement wouldn't you say?
"KQVQ9", the retired postmaster said in an earlier post... "What do you expect for 50 cents"? I expect you to do your job regardless of what the package is presumed to be worth. What do you get when you multiply that 50 cents times billions, yes that's right, billions of packages? You get billions and billions and billions and billions of dollars! I think for those kind of numbers we should not have to worry about theft or damage.
They may not willingly accept responsibility but they should. Of course, they never will.  
kqvkq9's avatar
kqvkq9
77 posts
 
Yep, that's what I thought. Somebody looking for something for nothing.


Now by your own admission, when you insure your business, you pay for it.You're proud of that. Do you expect your insurance company to accept indemnity for your belongings because you're a responsible individual?Nope. you pay your way. You said as much.

On the other hand, you expect the Post Office and by implication, all other carriers to assume liability for your items for basically nothing. It doesn't work that way. There's a cost involved. Insurance is available for the prudent buyer. That's a cost of doing business.


Quite a few years ago, during nuclear disarmament talks, Edward Shevardnadze, the representative of the Soviet Union said  "There's no free launch".




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