Ups

[Drac]

Hi,

It finally came to a head. I use UPS for both knife making and a project where my retirement flag flies over various historical ships, sites and monuments.

I have had them deliver things to the wrong place and ask me to go get them or else they would take two or three more days. They've damaged blades and when I call a complaint in they automatically sa## it was the shipper?s fault without asking any questions. I had a 50 pound plate go from Ft. Worth to my house north of Dallas via Anaheim CA, three times. It took 3 extra weeks to get to me. Paying for 2nd day AM delivery of my flag to the 50th anniversary of the USS Nautilus and not showing up until 3PM and complaining they were closed, I almost missed that event. On and on.

The kicker was two separate inc##ents that happened within seven days. The first was a knife I sent to TKS for heat treat. This knife was for a retirement of a Navy sailor after 26+ years. I don't know about them but to me this was a big deal. TKS marked the package adult signature required, so UPS wouldn't deliver it. Even after TKS asked their rep to remove it the company refused. They want me to chase the truck around the northern suburbs of Dallas or sit at home from 7am to 7pm with no guarantee what time they will show up. When they finally got a hold of the driver he had no problem delivering it later at night.

The second was with my flag. I sent it to a wonderful lady who flew the flag at the Iwo Jima Monument during the 60th anniversary of the landing thru the flag rising. I sent along a shipping label like I have done the last two years so they have postage pa## for and don't have to have any hassle shipping it back. The lady took off a whole day so she would be available for a pick up, because again they won't give a time frame. When she called they refused because it was the wrong type of label. She contacts me to keep me informed. I went to the UPS store I normally use and the employee, not a vendor, called in. We find out that after two years of doing this I needed an ARS label (so all my fault). So I ask for one and even though I've already pa## for one pick and the customer service wasn't going to process the refund, I had to call another number (which over three days of calls no one would give me) for that. I listened to her give them all the correct information. I called the lady back and she volunteered to stay at home again for this (she's a saint.) I get a call the next morning trying to schedule a pick up at my house. I called back in and told them that it needed to be picked up in Connecticut, not Dallas. It turns out again it was my fault because I d##n't make the call myself. So I setup another pick up. Since it was my fault they d##n't understand english, I felt the UPS store employee explained it correctly; I had to pay more for a same day pick up. The lady waited all day, when they got there they again refused to take the box as you can't schedule a same day pick up without the credit card used being at the site. A little logic here, I live in Dallas, she lives in Connecticut, how was she going to have my card? During all this the dispatch center and the customer service center, who both knew the first pick up was wrong, d##n't cancel it. Again this was all my fault because I d##n't know the rules; ignorance of the law is no excuse. The only two options they gave me were to have her sit at home again another full day (now three) or have her leave the package on the porch for them. They would not take any responsibility for the package though if it was stolen or damaged. I finally argued with them enough that they need to set up a time that would be at the lady's convenience, but she would not be there the next day so they were to call me for the arrangement. They were to call me before 10AM EST. They d##n't and they scheduled another pick up when they were told she wouldn't be home. I finally called Fed-Ex and setup and account with them to have this done without bothering the lady.

Each and every time they twisted this to be my fault and bother to the lady. I feel like since I'm just a single person, Joe Smoe sort of guy, that my business isn't worth their time to do right.

I would like to say that when I can deal with the store and the driver directly I have had nothing but the best of service.

Jim

[SPryor]

A few yrs. back I bought a Bader grinder and when it was delivered, damaged by ups, I called them and they sa## "they would cover it no problem". Three days later they call back and sa## they need the box before paying. Well, of course I had already burned this huge box just to get it out of the shop. Even though the driver that delivered it saw the bent base sticking through the box, ups refused to pay without the box.

Another gripe with them is: I used to ship a lot of knives C.O.D. to a dealer down south and it was usually over three months before ups would send me the money.

Needless to say, I WILL NOT do business with them again. Scoundrels, I say.

[circlepknives]

Will not UPS unless the customer requests it special. They keep the knives in the back of a very hot truck, deliver very late, and refuse to ship knives iof so declared as they are "weapons" :P I use Fedex for domestic and foreign, sometime DHL but DHL has the weapons things going also. Out of 4 stars I give UPS -3