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[Ed Gardner]

Bob,

Thanks for the info. Well written.

Now I must ask, where, in all of UPS's literature, is this written?
Nowhere, in any of their advertisements is this explained. Nowhere do
they say, "Folks, if you don't package it secure enough to withstand
being run over by a battle tank you are simply SOL if one of our
gorillas destroys it". Sounds to me like her explanation is an ex post
facto excuse for destroying your equipment.

As for UPS, my reason for refusing to use them is entirely different.
UPS employs thieves. Yes, they know they have thieves working for them
and choose to increase the costs of shipping rather than do the
necessary footwork to find, fire, and prosecute these thieves.

They know they have a problem with their employees steeling firearms
from shipments, so instead of getting rid of the miscreants they force
gun owners to ship next day air, greatly increasing the cost of having a
gun shipped out for repair, or even buying one. Rather than solve the
problem they choose to band-aid it and unfairly jack up the cost of
shipping firearms.

Think about that one next time a shipment of yours is "missing".

73,
Ed

Bob Bruner WB4TAJ wrote:
>
> There is always a great deal of complaining about various shipping services.
> An experience I recently had at work may shed some light on the problems
> people have and lead toward more realistic expectations.
>
> I work for a large metro TV station and we recently had to ship a video tape
> recorder to a firm to help them develop some custom software for us.  We are
> not shippers, we are engineers, so we stuck the thing into the box and
> packing we had originally received it in and gave it to UPS.  It arrived at
> the other end, the man did his tests, wrote his proms, and put the machine
> back into the same box and sent it back to us, also via UPS.  It arrived with
> the front panel caved in, a couple of corners smashed, and other assorted
> impact damage.  We filed a claim for damage with UPS and in due course the
> claims manager for the Midwest and the head of security for the Midwest
> showed up.  Later I realized such an august delegation was sent because they
> were not sure why we declared the replacement cost of the machine was over
> $50,000.00, when their concept of a 'VCR' was more like $119.00.  Anyway,
> they come into engineering where the victim sat, and the claims manager says
> that she thinks the machine was probably inadequately packed.  We pointed out
> that we shipped it in the same container used by the manufacturer, and she
> said, 'well that was a single use shipper.'  (It was a heavy cardboard box
> with that expanding foam, that blows up to form fit the object in the box.)
> After a little give and take and a tour of our facility, they made an offer
> to have the manufacturer make repairs.  While she was there the claims
> manager explained some things about UPS and similar shippers.  UPS, she says,
> is a "bulk" shipper.  They have only one class of service, and it does not
> include special handling of any kind for anything.  Stickers that say
> "Fragile," or "Electronic Equipment," or "Ancient Ancestral Bones," or any
> similar declarations on the outside of the carton are meaningless to them.
> Much of their handling is automated.  There is no provision for hand
> processing or any other kind of "gentle" handling.  Some of their handling
> subjects packages to many G's of force.  If you give them something to ship,
> it is their understanding that you have packed it adequately to withstand the
> rigors of their processing system.  If you did, and they break it, they will
> pay for it to be replaced or repaired.  But If, in their sole judgment, the
> packing was not adequate for bulk shipment, then you are out of luck.
> This is something that I never understood before.  If some folks are having
> trouble with shipments they might consider that they either need to pack more
> carefully, or use a shipper that provides the special handling they seek.
> And if you do have bad luck with a shipment, don't be reluctant to file a
> claim.  We found these people were willing to listen to what we had to say
> and understand our point of view and assume a reasonable responsibility for
> their work.  Though she did say that our packing method was about even
> between paying the claim and not paying the claim.  In our case she was
> willing to come far enough our way to save use several thousand dollars in
> repair costs.
> BTW, the UPS people said that an item such as we were shipping (one of these
> things weighs over 90 pounds in dry clothes) should have been packed in foam,
> in a heavy cardboard box, packed in a wooden crate.  That is the way they
> packed it for shipment back to the manufacturer and it made the trip both
> ways without a scratch.
>
> When you opt for a low cost shipper like UPS, understand what you are paying
> for.
>
> Bob Bruner
> WB4TAJ/9
>
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--
Edward Gardner
KC2BYA, FISTS #6940
NNN0BDP NAVMARCORPMARS
------------------------------------------------
We have no government armed with power capable of
contending with human passions unbridled by morality
and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry,
would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as
a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made
only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate
to the government of any other.

                        - John Adams, Oct.11, 1798
                          Address to the military

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