HELP FedEx Mangles Speakers - Refuses Claim

AFAIK, in small claims neither side can have an attorney. Theoretically, this puts you on even footing with the giant multinational corporation.

Has anyone even thought of this? Fedex will NOT allow YOU to file a claim in the first place. The shipper has to initiate and follow through on a damage claim. Not YOU. How did this even happen?

As stated before, the shipper is on the hook here. If it's denied, he owes you a refund. If it's paid, the check comes to him and he forwards you the funds. You have more of a fight on your hands with him than fedex. Let HIM do the legwork.

Shakey

Would anyone be surprised if Fedex, UPS, etc., trained workers to mishandle parcels unless they were packaged by the parent company?

Are these strategies dreamed up by Harvard, Stanford, etc., MBAs to maximize profits? And their own executive salaries?

Would the shipping industry provide such bad service for no good reason?

Would anything surprise?

I had an incident in which FedEx opened the boxes of a pair of speakers that I had sold. They repackaged one of the boxes incorrectly and a speaker arrived to the buyer damaged, exactly where the foam had been incorrectly repackaged.

I received a check from FedEx. A couple days later, I got an email message from a new claims adjuster. She said she was denying the claim. She wasn't aware that the first claims adjuster had paid my claim.

Jburidan,

It varies state by state - but you can elect to have an attorney present in small claims court in most states if you so desire but it is rarely cost effective.

"In a handful of states, including California, Michigan, and Nebraska, you must appear in small claims court on your own. In most states, however, you can be represented by a lawyer if you like."

-Burt