[Heathkit] ups shipping

[Glen Zook]

I am the first to admit that many people don't have a
"clue" to how to pack things.  However, I do know how
to pack!  I owned the Motorola reconditioned equipment
center for the south-central U.S. from 1970 until
Motorola went out of that end of the business in 1979.
 Although I most certainly did not pack everything
that was shipped (from less than a pound to several
hundred pounds) I definitely took time to learn how to
pack things.

We shipped by UPS, TexPak (a Texas only company that
used to be like UPS), and every major and many minor
truck lines.  In 9 years the only claim for damage
that we had was the fork lift tongs through the box by
UPS!  Considering that we shipped between 50 and 100
(sometimes more) complete Motorola two-way radios per
week weighing from about 35 pounds to the large high
powered base stations weighing several hundred pounds,
I think that the fact that we had only one single
claim for damage (there were a few "lost" shipments
that were either mis-delivered, stolen, or finally
found) goes to say how well we packed!

These units were reconditioned and were definitely not
packed in original Motorola boxes!

I cannot say for the other areas since everything that
I have shipped by UPS and have received from UPS has
gone through the Mesquite hub.  But, I can say that in
my experience that anything that goes through the
Mesquite hub is very likely to be damaged.

Until 2001 UPS was among the best, if not the best,
way to ship things weighing less than 100 pounds. 
But, starting that year, they went from the best to
the worst!  Much of their problems stem from labor
unrest.  UPS is a unionized firm and it is very
difficult to "fire" someone.  Not impossible, but very
difficult.  Thus, some (a definite minority but one is
too many!) employees delibertly mishandle the items. 
Again, I have heard from various people who have
actually seen this mishandling at various UPS hubs,
not just once, but time after time!  From what I
receive I have to believe the people who tell the
"tales" of mishandling!

Anyway, this particular subject comes up about once
per month on at least one reflector.  Frankly, there
are people who "swear by" UPS (who have never had a
problem) and those who "swear at" UPS!  For 30 years I
was one who "swore by" UPS and now I am one of those
who "swears at" UPS!

Actually, all that these various posts do is to allow
people to "vent" their anger at UPS and to make others
aware that, at least in certain areas, the there
definitely are problems with UPS.  Proper packing
helps, but, it has been my personal experience with
UPS that proper packing really isn't enough these
days!  You do have to know your rights about claims
even though UPS will pull the "not properly packed"
trick virtually every time.  If you are the shipper,
and unless you "stick up" for your rights, UPS will be
able to "pull the wool over your eyes" and avoid
paying the claim.

UPS owns the insurance company that insures the
packages.  Thus, it is to their financial benefit to
deny as many claims as possible.  Even delaying the
claim benefits UPS because, at least in their
insurance "arm", they are getting daily interest on
all of their bank accounts.  Every day that they
postpone paying a claim means that much more interest!
 Same thing is true of all insurance companies!

But, except for getting the "word" out that UPS is not
"almighty" and that they will pay claims if presented
with the "correct" information about the rights of the
shipper, there is nothing much that these threads
accomplish.

Glen, K9STH



--- Kim Herron <kherron@voyager.net> wrote:

I'm replying to the list because my experience is the
same as yours.  I've found that most screw-ups
originate on the shippers end (no offense intended
Glen) and it's not UPS's fault.

=====
Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco

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