Bad UPS Delivered opened/empty "package"?

Jack of All Blades

Jack of All Blades

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Not related to bladeforums as the transaction was over Ebay, But figured it would make a good PSA. Today I received a package from UPS that was torn open and emptied out. I was in the driveway reading the mail when I saw the UPS guy drive up, walk to my door and deliver the package. I noticed he was looking at me kind of strange like he was nervous or was in a rush (didn't think anything of it since their usually busy around this time of the year. After about a minute I went to go inside and low and behold the package had a massive hole in it and was ever so light. I immediately knew the package was empty, Even the tracking slip states the item was around 4 pounds.


I tried opening a claim online and once i was done adding pictures and details, UPS gave me an error message stating "This request cannot be completed at this time"

I called the customer center from the last city it had departed from and they opened a claim for me but since it was "only worth" $100, it was waived and the shipper will be sent a check to refund me. Either way, My real concern was How is it okay for drivers to deliver empty packages just for the price to be waived by the company?? I was told these things happen around this time and "that they need all the help they can get during the holidays" ....hmm

Just a reminder to stay extra vigilant with packages during holiday season.
Im gonna start waiting on the porch for mine..
A7FC27F5-2648-4F86-B3DF-6D45A726DA44.jpeg
 
Shippers fault 100%.

As someone who ships knives regularly, it is IMPERATIVE to pack a knife with no movement and solid. Four lbs has momentum inside.

See the skid marks on that box? Machine pounded, as they ALL do. It's on the floor of some transition UPS warehouse after it got hit with a HUGE ram redirecting it.

Insufficient packaging + weak box = disappointment.

I'll bet the driver had zero to do with it.

I wish you better. UPS and USPS is HARD on packaging.

No answers on your claim. Sorry.
 
SharpByCoop said:
Shippers fault 100%.

As someone who ships knives regularly, it is IMPERATIVE to pack a knife with no movement and solid. Four lbs has momentum inside.

See the skid marks on that box? Machine pounded, as they ALL do. It's on the floor of some transition UPS warehouse after it got hit with a HUGE ram redirecting it.

Insufficient packaging + weak box = disappointment.

I'll bet the driver had zero to do with it.

I wish you better. UPS and USPS is HARD on packaging.

No answers on your claim. Sorry.
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“Shipper” as in “shipping service” or “shipper” as in “person who shipped the knife”?
 
Shipper: Person who shipped the knife.
 
jlydon said:
And the suspense is killing me.... What was supposed to be in there (from eBay)? :rolleyes:
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A Vietnam crash axe, you know the ones with the hole in the middle. I was curious how they performed chopping wise and it was supposed to be rated to 20,000v. It’s not a huge loss but just surprised they’re allowed to deliver empty packages. Maybe it’s beyond the drivers responsibility to make sure of such things and more the shippers responsibility as some have stated.
 
SharpByCoop said:
Shippers fault 100%.

As someone who ships knives regularly, it is IMPERATIVE to pack a knife with no movement and solid. Four lbs has momentum inside.

See the skid marks on that box? Machine pounded, as they ALL do. It's on the floor of some transition UPS warehouse after it got hit with a HUGE ram redirecting it.

Insufficient packaging + weak box = disappointment.

I'll bet the driver had zero to do with it.

I wish you better. UPS and USPS is HARD on packaging.

No answers on your claim. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Given some thought, since it was a literal crash axe, it could have very well smashed through the box and fell out. There’s not much packaging in the box besides some news print.
 
UPS, at least here in New Mexico, is a band of thieves. I had some food stuff shipped here from Chicago and it was in a box that was labeled as a really expensive brand of audio equipment. Haha, yeah they just lost it. The funny part is that it was full of BBQ sauce and was heavy enough for them to determine that they had scored a $7000 amplifier that would bode well at the local pawn shop. The next day, I went and opened a FedEx account and never looked back. Haha - just sayin' ;)
 
SharpByCoop said:
Shippers fault 100%.

As someone who ships knives regularly, it is IMPERATIVE to pack a knife with no movement and solid. Four lbs has momentum inside.

See the skid marks on that box? Machine pounded, as they ALL do. It's on the floor of some transition UPS warehouse after it got hit with a HUGE ram redirecting it.

Insufficient packaging + weak box = disappointment.

I'll bet the driver had zero to do with it.

I wish you better. UPS and USPS is HARD on packaging.

No answers on your claim. Sorry.
Click to expand...

That is not the shippers fault. That box has enough packing tape on the end to hold up Rosie O'Donnell. Definitely got masticated during transport. Something tore the end of that box open. It obviously was impacted from the outside in. Just look at the creases etc.
 
At least it was shipped in a box. I'm amazed by how often knives are sent in bubble envelopes.

When packaging, always try to envision the journey:

EogMZoo.jpg
 
UPS Guaranteed my company they'd drop the package 3 feet onto a concrete floor during handling so the packing had to be sufficient to survive that. Plus all the other packages falling on top of it.

I remember on a Gun Forum a member complaining about the 70 pounds of lead bullets he received in a USPS Flat Rate Box. The box was all beat up But still intact since it was encased in shipping tape. So I imagine the box of lead falling on top of my package from 3 feet and pack for it as best I can.
 
My neighbor, an FFL, texted me yesterday while he was away visiting family in VA, that UPS had left a firearm on his porch without obtaining a signature.

Not the first time I had to walk over and pick one up for him.

(No, I didn't open it and peek.)
 
Blues said:
My neighbor, an FFL, texted me yesterday while he was away visiting family in VA, that UPS had left a firearm on his porch without obtaining a signature.

Not the first time I had to walk over and pick one up for him.

(No, I didn't open it and peek.)
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FedEx has done that to me before. repaired firearm shipped back to me and left on the front porch. driver signed my name and just left it. guess he figured he was doing me a favor....thank God no kid came by.......

I let FedEx know so they could do whatever they need to to try to eliminate mistakes like this and they didn't care....were annoyed I called.
 
In a perfect world one of the employees before it gets on the truck notices - "hey this pkg is freakin empty" and gets it to a clerk to damage out and start a claim.

The previously mentioned 3 ft drop - with 60 lbs on top of it is accurate. Overpack, overpack, overtape.

In the pic you can see black marks on the side of the pkg, belt burn, so it got jammed somewhere, probably ripping open when the jam was broken.
 
Foreighn exchange student from "Asia," going to school in Finand, sold a lot of Finnish knives of eBay for a couple of years, He sent me a nice puukko is a plain, paper business-size envelope for a letter, relying on the flap adhensive alone, no tape, no string, no padding - from Finland to Cleveland, OH area. Amazingly, the sheath was still in the envelope, partially stck to the flap. The puukkko was long gone. I hope noone got cut. He proposed I accept a 50%b refund. I took 100%. He banned me from bidding on his future auctions. OMG!!!!
 
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A couple of things here:

1) How do you know that the package had something in it? I know the weight says 4lbs but alot of the time that's simply entered by the shipper.
2) This is, without any doubt, on the shipper. All shipments are the shippers responsibility unless otherwise agreed by both parties.
2a) The shipper "waiving" insurance isn't your problem in this regard unless you told him to do so
3) Given shipping volumes these days (and this time of year), these things happen.

I'd get with the seller / shipper and ask for a new item or a refund. Ebay will have your back on this.
 
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