UPS- eyes on the inside

[synthesizerist]

So, I had to share this...

My coworker's son just started working at UPS, so of course I told her to ask him- "so do they play soccer with those packages or what?" She didn't have to ask him- she said he already had told her about people spiking packages like footballs and drop kicking them. She said that he told her not to put fragile on the box, because that was "asking for it." The dropkicking incident happened after one of the guys this kid worked with had just yelled "FRA-GEE-LAY!" Evidently this stuff happens every day!

Anyway, I know a lot of people on here love their synths and other fragile equipment like I do and have probably suspected these types of things were happening after getting a box that looked like it had been through the ringer... Anyone else want to boycott these f**k?

[Z]

I try not to use United Package Smashers if I don't have to. I prefer to use DHL or even FedEx. I don't know, but I've been told that UPS now outsources to another company for their claims.

I don't remember the last time I had an issue with DHL. It's been a while and it was with one the fragile furniture items we sell. Most common problem I have with DHL is stuff getting sent to the wrong terminals. When I track shipments online, I'll see packages bouncing back and forth from terminals in different parts of the country. I guess German effeciency doesn't translate over to the States.

[space6oy]

i always use UPS unless dealing w/ international shipments. i put fragile stickers on about everything i send. only had a package damaged once, having paid for insurance on it took care of that. process was an annoying pain, but it worked out fine and the expense was worth it.

[otto]

I loaded trucks for UPS for about 6 months around 10 years ago. I never saw anyone do anything like that. It was a very-very busy/intense job, you didn’t have much time to play around. Not to mention if you were seen doing something like that you’d be fired and they have cameras all over the place so theft and inappropriate handling doesn’t occur. So I got to say I think your friend of a friend story is exaggerated at best. If it is true, what’s to say it isn’t happening at Fed Ex, DHL, etc? Does UPS have the market on disgruntled employees? (actually UPS treats their employees pretty well)

The other side is that part of quick delivery is quick loading, unloading, getting moved around on conveyer belts and rolling down chutes. The loader is loading quickly and might throw packages around a bit – not to damage them so much as just doing their job as quickly as possible. So you should package any items with that in mind and I have no doubt that packages go through the same thing at Fed, DHL, and USPS.

[synthesizerist]

Not to mention if you were seen doing something like that you’d be fired and they have cameras all over the place so theft and inappropriate handling doesn’t occur.

This is what I was wondering! And probably what was bothering me most was the idea I had in my head of the supervisors not doing anything... Well, that's good to hear but also maybe it's more lax in my city, because the packages I get from UPS have holes in them when the arrive, and this is not exagerating, probably 75% of the time. And Fex Ex I'ld say is closer to 10%. The only time I had a really big problem with USPS is once when a priority package took 10 days to even get there, so there was obviously other issues going on...

I guess the important thing is of course to package things well enough to withstand anything they may throw at it... Or throw it at...

[carbon111]

Up until a few years ago, I shipped professionally with UPS and FedEx for about 18 years. We never had a package damaged by UPS. FedEx was another story...lots of issues...one time one of our customers recieved a package with two giant holes all the way through where FedEx had run a forklift through it.

I always use UPS now for synths and such. I've shipped over a hundred electronic items over the past five years with no damages whatsoever and the only time I have received broken stuff was when the person shipping clearly packed it poorly.

A few notes:

All electronics need to be double-boxed or UPS won't honor damage claims. The item description needs to include "electronics" on UPS forms.

Items should be "floated" in at least 2 to 3 inches of packing peanuts or bubblewrap on all sides with no soft spots.

Small items like power supplys need to be firmly anchored to something so they don't "migrate" in the box and trash something.

Insurance is cheap at just a few cents per every $100 of item's worth. Always buy insurance.

Beware places like "The UPS Store" or other "middleman" shippers...they are not actually a part of UPS and a lot of times they will not pack your item well at all.

[JSRockit]

Insurance is cheap at just a few cents per every $100 of item's worth. Always buy insurance.

I don't think that's true anymore or at least for individuals it isn't. I shipped a Monomachine last week via UPS that without insurance would have been $11.00 and with was $32.00... $1000 in insurance.

[space6oy]

All electronics need to be double-boxed or UPS won't honor damage claims. The item description needs to include "electronics" on UPS forms.

i never do either of those unless i have an item's original box and neither was an issue with the claim i filed and refund i received.

Beware places like "The UPS Store" or other "middleman" shippers...they are not actually a part of UPS and a lot of times they will not pack your item well at all.

aren't they owned by mail boxes etc., which is then owned by UPS anyway?

[xpander]

i've heard this man owns UPS:

[tallowwaters]

f**k FedEx with a spiked spoon.

Once I came home and found a FedEx package laying in the f**k road in front of my mailbox - the kicker being that my mailbox is over 100 yards from the house. Assholes.

Second I came home and found a FedEx package sitting in my yard in the f**k rain. Assholes

Third, I almost had it out with a FedEx f**k after he delivered a package to me that I had just sent out. I had to explain that my address in the corner was the return address. No s**t!!

[braincandy]

Beware places like "The UPS Store" or other "middleman" shippers...they are not actually a part of UPS and a lot of times they will not pack your item well at all.

Something else about the UPS Store--they won't insure packages you've packed yourself. You have to buy all supplies (including the box) from them, which will set you back another $40-$50 (if it's a keyboard), in addition to the shipping cost. The actual UPS shipping facility is out of the way by about 20 miles, but I make the trip and it's worth the savings. I've never had any packages damaged when sending them or receiving them because I packed them correctly and the senders packed their gear correctly, too. Plenty of bubblewrap and styrofoam peanuts. I hate the peanuts as they're a pain in the a*s when unpacking, but they're great in protecting synths while shipping.

I've only had 1 issue with FedEx and that's when a rack ear of a MicroQ got bent during shipping. I had dropped it off to be packed by a 3rd-party shipping service and they had always done a great job previously. FedEx wound up paying the claim, but not before the complaint got escalated to the district supervisor. But, I'm not even sure it was even their fault, as you shouldn't have issues like bent rack ears if things are packed properly in the first place. I haven't had any issues with gear I've received that was shipped by them, though.

[devious]

UPS delivery in my area: Boxes show up with half of the peanuts missing and the bubble wrap undone [happened to an Ensoniq ts-10 that was OBVIOUSLY well packed, but UPS did take the time to make sure to stand the synth upwards on my porch and everything was okay!] Another time, I think the seller used a ragged box, a nord lead 1 suffered a big dent in the panel.

FedEx I use religiously. Friends synths have went missing often with UPS too, and most recently [Minneapolis, MN]:

---cut from mnvibe.com
Soo..... about 2 months ago I got a broken 606.
I sent it to my friend to get repaired and modded in Chicago.
He basically modded the kick and the snare to make it sound like an 808.
And gave it individual outputs.
Also the knob work was all on the case, so no break out box was needed to rock.
He mailed it to my house 2nd delivery UPS, scheduled to be here by 8/6/08.
Then...
UPS lost the package (first they told me that it was "temporarily lost" but I just got an email telling me that it is now completely lost) at the Minneapolis hub!!
That sucks and all but basically if someone hears about someone who recently acquired a modded 606 that fits similar to that description please ask them where they got it from. I guess this may sound paranoid, but I hate the idea that a thief acquired it.
Thank you for reading.

----cut

Figured in case this pops up anywhere and since we're on the subject.

-d

[carbon111]

All electronics need to be double-boxed or UPS won't honor damage claims. The item description needs to include "electronics" on UPS forms.

i never do either of those unless i have an item's original box and neither was an issue with the claim i filed and refund i received.

I suppose I should have said they're not legally bound to honor claims unless those conditions are met. Not bad practice regardless. This is just from my current reading of their requirements.

All packages should be able to survive a 3' drop.

Beware places like "The UPS Store" or other "middleman" shippers...they are not actually a part of UPS and a lot of times they will not pack your item well at all.

aren't they owned by mail boxes etc., which is then owned by UPS anyway?

Independent entity. If you don't mind spending as much as twice as much to ship a package then go ahead but I wouldn't have any of those idiots pack stuff. A number of the damaged packages I've received have been "professionally packed".

The stuff in my post is just things I've picked up in 24 years of shipping with many different carriers, 18 of which were in a professional capacity where the safety of the product was paramount.

[carbon111]

Insurance is cheap at just a few cents per every $100 of item's worth. Always buy insurance.

I don't think that's true anymore or at least for individuals it isn't. I shipped a Monomachine last week via UPS that without insurance would have been $11.00 and with was $32.00... $1000 in insurance.

When shipping directly from a UPS hub insurance is still pretty cheap. Anywhere else and the third party tacks on more.

I've already shipped half a dozen items this year without getting fleeced on insurance...

[space6oy]

Beware places like "The UPS Store" or other "middleman" shippers...they are not actually a part of UPS and a lot of times they will not pack your item well at all.

aren't they owned by mail boxes etc., which is then owned by UPS anyway?

Independent entity.

"MBE is a UPS® company. The UPS Store® locations are independently owned and operated by franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc."

close enough... conspiracy, i tells ya!