UPS

Keneu Luca · February 4, 2010

I recently shipped my ARRI SR2 out to be serviced. I had called UPS to schedule a pick up from my residence. The UPS representative asked me if it was boxed. I said it was in a shipping case that had locks and latches. She said "Ok".

When the UPS guy came to my place to pick up the case, he made no comment about it. Everything seemed normal. Pretty simple standard process.

So now I get billed from UPS and there is an additional $8.00 charge because the item was not boxed in cardboard.

I called to tell them I was never made aware that there would be a penalty fee and in fact nobody said there was a problem with the case I had used to ship.

I still have to pay this fee.

Now, of course I realize 99% of the time anything you ship with UPS or FED EX or USPS, yeah, it will be boxed in cardboard. But for my camera and additional equipment, I wasnt going to box the ANVIL case in cardboard, unless they told me to do so ahead of time.

Of course the 8 bucks isnt a problem, but you know..its the principle...

Any thoughts on this?

Sean Lambrecht · February 4, 2010

The one time I purchased a cardboard box at the UPS store it set me back about $11 dollars so it sounds like you got the deal of a lifetime. I think their reasoning behind preferring a box is so they can indiscriminately toss your goods around on any axis. I'd wager a shipping case would be less likely to end up sideways or upside down in transit, and even less likely to explode. That $11 box on the other hand...

Sean-

Keneu Luca · February 4, 2010

The one time I purchased a cardboard box at the UPS store it set me back about $11 dollars so it sounds like you got the deal of a lifetime. I think their reasoning behind preferring a box is so they can indiscriminately toss your goods around on any axis. I'd wager a shipping case would be less likely to end up sideways or upside down in transit, and even less likely to explode. That $11 box on the other hand...

Sean-

I hear what you're saying.

But I'm sure there have to be people on this forum who've shipped their equipment, probably in a pelican case, with UPS before. I'd really like to know if this happened to them as well, or if they were not charged the penalty fee.

Adrian Sierkowski · February 4, 2010

I've never gotten anything unboxed from UPS, not even my arri softbank kit in it's arri travel case. I normally ship with DHL or Fed-EX and from both of them I have gotten products unboxed in pelican cases or the like. That's my experience at least.

Rob Vogt · February 5, 2010

To be fair, at least the last time I've been on UPS's site, it does clearly state that there will be an extra charge for items not in cardboard boxes.

Brian Dzyak · February 5, 2010

This is PURE speculation, but could their insistence on a cardboard box be because they consider YOUR case to be part of the overall "thing" that is being delivered, therefore by placing it inside another container, it helps remove their responsibility for damage that could possibly happen to your case? I mean, I know that WE consider the thing INSIDE the anvil case to be the important part, but they may see the case as being important too so, say, if you had a nice shiny new white anvil case and it arrived scratched or dented because it wasn't encased in cardboard, UPS could potentially be liable for that damage. So it's easier to just say that everything MUST go inside a cardboard box.

Sound reasonable?

Keneu Luca · February 5, 2010

This is PURE speculation, but could their insistence on a cardboard box be because they consider YOUR case to be part of the overall "thing" that is being delivered, therefore by placing it inside another container, it helps remove their responsibility for damage that could possibly happen to your case? I mean, I know that WE consider the thing INSIDE the anvil case to be the important part, but they may see the case as being important too so, say, if you had a nice shiny new white anvil case and it arrived scratched or dented because it wasn't encased in cardboard, UPS could potentially be liable for that damage. So it's easier to just say that everything MUST go inside a cardboard box.

Sound reasonable?

Rob and Brian, you guys are right. But the issue isnt the logic of using a box. The issue is that 2 UPS employees failed to tell me this ahead of time.

Using a box does make sense, for exactly the reason you pointed out Brian. However, the lady on the phone did ask me if it was boxed, and I said it was in a shipping case. I did not say the shipping case WAS the item I was sending. The item was IN the case. And she said "Ok."

And I suppose that if you could argue the ANVIL or PELICAN case were damaged or scratched up, well then hell, you can argue a cardboard box being scratched up too.

None of this process involved the internet. I never went on their site. It is good that the rule is listed on the net, but if youre doing business via telephone, you need to tell me there too.

I do appreciate you guys chiming in here though. Im not debating the valid points you guys made.

Edited February 5, 2010 by Keneu Luca

Keneu Luca · February 5, 2010

Just wanted to add:

The reason why having the rules listed on the internet isnt sufficient is because their business is not limited TOO the internet. If they provide service through the phone, then everything must be discussed on the phone.

Same thing with a walk-in office. They must tell you everything there too. If I shipped through the walk-in office and the guy accepts the box without telling me ahead of time, and then a few weeks later after I get billed and I complain to him in person he says "Sorry buddy. The rules are on the internet"...

That would be absurd.