Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

IIRC, FedEx will always require a signature unkess the sender checks off a specific box on the form.

BTW, in spite of the wording in the document I cited, FedEx refused to insure a 2003 325c58 and a 1998 650S for more than $100, so I was forced to take them to UPS for shipment. I'm tempted to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau but I know it would do nothing about the situation.

I've shipped many guitars, and a lot of them were older than 20 years old. I insured them for up to $2000.00 and FEDEX NEVER said a word, they took them without ANY problems.

PERHAPS because I have an account with them or POSSIBLY an it's international thing? Strange.

There's something fundamentally wrong about thinking it's okay to leave a parcel unattended on a porch or in the driveway. Particularly if a signature is required.
Sure, schedules are hard to keep, but there's no sense having a schedule when you can almost guarantee that some of the parcels will be stolen!

That's sad news, Jon! I hope it works out. It would be a damn shame for that bass to gone!

Terrible news, Jon. I don't understand how they can leave something out in the open with no signature! I had a delivery from Dell and it was just sitting on the front porch and it was marked "Signature Required"! Dunces....

Hey, you have the Rick Patrol out and looking.... Things may work out yet!

John, probably the Unreliable Package Service man signed for your Dell.

Kinda what I figured - how would UPS justify doing that though, on a contested delivery. Simple handwriting analysis would show that up, you'd think.

That's why I have packages I know are coming delivered to work. I was suprised by that one.

I was told those OooPS guys get paid by the amount of stuff they deliver a day.

Something to think about.

Morons!

That happened to me... I shipped a 330 to a guy in NY back in October. UPS left it on his doorstep. The guy says he never got it. Then stuck a claim with Paypal.. On the other hand UPS is saying he got it...

I shipped a 350 via Fedex last week and the whole insurance issue with them is that- if it's a signature edition or one of a kind model they will NOT insure it for more than a couple hundred. If it's replaceable- then they can insure it for full value.

The only bad part with them showing no sig is that the driver verifies that the package was delivered and they close the claim. I had to reopen it four times then threaten to go small claims or even public... I'm still waiting...

UPS Bashing has come up before in this forum and there is also a long thread on the same subject over at the RIC site. So, in the interest of Equal Time, I offer the following. *

• I sympathize with Jon as much as the next person. This is horrible news.
• I am an online shopoholic. I NEVER go to a store ** or a mall. I receive stuff delivered ALL the time. I’ve only had ONE item damaged shipped by UPS. UPS (and the vendor) took care of it completely right away.
• The ONLY problems I have EVER had have been with FedEx. I’ve told the story before about the time they left my bass combo amp out in the snow … AT THE WRONG HOUSE. And there was the time they lost my PC. So I think there is plenty of blame to go around.
• As far as requiring signatures or leaving at the front door goes, I can see how there could be various views on that. I can only speak from my own experience. I have had tons of packages left outside my door (actually they hide them in the bushes) and have never had a problem. Dell requires a signature and FedEx has been very strict in enforcing it. Before I had a governess home to sign for packages, it was a huge pain. I had to drive about an hour away to FedEx, wait in line for another hour then drive back home. And hope that the package was at the warehouse in the first place and not back on the driver’s truck (which has happened twice with FedEx!)

* Of course the minute something bad happens to me with UPS I’ll be right on your side in a heartbeat.

** My old camera died and so I actually decided to go to a local camera store and buy one. The experience was so unpleasant I walked out the door empty handed and promptly ordered the same model from Amazon for $50 less.

You have to watch the so called "insurance" offered by the carriers. When I sold my 4003S5, the first thing I did was try to schedule a pickup from my home, with UPS' online calculator adding $50 for insurance. When I called about it, UPS said that even though they will happily take your money for it, there is NO insurance on any package picked up from a residential address.

Even taking the bass into a UPS store wasn't good enough for damage insurance - the only way to get coverage was for them to pack it. In the end it cost over $200 to ship with full coverage. I asked Fedex about insurance and they said they don't insure against damage.

Moral of the story is to make the phone calls and find out exactly what the insurance you are buying covers - if anything.

Instead of buying the seemingly "worthless" shipping insurance, is there any quick way you can buy personal insurance to cover shipping on an instrument?

Im sure it would possibly be costly, but it may be well worth it.

Ted Weber at webervst won't ship anything via UPS, but that is mainly due to damage and to UPS's insane amounts of hoops to go through to get reimbursed. I've had UPS damage things in the past so I often choose other carriers who aren't trying to throw everything like a football. I've had good luck with FedEx and DHL so far. If something I'm shipping isn't breakable, then I have no problems shipping UPS.

Remember how I said that UPS delivered a 330 to a guy I sold it to- and he submitted a Paypal claim. Well, Paypal DENIED my dispute and stated because UPS left it on his door, seller protection is out the window.... Now I have to fight this with UPS.

http://www.musicins.com/
The above company WILL insure guitars shipped by you. I don't have them as my insurance agent, yet, but will in the new year.