UPS Strikes again!

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Andy Cabrera

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Ordered my shocks from Amazon. They used UPS and the box showed up CRUSHED! That's 3. First was my OEM Tonneau Cover, The box looked like death! Damage to the cover. UPS would not pay insurance stating "improperly packaged" Next my rear window visor. Fedex delivered it from Ford to the place I bought it from ok. UPS delivered it to me box crushed and the visor snapped. I refused the package. Now my shocks. Fortunately the shock are not fragile.

I'm done with UPS. Ironically the Post office is much better. Here's a few pix to compare. I will not ship UPS again.

Typical UPS

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Typical Post Office

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I use FedEX and USPS every chance I get. They're typically cheaper, faster and more reliable than UPS in my experience. Plus, if you sign up for a free account online with them, you get a discount on shipping charges.
 
Comparing those two pictured boxes isn't a valid assessment for comparing the two shippers. The boxes are completely different dimensions, which causes them to have completely different structural properties. The long W and L dimensions in the top photo cause that box to be naturally weak in the centers of those dimensions. If there is nothing on the inside providing further structural support, damage like that is going to occur, regardless of the shipper.



I realize you were talking about a different package when you said that UPS wouldn't pay insurance, stating it was "improperly packaged", but if that package looked anything like what is shown in your photo, then I have to agree with UPS--it was improperly packaged, and not their fault. Unless the vendor you're ordering from is properly testing their packaging configurations for the specific unit being shipped per ASTM D4169 standards, or is designing their packaging in such a way that it is reasonable for those packages to pass such a standard even if not tested, it's the vendor, not the shipping company, that should be blamed. The Amazon package shown above clearly fails that standard.



--Bill



p.s. I'm employed as a medical device packaging engineer, with 15 years of experience in the field.
 
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Ah Bill, that explains the ASTM knowledge! And I use to deal with UPS back when I was working warehouse (long freaking time ago), and they were usually OK in shipping. The only issue we had was theft, and it got bad a few times. Your gonna get damaged packages every now and then. But three times, in three uses, I don't blame Andy at all for being fed up with them. I give a place two chances, third time I am the idiot.



I prefer FedEx or USPS too!
 
I definitely understand how the frustration could result--but I'm just trying to be sure that Andy understands what is really causing the problem, and doesn't shoot the messenger. (No pun intended.) :)
 
I've never heard of UPS honoring an insurance claim. Their standard excuse is "improperly packaged" EVEN when you go to a UPS store and have them package it.



The US Post Office is pretty good when it comes to insurance, though.
 
Bill

We will take for example my rear visor. The first shipment as I said was delivered by Fed Ex then the vendor shipped the same box UPS to me...CRUSHED. I returned it. The vendor reordered a new visor. They repackaged. They inserted the old box into a new stronger bog and also bubble wrapped the visor in it's original box. The second visor arrived intack yet the stronger box showed signs of abuse. The damages I see is due to boxes being stacked with heavier package on top or heavier backages being tossed on top. All things considered why should the box arrived badly damaged? Since DHL left the scene UPS has gotten sloppy. They feel they have less competition since Fed Ex is usually more expensive. Years ago you would avoid the post office because of the carelessness, today the USPS take more care as they are hurting and want business.
 
Maybe its just due to the area I live in, although I have both UPS and FedEx centers in my town, but I honestly can't recall the last time, if ever, that UPS was cheaper than FedEx on a package that I needed to ship. I hear this from people a lot, and it always baffles me..... maybe its just a brand perception thing? FedEx has always seemed to be a more professional company to me, and for a long time I never even bothered checking their prices. When I finally did start, I've never gone back!
 
ok im not gonna say we (Ups) are perfect but i will tell you that Amazon and Staples are some of the worst shippers we have. i can almost see inside that amazon box...2 shocks and nothing else but a crumpled piece of brown paper or 2 or 3 air bags. there is no support in the box for anything. i have seen them put a shoe box in a box that is 20x20x20 and 1 piece of brown paper. its not always the messengers fault. just don't get me started on Staples..lol
 
I don't think it's the driver's fault. He would get the customer's greif first hand. The driver's are the ones who are usually the most careful. If I had to place blame I would have to say the sorting facilities, the transfer hubs or the loader. Why my bed cover box had burns from a conveyer and rips in the box like it was hooked? Why my visor box was folded in half? I know a lot of it is automated but it looks like no one is supervising.
 
I know a lot of it is automated but it looks like no one is supervising.



Next to nothing is automated (only incoming/outgoing barcode scanning is), and no one does supervise. Some of the worse low-level management I've ever seen in my life worked as the floor supervisors for sorting at UPS....and the general managers who were responsible for the whole "factory" were worse.



I remember having to climb the belt to unclog a jam because the manager was too busy trying to "score" with one of the few women working there, and then I had to endure a long retarded denigrating conversation about my actions, since I was not certified by the union to clear belts...bogus.



And while the managers are enhancing their incompetence, production is forcibly sped up, boxes pile up in isles or get missorted, and you get what you pictured. Most people at UPS haven't learned that it is far easier to unload a truck than it is to sort the onslaught of packages, and the job of loading blows. Building a wall of packages which is structurally sound and package-safe is eschewed in favor of speed.



Gotta love it.
 

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