[Hallicrafters] shipping by the rules

Wed May 21 22:47:11 EDT 2008

After having to go through the claims process for an R-390A I shipped 4 
years ago, all my boatanchors, or anything large/valuable/heavy goes FedEx 
now. I've even used FedEx freight to transport an engine from my old house 
in Delaware to San Fransisco - and it wasn't even crated - just tied down to 
a pallet - suggested by FedEx themselves, to make it easier on the forklift 
driver so he could "see" what he was moving and where. It arrived without a 
scratch the other end. Not to mention, FedEx is incredibly cheaper than UPS 
for the majority of items

Darryl
W3DBJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Glen Zook" <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: "jeremy-ca" <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>; <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] shipping by the rules

> The Mesquite, Texas (UPS "hub" for Dallas)is the hub
> through which all of the shipments that I receive from
> UPS has to go through.  Frankly, they can (and
> probably will) "tear up an anvil".  Until just a few
> years ago I used UPS exclusively for outgoing
> shipments (since 1970) and recommended them for
> inbound shipments.  Then, between 4 and 5 years ago
> virtually everything that I was receiving came in
> damaged and the majority of things that I shipped out
> had damage (and I know how to pack).
>
> At least in this area UPS states that any box shipped
> from one of the UPS owned counters MUST be opened and
> inspected for "proper" packing.  Failure to do so can
> result in the immediate firing of the person who
> accepted the package.  By opening and inspecting the
> packing UPS legally takes responsibility for the
> packing method.
>
> The last time that I voluntarily shipped by UPS the
> package was opened and inspected.  Then UPS "lost" the
> package (their "bar code" label came off but my label
> was still intact, their people can no longer actually
> read a label).  After filing a claim UPS "found" the
> box at their "lost package" center.  They opened the
> box and then asked me if the item was what I had
> shipped.  Then the box was delivered about 200 miles
> from my location.  When the box arrived it was in
> "shambles" and the equipment therein was destroyed.
>
> UPS tried the "improperly packed" statement on me.
> However, I calmly reminded the national representative
> of their policy to open and inspect the packing.  The
> representative got "very" quiet and then said that the
> UPS office in Fort Worth would have to handle the
> claim.  The Fort Worth office contacted me and said
> that the "paperwork" for my claim was "in the mail".
> I received the forms and about a month later UPS
> telephoned me to say that they were paying $100 for my
> claim.  I had to "remind" them that the package was
> insured for considerably more.  Then they "discovered"
> that was the case.  In a couple of weeks I did get a
> cheque for the insured amount plus the cost of
> shipping.
>
> In the over 30 years that I used UPS I had only one
> box damaged and that was when UPS ran a forklift
> "tong" through the box.  Even then they tried the "not
> properly packed" spiel.  It took a phone call to their
> corporate headquarters to get that "straighten out".
> The UPS President's office had to admit that running a
> forklift "tong" through a box was definitely not a
> result of "improper packing".
>
> I have had even wood crated items and triple boxed
> items (with PROPER packing) come through damaged.
> What boxes make it intact the majority of the items
> are shaken so badly that all sorts of hardware is
> loose.
>
> Mouser is located on the south side of Fort Worth and
> uses UPS exclusively.  The vast majority of boxes that
> come the less than 50 miles are severely damaged.
> Fortunately, Mouser does pack very well and, so far,
> the parts have made it OK.  That is when the package
> is not opened and expensive parts removed and then the
> box resealed with UPS tape.  I have had several boxes
> come in opened but since the parts were inexpensive
> they were all there.  Not so when expensive parts are
> involved.
>
> I ordered some parts on Monday and had a long talk
> with the sales representative about the stolen parts.
> She told me that such is becoming more and more
> common.  In fact, within the past week she had to
> replace several missing items.  Since the boxes are
> resealed with UPS tape they have been opened at either
> the Fort Worth or the Mesquite hubs (probably Fort
> Worth since that is the first "stop" for items shipped
> by Mouser).  Mouser is investigating the possibility
> that someone in their shipping department is marking
> (somehow) boxes with expensive parts that are then
> removed by a UPS employee.
>
> The only thing that I have shipped by UPS within the
> past 4 years is a Collins 75A-3 that the person to
> whom it was going insisted on being shipped by UPS
> even though I told them of the problems with the
> Mesquite hub.  That person paid UPS and had them pick
> up the box at my location.  When it arrived the box
> was fine but the radio had been vibrated so badly that
> all 4 rubber feet had come loose, quite a number of
> the machine screws in the receiver were loose, and one
> of the rotary switches had the hardware holding the
> wafers in place come loose and the switch was
> completely "out of line".
>
> I use FedEx ground exclusively for shipping to the
> contiguous 48 states and have not had a single item
> damaged.  As for items shipped to me by FedEx ground I
> have not had a single item damaged by FedEx including
> a number of "boat anchors" that were indeed VERY
> poorly packed (even a couple that just had the radio
> put in a box with NO packing at all).  Also, FedEx
> ground is cheaper than UPS.
>
> Now the UPS drivers that deliver to me are fine.  They
> go "out of their way" when the items are heavy or
> large.  But, I cannot say the same thing for their
> Mesquite, Texas, hub.
>
> I know that any of the delivery services can damage
> things.  But it is the number of shipments that are
> damaged plus how the company "handles" claims.  So
> far, FedEx has been fine and UPS has been dismal for
> the past going on 5 years.  Now others may have
> different experiences.  But, as for the Mesquite hub
> many people in the Dallas area have had problems.
>
> Glen, K9STH
>
>
> --- jeremy-ca <km1h at jeremy.mv.com> wrote:
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "jeremy-ca"
>
> Another forum poster has tried to claim a Texas
> problem. Sorry but Texas is one of my prime areas and
> Ive not experienced any particular geographical
> problem.
>
> Each carrier has problems locally and with certain
> employees, but the practices at UPS are geared to
> cause damage, especially to sensitive >> gear.
>
> You are entitled to that erroneous opinion.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Glen, K9STH
>
> Website:  http://k9sth.com
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________ 