N941WR

N941WR

Legacy Member
About two months ago I ordered an ELT from Aircraft Spruce. It was on back order and since I'm still riveting the fuselage up I was in no hurry for it.

Two weeks ago this three-foot long by four-inch by four-inch box arrives covered in stickers stating the box contained a delicate instrument, handle with care, do not crush.

Wouldn't you know it, one end of the box was crushed right where one of the stickers were.

Ok, I can handle the fact that some boxes are going to get damaged in shipping. A quick call to Aircraft Spruce puts me back on the back order list and a request to put the damaged box out for the UPS driver who promptly picks up the damaged box.

Last night while talking to my wife on the phone (I'm out of town on business) she tells me the replacement ELT has arrived and the new box is even more damaged than the old one.

Now things are getting interesting.

This morning I call Aircraft Spruce back and they tell me they haven't shipped the replacement ELT yet. This conversation totally confuses the customer service rep but she tells me she will look into it.

About an hour later she does call back. It turns out UPS picked up the box, put it in their crushing mill, and returned it to me a week later. Only this time my wife tells me the thing is almost completely flat.

All I can say is it is a good thing I don't need that ELT just yet.
 
Now that I've stopped laughing at UPS' stupidity, I must say that I'm not surprised. I've had three different packages destroyed by UPS and found it nearly impossible to get them to pay claims (I was the sender). No matter how ridiculous the amount of damage, they will always initially say that the packing was inadequate. In one case I shipped a mortising machine and fully encased it in that expanding foam, and used a double wall box. When it arrived it was in a completely different box and smashed to pieces. It was quite clear by all the scrapes and asphalt marks that it had fallen out onto the road, but they insisted that it was the boxes fault. Meanwhile nobody could even tell me where the original box, with my writing on it, was at. UPS is fine if you're shipping anvils or bags of dirt, but I would NEVER trust them with an instrument. Incidently, marking fragile on a package means absolutely nothing to them and they will even tell you that. I loaded trucks for UPS one Christmas season when I was in college and I can tell you that all packages are handled the same.

One other note on this: They seem to have no fixed policy on whether a signature is required on delivery. I've come home many times to find packages on my doorstep "hidden" under the welcome mat, and last week found one in the bushes next to my driveway. Go figure.

Steve Zicree
 
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szicree said:
One other note on this: They seem to have no fixed policy on whether a signature is required on delivery. I've come home many times to find packages on my doorstep "hidden" under the welcome mat, and last week found one in the bushes next to my driveway. Go figure.
Click to expand...

And that's why I use UPS. I don't like having to pick up packages at the warehouse, because no one is home to sign for them.

FWIW, in nine years of UPS deliveries, I had excellent luck, with no damaged packages.

L.Adamson
 
I've been spending a LOT of money on UPS for various shipments from Van's. I once even paid extra for 2nd day air...which arrived 5 days later. Then when I ordered the step kit last week, I said "screw it," send it regular Parcel Post at a fraction of the cost.

It came two days later.
 
Suppose I order some expensive whatchama-call-it and it gets swiped off my porch by some door-to-door solicitor. Who pays?? How do I prove I never received it?

Steve Zicree
 
I have also had some really bad luck with UPS in the past and refuse to use them now. My company (Honeywell) strictly uses FedEx, even for delicate packages. For example, all of our computer equipment, overhead projectors, and other very expensive items, are shipped around the country on a daily basis. We have used Fed-Ex for a long time, which is no more expensive if you send it the proper way (Ground, ground-saver, Fed-Ex freight, etc.) and had phenomenal results.

I would suggest that you ask Spruce to send it via Fed-Ex this time around. I bet you will be happier with the service, and the product will be perfectly fine.

Also, my empennage was shipped via Fed-Ex ground, by Vans. From Oregon to Texas, and the boxes looked brand-spanking new.

Just my .02-cents.
 
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Ups

Speaking from Canada....UPS is my absolute last resort.....not because they damage the goods but because of the "brokerage fees" they ding you with......A lot of times they are more than the part....US Postal Service for sure and it usually gets here in about 5-10 days.....pretty good service.
 
I have not had much luck with UPS. I have had a few things sent to me via them and they either arrive late or not at all. I have had better luck with Fed-ex but then again they do cost more.
 
UPS Smells Bad

Back in 97 I bought a beautiful 36 inch TV from a friend in NY. Had the TV packed at a UPS Mailbox Etc by UPS folks. Little did I know that the drivers were in contract negations to have an extra "helper" ride with them just in case they have a "heavy" package. When the TV arrived I went out to the driveway just in time to see the driver push the TV out of the back of the truck. It passed the gravity test; it smashed to the ground just like a 220 lb. box will do. The expensive TV was a total loss. Big surprise. I thought well it was packed by the UPS store so if they say it was incorrectly packed it was their fault, not mine. Guess again. They said it was incorrectly packaged! I had to eat over $300 for the TV and $80 for the shipping. They gave me the run around and then quit returning my calls. I hate UPS. I growl when I see their trucks. Now I know why their trucks are brown, that is the color of the service you will get.
My 2 cents.
 
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Well, I have had quite the opposite results. I have been receiving packages by UPS for about 20 years without a problem. I receive on average 2/month. On the other hand I have received 6 deliveries by FEDEX, none of which have been on time. The worst time was when I lost a mag in Las Cruces, NM. Aircraft Spruce FEDEXd one OVERNIGHT on Monday. I got it on Thursday. FEDEX did not charge me, but neither did they pickup the extra 2 days hotel and rent car that I was out because of their screwup. You can have your FEDEX. I will stick with UPS.
Mel...DAR
 
I lost, but UPS Lost too!

My worst, of many, UPS experiences dates back 15 years. As a professional photographer, at that time, I depended on UPS as a reliable conduit for supplies. Having moved to a new town the previous month, I visited the UPS Depot to advise the familiar staff of my move. Low and behold, I needed several items for a critial contract shoot($25,000). The items were ordered, shipped, but upon arrival at the local UPS Depot, the staff address corrected the items to MY OLD ADDRESS! After going through the trace and missing the shoot, I discovered what UPS did. I had liability insurance to restage the shoot, several weeks later, after FedEX delivered the needed supplies. The agnecy I was shooting for sued me(my insurance company) for $20,000 and won. I did not get another job from that company for three years. I sued UPS for $40,000, for loss of business, negligence, etc. and settled for $28000.
I have never used UPS since that date. I have a FedEX horror story concerning a fradulent cashier's check received for a COD, also, but I will not drag this out any longer. FedEx ground is reliable, faster and cheaper than UPS. USPS has also provided good service. The more you ship, the greater the odds are of having problems.

FWIW
Robby Knox
RV-8 95% complete, 95% to go! :)
 
TerryPancake said:
Had the TV packed at a UPS Mailbox Etc by UPS folks....I thought well it was packed by the UPS store so if they say it was incorrectly packed it was their fault, not mine. Guess again.
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Been there, done that. It turns out that in spite of the fact that the Mailbox Etc. folks are provided with tons of signage, equipment, training and advertising from UPS, UPS claims that they have no affiliation with them and hence no responsibility for packages being improperly packed by them. It gets even funnier. UPS' position is that your contract is with Mailbox Etc. and therefore may only deal with them to recover your losses. It's then up to Mailbox Etc. to recover from UPS. I found that UPS wouldn't even take my calls except to tell me to talk to the Mailbox Etc. people, who in turn told me that UPS was denying the claim due to inadequate packing!

Now, I'm not saying the drivers are bad guys, cuz they're not. And I'm sure there are plenty of good people woprking there. But as far as customer service goes, UPS stands for "Useless Piece of Sh**."

Steve Zicree
 
Mel said:
The worst time was when I lost a mag in Las Cruces, NM.
Mel...DAR
Click to expand...

Mel, I think I know why you had trouble. Las Cruses is not in the United States. :D
At least thats what people think when I tell them I am from New Mexico.
 
I had two instances, while building the 7A, with UPS. I ordered second day air, only to have them ship it back to the west coast, after it got to Wisconsin, in error, by slow truck. Then when it got to the west coast, they would only send it back by slow truck. It took three weeks to get my 2nd day air package both times. And they wouldn't give me back my extra shipping money or offer any type of compensation. I never use them willingly anymore.

FEDEX for me!!

Roberta
 
Fedex ground ....

You guys jinxed me. I had some replacement parts sent from Vans (RV-8 R elevator skin bent wrong at the factory); got home today and was excited to see the box on the front porch; then noticed the fist sized hole in the side.

Needless to say, the skin is dented and bent. Van's had sent replacement stiffeners free of charge since the skin was made wrong, but Fedex requires that I ship the ENTIRE box and ALL contents all the way back to Van's and then they can fill my replacement order. I tried to explain to the rep that I could work on the undamaged parts in the 2-3 weeks this will likely take, but no go. Gotta send 'em all. Called Van's and they're gonna sic the shipping manager on them in the AM.

I was sorta hoping to be able to keep the damaged part for scrap...

Thomas
RV-8 empennage - waiting on R elevator skin... :mad:
 
I think UPS have you over a barrel with regards to parcel damage. I mean if one of your items gets dropped and damaged all they have to say is it wasn't packed correctly. If it was it would not have gotten damaged (despite the fact that they used your package as a football) :mad: :mad:
 
Another example of the truly excellent customer service at Vans ... they called me 5 minutes ago (about 7:05 pacific time - right when they got in) and said to cancel my Fedex claim, keep all the parts, and they would take care of everything on their end. They're sending the new skin today...

Funny, when I call the Fedex claims number I get the recording "Due to an unusually high volume of calls...."


Thomas
RV-8 empennage
 
I have been using UPS for years with no DAMGAED boxes. Recently got my AF 2500 engine monitor via FedEX and the box was trashed, althought the good stuff was undamaged. No one is perfect. Now, the wierdest: While UPS hasn't damaged anything, they lost a shipment of video tapes a couple of years ago. Sent four boxes, 50 each of finished videos; only three arrived. Filed a claim, produced and shipped the replacement 50 copies and waited. Nothing. Never got the insured costs.

Two months passed and I order 300 blank tapes from my supplier. Seven boxes arrived, one being the lost box I had shipped two months earlier. No explanation was ever forthcoming.

I use UPS ONLY because it is close and convenient and FexEx is many miles further away. For all small items, I use USPS Priority Mail and have never had any problem of any kind.

Bob Kelly
 
UPS "GREAT"!!

I wouldn't have it any other way. I have had so much luck with UPS that I request it from all suppliers. One thing, I live in a trusted area and UPS leaves the packages at my door. That's not the case for others. I hate having to wait for a package because I was not home for FedEx or worse, take a trip to the Warehouse to pick it up. Hopefully I haven't put the hex on myself for talking up UPS. My 2 cents.
 
UPS for me

I loathe Fedex. Ground, air, or whatever you call it. (I think they have like 4 different/seperate services here) They are always late, absolutley will not leave packages, and do not have a pickup counter. The only time I ever had a package damaged was a few years back with airborne and they practiacally flattened it. Luckily it was only a few chokes and IC's in foam. No problems with UPS and I get a lot of photo stuff from them. I request them whenever possible.
Jeff
 
I used to get long spars or angle and stuff in long cardboard boxes packed with newsprint and such from Van's.


Now they put 'em in PVC and duct tape 'em to withstand a nuclear blast.

I presume that's because they know the shipper will likely beat the crap out of it.

But it ends up costing us more in "handling" charges from Van's.

so either way, we pay.,
 
I guess everybody has has bad experience with some carrier. I know I was less excited about UPS when I came home to an empty door step, expecting $2k in tools. Luckily a neighbor several blocks away called and said the package was delivered to the wrong house.

I haven't signed for a FedEx package in a long time. I checked some box on their web site saying to just leave packages on my door step.
 
I also haven't signed for something in a long time. I was part of a group that sold a radio station last year (it was going to finance the engine on the RV but now it's going somewhere else. sigh). Anyway, FedEx came with the bank check, nobody answered. They left it. Bad thing.

But, like I said, can't be the old Post Office.
 
Incredible but true

This sounds weird but I use USPS to ship stuff from the US whenever I can, and I am in Australia.

They are usually cheap and I have the stuff with me in 3 days (best ever) to 7 days. And if I am not here when they arrive they leave it at the local post office which is 5 minutes away.

Next is fedex for bigger stuff, also a very good service. I have used UPS a couple of times and it is very expensive; worst for service (if not delivery) was BAX global who I will avoid forever.

FWIW

Peter
 
In my former life as a golf pro I ran a shop that received daily UPS and FedEx shipments. We would often receive boxes, folded in half, with golf clubs in them. UPS response was ALWAYS that the box was not sufficient. I complained to customers service and they covered the cost of the items every time. One of the benefits of having items shiped to where you can sign for the item is seeing the package before you accept it. I have on occasion refused a package due to the condition of the box. Then its the shippers problem with UPS, and they are much more accomadating with large shippers than with the little guy.
 
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