Advice re. UPS-Shipped Guitar Missing/Stolen?

[Milspec]

I hear that.

I'm planning to go look at some locations with somewhat similar sounding addresses, and try to track down a number of items that went wrong on their way to me from a reseller. I think someone at that company deliberately changed the address on the shipping form, out of resentment or something, and now I have to find the garage in the image (I have no garage). No way the folks at that address can make any of use of the stuff. They just might be pleased if I took it away. A variation perhaps on what happened to No Doz.

I think we've tried to deliver too much fast satisfaction to too many customers, all at once. Just as the Kindle Device didn't quite work out, so we may discover that same day delivery is just too hard to accomplish on a sustained basis.

With the poor staffing levels...it sure is too hard to accomplish without errors. Delivery game today is more like a track meet for every carrier and the bosses are stressing speed over accuracy. Of course, if you are the one who makes that mistake, it is all your fault as well.

 

[redhouse_ca]

File a report with your Police Dept. Have the Serial number and report it as Stolen since UPS is telling you that you signed for it.. Just tell UPS since you did not sign for the guitar and you know you never received it has been reported as stolen. Let them know they can just send the signature when they have time or the guitar if they find it.

Great suggestion, thanks!

 

[redhouse_ca]

haven't read the whole thread yet so apologies if this has been brought up already

is it possible that the shipping label returning the guitar to you had an incorrect address printed on it? any way to track that down and double check?

i had a very similar issue two weeks ago. expensive business package that was supposedly delivered and signed for while i was sitting at home, no delivery attempt and no trace of the package. driver insisting it had been delivered and signed for. i tracked down a copy of the shipping label and our house number was missing a digit despite my information being correct at time of purchase. i walked a few blocks down to the incorrect address, and sure enough there my package was sitting unattended in the lobby.

after some research, i learned that the company involved outsources their product fulfillment to a third party, then that third party ships via UPS. either the company employee made a mistake when forwarding my delivery address to the third party, or a third party employee made a mistake when filling out the shipping label for UPS handoff. driver was fully justified in saying it had been delivered and signed for

sorry you're dealing with all this, really hope you're reunited with your guitar soon

Thanks, I can get the shipping label and will do that. I wondered if it might be contractors vs FTEs. I'll find out.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

I just have to post, in contrast to the constant Fedex and other shipping services bashing I always see... and it does get ridiculously extreme...

I have not had one shipping issue in the past 10 years, at least. 15+ guitars. 5+ amps. and many other items.

 

[Milspec]

I just have to post, in contrast to the constant Fedex and other shipping services bashing I always see... and it does get ridiculously extreme...

I have not had one shipping issue in the past 10 years, at least. 15+ guitars. 5+ amps. and many other items.

Give it time. It only takes one to turn you sour for a long time.

Shipping company reputations are like pit bulls, it only takes a few epic screw ups to get a bad reputation. I have only been burned twice by FedEx and once by UPS after more than 300 shipped items over the past 10 years. Not a bad record really, but those screw ups were epic failures that destroyed 2 vintage amplifiers and a custom built acoustic. I have forgotten about the ones that delivered correctly, but will never stop fuming over those that got destroyed....especially because they refused to accept any responsibility.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

Give it time. It only takes one to turn you sour for a long time.

Shipping company reputations are like pit bulls, it only takes a few epic screw ups to get a bad reputation. I have only been burned twice by FedEx and once by UPS after more than 300 shipped items over the past 10 years. Not a bad record really, but those screw ups were epic failures that destroyed 2 vintage amplifiers and a custom built acoustic. I have forgotten about the ones that delivered correctly, but will never stop fuming over those that got destroyed....especially because they refused to accept any responsibility.

Well, that's what I think the problem is. People have one issue and label a service 'trash' or 'garbage'.

I also think quality of shipping can change immensely by region.

 

[Ciro]

I have a friend who has worked at one of the big, if not the biggest, equipment dealers in the country for the last 20 years. He told me that professional thieves in the form of gangs and cartels have infiltrated the shipping carriers and equipment goes missing often.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

I have a friend who has worked at one of the big, if not the biggest, equipment dealers in the country for the last 20 years. He told me that professional thieves in the form of gangs and cartels have infiltrated the shipping carriers and equipment goes missing often.

I also have a friend who has worked at one of the big, if not the biggest, equipment laundering cartels in the country and he says Ciro here is full of crap and is just a mouthpiece for 'Big Equipment'.

 

[Ciro]

I also have a friend who has worked at one of the big, if not the biggest, equipment laundering cartels in the country and he says Ciro here is full of crap and is just a mouthpiece for 'Big Equipment'.

Just saying what I was told. My friend there is a very competent, upstanding person and wouldn't lie. I don't know what your issue is or why you need to address this, especially in the way you did.

 

[sax4blues]

Shipping company reputations are like pit bulls, it only takes a few epic screw ups to get a bad reputation.

I don’t recall hearing of a lost/stolen shipment causing the death of a family member.

 

[Milspec]

I don’t recall hearing of a lost/stolen shipment causing the death of a family member.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ups-shipment-medical-device-covid-mexico-1.6022234

 

[Frontman]

I own a business, and use UPS to ship my goods. I don’t use them because I want to, but because during the pandemic they became the only game in town. I’ve shipped a few thousand things via UPS, and have to deal with UPS issues almost daily. They have lost or misplaced a few packages, some of which were valued very highly, and while they were insured, it takes between 7 and 9 months for insurance to reimburse the loss. I used to use EMS, and shipped some 5000 packages with them, and they never lost a single one. However, they have become more expensive, so despite the hardships UPS loves to put me through, I’m pretty much stuck with them.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

Just saying what I was told. My friend there is a very competent, upstanding person and wouldn't lie. I don't know what your issue is or why you need to address this, especially in the way you did.

I thought it was an obvious joke.

 

[memorex]

I don't know what to tell you except that I've had these experiences with UPS and FEDEX before, and every time, if you put enough pressure on the shipper, even threaten to get on the internet and flame them on multiple web sites if necessary, you will get action from the shipper.

These days, on anything over $25, and especially music equipment, I only buy from Sweetwater and Amazon Prime, because I've never had any trouble getting this kind of stuff resolved with them.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I own a business, and use UPS to ship my goods. I don’t use them because I want to, but because during the pandemic they became the only game in town. I’ve shipped a few thousand things via UPS, and have to deal with UPS issues almost daily. They have lost or misplaced a few packages, some of which were valued very highly, and while they were insured, it takes between 7 and 9 months for insurance to reimburse the loss. I used to use EMS, and shipped some 5000 packages with them, and they never lost a single one. However, they have become more expensive, so despite the hardships UPS loves to put me through, I’m pretty much stuck with them.

It's a good point, but it's sad how low the bar of service has fallen. The same thing happened in telcom and T-Mobile built their entire business on setting a bar just a little higher (same for the auto industry until Toyota, etc.). As unsettling as it is that Amazon has gotten so powerful, I do hope they begin a shipping service. Even if it fails it has the potential to shake up the hubris and callousness of people like the CEO and CIO of UPS.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I don't know what to tell you except that I've had these experiences with UPS and FEDEX before, and every time, if you put enough pressure on the shipper, even threaten to get on the internet and flame them on multiple web sites if necessary, you will get action from the shipper.

These days, on anything over $25, and especially music equipment, I only buy from Sweetwater and Amazon Prime, because I've never had any trouble getting this kind of stuff resolved with them.

It's a good point and I'll keep the pressure on. I'm going to take another posters advice and file a police report today. Not a right-cross but a good jab

 

[boris bubbanov]

It's a good point, but it's sad how low the bar of service has fallen. The same thing happened in telcom and T-Mobile built their entire business on setting a bar just a little higher (same for the auto industry until Toyota, etc.). As unsettling as it is that Amazon has gotten so powerful, I do hope they begin a shipping service. Even if it fails it has the potential to shake up the hubris and callousness of people like the CEO and CIO of UPS.

Almost feels like a middle distance track meet, where some athlete is assigned the job of "rabbit" and he forces the other racers to either stay with him or possibly get beat. UPS and FedEx were never meant to deliver things ultra fast. They were there to get things there in a reasonable length of time and they're hurting now, from trying to match pace with Amazon. IMO of course. I wonder if the quality would have slumped for UPS and FedEx, had they not seen their model disrupted in this way.

 

[LowerAlabama]

About 18 years ago DHL delivered a $12,000 check to the wrong address. I was at home and saw online it had been delivered so I called them told em that I had been home all day and the check was not delivered to my address. I kind of talked bad to the person on the phone and explained what was in the envelope. About 20 minutes later I heard a knock on the front door and when I opened it, the envelope was on the door mat and the driver was running full speed back to his van. Hope your ordeal turns out OK.

 

[redhouse_ca]

Almost feels like a middle distance track meet, where some athlete is assigned the job of "rabbit" and he forces the other racers to either stay with him or possibly get beat. UPS and FedEx were never meant to deliver things ultra fast. They were there to get things there in a reasonable length of time and they're hurting now, from trying to match pace with Amazon. IMO of course. I wonder if the quality would have slumped for UPS and FedEx, had they not seen their model disrupted in this way.

Yeah, good analogy. For me quality means transparently doing what you say you are going to do when you say you will do it, and fixing fast when you don't. It's like when you are at a crowded bar and there's one bar tender working hard but the line is growing. You put your hand up and he clearly ignores you (no transparency, bad service). The longer you wait, the more upset you get.

However, if he lifts his head up and acknowledges you, says "man, I'm slammed but we'll get you taken care of. I have two more orders and then it's all you." You cool down. The dudes working hard but he cares. He could say "... I got 5 more orders then..." and you have something to work with and you know it's not personal - ok, that means about 15 mins based on how fast he's working, do I leave cuz I don't want to wait or do I wait? Point is, you are in control and it's mutual.

If you haven't guessed, I bartended. I liked and still like the job - I like being part of something that makes someone happy. And I can clearly see when a company does not like doing that.

Man, a ramble, sorry...

 

[loudboy]

About 18 years ago DHL delivered a $12,000 check to the wrong address. I was at home and saw online it had been delivered so I called them told em that I had been home all day and the check was not delivered to my address. I kind of talked bad to the person on the phone and explained what was in the envelope. About 20 minutes later I heard a knock on the front door and when I opened it, the envelope was on the door mat and the driver was running full speed back to his van. Hope your ordeal turns out OK.

USPS did that to me - it was about $15K. I went over to my neighbors, and it was in a pile on their refrigerator with a grocery list written on it.