riggerrob 643 #1 February 2, 2005 This rant is about my anger and frustration in dealing with UPS Canada. Invoice number: 9205 5646 091 5 Here is the situation: a guy tried to send me a letter. Imagine my surprise when a UPS driver arrived at my door yesterday (1 January 2005) demanding $62.50 for a COD package. Their customs broker miss-read the label and decided to charge me a series of fees that added up to $62.50. When I phoned the sender this morning, he was a shocked as me! Phone calls to 1.800.58.4393 were worse than a waste of time. I swear that the initial 3-minute recording is solely a filtering device to weed out customers who lack the patience to play UPS' bureaucratic games. I finally lost my temper, telling the woman at the call center that "DOING BUSINESS WITH UPS IS HOPELESSLY COMPLICATED AND RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. I WILL NEVER SEND ANOTHER PACKAGE VIA UPS EVER AGAIN!" This is not the first time UPS has tried to bend me over and rape me with customs brokerage fees. This time last year, I asked a variety of PIA members to send me samples for a rigger's course. I almost went broke with all the brokerage fees they tacked onto free samples. Hint, most of the samples were non-airworthy (i.e. rusted hardware) and had zero commercial value. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #2 February 2, 2005 Quote Phone calls to 1.800.58.4393 were worse than a waste of time. I swear that the initial 3-minute recording is solely a filtering device to weed out customers who lack the patience to play UPS' bureaucratic games. I've had problems with them as well. When you call the 1-800 #, dial 0 and you should get to talk to someone without having to sit through the message. I work with UPS everyday, and it took me a year to figure that out. I hate companies with automated phone systems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #3 February 2, 2005 Craichead and I are in the middle of a battle of wills with the USPS - yee old yankee postal service. I'd gladly be argueing with UPS - at least they pretend to care about customer service. UPS may suck, but let me assure you the USPS sucks even more. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #4 February 2, 2005 That's why I use FedEx. Never a problem with those folks. With UPS, it was always a hassle. I shipped some completed work ahead of deadline, via UPS. The day it was due to the recipient, I got a call asking where his parachute was!? I quick tracked it and found it was on it's way to a town with the same name in... Virginia! That's a long ways from Texas! After several phone calls, I was able to get it turned-around and on it's way, back to where it was meant... Texas! The next day, I opened an account with FedEx. Never had any trouble with USPS. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #5 February 3, 2005 That's why I use FedEx. Never a problem with those folks HA!!! Christmas....I ordered a jacket for my mother and had it shipped FedEx overnight. Well....two days later, Dec. 23rd I still didn't have the package. I went to tracking to find that it had been sitting for over 24 hours 45 miles away. I called FedEx customer service, and they informed me that because there had been delays in Memphis a couple days ago that I wouldn't have my package by Christmas. I explained that the roads between my house and where the package was were clear and that I had paid for the package to be sent overnight. Here's where it's good. He argued, saying that LLBean had paid for it to be shipped overnight, and that I'd have to take it up with them!!!!! OOOOOOH! Was I HOT! Never got the package. LLBean sent a new one. linz-- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent 0 #6 February 3, 2005 How's this? We sent out a package to a customer for Christmas... she used her own UPS number to pay for the shipping. That's all fine and good. Today, we get an invoice from UPS saying that we owe them $10 because the customer called and changed the delivery address. Not that it's that bad, but how does that make sense, she paid directly to UPS, she changed the shipping address, but we get the bill? I called and explained how stupid that was and they ate the charge. Didn't have too long of a wait on the phone either, maybe it's Canadian UPS!Oh, hello again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #7 February 3, 2005 Daa-yum! Hate hearing that one! Especially when Mom and Christmas are involved!! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #8 February 3, 2005 QuoteHA!!! Christmas....I ordered a jacket for my mother and had it shipped FedEx overnight. Well....two days later, Dec. 23rd I still didn't have the package. I went to tracking to find that it had been sitting for over 24 hours 45 miles away Was the 45 miles away Memphis? If so that building is for sorting to over 100 Airports across the world, not deliveries. The facility is over 5 miles long, and has over 100 miles of sorting belts. Not that I would know"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #9 February 3, 2005 I had a second hand 8 year old cypres delivered to me a year ago by UPS. Came from the states – direct form Airtec after having a service done on it. I paid about than $120 for it and had to pay about $160 to Airtec for its 8 year service and another $80 ish for batteries. All of these figures were clearly stated on the invoices attached to the front of the package. I then had to pay about £245 in taxes just to pick the item up from UPS. That’s when the arguments began. I pointed out the invoice for the item stating its value as $120 and asked them how they could possibly charge me £245 in taxes on something worth only $120? The woman I spoke to wanted to know why on earth I would be stupid enough to pay $240 to Airtec to service something only worth $120. I told them that was a) absolutely none of their concern and b) that BPA and CAA regulations require an AAD to be maintained in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Since Airtec states that a Cypres must be serviced at 4 year intervals and this item was 8 years old I had to have it serviced at the cost stated irrespective of the unit’s value. She had to stop and think. Then she stated that regardless of an items age and or value at the time of importation, the importer of an item on its first entry into the EU has to pay import duty on it as if it were brand new. I told here that the item had been made in the EU and as such it was merely being returned to its economic point of origin, thus no taxes were due. She wanted to know how I could possibly tell it was made in the EU to which I responded that they are only made in one place on earth – and that was Germany, a founding member of the EU. I then pointed out that attempting to charge me import duty on an item manufactured within another member state was contrary to Article 73b of the Maastricht Treaty and could I be put through to her supervisor please. She said she’d authorize my refund cheque that day. hehe, the above may or may not be strictly correct... but hell, I got my money back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #10 February 3, 2005 It doesn't matter which form of mail you use, you will find horror stories for anyone. UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.... This is why I over insure everything I send thru them._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slug 1 #11 February 3, 2005 QuoteQuote Phone calls to 1.800.58.4393 were worse than a waste of time. I swear that the initial 3-minute recording is solely a filtering device to weed out customers who lack the patience to play UPS' bureaucratic games. I've had problems with them as well. When you call the 1-800 #, dial 0 and you should get to talk to someone without having to sit through the message. I work with UPS everyday, and it took me a year to figure that out. I hate companies with automated phone systems. Whenever we call a Large company we use our speaker phone to avoid the painfull "flat ear" while we wait for the "next avail customer service rep". A 10 minute wait isn't uncommon but we can do a lot of house work in 10 minute's. R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ypelchat 0 #12 February 3, 2005 Quote"DOING BUSINESS WITH UPS IS HOPELESSLY COMPLICATED AND RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. I WILL NEVER SEND ANOTHER PACKAGE VIA UPS EVER AGAIN!" Fedex and UPS both have outrageous brokerages fees, that often double the cost of buying an item in the U.S. Yves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #13 February 3, 2005 You guys really don't know you're born! Here in the yUK we have the formerly state owned "Parcelforce" who deal with! I pick up camera equipment from all over the world without a problem UNLESS Parcelforce gets it's hands on it! For example: Camera body & motordrive from Sweden. Posten in Sweden get it in Stockholm on Monday & fly it overnight to Heathrow for 6am Tuesday. Parcelforce immediately realise that the postage was in fact surface (not airmail) rate and sit on the parcel until the following monday (doubtless while an imaginary ship sails from Sweden to Britain). When I call to complain (having tracked the parcels "progress") they try to blame HMC&E! Luckily my mates in Customs proved they were lying. Camera & lenses from New Zealand. Posted Friday Afternoon on NZ Post international Air Express. Arrived the following Wednesday (3 business days!) The reason for the amazing efficiency is that NZ Post pass their I.A. Express parcels on to DHL. Parcelforce don't get their hands on it! Small items from Texas via USPS Global air mail - 4 business days - it was handled by Royal Mail instead of parcelforce thanks to it's size. Package from New Jersey via USPS Global Priority (supposedly 3-5 business days) gets to the UK in 2 days... Then Parcelforce gets it and it sits for a week AFTER CLEARING CUSTOMS! (Guess who I phoned first this time) & has only started moving AFTER I spent an hour on the direct phone line to the senior supervisor at the national call centre - HMC&E were much more helpful with phone numbers than Directory Enquiries. That's MY rant. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #14 February 4, 2005 No Ron. I'm in Fordyce now. It was in little bitty El Dorado. linz QuoteQuoteHA!!! Christmas....I ordered a jacket for my mother and had it shipped FedEx overnight. Well....two days later, Dec. 23rd I still didn't have the package. I went to tracking to find that it had been sitting for over 24 hours 45 miles away Was the 45 miles away Memphis? If so that building is for sorting to over 100 Airports across the world, not deliveries. The facility is over 5 miles long, and has over 100 miles of sorting belts. Not that I would know-- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
