[Yaesu] Re: UPS abuse, FT990 Problems...

[Ed Senior]

A couple of footnotes to your thorough discussion: 

The last time that I shipped something by UPS (quite recent), 
they pointedly refused to say they were selling "insurance;" 
they insisted on calling it a "valuation fee."  This seemed 
rather baffling to me, until I thought it through.  Then the 
connotation occurred to me.  If they were selling "insurance," 
then they could legally be expected to honor legitimate claims, 
like an honest insurance company.  (Please forgive that last 
oxymoron.)  But by calling it a "valuation fee," all they are 
selling you is the privilege of putting a value on a claim 
that they will deny.  I expect they lost a few court cases 
based on the "insurance" semantics; and so they decided to 
change the semantics--but not their practices, of course.  

BTW, a fellow antique radio buff I used to know had my favorite 
UPS story:  He received a large, 1930's cathedral radio, very 
thoroughly double-boxed.  One problem:  UPS had somehow managed 
to pierce it through with a 5 or 6 foot length of cast iron 
water pipe.  They dutifully delivered it with the pipe in place, 
protruding from both sides like a spear!  

My personal worst UPS was a pristine and rare "teledial" cathedral, 
also very well packed and double-boxed.  There was no packaging 
damage.  But they had dropped it on its back with such violence 
that the metal chassis twisted itself into a parallelogram shape, 
and was protruding out the back of the cabinet.  In order to do 
that, it had to rip all the control shafts through the front 
panel, thus shattering the rare teledial mechanism beyond repair. 

This was a non-replaceable item.  So those who "only" lose readily 
replaceable, modern merchandise to the ravages of UPS are actually 
the lucky ones.  I was so traumatized by the fate of this item 
that I don't really remember the outcome of the insurance claim. 
But I think they denied it on the basis that there was no damage 
to the packaging.   

Moral: Do NOT ship antiques via UPS, if you expect a reasonable 
chance of survival.  

73, 

Ed, W6LOL

-----Original Message-----
From: pegasus at mho.net [mailto:pegasus at mho.net] 
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 9:21 AM
To: foxtango at yahoogroups.com; yaesu at mailman.qth.net; yaesu at contesting.com;
ham-radio-deluxe at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Yaesu] Re: UPS abuse, FT990 Problems... 

Hello Brian,
    I toot this horn whenever I get the chance...
The truth is that you, or anyone you care about, should never ship
*anything* by UPS these days.  Some time ago UPS changed their business
practices in two major ways.
1; Promote the use of insurance then refuse to honor just about every claim.
     They have a whole department that does nothing but convince the
customer that the claim is not worthy.  An extensive list of reasons
is available for their use.
2;   There was a day, many years ago now, when UPS employes could be fired
for throwing and mis-handling packages.  Back in the 70s & 80s a UPS
package would travel across the country and arrive on your porch looking
as though it had just been packed... pristine.   Believe me, those days
are  L O N G  gone.
    I'm speaking from first-hand knowldege.  I'm a pilot, been flying
private jets in charter service for some time.  Back when I flew the
Learjets and Citations UPS would call when they'd have a plane down or
needed extra capacity.  I'd go to their sort centers and wait for a
load.  What I saw there was almost beyond description.  Total chaos...
organized chaos.  Packages would come down these conveyor belts..
going up and down, around corners, often falling off them dropping 10
feet to the floor.  I once saw about a 2' x 2' box fly off the thing
and hit the cement floor and bust open.  Peanuts and parts went
everywhere.  Some big bruiser of a guy ran up to it, shoveled it all
back in to the split-open box, wrap about 20 feet of tape around it
and put it right back on the belt.  Thats only the beginning.  These
conveyors go to a waiting row of containers that either go in
wide-body jets, semi-truck containers, or rail cars.  At each portal
there is one guy standing at the conveyor end, and another inside the
container.  The guy at the end of the belt is about 10 feet from the
container, or about 20 feet from the back of the container.  Bubba #1
takes the boxes off the belt and *throws* each and every one of them
to Bubba #2 inside the container.  #2's job is simply to stack them in
such a way to use every cubic inch of space.  They are not sorted by
weight or size.   Your Christmas ornament ordered from Hallmark.com
could be holding up a 40 inch big screen TV.  The rate of throw is
such that they never pause to read anything on the box.   Stickers
such as "THIS SIDE UP", "DELICATE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT", or "FRAGILE"
are ignored simply because they never stop to look.  Packages that are
too big to throw are rolled and shoved, they don't join up and both
carry a heavy box.
   Calling their "claims" office is almost futile.  I was involved in two
cases, one my own, and another for a friend.  In the first battle after
a few near-shouting matches (but civil) I guess I had sufficient
command of the language that the guy finally ran out of reasons and
felt sorry for me.  He admitted, "I'm paid to deny claims."  I don't
think he was even empowered by the company to approve the claim.  In
both instances it took a letter from an attorney, promising legal
action, to approve the claims.  In my friend's case, the box must have
fallen 20 feet to do the damage that was evident.  It was a vintage
stereo receiver with a strong heavy chassis that was bent so bad it was
tweaked out of square.  I have seen horrific damage in several
instances.
    It's too late for you, but I would inform vendors to ship another
method than UPS.  All are better.  Even pay extra for it if you have
to.  Fedex ground service is far better.  I've shipped about 1,500
items with them and never had a damaged item.  Postal Service's
Priority Mail is even pretty good.
   Sorry you've had this issue with a nice radio.  I would threaten them
and be very convinced of your position as though you're fighting for
the principle of the issue and not just the value of the item.  It
might work.  If you have an attorney friend, have him fire off a
letter.
Tough lesson,
73,
Dennis
N0SP

> LATEST UPDATE:
>
> The USPS is DENYING the claim for damage based on their
> insurance.
>
> They claim that they did not damage the FT990 and therefore
> place the onus on the shipper.
>
> Meanwhile I am out several hundred $$ and QRT.
> Now we begin the appeal process.  Sigh....
>
> I will let everyone know if USPS and my seller make good on
> what I paid for here.
>