The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm with you, Dave. UPS can go the way of the Edsel for all I care.

I have used UPS for years and defended them here and everywhere else. NO MORE! This company has seen fit to destroy several of our shipments to our wonderful customers in the last year with no type of recourse or making good on our insurance claims even though we have paid for the insurence before shipping. This company has totally gone to the dogs. Sorry, I didn't mean to insult any poor inocent dogs. ( I love dogs).
They claim to have hired a out side insurance claim adjustment company to take care of these problems. I'm sure the "outside" company is saving them a lot of money in adjustments, but will lose them money in the long run by running off customers like me that send out hundreds of packages a month.
UPS, you better start getting it right!
Dave Van Allen, We all understand,and me the most!!!!!!

We at Steel Guitar Nashville will switch to FedEx ground in the very near future. We have had no luck in collecting on damaged goods in the last year from UPS. This once great company is now a shadow of it's former self. I know $20.000 a year won't be much of a loss to them but if we all ship by a more reputable carrier, possibly we can make a small difference.
Dave, you already have.

One thing to remember.If the package was not packed to UPS specks they don't have to pay for damage.I think they call for 4 inches ? of padding on all sides.

Like any big company UPS has a lot of good people and a few bad ones.FedEX pays their people less,has way more temps.They also use a lot of lease operators to move freight.You would think UPS would be the better company.Not saying they are.Just the facts as I know them.Whom ever you use.Pack it to take a fall. J Robert Boggs III

Bobby, unfortunately I didn't use MBE on this one. I went direct to UPS in Flagstaff, AZ. They gave me as much runaround as the web site and the people on the 800 number. The last steel I shipped from Morro Bay, I used MBE and got my check fine. Chalk this one up to experience. Thanks, Gary.

I wonder if anyone in upper-level UPS management might appreciate a link to this thread ??!??

I have shipped and received many items including keyboards and guitars. Never had a problem. I think where the item comes from or goes to has a great impact on quality of service. Weight and size of package is also an issue. The last item i shipped i finished packing at the customer counter (because the peanuts are free there )and the supervisor came out asked me if i wanted a job. I said no because i heard about what goes on in there.

The only 2 items i have ever had damaged in shipment was by FedEx. UPS 0

I'll never use UPS again..
a friend of mine, had two very unsatisfied dealings with them,
The first one... he ordered a steel from Bobbe Seymour, and he tracked it all the way to his home, but when it said it was deliverd, Larry didnt have the steel.
So he called UPS and they told him that it had been deliverd at 12:05 and signed for.
But it wasnt he that signed for it, and he told them that it had not reached him, he asked her to what address it was droped off at. The driver took it to the wrong house. and droped it off.
They had to run the driver down and go get the steel...
next he ordered a Evans amp. from Bill Stroud, and they gave him a tracking number and everytime he would enter the number it showed nothing new. still blank..
so he called Mr.Stroud after 4 days of nothing going on with the tracking number..
And when Bill went over to check the problem out, there sat the amp with all the shipping labels missing. even the one's that he had put on it.
They told Bill, that they must have fell off, yeah right.
So that did with me UPS.
Billy..... <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by B.Jenkins on 05 October 2002 at 04:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

Does this make sense at all?????

Why so many places so close together ?
Three in Ohio alone. They don't even do that in Texas!!!!!!!!!!


PACKAGE PROGRESS
Date Time Location Activity
Oct 3, 2002 1:18 P.M. HODGKINS, IL, US UNLOAD SCAN
11:06 A.M. HODGKINS, IL, US ARRIVAL SCAN
7:40 A.M. INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US DEPARTURE SCAN
7:07 A.M. INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US ARRIVAL SCAN
3:29 A.M. COLUMBUS, OH, US DEPARTURE SCAN
12:47 A.M. COLUMBUS, OH, US LOCATION SCAN
Oct 2, 2002 11:37 P.M. COLUMBUS, OH, US UNLOAD SCAN
9:46 P.M. COLUMBUS, OH, US ARRIVAL SCAN
9:13 P.M. OBETZ, OH, US DEPARTURE SCAN
7:47 P.M. OBETZ, OH, US ARRIVAL SCAN
6:39 P.M. ZANESVILLE, OH, US DEPARTURE SCAN
5:26 P.M. ZANESVILLE, OH, US ORIGIN SCAN

And it still is not even close to Texas where it is supposed to be.

Charles Tilley

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Charles Tilley on 05 October 2002 at 05:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

Every location/time scan means that the package probably was handled, and the potential for abuse, whether wittingly (i.e. let's see how high this box bounces if we toss it) or unwittingly (oops, look that box fell off the 8 foot high conveyor belt but it didn't bounce too high though)is there

------------------
Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net

I just had a Transtubefex wrecked by them! Stock excuse, poor packing. I am a UPS shipper and am just getting started good with them on this one! I packed according to their standards, they got the box wet and damaged the unit! I took plenty of digital pictures of the box and damage. Both ears were bent inwards, an LED in the front was busted, one of the switches was busted and there was a small dent in the front of the unit by the LED and broken switch. It takes a hell of a hit to bend metal like that! Fortunately, Peavey had all the parts I needs (including a new chassis) to repair the unit! I won't let go till they pay me something!

I have a very close friend in Oklahoma who collected Vintage Guitars a few years back. Someone shipped a vintage guitar to his business office, and his receptionist signed for it. When he started to open the carton, he saw that it had been "Attacked" by a fork lift!!There were 2 slotted holes in one side of the carton, where a fork truck had run the forks "INTO" the carton.
He went ahead and opened the carton to find that the forks had not only gone into the carton, but into the vintage case as well. Although they destroyed the case, luckily, they did miss the guitar.
When he contacted UPS, he was informed the they could do "NOTHING" now, that if he wanted to inspect the shipping carton, he had to inspect the carton "BEFORE" he signed for it.
Being a "Super Nice Guy" he let it go. The next time he had one shipped to him, he instructed his receptionist to call him to the front when the UPS truck arrived and "NOT SIGN" for it, but that he would do the signing.
When she called him to the front, and he began looking the carton over for damage, the driver informed him that he "Could Not Do That"!! If he wanted to inspect it, he would have to sign first.
At that point he informed the driver that he was willing to play by their rules, if they ever figured out what their rules were, "WHICH IS FAR MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE DONE"!!!
Bob Dell
Dell Cases

Ken Mullett:
"It always seemed to me that the quality of UPS service deteriorated quite a bit after the long strike they had some years back. Wasn't that when they started hiring a lot of temporary and part time help?"

Anyone looking for explanations as to why UPS service has deteriorated so drastically (as most people here seem to suggest it has) need only consider what the outcome of that strike was. UPS immediately laid off something like 10 or 15 thousand workers, replaced much of its salaried workforce with temps and drastically lowered the wages and benefits that junior employees would receive. Hardly the makings of a happy and stable operation.
Whenever I ship an instrument I'll use UPS if that's what the buyer prefers, but I'll certainly recommend an alternative.

Still haven't seen any action or movement of the package since Oct 3rd.

This package was sent Oct. 2nd. from Gary and Ann. It is a 3 space rack donated for the Bobby Garrett event in Tyler, Texas.
I just wonder how many units it will hold when it gets here. Maybe 8 after is it reassembled.

My days with UPS are gone too.

Charles Tilley

Bobby Bowman is shipping me a guitar this week,and after reading these posts,it would make anyone nervous. I talked to my UPS driver and he said."declare a high value, then the item will be wrapped with RED TAPE and a supervisor will place it in a container used only for high value items and only supervisors are allowed to handle those items". I wonder if the guy is giving me the business.Maybe I should push my two-wheeler to Houston to get it.

The problem isn't the damage, the problem is trying to collect the insurance when it is damaged. Good luck here!!!!!!!!!
Bobbe

I shipped a mixer to my Dad In Smyrna TN last week.
I actually mounted the mixer in an skb road case and then boxed it.
By the time he received the package, it had been so abused that it actually stripped the nuts off of the 1/4 inch jacks on the back of the mixer and they were floating around inside the case. They said poor packing.
NO MORE UPS! Randy Reams

I know this is about UPS and FedEx but I had the same experience with Northwest Air. My Marled Steel and Peavey Nashville 400 were shipped to me from Phoenix. The amp arrived with the speaker busted and other damage. The steel never arrived at all. Northwest claims no responsibility at all since the dummy that sent them did not insure them. I checked with DOT and they tols me they were liable but they still refuse even to talk to me about it. I believe an employee ripped the steel off. So just make sure you do not use Northwest Airlines.
Gere

At www.toteseat.com we choose only Fed Ex and feel we get faster as well as less expensive service shipping our "Toteseats"

Hey, Dr. Bobbe,
I MUST CONFESS.........
Remember the pedal rack you and you know who did not receve in the Big Brown Box...Oh, Yea, 2, (two) pedal racks, as I recall....
IT WAS THAT MAN IN BROWN....HE HELD ME HOSTAGE THOSE 2 (two) DAYS AT THE EMMONS CO. AND STOLE THOSE PEDAL RACKS.........He told me that he was a rippin' off steel parts from MANY BROWN BOXES for some time. He said...ONE PIECE AT A TIME, MAN...I want a STEEL GUITAR...BUT, I CAN'T AFFORD ONE....Sorry, Fellow, but I MUST ROB you.
So, there, Dr. Bobbe
Thats MY story, and I'm.....ah, STUCK!
All Seriousness though, NEVER was I MORE INBERESSED when I got that call from Sweet Miss Jennie......everything would have been OK if JoAnn Aycoth HAD NOT answered the phone ON THAT second, (2nd) phone call from her about the second,(2nd) pedal rack...so, BEWARE of men,(and woman) in BROWN!!!

FedEx Ground lost my 1929 Tricone for a couple days. It took 5 days including the weekend to get from San Diego, CA to Mill Valley, CA (near San Francisco) which is an 8 hour drive. The guitar arrived with a rather substantial dent on the top lower bout.

It took a year but they finally refunded $500 after a lawsuit with the dealer who sent it, Buffalo Brothers. That was half of what National estimated it would charge to restore the guitar. I and BB will not use Fed Ex Ground again.

The key has got to be pack everything very well.

FED EX IS

BAD NEWS...NO NEWS..Terrible,,Lousy
No Good,,,,Very Bad,,the Worst....
Gross...The Pits...Stinks...Smells.
I dont like them. edited as they are
Rotten as well.
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 17 October 2002 at 06:47 PM.]</p></FONT>

Yet another episode with UPS: I ordered some parts from the Emmons Company a few days ago, and they were damaged in transit and had to be sent back to Emmons, who said they were able to get reimbursed for my parts.... but not yet for the 2 pedal steel guitars that were in shipment for other customers - and damaged via UPS.

Jody, after all those compliments, what's your REAL opinion of FedEx ?