insurance and shipping with UPS

I have to admit to thinking along the same lines.
When you ship ANY item with ANY carrier you are entering into a 2 way contract.
You pay them for a service, which is to deliver your goods in a timely manner and undamaged.
The idea that you should have to pay extra ( over what they just quoted you for said service) to insure this happens is nonsense in reality.
You have agreed a service between two parties, your end is packing it really well yourself and paying the carrier, their end is delivering it to the correct address undamaged. Really boils down to that.
Now if you knowingly make a crabby job of packing well you know who to blame, look in the mirror.
If you made a great job and all sellers with any integrity really should and it gets there damaged then that’s on the carrier.
Yes there should be an agreed value for liability and yes this may make your shipping cost more but to call it insurance is incorrect.
And once you have agreed that value and paid extra that should be it. Not " we will give you 75% of value", that is absurd!

And yes I realise this may incense some here and ruffle some feathers...oh well.

For the last 20 years of shipping delicate heavy items (furniture and audio equipment), I rely on FedEx and never use UPS in California (from or to).  UPS has a bad reputation in this state while FedEx hasn't caused problems for me (yet?).   UPS does deliver quickly within the state for items that are not heavy or not fragile (such as cases of grade juice in small cans, tightly wrapped and double boxed).  I've sent a McIntosh MX110 to Israel 20 years ago without damage and it was only double boxed with lots of bubble wrap around the preamp.  I would have used stiff styrofoam instead today.

@uberwaltz  +1  

I think you stated the case quite well.  The only feathers to be ruffled by your post in my mind would be someone reading it who works for UPS or FEDEX.

We live on a development road with a 25 MPH limit.  How many of those delivery trucks do you think are even close to honoring that?   

My son and I have been discussing this of late and we are under the impression that at least is the case of UPS drivers, that their work day is defined by the time it takes them to empty their truck not by the hour.  If so that might help explain why so many mistakes are made and mishaps occur.  Please weigh in if you know how it all works.

Dear uberwaltz and crazyeddy ........"I Love You Man"!

hifijones and kqvkq9.... not so much... lol

@hifiman5 .
Even though I refuse to ship UPS, I still get a lot of delivery from them and our driver is a very nice chap indeed, too nice imho for the job he is obviously suffering with.
Just last week he told me that their day is only done when every parcel is delivered( if possible) and pickup made. Does not matter if this takes 5 or 12 hours.
Now obviously they know their route and the areas and a quick look at his delivery manifest will tell him whether its a casual day or a bat out of hell day.
Therein lies part of your answer I believe.