shibby1952
Member
So I am going to share this little tale of misery so that others can learn what a screwed up industry the shipping business actually is- in case you did not already know. Oh, and the mistake I made in assuming people in general can be trusted. Learn from my mistake, if you get anything from this.
I found a really nice Jetstream light bar down in Arkansas on Craigslist that I decided I HAD to have for some reason. (I don't even like bars that don't have seal beams- but I had to have this one) So I contacted the seller about driving down. He seemed genuine and offered to get a shipping quote for me since I was about 7 hours away. I figured it couldn't hurt, and might actually be cheaper than driving all that way and back.
So he goes to UPS and calls me to say they quoted him $100 to ship and $50 to box and pack it. So it seems a little high, but it is going to save 14 hours of driving- so I decide to go ahead. Now the light itself is $150 (supposed to be mint condition) and now the cost of boxing and shipping is $150 for a total of $300. So I ask about PayPal. Nope, never heard of it- he wants a money order. (File a complaint? HA!) He says send him the $300 and he will handle all the shipping. (BIG MISTAKE!)
At this point I should have told him to drop it at UPS and I should have made the arrangements myself. But like an idiot, I sent him the money order. So.... He sees the $50 that was supposed to go to having the light boxed. What do ya suppose he did next? Yep. Why pay them the $50 to box the light when I can just do it myself and keep the money? Right?
So he throws it in a cardboard box and shoves some wadded up newspaper around it. (He did add corner protectors to the box though- which was at least a little effort.) So he takes the boxed light to UPS and drops it off- and he did add $300 insurance to the package. UPS was happy to tag that on to the price.
You know what is coming next. So I come home and this box is in my driveway looking quite disheveled. I pick it up to carry it inside, and of course the light is sliding around inside the box. So I already know I am screwed without even opening it. Sure enough they found a way to drop it and crack the lens on one end. Another super day...
So I notify the seller that I have a damaged package. He gets back to me to say he tried to file an online claim- but they want an account number which he does not have. So I say I will try to file a claim on my end. I call UPS direct- and of course get connected to India. I do my best to get past the obvious communication barrier- and finally get connected to an American in the "damage exception group".
So I give my information and he sends me an email asking for all these pictures that have to be sent in for an inspection. OK- I take about 20 pictures of all the damage and email it back to them. They have to evaluate the damage to see if they want to pay the claim. They took the insurance money up front, but they may say the box was "inadequate" and deny the claim altogether. Oh, good to know. Now I wait...........
No word of course, so I have to call India again. They have to transfer me back to the "damage exception group"- who says they have reached a decision. So what is it? Oh, they can't tell me- I have to get that information from the shipping location (in Arkansas) because they are the ones responsible for the damage. So I call Arkansas. It takes about 3 tries before I finally get through.
I get ahold of a counter helper (the manager is unavailable) and explain my situation. He says the store has not been notified of any claims as of yet. Then he tells me that I did not follow proper procedure because the claim should have been filed with the store, by the seller. Then it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process. What? I have the damaged item, not him, and I am 8 hours away. He cannot provide any information about the damage. So I tell him the claim has already been filed- and that a decision has been reached. Wait, it gets better...
So the clerk tells me that IF UPS decides to pay the claim (just because you buy insurance, doesn't mean they have to pay any claim you have- it's at their discretion), then the store will issue a refund check- TO THE SELLER! The guy who already has all my money. The guy who pocketed the box fee and caused the whole issue to begin with. He gets the refund check (IF they issue one) and it is my responsibility to get the money back from him. Are you kidding me? I am out $300 and have a broken light- and now I have to negotiate with the seller to get damage claim!? I ask the UPS guy, what's to keep this guy from cashing the check and just disappearing? Uhh... I understand your concern, he says. Since he paid at the counter (using my money) he gets the potential refund. What a scam! And by the way, the store still has not contacted me with the decision. They said I have to email the manager.
So the lesson here is NEVER NEVER NEVER let the seller make shipping arrangements "on your behalf". Call UPS yourself and pay over the phone. AND let UPS do the boxing. Then if something gets damaged- they can't blame anyone but themselves. There won't be any of this "inadequate boxing" nonsense to get them out of paying the claim- to the seller. The real lesson though is never ship a damn light bar. I don't care if it is in Germany- drive over and get it yourself. I wonder how many times I have to get hit in the crotch before I quit stepping on the rake?
I found a really nice Jetstream light bar down in Arkansas on Craigslist that I decided I HAD to have for some reason. (I don't even like bars that don't have seal beams- but I had to have this one) So I contacted the seller about driving down. He seemed genuine and offered to get a shipping quote for me since I was about 7 hours away. I figured it couldn't hurt, and might actually be cheaper than driving all that way and back.
So he goes to UPS and calls me to say they quoted him $100 to ship and $50 to box and pack it. So it seems a little high, but it is going to save 14 hours of driving- so I decide to go ahead. Now the light itself is $150 (supposed to be mint condition) and now the cost of boxing and shipping is $150 for a total of $300. So I ask about PayPal. Nope, never heard of it- he wants a money order. (File a complaint? HA!) He says send him the $300 and he will handle all the shipping. (BIG MISTAKE!)
At this point I should have told him to drop it at UPS and I should have made the arrangements myself. But like an idiot, I sent him the money order. So.... He sees the $50 that was supposed to go to having the light boxed. What do ya suppose he did next? Yep. Why pay them the $50 to box the light when I can just do it myself and keep the money? Right?
So he throws it in a cardboard box and shoves some wadded up newspaper around it. (He did add corner protectors to the box though- which was at least a little effort.) So he takes the boxed light to UPS and drops it off- and he did add $300 insurance to the package. UPS was happy to tag that on to the price.
You know what is coming next. So I come home and this box is in my driveway looking quite disheveled. I pick it up to carry it inside, and of course the light is sliding around inside the box. So I already know I am screwed without even opening it. Sure enough they found a way to drop it and crack the lens on one end. Another super day...
So I notify the seller that I have a damaged package. He gets back to me to say he tried to file an online claim- but they want an account number which he does not have. So I say I will try to file a claim on my end. I call UPS direct- and of course get connected to India. I do my best to get past the obvious communication barrier- and finally get connected to an American in the "damage exception group".
So I give my information and he sends me an email asking for all these pictures that have to be sent in for an inspection. OK- I take about 20 pictures of all the damage and email it back to them. They have to evaluate the damage to see if they want to pay the claim. They took the insurance money up front, but they may say the box was "inadequate" and deny the claim altogether. Oh, good to know. Now I wait...........
No word of course, so I have to call India again. They have to transfer me back to the "damage exception group"- who says they have reached a decision. So what is it? Oh, they can't tell me- I have to get that information from the shipping location (in Arkansas) because they are the ones responsible for the damage. So I call Arkansas. It takes about 3 tries before I finally get through.
I get ahold of a counter helper (the manager is unavailable) and explain my situation. He says the store has not been notified of any claims as of yet. Then he tells me that I did not follow proper procedure because the claim should have been filed with the store, by the seller. Then it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process. What? I have the damaged item, not him, and I am 8 hours away. He cannot provide any information about the damage. So I tell him the claim has already been filed- and that a decision has been reached. Wait, it gets better...
So the clerk tells me that IF UPS decides to pay the claim (just because you buy insurance, doesn't mean they have to pay any claim you have- it's at their discretion), then the store will issue a refund check- TO THE SELLER! The guy who already has all my money. The guy who pocketed the box fee and caused the whole issue to begin with. He gets the refund check (IF they issue one) and it is my responsibility to get the money back from him. Are you kidding me? I am out $300 and have a broken light- and now I have to negotiate with the seller to get damage claim!? I ask the UPS guy, what's to keep this guy from cashing the check and just disappearing? Uhh... I understand your concern, he says. Since he paid at the counter (using my money) he gets the potential refund. What a scam! And by the way, the store still has not contacted me with the decision. They said I have to email the manager.
So the lesson here is NEVER NEVER NEVER let the seller make shipping arrangements "on your behalf". Call UPS yourself and pay over the phone. AND let UPS do the boxing. Then if something gets damaged- they can't blame anyone but themselves. There won't be any of this "inadequate boxing" nonsense to get them out of paying the claim- to the seller. The real lesson though is never ship a damn light bar. I don't care if it is in Germany- drive over and get it yourself. I wonder how many times I have to get hit in the crotch before I quit stepping on the rake?