Story of the Almost STOLEN Turbo Kit

[Captain KRM P5]

Today was the scheduled date that the package was supposed to have arrived so.....

I checked the tracking number of the item and it said that the item was "out for delivery" at 5am this morning. The UPS depot is no more than six miles from my house, so I figured it would be on my doorstep within the next few hours. 3pm rolls around and no sign of the package. Just to check in, I called 1 800 PICK UPS and the operator assured me that the package would "most defenetely be delivered today, and within the next hour."

7pm hits and now I am beginning to seriously consider that there is something wrong here. I call the 800 number again and they, very confused, put a call out to the UPS facility near my house. The call comes back to me with the local fac. supervisor on the phone. He says that the package has been delivered already. Horror! I ask who signed for the package and he says, well nobody, it was checked out to a "miscellaneous individual." After assuring him about a thousand times that no one in my home had signed for this package, he told me that he would have it all straightened out by morning once he got a hold of the driver. My response to this was "bulls***," and I jumped in the car and drove over myself.

When I showed up, the supervisor came out to greet me and very apologetically told me he had the package. Apparently the driver "delivered" the package to himself and "signed" for it himself, leaving it in the truck. His punch out time was less than two minutes from the supposed delivery. Needless to say, I was outraged. The supervisor told me that he had called the driver right after I had called 800 PICK UPS to ensure that his driver would deliver the package that night. That, combined with the fact that it was logged out so early and that I live so close to the facility, hinted to him that the driver may have been intending to sneak away with it the next day! He promised me he would personally deal with the issue when the driver came to clock back in.

Sorry to rattle on and on, but I just thought I'd let you know for any future dealings you guys may have with UPS. This is my second issue in the last year with UPS over a high-dollar item and from now on I will pay the added expense of going FedEx. Even if the supervisor deals with the driver, I am going to call the Better Business Bureau and demand a refund on my shipping from UPS. If I have to drive out and personally pick up my package to prevent it from being stolen or lost through a falsified delivery there is no reason I should pay them $50 for crap service like that.

 

[pr5owner]

UPS BASTARDS!!!!!!!!! lay the smack down on this one... just b**** them out left right and center, after this is resolved find the driver and beat the s*** out of him. He's wasted how much of your time now? get it back.. forcefully

 

[Dragon_Reborn]

i cannot believe that *hit man! lucky u got it , damn would i be pissed!!!:mad: (pissed)

 

[Don]

Yet another true story of "What BROWN can do for you!"

I bought a pool table light from a lady in Illinois. She double packed it, and UPS STILL managed to break it.

UPS came back to pick it up (the driver wasn't interested in the mounds of packaging material all over my floor, and just took the light in a box) to send it in for "evaluation."

They determined (BIG surprise here) that it was "improperly packaged" and that they weren't liable.

I've paid for the light, as well as the shipping, and the light is now back in Illinois, but the worst part, is there is nothing I can do, according to UPS. I am the CONSIGNEE, and even the lady I bought it from is NOT the SHIPPER - The SHIPPER is the Staples store she took it to for shipping. ONLY the "SHIPPER" can file a claim, or dispute a claim (as in "improper packaging" even though 90% of the "packaging" is still on my living room floor . . . . )

So, if I can get SOMEONE who works in the Staples store in Illinois to file a claim for me, there is a (small) chance I might get some money back from UPS for my (now gone) light. I CAN'T get the light back, that's for sure, as UPS returned it to the Staples store, (the "SHIPPER") and since they have no room to store it, they called the lady to come pick it up.

My light is back in the hands of the original owner, as is my check for it's payment in full, PLUS the UPS shipping charges, and I have no light, no money, and no ability to file ANY claim against UPS either for damages, or for the return of my merchandise.

What can BROWN do for you??

They can recommend you use another shipping company.

Don

 

[Kooldino]

WOW. Capt and Don have some friggin STORIES man. THAT SUCKS. I'm dumbfounded.:mad:

 

[talon4x4]

Don, why exactly did you let them out of the house with that light. They can inspect the package and determine whether or not there going to pay on the spot.

If they were going to take the light they should have handed you a check in its place. Not to be a dick, but its your fault for letting them take it.

Live and learn I guess.

And that whole thing about the turbo, I would be pissed. The problem with UPS is that items with values over $1000 are handled as high dollar items and treated a bit differently. So basically its a catch 22. You would obviously want you item handled with a little more care if it has a high value. But on the other hand its like putting a neon sign on the package that says "STEAL ME" especially if it came from an import car shop.

 

[RyanBlueP5]

I am in no way surprised. And for good reason...... I used to work for UPS. I wasn't a driver, I was a package handler and now have the Freaking hernia to prove it... (Damn manual labour) Anyways I have personally seen first hand the amount of abuse these boxes go through in shipping. It's scary!! I've personally been responsible for breaking hundreds if not thousands of item in the three years I worked there. It's not my fault however. Have any of you ever seen that I love Lucy episode where she's working in the candy factory. You know she's sitting by the conveyer belt, and the things starts sending more candies than she can handle. Anyways these damn boxes come at you in globs, and your job is to sort and pack them into the right trucks, dozens of boxes come at you every few seconds. It's impossible to keep up, so your forced to chuck boxes into trucks at a very fast rate. Even if your box says "fragile" on it, they don't care. It's actually relaxing and rewarding to hear a crash come from one of the boxes as they tend to become your nemesis. It's you vs the thousands of boxes coming your way. When you first start working there, your careful. You don't want to break anything, and your aware that this is other peoples stuff. After awhile, it all becomes a blur and a box becomes a box. It's chaos I tell you!!!

 

[RyanBlueP5]

Don, why exactly did you let them out of the house with that light. They can inspect the package and determine whether or not there going to pay on the spot.

If they were going to take the light they should have handed you a check in its place. Not to be a dick, but its your fault for letting them take it.

Live and learn I guess.

And that whole thing about the turbo, I would be pissed. The problem with UPS is that items with values over $1000 are handled as high dollar items and treated a bit differently. So basically its a catch 22. You would obviously want you item handled with a little more care if it has a high value. But on the other hand its like putting a neon sign on the package that says "STEAL ME" especially if it came from an import car shop.

And yes you are right. High value items are treated different. They come at you one at a time, and are sealed in a white and red bag. They tend to get loaded last, and are rarely stolen as they have a security officer watch you load it, and a security officer watch you unload it. The problem arises with the way the cargo trucks are loaded. The packages tend to shift inside the trucks, and get crushed by other packages while enroute.

 

[talon4x4]

A security officer watch you unload it?!?!? Off of the brown trucks that drive around the neighborhood??? Yeah right!!! I never saw a security office with the UPS driver when he delievered a couple thousand dollars worth of stereo equipment to me.

Maybe your refering to the loading and unloading of the tractor trailers. That's proabably a whole different story. Once those high dollar packages make it to your local delivery truck its fair game. Use the turbo story above as a perfect example.

 

[Don]

Don, why exactly did you let them out of the house with that light. They can inspect the package and determine whether or not there going to pay on the spot.

If they were going to take the light they should have handed you a check in its place. Not to be a dick, but its your fault for letting them take it.

Live and learn I guess.

Items valued at less than $100 are evaluated "on the spot" and you get a check - Items OVER $100 in value must be sent in for an "evaluation."

I was handed a UPS "receipt" for "the package" but did not find out until later that it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

Once UPS determined that they were not going to pay the claim, they returned the box to the "shipper" (who is the ONLY party UPS is responsible to, if you read their shipping agreement closely).

I DID eventually get most of my money, but only because I found a sympathetic Staples store manager, who invested several hours of his time (the first appeal of the "claim" was denied) and several long distance phone calls - He eventually just told the UPS folks that if this was their "standard method" of settling claims, he no longer wanted any part of handling UPS shipments.

Easy to say one should have, or should not have done this or that, but you ASSUME that you can file a claim, or seek justice somewhere with a company the size of UPS, but unless you're the "shipper" you cannot - That's why I posted my "heads up" to all of you. 99% of the time when you buy something, somebody's already got your money, and since you're not the shipper, thus UPS feels no responsibility to YOU at all.

Don

 

[RyanBlueP5]

A security officer watch you unload it?!?!? Off of the brown trucks that drive around the neighborhood??? Yeah right!!! I never saw a security office with the UPS driver when he delievered a couple thousand dollars worth of stereo equipment to me.

Maybe your refering to the loading and unloading of the tractor trailers. That's proabably a whole different story. Once those high dollar packages make it to your local delivery truck its fair game. Use the turbo story above as a perfect example.

Yes exactly, I'm talking tractor trailors. Even though I have grown to hate UPS (one of the worst employers ever!!!) In the short time I was there, they busted like 20 employees for stealing stuff. Most people who work there are too scared to steal anything because you never know when your being watched. They like to install those tiny cams everywhere, you can't see them!! The only way you know you are being filmed is when they showed you a clip of the dirty deed.

 

[LambOfSilence]

Ironcially...

The UPS driver who comes to our office daily is driving a white p5, I have chatted with him a couple of times about mods and his ride (the brown truck). I don't think I will use UPS if I am ordering a turbo kit for my p5... (hey! UPS driver who comes to our office everyday, I am just kidding )

 

[alexlitov]

lol guys, that hella sucks.

In my case i ship a lot of stuff, and for the third week i havne' been paying UPS, cause someone else sighned for one of my customers pacages. I will probably right them a check tonight, but still i'm very pissed. BTW, FedEx costs the same. FedEx sucks big time. I had hella troubles with them. It's like they have three diferent companies - Groud, Express and Freight. And only ground suppose to pick up ground pacages. That's bull.

 

[Onatrum]

Funny this thread should pop up now...

I ordered the AutoExe Lip from Automotive R & D and it was suppose to arrive on the 12th through FedEx. I called the 19th wondering where it was at, and they put the search out and said they would call me. Well the called the next day, and the package was on my doorstep the next too. The only problem was that the Lip was cracked into two pieces. It sucks to wait longer than I'm suppose to...just to receive a damaged package.

But so far it's all good. 'Bout 15 minutes after I found it broke, I called Automotive R & D and explained everything and they got the ball rolling on making the claim. I went to Chicago (5 hours from here), stayed the night, came back to Ohio today, and there was a voicemail on my cell phone and it email from them saying the paperwork will be ready on Monday.

I have to say thanks to Sean Miguel for the speedy response.

Also, I've received clear sidemarkers, lowering springs, and the mazdaspeed muffler through UPS...so far, no problems.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Well this topic is like a double edged sword. I used to work for FedEx about 3 years ago, and I can remember that it was all about speed when handling those pagaged in the warehouse. They expected you to stack, load, and sort packages in a speedy manor while not damaging pacakges. Yeah right! Don't get me wrong! It is doable in most cases, but when you are having a bad day, and not getting paid very much...It's hot, or cold as hell....you have to unload a 53 foot trailer with nothing 4"x4"x4" (fits in your palms) boxes, it tends to get repetetive. There is no excuse for damaged packages, but s*** happens. I saw countless pacakages lost, or ripped then repaired. I was lucky to get my Turbo Kit in one peice, but I have had some Throwing card shurikkens stolen out of a package before from UPS. I called the company whom I bought it from, and they sent another set. I also have some inside help because my Dad delivers for UPS in Arlington. Sometimes, I can get certain benifits due to this fact. Bottom line on all of this is it all comes down to the work ethics of all the middlemen that are involved in getting your package to you no matter what shipper you use.