Classic UPS

[perezfan]

Is it just me? Or the more precautions you take, the more UPS tries to beat up your parcel? I truly believe that they deeply resent delivering boxes that contain words like "Fragile" and "Handle With Care". Either that, or their workforce is illiterate, and can't read English...

I don't understand that company's animosity towards people who simply want to receive packages with contents unbroken. In this particular case, they could not help but see the giant writing "FRAGILE". Yet they purposely poked a giant hole right smack through the wording itself. I don't know if it's their idea of a joke, or purely an act of defiance. To finish off the job, it appears they had their heaviest employee stomp on the box about a dozen times, just for good measure.

No surprise here... I just thought I would vent to others who might have shared similar experiences. Below is this fine example of their work... 3 framed pictures, all packaged with extreme care (and subsequently destroyed...)

[slidekellyslide]

That sucks...it's been my experience that UPS offers the absolute worst customer service...ring the doorbell and run like a kid playing ding dong ditch. Wasn't there a time when all UPS packages required a signature?

[MooseDog]

You didn't say "Do Not Bend". I've found that for anyone under 30 these days if you don't give absolutely specific instructions it doesn't get done.

A few months ago I received back a package from USPS. The label had some damage, it was obscured by a tire tread. Luckily my return address wasn't affected but the contents of course were flattened.

[MGHPro]

Thats a shame- sorry.

[ibuysportsephemera]

If the contents were destroyed by UPS, can't you make a claim? I thought that there is a certain amount of insurance that UPS puts on every package?

[perezfan]

Yes, you do have the option to pay a lot extra, to insure the contents for amounts greater than the standard $100 that they provide.

But that is small consolation, given the fact that the items weren't replaceable. Not to mention the wasted time, anguish and hassle of making a claim and hoping/waiting to be compensated.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

That sucks...it's been my experience that UPS offers the absolute worst customer service...ring the doorbell and run like a kid playing ding dong ditch. Wasn't there a time when all UPS packages required a signature?

As a former UPS driver from 1994-2000, that's pretty much the only way to finish the job before midnight.

Otherwise they'd be out of a job, or being brutally harassed by management by the end of the week.

Packages only require a signature, when requested by the sender, or over a certain declared value, just like the P.O..

[JimStinson]

I've had some of the same experiences , UPS. used to be "not so bad" but now it appears they go out of their way to rough things up. I now ship ONLY via USPS priority mail or Fed X. And ship ALOT virtually drama free.

I share a similar experience to the initial post in this thread , the last UPS parcel I received had several large BOOT PRINTS on both sides,
As if they were "Curious" & "testing" it to see exactly how "fragile" it was.

As for insurance ??? forget about it. The claims process is so frustrating and time consuming you'll likely die of old age before you are compensated. The same applies to USPS on insurance although they are more adept at saying no, and do it in a more customer friendly manner.
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[slidekellyslide]

UPS drivers throwing a package

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxmR9cCpivo

USPS doesn't get a free pass though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ChCQhJ6Utw

My favorite though is a FedEx man throwing a television over a fence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5uIH0VTg_o

[thecatspajamas]

Funny stuff (in a sadistic sort of way, I guess). This is exactly why I never assume that anyone will read anything written on the package (except, hopefully, the mailing address). I try to pack things such that I can stand on them and hop up and down because, I have to assume, at some point somebody will do so. I do still put "DO NOT BEND" on most things, but that's more to satisfy customers who still think that such warnings have some effect. I've actually been chewed out for damage that clearly occurred during shipping, not because my packing was sub-par, but because I had not written anything on the package so as to invoke some sort of spell of protection over it.

[perezfan]

Jim:
VERY well stated... and my experience exactly.

Dan:
Great links... 30% funny / 30% sad / 40% terrifying

I know they're not all this bad, but still makes you lose faith in our society's work ethic. Delivery Drivers (like those in the videos) probably represent the least of the problem. What goes on in the UPS warehouse and the shipping/handling/receiving behind the scenes is where the real abuse takes place.