Request advice regarding package tampering...

[LegendTuner]

Let me be the first to say that I really do appreciate all of the hardworking employees at UPS for the tireless work that you put in throughout the year and in particular around the holiday season.

Unfortunately, I have a bit of a predicament for which I am seeking advice.

Timeline:
December 9th TWO identical packages containing watches are shipped to me via UPS.11
December 11th BOTH are scanned and updated in the system as "Out for Delivery". However only 1 package is brought to the door and has clearly been sliced open through the security tape and then resealed using clear packing tape. The watch had been stolen. I declined delivery and had it sent back to the shipper.

The second package from the same shipment has completely disappeared off the grid and has had no further scans since that day. A tracer has been requested but no updates have been given.

I spoke with the 1-800 customer service on 4 separate occasions regarding these packages from Dec 9th. Of course as I am not the shipper I have almost no power. However, I did pay a visit to my local UPS Customer Center on Dec 12th and spoke with one of the Supervisors there who said that they would notify security and investigate the situation. They took my name and number but I've not heard anything back since then.


Fast forward to this week:
December 20 Same shipper sends another watch to me via UPS.
December 23 The package is brought to my house by a different driver in the evening. Again, someone has opened the package, this time by tearing down the side of the box and then resealing with clear packing tape.

Here are the photos:

The shipper is just across the state from me in Hollywood, FL and the packages arrive within 1 day to me in Tampa with only 1 stop in between in Orlando. Therefore there is very little time in transit for the tampering to occur. As the second package in the initial Dec 9th shipment disappeared AT the Tampa Customer Center after being scanned for delivery I suspect that the problem may lie there.

At this point, who do I need to contact to notify them of this pattern and to try to prevent it from happening again in the future. Is there a theft prevention department that I could call or e-mail?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[Marne Vet]

1-800-PICK-UPS, start another claim. Go back to the Customer Counter and speak with the same sup if possible and show him that package. The more info they have the better. Loss Prevention notices these kind of things, and will start their own investigation. Make sure you have EVERYTHING send Signature Only, and refuse every package that even looks tampered with. Unfortunately UPS, like every company out there, has scumbag employees from time to time that steal. They will be caught, fired, and prosecuted.

 

[Ouch]

I personally would do what marne vet said with the addition of talking to the shipper daily. Talking to the shipper with ups will get you further than just dealing with one I would think.

 

[Nimnim]

First I apologize you're having such trouble, like any company we get unscrupulous characters in the workforce, even moreso during our peak season where almost anyone is hired because we need people.

Second, as Marne said keep reporting and get in touch with the same people if you can. Our loss prevention people tend to pick up on these patterns and investigate, though it can take a little time for anything visible to happen.

 

[FilingBluesFL]

Sadly it's obviously an employee taking things.

During this time of year, there's a LOT of new people in the building, and it's hard to know who's doing what as they've not been around long enough to realize a behavior pattern of someone taking stuff that doesn't belong to them.

The Tampa area hubs are HUGE buildings...

Hope this gets fixed for you, it sucks big time

 

[Nimnim]

I'd also like to add I'm glad you suspect it's happening in the Tampa area, though there's actually 2 facilities we deliver to with Tampa zips from the Orlando hub, so I'm unsure who I could attempt to pass a message onto to watch out for this.

 

[Marne Vet]

Time to salt the load.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Time to salt the load.

It's not the driver.

 

[Marne Vet]

It's not the driver.

Salting the load isn't just for drivers. LP will do that [here] when they suspect a loader too, but you cover all of your bases.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Time to salt the load.

No pepper?

 

[LegendTuner]

Thanks for all of your advice! It's unfortunate that this is happening especially at this time of year when these were supposed to be gifts for others.

I'm not sure what the "Salt the load" analogy is referring to but the local hub that handles packages for my area is the:

• UPS Customer Center

• Address: 5100 Acline Dr E, Tampa, FL 33619
  
  Is there a direct telephone number for that Hub instead of the general 1-800 customer service line?

 

[Anonymous 10]

Sadly it's obviously an employee taking things.

During this time of year, there's a LOT of new people in the building, and it's hard to know who's doing what as they've not been around long enough to realize a behavior pattern of someone taking stuff that doesn't belong to them.

The Tampa area hubs are HUGE buildings...

Hope this gets fixed for you, it sucks big time

What I don't get is how do these employees have to balls to steal??

 

[LegendTuner]

For a layperson, what is the security like inside the local hubs? Are there security cameras?

And since these occurrences have taken place over two entirely separate days would it not be easy to compare the chain of custody that the packages went through based on the people who handled/scanned them to determine the "common" links in the chain?

It must be inside the Hub as the drivers were different for each package.

 

[cosmo1]

.....
And since these occurrences have taken place over two entirely separate days would it not be easy to compare the chain of custody that the packages went through based on the people who handled/scanned them to determine the "common" links in the chain?

It must be inside the Hub as the drivers were different for each package.

Trust me, if you were hit, others were too. LP will already be looking at the sorts those packages went through. The thief will be caught. I had an LP guy living on my route who would have "salted" (planted) packages sent to his house and would give me a heads up when they were coming.

Parcel takes employee theft very seriously.

 

[browntroll]

unfortunately there are ppl like this still at UPS that havent realized having a job is good in this economy. in my area i cant see anyone stealing anymore since after
years of working with each other some ppl become family and i would never let anyone from my family do something that dumb. there is loss prevention in my hub
but from what i heard they take a while to investigate and even longer to catch ppl.

 

[FilingBluesFL]

What I don't get is how do these employees have to balls to steal??

Doesn't take balls, just a desire to take what's not theirs.

You know those silly 1%'ers won't miss a silly little watch!

 

[Anonymous 10]

Pieces of crap.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Me'ster

 

[Nimnim]

What I don't get is how do these employees have to balls to steal??

Maybe it was a seasonal employee that saw how much the union was having deducted from their paychecks and wanted some payout.

I don't know if that's the case or what causes people to steal at UPS but it happens.

 

[oldngray]

Thefts are almost always from new or seasonal employees that seem to not care whether they get caught. Very rarely happens with long time employees.