Another UPS Horror Story


I bought an Allnic T1500 amp here earlier this month. It was shipped in the original packaging by a UPS store from NJ to Seattle, fully insured. It arrived with a hole in the bottom corner and substantial damage to the amp (subchassis bent). I contacted the seller who refused my refund request and I processed a UPS claim.

UPS picked it up and did an inspection at their customer service center. They found no damage to the box (I have photos of the 6" hole in the bottom), did not look inside and have now sent it back to the NJ. Once again the seller has refused to refund my payment claiming he doesn't have the money to refund.

At this point the shipper will have my original payment plus the damaged unit, which might be repairable. Can a UPS claim be appealed? Can a UPS Store be sued in small claims?

I know I should never have given this back to UPS for "inspection". My best hope is that once it gets back to NJ they will ship it to the Allnic recommended repair shop in Pennsylvania and it can be fixed.
jarrett
I'm sorry but a stand up dealer would replace the unit and deal with UPS. Why should it be your problem to deal with damaged goods through shipping when you didn't ship it regardless of how well it was packaged? Many years back I shipped a TT that was double boxed and shipped as it was originally. It arrived to the buyer trashed, apparently dropped. I suppose I could have said to the buyer the tt is insured, you deal with UPS. I didn't I left it up to him to tell me how I could make it right for him. He requested a refund which I did. It's just bad business to leave the burden on the victim, in this case the purchaser. A cautionary emphasis would be that prior to accepting a package make certain there is no obvious damage and if so, do not accept! Rarely will you get the opportunity to open and inspect prior to signing. I do expect that the seller did require a signature for delivery? Justlisten sums it up nicely, NEVER ship back to UPS, that is just going to create a greater quagmire to an already unpleasant experience.

So far as UPS is concerned, since that incident I have not used them for ANY shipping, it was the 2nd incident for me. They finally paid up the insured amount but only after I pushed them hard and provided photos from the purchaser including an onsite inspection at this home and several phone conversations with their claims department.
Actually, this is the first instance of equipment damage I have experienced through any carrier and I have been doing this for 50 years.

As I see it, I was sold a working piece of equipment and I received a non-working unit. Either it was packed properly and UPS damaged it or it was not packed properly and the seller/UPS Store is liable. I suspect that the seller packed it himself since it was in the original Allnic shipping cartons and then dropped it at the UPS Store.

The amp is supposed to be back at the UPS Store Wednesday so I will wait until then to hear what the seller intends to do. Since the amp is certainly DOA, regardless of UPS' ridiculous "no external damage" assessment, one would expect the UPS Store to file an appeal but who knows.

I will be filing today a New Jersey Consumer and BBB complaint against the UPS Store and I have filed a small claims case in Seattle against the local UPS office. The small claims may be pointless but it's only $20 to file and you can do it by mail.
Jarrett- Your post is a little ambiguous, so pardon me if you know this. You may need to file small claims against UPS Store, which is an independent business, and UPS itself.
Jarrett, so it sounds as if you paid with check, wire transfer or money order.
Next time use a credit card through PayPal and you won't have to deal with this issue.
Yes, you may still receive damaged goods, but you would have your money back by now.
Dealing with the shipping company and insurance is not the buyer's problem.
So the package has made it's way back east to Horsham, PA. Now the expected delivery date back to the UPS Store is April 6, one week from today. It's about 60 miles from Horsham to Lanoka Harbor NJ and UPS of course has no information why the delivery date has been pushed out so far.