[Milsurplus] Re: UPS, FedEx, Rates--My Experience

[Don Merz]

Yes, this is true. UPS and FedEx Ground operate under
the same ICC Tarriff so they generally have exactly
the same rate card. It's government-sanctioned
monopoly pricing.

I was a UPS customer for several years and had
multiple claims and damage issues. I switched to FedEx
Ground about 10 years ago and have shipped over 1,000
packages with them in that time with no damage and no
claims at all.

When I filed a claim with UPS and the guy showed up
with his camera and 23-point checklist to determine if
they were going to pay my claim--well, that was enough
for me. One of the checklist items was whether the box
was "new" or "re-used" where re-used was considered
negative and a potential reason to deny a claim. That
really steamed my bacon because ALL of my boxes are
re-used. 

The other thing that bugged me with UPS was the way
they structured their third-party shipper program.
This is the case where you can take your item to
Staples (among others) and they will ship it UPS for
you. Well, in this case, YOU are no longer the
shipper--Staples is the shipper. So if the item
arrives damaged, you can't file a claim--Staples has
to file a claim and your customer has to deal with
Staples. Naturally, Staples isn't stupid, and they
have buried the claim process in their own
bureaucracy--in addition to the UPS bureaucracy--to
make it impossible to file a successful claim. I had a
very frustrating experience over this that cost me a
$300 transmitter and I was just shit-out-of-luck.
Staples would not do anything for me and UPS would not
even talk to me--because I wasn't the shipper. What a
racket! No mas. 

In general, rates have reached a point where the post
office--particularly Parcel Post--is not a bad deal.
Also, I beleive the post office has better handling
than either UPS or FedEx Ground. I send very fragile
stuff like tubes and old cylinder records through the
Post Office exclusively. I am careful to pack them
well, of course. Knock on wood, I have had no claims
with them either.

So I just go with what works. When UPS tells me -with
a straight face-- that my Hammarlund radio or EFJ
Ranger has to be able to survive a six-foot fall from
a conveyor belt, I turn and walk away. Nobody can pack
that good. The boxes would have to be the size of
houses in order to protect their contents. 

73, Don Merz, N3RHT



--- Dan Arney <hankarn at pacbell.net> wrote:

> All of the small package companies go up on Jan.1 or
> Feb.1 every year 
> just about the same amount.
> Hank
> KN6DI
>
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