Another treasure lost to UPS

[bnacorda]

I sent a sword to Woody for polishing. Shipped it through the UPS Store. UPS in Las Vegas delivered it to the wrong address and can not locate it. A few things I learned.

 

1) When you ship from the UPS Store, they are technically the shipper. UPS will not file a claim from the customer (shipper). The only folks who can file a claim are the shipper (UPS Store) or the receiver. 

2) Make sure you note signature required and pay for the appropriate insurance coverage,

3) Contact the receiver right away when you get the notification that it has been delivered. Even when it states signature required, it looks like they won't collect a signature. And since you are not technically a shipper, you're not going to be able to get a copy of the proof of signed receipt.

4) Good luck with updates and follow through with the UPS store. You have to keep calling them and be a pain in their butts for them to follow up.

 

Luckily, Woody has been a good partner in helping me file a claim for this. Hopefully I get the sword back. Its not looking too likely.

[NewB]

Truly painful to hear. I hope they recover it...

 

To me High volume companies are usually full of disappointments (UPS and USPS). I pay extra for fedex and I follow strictly all policies so I don't end up in a predicament as yours. Not that it can't happen But I know their business inside out so I sleep well at night 

 

Cheers

 

 

J.

[Stephen]

Please consider registered mail.

https://www.stamps.com/usps/registered-mail/

 

It has its own room, when you drop off at PO, each time it's handled it has to be signed for and noted who did it. 

UPS store is a racket, they rip you off in price.

One of the few things I've lost was via UPS store. 

[Mark S.]

30 minutes ago, Darkcon said:

 I pay extra for fedex and I follow strictly all policies so I don't end up in a predicament as yours. Not that it can't happen But I know their business inside out so I sleep well at night 

Recent experience with FedEx (on the receiving end) was no better.  3 expected delivery dates broken.  Long periods of time where the on-line tracking made no sense or went dark.  It finally arrived, but not without me worrying it was lost… filing missing item report that never got answered except after I got item and a “your item was delivered” response.  Not a good feeling waiting for a Tokubetsu Hozon item and sweating the whole time.
 

From what I understand all delivery services are short handed and items sit in main collection hubs for excessive amounts of time until someone finally gets to them.  Expecting them to honor paid for delivery dates is a fools errand.  Only hope is to keep on them and as soon as tracking looks weird, start filing reports so they know someone is serious about their item.  
 

Sorry for the cynical outlook…

[NewB]

45 minutes ago, Mark S. said:

Recent experience with FedEx (on the receiving end) was no better.  3 expected delivery dates broken.  Long periods of time where the on-line tracking made no sense or went dark.  It finally arrived, but not without me worrying it was lost… filing missing item report that never got answered except after I got item and a “your item was delivered” response.  Not a good feeling waiting for a Tokubetsu Hozon item and sweating the whole time.
 

From what I understand all delivery services are short handed and items sit in main collection hubs for excessive amounts of time until someone finally gets to them.  Expecting them to honor paid for delivery dates is a fools errand.  Only hope is to keep on them and as soon as tracking looks weird, start filing reports so they know someone is serious about their item.  
 

Sorry for the cynical outlook…

You have a point. COVID managed to disrupt the flow of it all including transportation industry. But I'd rather get a delay than don't get my item. Even with Signature UPS would just leave everything wherever they find, signed by D. (Whomever the funk that is lol). I am sure it is zip code pertinent but USPS and UPS are something I stay away from. Wish I could change my mail provider ... 

 

J.

[Sunny]

Used UPS a few weeks ago

Bought a $2600.00 valued sword.

Was bullied into using UPS by the auction house 3rd party shipping with them guaranteeing me a long delay and maybe problems with USPS for my item.

Paid $660 to ship it with duty and brokerage fees from Florida to BC Canada

Like WTF man ???

It's a racket like the mob now because shipping is a circus at the moment unless local.

[MHC]

For what it's worth...and just my .02 worth.

 

I have recently started using DHL for ALL my shipping of important items. I started using them just about 2 years ago. Below is the breakdown of my experience with DHL,

 

1.) They are expensive (worth every penny).

2.) They are shockingly efficient.

3.) They up date you with absolutely every move the package takes (damn near hour by hour).

4.) They deliver so fast it makes your head spin.

 

I have used them to ship from Japan to the USA, 2 times. Each time less than 48 hour total time frame.

I have used them to ship from east coast USA to west coast USA 1 time, slightly less than 24 hour total time frame.

I have used them 1 time from England to USA, less than 48 hour total time frame.

 

I personally will no longer use any other mailing/shipping service if given the choice.

 

Mark

[Grey Doffin]

I agree with Stephen; for things of value within the US it has to be registered mail from the post office. Beyond what Stephen said, if the package spends a night in a post office it has to be in a safe. And it isn't expensive. I'm about to ship a large tube with 5 swords and some boxed fittings to the east coast. 10 pounds and $20,000 on value will be about $108 with full insurance.

Registered can't get lost; as my guy at the PO says, "If you lose registered you lose your job."

Grey

[PNSSHOGUN]

For those sending expensive items please consider using the apple airtag for your own proof of tracking.

[Michaelr]

Ben, sorry to hear about your situation. I have just recently gone through a similar situation that I posted here on the forum. ( stolen sword ). My sword started out with DHL that handled their end swiftly. My problem started when DHL handed my sword off to the USPS? It landed 1 hour from my home and then started traveling, next stop 12 hours from my home. I immediately started filing complaints. No one cared. Two times USPS sent me emails stating “ consider your item lost as we cannot track it any longer”,  I just kept reopening the claims. At this point I filed a complaint with Consumer Affairs, make sure you actually talk to someone, and I believe that they were the ones that found my sword and got it to me. Hope it works out for you and I don’t know if Consumers Affair can help but give them a try. Hope you end up as lucky as I was and it all works out.

  MikeR

[bnacorda]

Thanks for the feedback and support guys. I think they are unable to find it now since it was delivered to a completely different address. Also, I'm not getting as much details on the status from the UPS store. I think they were trying to get it back from the place they delivered it to but no word yet. I was hoping that it just got lost in their facility or something like that but since it was physically delivered and out of their hands, I doubt that it will come back. Funny thing is that I had a specific receiver to sign for it (Woody Hall) and when I finally got a status from the delivery, it says signed by HALL from the different address?! So it just sounds all bogus from that point on. I an going to try registered mail next time. Hopefully, it will be much better. 

[Mark S.]

One suggestion with FedEx.  NEVER have it delivered to your home or place of business.  ALWAYS have it redirected and delivered to one of the affiliated businesses that will hold your package until you pick it up.  No “we delivered it but no one was home” or ‘somebody’ signed for it “we think” type situations.  I used a local 24 hour pharmacy so no excuses that it was closed and couldn’t be delivered, etc.  Just my opinion.

[Michaelr]

Many packages that I have seen delivered say “ signed for “ or “ left with individual “  when they were either stuffed in the mailbox or thrown on the front steps and I have someone home 24/7. Hopefully it ends it’s journey with you   

  MikeR

[PNSSHOGUN]

Yes, best to have valuable items delivered directly to the post office.

[MHC]

Hello MichaelR,

 

Just out of curiosity, why did DHL hand off your package to the USPS, instead of delivering it straight to you? That seems exceedingly strange? 

 

DHL will deliver any package, anywhere, sometimes they transfer to an independent for the final leg, by that entity is still under contract with DHL, and still give you great updates as to progress.

No throwing on the lawn, no bogus signatures, no leaving unattended on the porch. Hell, with the last sword delivery, not only did I have to sign for it, but I had to show I.D. & the driver took my picture too!

 

Mark

[PNSSHOGUN]

Some shipping companies have merger deals with others, one such example here was TNT merging with Fedex. Neither provide good service in Australia so you can imagine the results.

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

On 9/4/2021 at 8:25 AM, PNSSHOGUN said:

For those sending expensive items please consider using the apple airtag for your own proof of tracking.

I LOVE this idea!

[Michaelr]

Mark, I had the same question for DHL when I contacted them “ why did you turn over my package to the USPS when the package got to the US? “ I was informed via email from DHL that they have contracts with other carriers in the US and if they (DHL ) feel that someone else can handle the delivery they pass it off. Funny thing is I see DHL trucks on my street frequently. Maybe they have to have multiple deliveries in a area to make it worth their while, not sure, but that’s what they told me.

  MikeR

[Ray Singer]

Truly sorry to hear about the package loss Ben. I most often use USPS Express insured (as I seems safest when keeping shipping times to a minimum). Hopeful that your package does surface soon. 

 

Best regards, 

Ray 

[Char]

On 9/3/2021 at 9:09 PM, MHC said:

For what it's worth...and just my .02 worth.

 

I have recently started using DHL for ALL my shipping of important items. I started using them just about 2 years ago. Below is the breakdown of my experience with DHL,

 

1.) They are expensive (worth every penny).

2.) They are shockingly efficient.

3.) They up date you with absolutely every move the package takes (damn near hour by hour).

4.) They deliver so fast it makes your head spin.

 

I have used them to ship from Japan to the USA, 2 times. Each time less than 48 hour total time frame.

I have used them to ship from east coast USA to west coast USA 1 time, slightly less than 24 hour total time frame.

I have used them 1 time from England to USA, less than 48 hour total time frame.

 

I personally will no longer use any other mailing/shipping service if given the choice.

 

Mark

Mark if you wouldn't mind me asking what are your thoughts with EMS from Japan to the U.S. ? and proper application process this is scary.

 

[Char]

This is truly sad any thoughts or suggestion using EMS vs DHL trying to ship a sword from Japan to the U.S.  

[Ken-Hawaii]

On 9/3/2021 at 6:09 PM, MHC said:

 

I have recently started using DHL for ALL my shipping of important items.

Don't be quite so quick to use DHL. I had a custom o-daiko (large taiko drum) made on the east coast, & shipped via DHL. Their quoted $225 seemed a bit high, but I agreed, anyway, only to get a bill for more than $3500! I sent them back a copy of their quote, & an offer to pay the $225, which they ignored, so I ignored them, & they finally quite harassing me, two years later.

[MHC]

Hello Gary,

I have no experience with the Japanese EMS system, so I can give you no advise, sorry.

 

Hello Ken,

So for clarification, you paid DHL the $225, DHL shipped the drum, you received the drum, then DHL came back at you for the balance of their claimed $3500?

 

How long did it take for you to receive the drum from the east coast (presumably mainland USA) to (presumably) Hawaii? I ask only because DHL generally uses airmail over the various ponds, so if it took more than a few days, like say a month or so, then it was probably put in a sea going container, and DHL got charged for the entire container, either case, should not have been your problem or bill.

 

Mark

[Tom Darling]

On 9/3/2021 at 9:23 PM, Steven Edmund said:

Used UPS a few weeks ago

Bought a $2600.00 valued sword.

Was bullied into using UPS by the auction house 3rd party shipping with them guaranteeing me a long delay and maybe problems with USPS for my item.

Paid $660 to ship it with duty and brokerage fees from Florida to BC Canada

Like WTF man ???

It's a racket like the mob now because shipping is a circus at the moment unless local.

 

It works the same way, when dealing with oversea auction houses, like Sotheby's  and Christies,they forward it to their broker (NY) service in US who ships it to the buyer, charging ($100.00 to $500.00) for their service fees.  They don't allow pickups.  

[kyushukairu]

Ben, don’t give up hope just yet. I had a similar experience with a fairly valuable tanto in silver issaku koshirae which was being returned from the US to the UK after polish. It was sent by USPS express post, which should have taken 3-5 days. The tanto was posted on the 24th April and did not arrive until the 18th June.

On the website, it was tracked leaving LA, arrived in Brazil and then disappeared for a couple of weeks. It then reappeared in LA, went to Salt Lake City, Chicago, and New York, before finally leaving America and disappearing again. After almost a month of travelling across international waters, it finally arrived in the UK.

It’s quite a stressful experience, so I can sympathise with you, but try not to give up on it, and hopefully it will appear again.

[Ken-Hawaii]

The drum shipment was several years ago, Mark, so no COVID to deal with. My consulting company had an account with DHL, so I just got a quote from them, something we did several times a week. I think the drum took about nine days to arrive from New York to Hawaii. It wasn't until my office manager handed me the $3500 bill that I knew there was any problem.

 

I started with my account manager, who blew me off, saying that the invoice didn't come from him. So I went up the line, until I was dealing with some faceless idiot, who totally ignored anything & everything that I sent.   I asked our lawyer if I should pay the $225, & he recommended against it until DHL made the correction. That never happened, & I never paid the $225. Of course I terminated our company's account, too. 

[bnacorda]

Quick update, UPS is not able to retrieve the sword. So per the UPS store, they will contact me once the insurance check comes in. Its a bummer since this sword was a true gem. Healthy Sukesada koto sword and priced to accommodate a polish. It literally got lost in the last mile towards restoration after 700 odd years. Hopefully it will turn up again. 

[b.hennick]

Sad

[Japan2112]

A huge bummer. Sorry to hear. 

 

[Greg F]

Very sorry to hear this Ben. Postal companies seem to drop the ball more often these days.