Bass damaged by UPS. Surprisingly easy claim experience, so far.

[Zooberwerx]

Excuse me for asking but I see a near-perfect concentric divot and what appears to be a partial delamination...am I missing something? I'm leaning towards crush damage possible via a ratchet strap. I had a similar situation which destroyed a hardshell case...blew-out like an overcooked hot dog...but the bass remained unscathed. UPS owned-up to it and bought me a new case.

Why UPS accepted this is beyond me. They always ask "is it in a case?" and will not accept if it is not. This is the main terminal in Norfolk VA. Don't be surprised if the claim is denied as "inadequate packing / protection".

Riis

 

[tb-player]

Excuse me for asking but I see a near-perfect concentric divot and what appears to be a partial delamination...am I missing something? I'm leaning towards crush damage possible via a ratchet strap. I had a similar situation which destroyed a hardshell case...blew-out like an overcooked hot dog...but the bass remained unscathed. UPS owned-up to it and bought me a new case.

Why UPS accepted this is beyond me. They always ask "is it in a case?" and will not accept if it is not. This is the main terminal in Norfolk VA. Don't be surprised if the claim is denied as "inadequate packing / protection".

Riis

The damage is on the magnetic control cavity cover. The divot you're referencing is finger access for how the cavity cover is removed.

 

[tb-player]

Also, to be clear, the claim is not filed with UPS. It's filed with ShipInsurance. Kind of the point of the OP… that PirateShip & ShipInsurance are much easier to deal with than UPS. Outcome to follow.

 

[Zooberwerx]

The damage is on the magnetic control cavity cover. The divot you're referencing is finger access for how the cavity cover is removed.

View attachment 4913413 View attachment 4913414

Whew! That puts it in context. Thanks for the clarification. Quite frankly, you got off easy. Even if the claim is denied, you're on the hook for a partial re-fin unless there is addt'l undisclosed damage.

Riis

 

[Zooberwerx]

Also, to be clear, the claim is not filed with UPS. It's filed with ShipInsurance. Kind of the point of the OP… that PirateShip & ShipInsurance are much easier to deal with than UPS. Outcome to follow.

Have you been able to determine a $$ value for the actual damage & repair or are we looking at full replacement value?

Riis

 

[tb-player]

Have you been able to determine a $$ value for the actual damage & repair or are we looking at full replacement value?

Riis

Yes. I've submitted a copy of the repair invoice along with all the other requested photos, bill of sale… etc. Since it's only a repair to the cavity cover, I got off easy. It's a little more than few hundred bucks. Absolute worst case scenario is, they decline it and I returned it for the the equivalent of a 10% restocking fee. I should have a final answer next week.

 

[Jeff K]

In early November I shipped a bass via UPS to a TB'er in West Virginia. After I got my receipt and left, I kept checking the Tracking Number for a few days, but all it said was "Label Created". I THINK the clerk forgot to slap the shipping label onto the box and just shoved it down the line on the conveyer belt without the label. Therefore, anybody down the line that looked for a label wouldn't have found one. Somebody probably thought, "Pennies from Heaven!!!" and snagged it. No tracking number on the package. (This was at a UPS hub, not a UPS Store.) That is sheer speculation on my part, but the bottom line is that the package was totally lost and never to be seen again.

I HAD insured it, but it was still a fairly lengthy ordeal. A lot of back and forth with them wanting more documentation. I thought it would be a very simple process since it was clearly their fault. I had done nothing wrong.

Fortunately, a guitarist friend of mine's wife works for UPS, so she got her security specialist involved. I think he was a tremendous help in communication to the insurance department on my behalf. I got my reimbursement insurance check about two weeks ago. I got exactly the amount I was asking for minus $6.00. Why they docked me $6.00 I'll never know, but I certainly wasn't gonna' quibble over 6 bucks...

 

[tb-player]

Results are in! They paid the full price for the damage. The money is already in my account. Gotta appreciate that!

 

[stevensivak]

Nice cavity work and interesting way of dealing with the access panel, by the way!

 

[Ostie]

One thing I learned a long time ago is save your original sales receipt. That has saved my bacon several tines. It's usually the first thing they ask for, and it's easy for them to deny payment without the receipt. And I'm not just taking about shipping. Any warranty work involved, they're gonna want to know you're the original owner.