UPS lied to me and screwed up Christmas (long)

[Gary_in_Indiana]

In another thread I mentioned getting a panini maker as a Christmas gift for my daughter. I ordered it online and it came via UPS in a water soaked box (probably as the result of a leaky UPS trailer). The driver told me just to refuse delivery and then UPS would handle everything from there. Boy was that ever WRONG!

I got another, much larger box from UPS the very next day only to open it and find the same panini maker with the packing styrofoam still on it surrounded by some heavy brown UPS shipping paper with the owner's manual tossed in atop that.

My water soaked package had gone back to the local UPS terminal where someone opened it and took the contents out and put them in the larger box, sealed it and then taped on the shipping label they'd cut from the original box. I was absolutely LIVID!

I called UPS' toll free number and got very little satisfaction there. I then got in my truck and drove to the local UPS terminal looking to have a face-to-face chat with whoever decided to take it upon themselves to repack my order and give it back to me in a new box.

When I arrived at the terminal and asked for the manager I was, of course, asked what it concerned. I told the counter person, "It has to do with UPS' attempt to defraud a customer and a shipper along with possibly endangering a consumer's life, health or well-being as a direct result of this attempt to defraud." Needless to say it took under two minutes for the manager to appear.

I told him what had happened and that I wanted to know exactly who there made the determination they were qualified to tell that this electrical appliance, which had been soaked, wasn't going to short out and burn or electrocute my only daughter when she used it. The manager took me back to the area where that would have happened and told me there are 34 people working there on two shifts and there would be no way to determine which one of them did this. Truth be told, it's probably better for everyone (especially whoever did this) that I wasn't able to find out who it was.

Very few things get me really excited anymore. I walk away from confrontation whenever I can. Insult me? I know better. Enjoy your ignorance. Steal my money? I can make more. No big deal there. Endanger my children? For that I'll go to the wall.

To his credit, the manager had absolutely no pat answers or excuses for what had happened. When he asked where it was so he could get a picture of it for the claim, I told him it was in the dumpster behind my building and if he wanted to go get a photo, he was more than welcome to do so but I didn't want that thing anywhere but in the trash as I didn't want to be in the chain of possession or ownership of something that could harm or kill someone like that. I specifically mentioned I didn't bring it back because UPS had already proven they wouldn't do the right thing and take that potentially dangerous electrical appliance out of circulation. He told me he would process everything without photos.

I cannot begin to express how utterly disappointed I am in the way UPS handled this. It'll be interesting to see what happens from here.

All I wanted to do was buy something my daughter wanted for her as a Christmas gift. Now, of course, the supplier is out of stock and expects no more in time for Christmas. Thank you, UPS.

 

[Gatorboy]

Did you check to see if the actual Panini maker got wet? Many electrical items are usually wrapped inside the box in some sort of plastic.

 

[RobertN]

Ah, you know kinda how I felt when they "lost" my custom 1911-a1 pattern .45acp pistol and semi custom .44 Desert Eagle. That was 4 or 5 years ago, and I still get steamed when I think about it! I got my insurance money, but still lost custom items, which even worse landed in some crooks hands.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Dave,

I checked to see that very thing only to find there was no plastic 'bag' on it whatsoever. Of course, that doesn't mean there wasn't originally. There could have been one that was removed by the same person who took it upon themselves to repack the thing.

I ran into my attorney at lunch yesterday and told him this story. He mentioned something I hadn't even considered. He pointed out that I was "assuming" the liquid on this food preparation device was water with no real knowledge as to what it actually was and what properties that this unkown liquid might have. When I considered that I was even happier with the decision I made to not give this to my daughter.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Robert, I had a interesting experience with UPs several years back on a hand gun. I had ordered a special edetion Colt Black powder revolver. It was shipped and I received the invoice in the mail from Colt. I called them and they tracked it to my house. Of course nothing had arrived here. They told me all their packages require a signature. I assured them I had not signed and sure enough UPs said they just left it on the porch. YEAH RIGHT ! So they sent another one and filed a insurance claim. The second one came and I found it lying in a pile of snow in front of the house. It had a HUGE sticker on it that said adult signature required. So I called Colt back and let them know I had received the replacement and how. A few months later I got a call from some dingle berry at UPs telling me they were going to turn me into to the ATF for gun theft. I had a good lauf on that one as I reminded him that it was their drivers that broke the law and left a hand gun on the porch.... and " missplaced" another one ...........ooops !

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Gary,
I applaud your judgement. I have only 1 question.
What the He!! is a "panini " ? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> "I got my insurance money" </font>

I was told that UPS would reimburse me as if that should satisfy me. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I told them that if I'd wanted my money instead of the gift for my daughter I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. DUH!

When the manager asked me what they could do since the shipper was out of stock I suggested that they employ all of the resources of UPS worldwide to shop for one, buy it and deliver it to me in the condition they should have delivered the first one. Then all I'm out is all is my time, efforts and aggravation resulting from their failure to do the one thing they're in business to do.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> "What the He!! is a "panini " ?" </font>

Mark,

Apparently it's an Italian sandwich of some description. My daughter spent the last summer semester from her law school in Europe and this was one of the unanticipated results. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

To me it looks like a way to rework a George Foreman grille with a couple new features, add the name 'Wolfgang Puck' and get three or four times the money for it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Gatorboy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What the He!! is a "panini " ? )</font>

These Pictures may help:

1 | 2

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> These Pictures may help: </font>

Thanks, it's 7:35am and now I'm hungry again. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif