Advice re. UPS-Shipped Guitar Missing/Stolen?

[Wyzsard]

I haven't had any problem with packages being delivered but with all these horror stories lately I think moving forward I'll start insisting anything I order is delivered via FedEx. They offer the option of letting your package be delivered to the closest FedEx store. They text you when it lands and you go pick it up.

That way if your package disappears it's on them and they can't deny it.

 

[monkeybanana]

I’ve had two shipping headaches. The first was a Tele I shipped to someone here. FedEx was ready to mark it lost and be done with it. Luckily my insurance put a private investigator on it and it miraculously turned up (sarcasm). They were ready to pay me but I think she heard I was not thrilled to lose the guitar and they put the PI on it. No one should walk away with a free guitar that easy. I use Heritage insurance by the way. Nice peace of mind especially with the all the natural disasters around these days.

The second time I had a headache was when I shipped a pedal to Europe. Live and learn: USPS “first class” international doesn offer tracking once the package is out of the country. Well half a year later the pedal turns up and is delivered.

Hopefully good news is coming to you.

 

[Flyboy]

I’ve had two shipping headaches. The first was a Tele I shipped to someone here. FedEx was ready to mark it lost and be done with it. Luckily my insurance put a private investigator on it and it miraculously turned up (sarcasm). They were ready to pay me but I think she heard I was not thrilled to lose the guitar and they put the PI on it. No one should walk away with a free guitar that easy. I use Heritage insurance by the way. Nice peace of mind especially with the all the natural disasters around these days.

The second time I had a headache was when I shipped a pedal to Europe. Live and learn: USPS “first class” international doesn offer tracking once the package is out of the country. Well half a year later the pedal turns up and is delivered.

Hopefully good news is coming to you.

Yep, been on the end of that.

Twenty years back, I bought a rare Warwick Dolphin from a private ebay seller in Canada. I paid for UPS tracked and insured. When I enquired about tracking numbers, the guy gave me something that made no sense to UPS. After a week of pestering him, he went silent. Three weeks later, just when I was about to get ebay involved, the bass turned up. The seller had kept the extra money I'd paid him for UPS tracked and insured and sent it USPS. I contacted him about this and then he closed his account.

Keep us posted re outcome of police inquiries.

 

[Flyboy]

Sorry to hear about this fiasco. I think thieves should lose a hand on the second offense, old school and brutal but it is a better deterrent than free room and board for 3 months.
Wonder how the scumbags worked around the GC fingerprint thing. Whenever I sold gear to GC, they had my thumbprint stamp on the paper.

Thumbprint? Interesting. Over here, all you have to do is produce proof of address when selling or hocking gear.

 

[BluesMann]

Dang, I have not read all the replies, but I feel really lucky now. I purchased a used amp from GC one a recent Sunday afternoon, selected UPS ground delivery and it was delivered to my front door the following Wednesday. And I had the UPS tracking function that allowed me to see where it was as the shipping label was created, when it was handed off to UPS by GC, and where it was in each step of transport up til it reached my door. I have no answers that have not already been offered by a lot of bright people here already. I hope you get it sorted out. I feel bad for you

 

[Brent Hutto]

I haven't had any problem with packages being delivered but with all these horror stories lately I think moving forward I'll start insisting anything I order is delivered via FedEx. They offer the option of letting your package be delivered to the closest FedEx store. They text you when it lands and you go pick it up.

That way if your package disappears it's on them and they can't deny it.

I also do this for any packages delivered by FedEx, although most places I buy from seem to use USPS and UPS more often than FedEx.

 

[Papanate]

And no third party took it from my porch, it was not delivered to me and it was not delivered to anyone else. I'll leave it at that.

Why leave it at that - you should spill about who got it and how they fenced it so quickly.

Unfortunately the guitar has some cosmetic damage. The finish is chipped off on the headstock (as if it fell over)To bare wood. There are also some other small dings. I'll try and get compensation to have repaired.

Who would give you the compensation?

The real sad thing is I don't really like the guitar anymore. I loved it before, and this probably seems stupid, but o just don't want to play it or even take it out of its case. It feels violated. It's an icky feeling, which I know is 100% in my head and stupid, but that's how I feel. Hopefully that changes over time.

The psychology of guitar ownership - guy attached so much emotion to the guitar.

 

[Geoff738]

I had a guitar damaged in the post. The builder had to make the claim, but was in another country. They apparently did so to crickets from the post office. I was able to google the name of a higher up at Canada post and guessed at his email. Well, it found him, and once he got involved things started to happen and eventually I was reimbursed in full. It should never have got to his level, but it was probably the only way the respective postal services were going to do what they were contracted to do.

I wish you well in getting your situation sorted.

Cheers,
Geoff

 

[redhouse_ca]

Why leave it at that - you should spill about who got it and how they fenced it so quickly.

Who would give you the compensation?


The psychology of guitar ownership - guy attached so much emotion to the guitar.

Yeah, its kinda stupid of me to try and maintain an air of decency with a big company who steals from customers. Here's what I'll say, there is no scenario me or anyone I spoke to about this cam see other than a employee or employees form the big company stole it and turned it over to a pro fence crew. The latter part was confirmed by cops, I didn't even know it was a thing.

The shipper (the guitar maker) shipped so they took the insurance. He said he will claim the insurance since it covers damage and make me whole. If that happens I will be a big fan of that guitar maker.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I also do this for any packages delivered by FedEx, although most places I buy from seem to use USPS and UPS more often than FedEx.

The other thing I learned is don't skimp on insurance. I confess I've down that but never agin. Better over insured than under (full, list price replacement plus inflation - the new replacement cost is up 15% becaeue of inflation).

 

[teletail]

The other thing I learned is don't skimp on insurance. I confess I've down that but never agin. Better over insured than under (full, list price replacement plus inflation - the new replacement cost is up 15% becaeue of inflation).

I bought a portable Hammond organ off of Reverb that the guy packed poorly and didn’t insure. It was damaged in transit and wound up costing about $500 to fix. He asked me if I’d split the cost with him. Um, that would be a NO.

 

[Papanate]

Yeah, its kinda stupid of me to try and maintain an air of decency with a big company who steals from customers. Here's what I'll say, there is no scenario me or anyone I spoke to about this cam see other than a employee or employees form the big company stole it and turned it over to a pro fence crew. The latter part was confirmed by cops, I didn't even know it was a thing.

The shipper (the guitar maker) shipped so they took the insurance. He said he will claim the insurance since it covers damage and make me whole. If that happens I will be a big fan of that guitar maker.

What company - why won't you name it?

 

[W.L.Weller]

What company - why won't you name it?

This thread is titled "Advice re. UPS-Shipped Guitar Missing/Stolen?"

If you need more information to discern the name of the company, let me know.

 

[Papanate]

This thread is titled "Advice re. UPS-Shipped Guitar Missing/Stolen?"

If you need more information to discern the name of the company, let me know.

I thought it was a third party handling the last mile of shipping.

 

[redhouse_ca]

What company - why won't you name it?

What company - why won't you name it?

Its in the title of the thread. Why didn't I name it in this post? I dunno. Maybe on some level I'm trying to be a decent person and didnt want to rub their face in it. I probably am entitled to a bit of face rubbing - it would take a lot of self control not to do that exactly if I met the driver in a bar - but it's like that line in Pulp Fiction, "im trying real hard to be the shepherd."

 

[redhouse_ca]

I thought it was a third party handling the last mile of shipping.

No, they don't use contractors in my area.

 

[Tarkus60]

Seems like when ever I order strings from sweetwater they go around the world before I get them.
My current order maybe went to ukraine???
I guess they need guitar strings.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I haven't had any problem with packages being delivered but with all these horror stories lately I think moving forward I'll start insisting anything I order is delivered via FedEx. They offer the option of letting your package be delivered to the closest FedEx store. They text you when it lands and you go pick it up.

That way if your package disappears it's on them and they can't deny it.

They denied it for a long time, tho. Said very clearly I received it and I signed for it. The technology to snap a picture of the product dropped at your door (which is not really applicable, since mine required sig) or make available a copy of the sig, is cheap. Amazon has this and it's helpful. This may be conspiratorial to think, but I can't think of any reason they would not at the least provide copy or sig, but better still, some proof of delivery. They don't and that's a choice. I gotta believe they don't because it would mean they would have fewer reasons to deny claims. I just can't do business with a complaint, however big, who has this degree of disregard for its customers. I know I'm one of billions, but what my experience says about the brand and culture is basically buyer beware.

 

[Masmus]

I bought a portable Hammond organ off of Reverb that the guy packed poorly and didn’t insure. It was damaged in transit and wound up costing about $500 to fix. He asked me if I’d split the cost with him. Um, that would be a NO.

I do not understand what this "portable" Hammond organ is?

 

[nvilletele]

Anyone remember my threads about how the UPS driver stole my Ron Kiran tele?