UPS Can't find my Ron Kirn Tele

[nvilletele]

So UPS was supposed to deliver my Ron Kirn tele yesterday. Shipped second day air from Louisiana to California. Yesterday the tracking info said out for delivery as of 8:10am.

Waited all day. Called at 7pm . . . still out for delivery. Waited. Called at 9pm . . . offices closed. But managed to get someone on phone. Tracking info still says out for delivery, but then it also says Rescheduled Delivery Date of 10/29/09. No other info.

I'm told I have to call back in morning to start an investigation (they make you do everything, via multiple calls).

This morning I look at the tracking info and it says it went out for delivery yesterday at 3:42am . . . ???? . . . What is with this revisionist history, I wonder . . . why should that have changed, when in fact it said yesterday it had gone out at 8:10am. Just another UPS mystery, along with where the package is.

So in talking with UPS, of course they need to shipper to get involved, as the recipient does not suffice for this purpose. More time, more trouble.

They dont know where the package is, they dont know why it wasnt scanned back in last night, they dont know anything, but they say they'll look into and get back to the shipper within one to eight business days. I ask why they cant contact the actual driver who supposedly had it in his truck yesterday and actually something aimed at finding the package. Now I am waiting to the actual UPS local service center to call me.

Not going to hold my breath.

I really do hate UPS. Their system for addressing these kinds of issues is terrible, and very frustrating. They really dont care, and make no pretense of caring, and they don't make any effort to do anything to actually find out what has happened to your package.

The package may very well show up today, or it may have disappeared off the truck and is gone forever. Time will tell. But one thing is for certain - UPS is the worst and I will avoid using them as much as possible.

[Tele Fan]

My guess would be that it's at the driver's house.

[photoweborama]

similar thing happened to a friend. They lost a 66 Fender pro reverb he bought on ebay. They showed it was on the truck, and they never found it... I'm pretty sure a local driver is either rolling in cash or playing a great vintage amp right now

[Thekillertree]

Crap man dont tell me this now, im waiting for my no caster to come from NJ to NO

[brownshoe]

If it is delivered, immediately inspect the package and the product for any kind of tampering. If you can, hold the driver there while you do the inspection. Take pictures, get them on the phone if you have to, etc...

[djphelan01]

Keep your head up and think positive until they tell you they can't find it and will pay out the insurance. I feel for you, I couldn't wait until my Kirn showed up and I was lucky enough to have mine show up a day early.

+1 on brownshoe's suggestion of inspecting it as soon as you get it. If there is a problem you shouldn't accept it.

[jkingma]

U
Poor
Sucker

Sorry, but thats what I think of UPS.

I hope it shows up soon for you.

[Hiker]

'Bout the same delivery scenario as my Tele this past Summer. It arrived safe and sound the second day it was out for delivery, hang on...

The drivers do all kinds of stuff to shorten their day, and/or cover their patootie. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Pronounce UPS, "Ooops."

[ROADMAN]

I sure hope you get your Kirn soon and it hasn't been absconded with...

if the cost of a GPS pet tracking device was cheaper than it is currently ( $500) or so, Ron might take a look at hiding one on his guitars that are shipped.
even buying one and having it mailed back when the product arrives might be an idea... if a sticker was applied to the package stating the item had a GPS device installed it might make the thieves think twice ...even just the sticker might help

[Mark Davis]

If you got it from Ron its packed right he goes way out of his way to pack stuff the right way so its probably not damaged.

If Ron did ship it someone needs to tell him not to use UPS! LOL

[nvilletele]

The local UPS office was supposed to call by 10am . . . they didnt. I called the UPS tracer investigation group back, and they got me connected to the local office.

They tell me that the driver is unable to search his truck, since it is full of packages and he has deadlines for delivery of those packages. I asked what about the deadline for the delivery of MY package . . . my deadline was sooner than theirs . . . of course, that doesnt matter . . . now they say that with the truck full, filled from back to front, they are unable to search it until the deliveries are made.

I did a search for the local office, and found there are 11 comments about that office on google maps . . . all giving the worst rating possible: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ci...num=10&start=0

So now I get to go off to the dentist's office . . . at least that is more fun than dealing with UPS. (the office is nearby the UPS location, and if I dont get satisfaction by the time my crown is affixed, I will head over to the office and see what kind of dust I can stir up.

There definitely seems to be something fishy going on here, what with the "out for delivery" scan time changing mysteriously from 8:10am to 3:42am . . . who knows what other changes in the record have occurred? Maybe which truck it was sent out in?

At best this whole thing is due to rank incompetence and indifference. At worst it is theft and fraud. Either way UPS is truly the worst.

[nvilletele]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

If you got it from Ron its packed right he goes way out of his way to pack stuff the right way so its probably not damaged.

If Ron did ship it someone needs to tell him not to use UPS! LOL

No, not shipped by Ron himself. I think I mentioned that in one of the posts. This shipment started in Louisiana. I purchased from another TDPRI member via the classifieds here.

[neocaster]

Watch that fresh crown. If you have to bite someone to get results, bite on the other side. That cement takes 24 hours to set up.

[stephent2]

Sure hope it turns up!

That's why I like Fedex, they at least pretend to care.

[Scooter91]

I had the same thing happen last winter, guitar showed out for delivery, never showed, came the next day and all the driver had to say was "dude, s#%t happens." I guess I should have realized by the color of the trucks....

[brewwagon]

i'm with roadman chip it
grey hair day

bw

[Tdot]

Ugh. Trick or Treat?

[Post Toastie]

UPS may just leave the Box out front, then the crooks can grab and go!! Hope they dont leave the box without a signature??

[allen st. john]

Originally Posted by ROADMAN

if the cost of a GPS pet tracking device was cheaper than it is currently ( $500) or so, Ron might take a look at hiding one on his guitars that are shipped.
even buying one and having it mailed back when the product arrives might be an idea... if a sticker was applied to the package stating the item had a GPS device installed it might make the thieves think twice ...even just the sticker might help

To track a package, you don't need the small size or long battery life (a week is plenty) you need to track a dog.
Here's something that's bigger than the chip you suggest, but much cheaper.
No reason it couldn't be re-usable.

http://www.zoombak.com/products/pet/

[Ormond]

I am sure it will show up today. Chances that it is lost or stolen are very, very remote.

[socialhero]

Try to stay focused and positive - UPS does a lot of quirky things. Sometimes it'll say "Out for delivery" all day and never show up, and you come to find it was because of a typo in the shipping label or just an obtuse driver who couldn't figure out your address.

It's good to be proactive, but you're still in the window of relative sanity. A few more days though...and you've got a legit reason to raise the mercury. Try to think about how many boxes a day those guys go through - if some knucklehead driver wanted to steal an instrument badly enough, they'd "misplace' one of those brand new boxes headed to the local Guitar Center with "Fender Custom Shop" or "Gibson Custom Shop" plastered all over the box.

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by jkingma

U
Poor
Sucker

Sorry, but thats what I think of UPS.

I hope it shows up soon for you.

This raises an important question, John. How is my guitar getting to me?

[soflphillyfan]

This (below) happened in our local (Southwest FL) community a couple of months ago. You should have seen the pics of this guys collection of stuff he stole.

Hopefully your package will arrive safely. Best of luck to you.



Fort Myers attorney to represent couple in UPS theft case

news-press.com

Despite a potential conflict in the future, Fort Myers attorney Wilbur Smith will represent both former UPS driver Craig Podleski and his wife, Cheryl.

At a hearing this afternoon before Lee Circuit Judge Thomas Reese, Craig Podleski asked Reese to allow Smith to represent both co-defendants. Fort Myers attorney Jean-Paul Galasso was previously representing Craig Podleski.

Podleski was arrested in August in what Cape Coral police called one of the biggest theft cases in the city's history. Podleski, a UPS driver, allegedly stole more than $250,000 in packages.

Cheryl Podleski, his wife, is also charged in the case.

Galasso said in court today that Assistant State Attorney Douglas Sprotte intends to use Cheryl Podleski as a witness against her husband. If Smith's law firm is representing both when that happens, it could cause a conflict.

"That's going to be a big speed bump to get over," Reese said.

Despite the potential future conflict, Reese agreed to allow Podleski to substitute attorneys.

Craig Podleski is charged with first-degree grand theft, larceny of $50,000 or more — also a first-degree felony –, dealing in stolen property and dealing in stolen property via the Internet.

Cheryl Podleski is charged with organized dealing in stolen property, grand theft of $100,000 or more and dealing in stolen property via the Internet.

Both are scheduled for a Nov. 12 case management conference.

[otterhound]

Too many sad UPS stories for me . I do what I can to not use them . Wishing you the best . I only hope that you are a lefty . It would serve the thief right .

[Wardpike]

whoops, duplicate post... sorry

[Wardpike]

This GPS tracking device for expensive guitars and equipment is brilliant!! UPS, USPS or Fedex should offer this service!

Best regards,

Ward

[BigDaddyLH]

I played hide-and-seek with DHL a few weeks ago. They tried to deliver a package (an amp) to my house but no one was home, so they left a note saying they'd been by at 1:30PM, and would try again tomorrow. I called DHL to see if I could change the delivery address to my work address but that would have delayed delivery by a day or two. The next day I booked off work to be home at 1:30PM. No DHL! Then I had to go back to work to make up the time. When I got home that evening, there was another note. They'd been by later -- and I would have been home except for my attempt to be there at 1:30! At least now they gave up trying to deliver it. I picked it up at their office which was only 5 minutes from where I work. It would have been easier if I could have picked it up from them from the start.

[nvilletele]

Well, UPS did call me back, but it was, as expected, at the worst possible moment, with my mouth full of cotton pads and the dentist's hands putting the new crown on . . . I mumbled Hawoo? at the phone, and between me and the dentist we got the UPS update -- no news, no package. I told them I was coming over to see them at UPS . . . (luckily the location is near my dentist's office).

So I go down there, and I wont bore you with all the details, but I got some people to commit to actually get on it, and follow through until they find out something . . . which at UPS is hard to get anyone to do. They did a visual search of their entire location, and had the driver (a Mr. Evans -- I insisted on getting his name), on whose truck the item was supposed to have been loaded, search the entire truck, but to no avail.

Next they are going to have all of the drivers search their trucks, but there is no way of knowing whether they actually will. I insisted that someone needed to follow through and ensure it happens (I was by this time dealing with some sort of "Operations Excellence" person, whose job is to ensure problems like mine are resolved). After much discussion, I got people who actually provided me with cell phone numbers and promises to follow through and ensure everything that can be done will be done as soon as possible.

But if I had not insisted, and then persisted in insisting, again and again, none of this would have happened. In that case, it would have been the usual "Maybe we'll look into this, sometime or other, if we feel like it, maybe" approach that seems to be S.O.P. for UPS.

So if none of the truck drivers find it today, then they start an investigation involving questioning the driver, questioning the person who routed it at the last stop, and so forth. But I do not expect any of it to achieve anything. I just hope they find out where they misplaced it. But if it has been stolen, then it is long gone and will not be found by these incompetent hacks.

I agree that the chances that it was lost or stolen are remote, but I put nothing past UPS when it comes to incompetence, and lack of interest in trying to find anything that they have lost.

[pchilson]

Sounds like they need to comission a new truck just to haul the load of bull around in.
These packages are scanned, thats how the tracking gets updated. It was scanned and you saw "out for delivery". If its now nowhere to be found...

[CDKopf]

Dude that SUCKS! I was hoping for a happy ending when I saw you posted again. Well good for you for going in there and demanding something get done. Lets hope for the best tomorrow.

[baldy5000]

This is really horrible, I feel for you. I am sure it will show up today. I have never had a prob with these guys. Good luck.

[El Tedesco]

Originally Posted by nvilletele

Well, UPS did call me back, but it was, as expected, at the worst possible moment, with my mouth full of cotton pads and the dentist's hands putting the new crown on . . . I mumbled Hawoo? at the phone, and between me and the dentist we got the UPS update -- no news, no package. I told them I was coming over to see them at UPS . . . (luckily the location is near my dentist's office).

So I go down there, and I wont bore you with all the details, but I got some people to commit to actually get on it, and follow through until they find out something . . . which at UPS is hard to get anyone to do. They did a visual search of their entire location, and had the driver (a Mr. Evans -- I insisted on getting his name), on whose truck the item was supposed to have been loaded, search the entire truck, but to no avail.

Next they are going to have all of the drivers search their trucks, but there is no way of knowing whether they actually will. I insisted that someone needed to follow through and ensure it happens (I was by this time dealing with some sort of "Operations Excellence" person, whose job is to ensure problems like mine are resolved). After much discussion, I got people who actually provided me with cell phone numbers and promises to follow through and ensure everything that can be done will be done as soon as possible.

But if I had not insisted, and then persisted in insisting, again and again, none of this would have happened. In that case, it would have been the usual "Maybe we'll look into this, sometime or other, if we feel like it, maybe" approach that seems to be S.O.P. for UPS.

So if none of the truck drivers find it today, then they start an investigation involving questioning the driver, questioning the person who routed it at the last stop, and so forth. But I do not expect any of it to achieve anything. I just hope they find out where they misplaced it. But if it has been stolen, then it is long gone and will not be found by these incompetent hacks.

I agree that the chances that it was lost or stolen are remote, but I put nothing past UPS when it comes to incompetence, and lack of interest in trying to find anything that they have lost.

Very Good! Set their a$$es on fire until they come up with something.
Don't be shy telling them that this incident is 'live' online, don't spare any details! We're watching!

Personally, it's hard for me to imagine that a driver actually snatched that guitar, but than again ... make sure you raise Heaven and Hell at the same time. Don't let them off the hook.

I'd call them every hour!

[nvilletele]

I just got a call from someone else at UPS . . . just an update to tell me that they have no news yet, but that they are continuing to work on it. Basically, this new guy was told by the "Operations Excellence" guy to call me and let me know that the new guy has taken over the process for today, and that he will call me as soon as they have any info.

So the news is that there is no news . . . and that of course is not good news. But at least they are trying to appear diligent . . . though whether in actual fact they are is another question entirely.

I've told the guy to call me before he leaves for the day with an update (that would mean in another 3 or 4 hours from now).

I'll keep you all informed of any progress as well.

[Yoni]

That sucks. When I get my bonanzinga in a few months I'm going fed ex.

[photoweborama]

On the bright side, when my friends amp never showed up, UPS paid him very quickly, plus money to cover shipping charges and a few bucks extra..Though I don't remember what the extra was..

[homerzeppelin]

The sad thing is, if you did chip your guitar and went and found the crook...

A) The cops wouldn't do anything if you asked them for help.
B) On your own, you would get arrested for trying to get back your own guitar.

[ADK Teleman]

Wow...sorry to hear that!! I am waiting on my new Tele which I just ordered from AMS it is due in on saturday....I hope it turns up in the next few hours for you!

[HOBBSTER01]

Please tell me it's insured.

[DMace]

Originally Posted by Yoni

That sucks. When I get my bonanzinga in a few months I'm going fed ex.

Fed Ex suckkkks. I bought a 1966 Deluxe Reverb off of ebay. The box arrived literally beaten in on the sides, peanuts falling out everywhere (somehow they'd overlooked the 'fragile' markings on the box). Fortunately, the seller packed the thing like it was going to war and back and the amp escaped unscathed. But I'll never use Fed Wrecks again. Good luck with your bonanzinga, whatever that is.

[Yoni]

Originally Posted by DMace

Fed Ex suckkkks. I bought a 1966 Deluxe Reverb off of ebay. The box arrived literally beaten in on the sides, peanuts falling out everywhere (somehow they'd overlooked the 'fragile' markings on the box). Fortunately, the seller packed the thing like it was going to war and back and the amp escaped unscathed. But I'll never use Fed Wrecks again. Good luck with your bonanzinga, whatever that is.

I've always heard Fed Ex was one of the better shippers. It's that or fly back to NY to pick it up. This btw is a bonanzinga



I'm getting that model in Brazillian rosewood and red spruce.