So the UPS Store won't let you insure a package unless they pack it now?

[SunnyD]

News to me. Apparently they'll only cover customer packaging up to $100. The lady behind the counter tried to tell me this has always been their policy. I called her bullshit bluff on it, since I've shipped many packages >$100 value over the last several years from there.

Nice try to upsell your service, bitch. Sorry UPS, since you have no customer counter in my town, I'll be taking a stroll over to Fedex.

 

[mmntech]

Lol. Does anybody actually use UPS anymore.

 

[Crusty]

That has always been the policy for me....

 

[Skel]

I've always heard that was the case in the years I've been dealing with them, I could be wrong though. I normally use them to pack the stuff around 80% of the time anyways as I just don't want to deal with it.

 

[bignateyk]

Makes sense to me. Why would they insure something of significant value that someone could have half-assed the pack job on?

 

[Ns1]

fedex office > ups store

 

[slag]

Lol. Does anybody actually use UPS anymore.

Of course. I prefer UPS over fedex also. Cheaper, faster, nicer, etc.

 

[torpid]

Makes no sense; you can insure packages well over that in value via UPS outside of the UPS store.

 

[SunnyD]

Lol. Does anybody actually use UPS anymore.

Used to use them all the time when my dad ran his business. We'd probably ship a good half-million dollars worth of stuff using them every year. Never had a problem. Of course we also used an actual UPS Customer Counter, which had its drawbacks (it was only open from 4:00pm to 6:30pm for example). And you usually get a cheaper rate by dropping it off with them.

Since we've moved here, the Fedex counter used to be on the way home, but now it's a bit out of the way for me. Live and learn though, Fedex has always been more reliable and cheaper than UPS for me.

The problem I had today was the line of bullshit she gave me trying to tell me that this has ALWAYS been their policy, when it clearly hasn't been.

 

[bignateyk]

Used to use them all the time when my dad ran his business. We'd probably ship a good half-million dollars worth of stuff using them every year. Never had a problem. Of course we also used an actual UPS Customer Counter, which had its drawbacks (it was only open from 4:00pm to 6:30pm for example). And you usually get a cheaper rate by dropping it off with them.

Since we've moved here, the Fedex counter used to be on the way home, but now it's a bit out of the way for me. Live and learn though, Fedex has always been more reliable and cheaper than UPS for me.

The problem I had today was the line of bullshit she gave me trying to tell me that this has ALWAYS been their policy, when it clearly hasn't been.

Maybe it's always been the official policy but they chose not to enforce it?

 

[hanoverphist]

ive insured things for thousands of dollars and never had any issues. UPS is also my back up to the back up shipper, for other reasons tho.

 

[LordMorpheus]

UPS stores are (at least some of them) independently owned franchises. A lot will probably depend on the owner. There's a new one close to me that's great, the owners spend time there working and are very helpful.

The old one that closed, not so much.

 

[911paramedic]

They asked my sister for her ID the other day, first time ever. The lady said everybody should be asking her for it. (It's one of those new 9/11 laws that's been in place for a while.)

Yes mmntech, she uses UPS for business. Rarely, but she uses them.

 

[blinblue]

I no longer go to the UPS or Fedex store. They always try to upcharge things, and their prices are always $5-$10 more than what the online calculator said it would be.

Instead, go to Staples/Office Depot/Officemax and ship through them. Always really easy (though the employees are usually a bit slow) and the price is what it says it will be online.
Also, coupons often come out (Office Depot had one for $25 off of $50 at their "Copy and Print" center, which is the same as their shipping. Got a great deal shipping off some heavy things I had sold).

In short, screw the UPS/Fedex standalone stores

 

[marvdmartian]

Makes sense to me. Why would they insure something of significant value that someone could have half-assed the pack job on?

Shouldn't matter, since, if you make an insurance claim on the package after it's delivered, there's a decent chance that they will send an inspector out to check how it was packaged. Whenever you make a claim, that's the first thing they tell you, is to save all the packaging. If it was packed like shit, they don't have to give you the full insured value.

A while back, I got something off of eBay, and the seller had his wife package it up and send it out. This was a large, fairly heavy (10-15 pounds) item, that would be damaged easily if not packed right. Dizzy woman wrapped it in bubble wrap, then put it in the box, with NOTHING surrounding it! No newspaper, packing peanuts, shredded paper....NOTHING. When it got to me, it was broken, and I made him do the claim. He ended up getting half the insured amount back from UPS, and ate the other half.

I'd imagine the possibility of having an inspector come out would be higher if it was heavily insured.

 

[blinblue]

Shouldn't matter, since, if you make an insurance claim on the package after it's delivered, there's a decent chance that they will send an inspector out to check how it was packaged. Whenever you make a claim, that's the first thing they tell you, is to save all the packaging. If it was packed like shit, they don't have to give you the full insured value.

A while back, I got something off of eBay, and the seller had his wife package it up and send it out. This was a large, fairly heavy (10-15 pounds) item, that would be damaged easily if not packed right. Dizzy woman wrapped it in bubble wrap, then put it in the box, with NOTHING surrounding it! No newspaper, packing peanuts, shredded paper....NOTHING. When it got to me, it was broken, and I made him do the claim. He ended up getting half the insured amount back from UPS, and ate the other half.

I'd imagine the possibility of having an inspector come out would be higher if it was heavily insured.

I imagine that's true. I've done two claims, one for Fedex and one for UPS. Both cases the item were worth right at the $100 mark. It was quite the painless process, just said that it arrived damaged and provided proof of its value. The only thing was it took some time for the check to come out, but after a month or so it arrived.

Now if they were $1000 items I'm sure they would have investigated more.

 

[Six]

UPS stores are (at least some of them) independently owned franchises. A lot will probably depend on the owner. There's a new one close to me that's great, the owners spend time there working and are very helpful.

The old one that closed, not so much.

This!

It depends on the store. In the nicest parts of town, you take your package to them, and if you forgot to tape it, they'll tape it free of charge. They'll take the package, give you a receipt, and wish you well on your way....all with a smile.

In the rest of town, they'll make you buy a larger box, make you buy the tape to package it up, try to sell you commemorative junk, charge you extra packaging for your larger box, charge you to tape the box, charge you more to ship it than UPS normally charges, charge you a drop off fee, and then try to sell you a postal box....all with nice big fat smile.