UPS damage...anybody ever filed a claim?

dragon1952

I recently purchased a pair of Paradigm Studio 40's from ebay. They just arrived UPS and one speaker has a ding in the top back left-hand corner. Other than that they are in exquisite condition.
The box it was packed in also had a ding in the exact same spot so I'm sure it happened in transit. The seller said they were perfect when he shipped them and I believe him.
Anyway, anybody ever deal with UPS on a claim? I filled one out and got a response today saying that the damaged item was scheduled for pickup tomorrow. That it would be sent to local UPS for inspection and then sent back to the shipper of origin with the results, blah, blah, blah.
I asked for more info first and have not heard back as of yet, but I'm wondering....can you perfectly fix a ding on the corner of a speaker? The veneer is pushed in a little and the vinyl (???) top covering is tweaked a bit.
I'd like to hear if anyone has dealt with anything similar, how long did it take, did it work out to satisfaction? I'm not sure it's worth it to be without speakers for a month or two.

hoosier21

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16143

I would NOT let UPS have them back.

If you can live with the damage, keep it and move on. UPS LOVES to use the insufficient packing even if it is the original factory packing. You may end up with nothing, no speaker, depending on the seller, no refund.

If you can get UPS to inspect it at your work or your house, try that.

madmax

Yep, Keep them and thank UPS for not completely destroying them! Who knows, maybe you might get something out of them. On mine the damage was on the inside of the speaker where they couldn't see it.
madmax

steveinaz

Try a reputable furniture repair store. Look at sample work they've done and ask for references. I had an entire crate FALL INTO THE OCEAN from Turkey, of course it had to be the solid oak bedroom set. It was a mess. All white from salt water damage, buckled, molded...but a local furniture place did a very good job of restoring all the pieces, an of course Uncle Sam had to foot the bill as it was a government move.

You would have never known the furniture was ever damaged, but do your homework and find a GOOD place--results will vary.

dragon1952

Thanks buds!
I sincerely appreciate your stellar advice. Thank you very, very much.

wallstreet

when you file the claim, tell ups that you will be keeping the merchandise. the check goes to the shipper. Depending on the amount, they may send someone out to see you, they may not. Then work out a deal with the shipper.

dragon1952

Thanks wall....

This is really weird...here's the first email I got.

'Thank you for your inquiry. We apologize for the inconvenience
caused in this matter. We processed a request for pickup today.
UPS will pick up your merchandise, including the original box
and packaging on 03/12/04. Please put the damaged item back in
the original box along with the packaging material, seal the
box and have it ready for the driver. Three attempts on consecutive
business days will be made to retrieve your package.

Please note, UPS is required to notify and settle all claims
with the shipper of record. The contents will be inspected at
your local UPS delivery center, and then returned to the original
shipping location. UPS will send the results of the inspection
and any necessary paperwork to the shipper of record.

Thank you for using UPS Internet Services.'

After a bit of whining on my part and asking for some explanation I get this:

'Thank you for your reply. Once your claim has been processed,
you will need to contact the shipper of record for the final
resolution. As UPS handles all claims with the shipper of record
only, the claim information is not available to the receiver
or a third party. If the shipper has any questions about the
claim, they will need to contact UPS directly.

We apologize that we are not able to provide you with the information
you have requested. Please contact the person or company that
shipped your package for final resolution. '

I informed them that this is unsat...I am the one who paid for the shipping and insurance, I have, and own, the speaker, you should be dealing with me. Then I get this:

'Thank you for your reply. If you do not want your package picked
up for inspection, we will be happy to process a UPS Onsite Inspection.
Please verify if you would like to request a onsite inspection.
We again appreciate your patience.

Thank you for using UPS Internet Services.'

Why didn't you just frickin' say so in the first place!?
I told them that was more acceptable and I get this:

'Thank you for your reply. We your request for a onsite inspection.
UPS will contact you by the end of the next business day on 03/15/04
to set up an inspection for your merchandise. Please retain
the damaged merchandise, original box and packaging. Once the
package is inspected, UPS will send the results of the inspection
and any necessary paperwork to the shipper of record. If you
have further questions regarding your damaged package, please
contact the company or party that sent the package.'

Cool!

Then I get a phone call saying the inspector will come to the house but he has to take the speaker back to Anaheim (60 mi away) for inspection and then they'll return it to wherever I want. She said it should take about 3-4 days. I said 'No way' and she says , well , we CAN have the inspector make an appointment and do the inspection right there, and then he can forward his results to Anaheim.

Geez Louise!!! fer cryin' out freakin' loud! WTF!? I guess they just don't want to do these in-house inspections so they try every which way to weasel out of it, and if you whine long enough they finally give in.
Anyway, maybe some of you can use this info someday to your advantage. I'll let you know how it works out.
Bottom line is "I CAN"T LIVE WITHOUT MY FREAKIN' SPEAKERS, DAMMIT!"

madmax

Don't let them take them. I did and they returned to the shipper along with the claim. Now I have...NOTHING!

Edit: Mine was with FedEx but they both do this ****.

hoosier21

With the new UPS inspector here in Bremen, these days I kind of look forward to my UPS claims

dragon1952

Yowsah! She can inspect anything she wants!

Demiurge

Wow...that's a huge camel toe....:eek:

nadams

kinda matches her face... she aspires to be a camel

Dr. Spec

Wallstreet filed a UPS claim when the fx1000's I bought from him were damaged in shipment. I kept the speakers, and we still got the full insured value. Wallstreet was just great to deal with.

Being nice to the UPS inspector, taking before/after pics, and following up with email is important.

Doc

dragon1952

Thanks Doc....but guess what.....(I don't freakin' believe this!)
I just purchased a Marantz 2270 off of Ebay the other day. It came with the nice wooden case, original owner and original manuals... from an estate sale. My bid was $209 and the shipping was only $18 cause it's fairly close (plus CA sales tax : ( )
I thought that was a steal, but the $@##! thing comes today and it got hammered big-time in the lower left-hand corner of the faceplate and a chunk of the wooden cabinet got ripped off. I don't see any damage to the exterior of the box though which is kinda weird.
Anyway, other than that the thing was absolutely mint. I just can't believe it that two items in a row...within 3 days of each other.... I get this ****. That's almost $1000 worth of stuff that would've been nearly mint. Needless to say I'm highly pissed right now, however...after a coupla Sierra Nevada's it's not quite as bad now. I think I'll go for a third one....later.