Bill Gilbert
Member
Hi, hope I'm posting this in the correct spot, and I'm new here so I apologize for any redundancy. I've also researched the boards for a solution and came up with nothing.
I'll dive right into it but the short version is that I have a claim being denied on $5k worth of lab equipment because the store owner at the local UPS store (#100) in Canada filled out the paperwork incorrectly. I understand they aren't directly affiliated with UPS, but UPS is basing their info on his paperwork, so in this instance it's related.
So I bought lab equipment for a friend in October at an auction. That auction company dropped off the equipment at the local UPS Store in Canada, everything in tact. It was not packaged at all, just bare equipment. The UPS Store owner wrapped, boxed, and padded all of the equipment to be shipped. Then he filled out the paperwork, incorrectly:
- He wrote that the auction company was the shipper.
- He then put the incorrect shipper number on the form
- He listed the correct payment account (mine), but for some reason UPS only acknowledges the shipper account when it comes to claims.
- He put a bulk weight of 105lbs instead of individual weights (so UPS is assuming the box rated for 32lbs had 35lbs of goods in it, which was also incorrect).
The items arrived damaged and opened when they got to Denver (shipping destination where friend is). I made a claim with UPS, they had an insurance agent call the recipient to get info and denied the claim because of the weight stipulation for the boxes (which they had no way of knowing the exact weight and simply guessed that the damaged boxes were a certain weight, despite the equipment inside weighing much less).
So based on false info I get my first denied claim on this. It was also denied when appealed based on the same wrong info. A couple weeks later I finally get ahold of someone in customer service telling me to file a new report and fill out some paperwork to be faxed to Canada, because the UPS in Canada is supposed to ultimately decide. So I take the current paperwork, strike through all the incorrect data and fill it out correctly. Then, I fax it to UPS Canada. A month later no one has still contacted me so I have the info re-sent from a US UPS Customer Service rep to the people in UPS Canada. They again deny the claim, with no reason or explanation, and are telling me that in order to appeal, the shipper (wrong info still) must appeal. This tells me they are still looking at the wrong paperwork.
It's been four months of calling and talking to these people, each time someone looks at the wrong info and I have to explain the situation before they realize the mistake and check some other system to get it "fixed".
I need to escalate this further and I'm desperate. This equipment originally cost $50k so it's not like the guy can just go out and get more or even repair it. The local UPS store owner has been complacent in this matter and frankly I think he realizes it was his mistake initially which is causing the hang up and paperwork drama, but refuses to acknowledge it because the claim is so high ($4,500).
It should be noted I've talked to UPS Customer Support, Claim Resolution, Customer Relations and Canadian Customer Claims/Support. I'm told nothing further can be done, but don't see how I/my friend should be held responsible for this when we neither packed nor shipped these items.
I need help. I can't go further and my next step is to start emailing and calling executives to make something happen. I don't doubt my ability to find their contact info, but I prefer not to hassle and bother someone that probably has other things to deal with like running the business. This is a broken system and at best being handled very poorly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you, Bill
I'll dive right into it but the short version is that I have a claim being denied on $5k worth of lab equipment because the store owner at the local UPS store (#100) in Canada filled out the paperwork incorrectly. I understand they aren't directly affiliated with UPS, but UPS is basing their info on his paperwork, so in this instance it's related.
So I bought lab equipment for a friend in October at an auction. That auction company dropped off the equipment at the local UPS Store in Canada, everything in tact. It was not packaged at all, just bare equipment. The UPS Store owner wrapped, boxed, and padded all of the equipment to be shipped. Then he filled out the paperwork, incorrectly:
- He wrote that the auction company was the shipper.
- He then put the incorrect shipper number on the form
- He listed the correct payment account (mine), but for some reason UPS only acknowledges the shipper account when it comes to claims.
- He put a bulk weight of 105lbs instead of individual weights (so UPS is assuming the box rated for 32lbs had 35lbs of goods in it, which was also incorrect).
The items arrived damaged and opened when they got to Denver (shipping destination where friend is). I made a claim with UPS, they had an insurance agent call the recipient to get info and denied the claim because of the weight stipulation for the boxes (which they had no way of knowing the exact weight and simply guessed that the damaged boxes were a certain weight, despite the equipment inside weighing much less).
So based on false info I get my first denied claim on this. It was also denied when appealed based on the same wrong info. A couple weeks later I finally get ahold of someone in customer service telling me to file a new report and fill out some paperwork to be faxed to Canada, because the UPS in Canada is supposed to ultimately decide. So I take the current paperwork, strike through all the incorrect data and fill it out correctly. Then, I fax it to UPS Canada. A month later no one has still contacted me so I have the info re-sent from a US UPS Customer Service rep to the people in UPS Canada. They again deny the claim, with no reason or explanation, and are telling me that in order to appeal, the shipper (wrong info still) must appeal. This tells me they are still looking at the wrong paperwork.
It's been four months of calling and talking to these people, each time someone looks at the wrong info and I have to explain the situation before they realize the mistake and check some other system to get it "fixed".
I need to escalate this further and I'm desperate. This equipment originally cost $50k so it's not like the guy can just go out and get more or even repair it. The local UPS store owner has been complacent in this matter and frankly I think he realizes it was his mistake initially which is causing the hang up and paperwork drama, but refuses to acknowledge it because the claim is so high ($4,500).
It should be noted I've talked to UPS Customer Support, Claim Resolution, Customer Relations and Canadian Customer Claims/Support. I'm told nothing further can be done, but don't see how I/my friend should be held responsible for this when we neither packed nor shipped these items.
I need help. I can't go further and my next step is to start emailing and calling executives to make something happen. I don't doubt my ability to find their contact info, but I prefer not to hassle and bother someone that probably has other things to deal with like running the business. This is a broken system and at best being handled very poorly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you, Bill
