I just had the most amazing and disappointing experience with one of your major freigh companies. I've brought multi-piece fly blanks into Australia over the years using all of the major freight companies and until last week hadn't experienced a breakage. Last week though I was expecting some two piece blanks (for the first time) and when the parcel arrived it was clearly damaged (end cap torn off and the heavy duty cardboard tube crushed). Before I signed, I asked the delivery guy if I could look inside and we could both see that all four blanks had their tips broken off and male ferrules broken as well. I asked what options I had and decided to refuse delivery because it was then the freight company's responsibility to return the goods to the sender. I e-mailed my supplier and explained what had happened and we agreed that when the broken blanks arrived, he'd sort out replacements. A week later a 'new' parcel arrives in apparently perfect condition, so I sign for it thinking that it is a delivery from another blank supplier, but inside their shiney, new triangulated box is my supplier's original damaged tube and broken blanks AGAIN! I can only assume that this particular freight company thinks that if it breaks something in transit, but repacks it in a new box, that somehow fixes the problem and it is no longer their responsibility - amazing stuff because in one week the blanks could not have got back to my supplier, let alone done the return journey to me, so somewhere along the line the freight company has decided they want me to accerpt delivery and that's that. Jim

Depending on how much money is involved, I'd personally be talking to an attorney and letting the company know you do intend to recover the lost value through any means necessary.

Jim,
Your story reminds me of an incident from a year ago.
I had ordered blanks over a two month span from several different vendors.
I used all three of the well known shippers.
i.e. UPS, FEDEX, and USPS.

In all of the years of shipping rods and receiving blanks I had never had any bad experience with a broken blank.
In this particular 2 month stretch, I received a package of blanks from each of the carriers containing broken blanks. It was quite apparent that in all three cases, the package had been caught in a transfer belt and had bent the package in half. Obviously the blanks inside didn't survive. Since the items were insured, the vendors reshipped new product and all came through just fine with the same shipper used before.

So, for some reason, it seems that all of the shippers got together and decided to have a transfer belt treat my packages to a special treat.

I have never had any issues before or since, to in spite of any packaging, if a package gets caught in a belt, it will lose everytime.

Take care
Roger

I had a blank shipped ups...I came home to find my package bent like an L sitting on the porch...I got it replaced no problem. But you would think if they broke it they wouldn't even replace it

Jim,
Don't assume anything. And certainly before you accept what you think is your situation you should contact the shipping Co. and sort things out. I would really be surprised if your supplier is not made whole - unless, of course, they did not insure the shipment. I had 16 blanks (11 for me and 5 for someone else) from CTS all came in crushed.

UPS made restitution to CTS and I got new blanks.

Herb

Herb,
I don't assume anything, but I do know that this particular supplier is as straight as an arrow and did everything possible to quickly replace a faulty blank in the past at his expense. Besides, as I said above, the parcel didn't even have time to return to the US. I've lodged a complaint with the freight company at my end and so has my supplier at his. I also note with interest that the company's tracking shows that the 'original' parcel was delivered today, even though I clearly and explicitly refused delivery due to damage a week ago - so why wasn't the parcel returned first to the US? It appears to have been repackaged in Australia and then returned to me in apparently 'good' condition - I think the company in question needs to have a good hard look at their Australian end of the operation, because this looks and smells like a cover- up rather than a genuine mistake. I await their response with baited breath and a lighter wallet!
Cheers, Jim

Hi Jim,

just curious, the freight company you mention are the courier companies (DHL, Fedex , UPS etc) or those actual freight forwarders? you needn't specifically name any, but just interested to know ..

-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!

Christopher,
One of the big international couriers (if that's the word) and they use a local company once the goods clear customs in Australia (which is irrelevant to me since the courier's contract is with my US supplier and their Australian agents are responsible to them in terms of fulfilling that contract of delivery within Australia). Far better not to name names unless and until you are sure they won't fix the problem is my philosophy! With the greatest respect to Sean, going to a Lawyer/Attorney would be my very last option in any dispute because they have an uncanny knack of driving a wedge between the parties and a solution in most situations (no offence to lawyers, I used to be one myself). Jim

hah.. sorry .. occupational hazard.. I work in the freight line (not the courier companies)... and i recently ordered some stuff from @#$%&, so i hope that i wouldn't have such an issue, seeing how freight are being handled..

-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2009 08:09PM by Christopher Tan.

TEHy all suck, one is just as bad as the other. Put in a claim with UPS for a broken PVC tube - they'll tell you it wasn't packaged properly. USPS in a 2 months span delivered a rod tube in tact, then teh rod was damaged inside teh tube. Claim denied. Another one took 18 days to be delivered, and the person never recieved it, so I put a claim in for that one as well.

I'm almost at teh point where I wont' ship rods unless the person recieving them assumes responsibility if the carrier breaks it and doesnt' accept the claim.

Tell us how you really feel, Billy.

Jim,

Such a thing can be really upsetting and even set back your timeline for getting those rods done. However, if the company is reputable, someone there in a position of higher authority will want to the full details of your experience. I'd write a nice letter detailing every aspect of the situation and send it and copies to every officer of the company in your Country, as well as to those at the headquarters locations. An email isn't going to get it done, a well written letter is very apt to get results and roll the head of anyone that would purposely attempt to pull such a stunt.

One thing everyone should remember, is that if there is no visible damage to the outside of the container (not the issue in Jim's case) then any interior damage isn't likely to be covered. There have been instances where folks have purposely shipping damaged items so that they can claim damage and receive reimbursement from the shipper. There was an episode of Seinfeld that you may remember that dealt with this. It was funny, but not at all uncommon. there are folks that pull stuff like that, so if the container isn't damaged, you'll have a hard time proving that the shipper damaged the contents.

To that end, we have an upcoming article in RodMaker dealing with how to best pack and ship rods and blanks, written by a person who is a professional in that field. I think it will open a lot of eyes and hopefully keep a lot more rods and blanks arriving in good condition that might not otherwise make it.

................

If you think were have problems with shippers Years ago when I had to really work for a living LOL. I worked for a furniture design store. When it came to collect on obvious damage freight goods. I am talking big bucks here 7,000 dollar china hutch, 8,000 to 10,0000 dollar tables. That were hand made wood products not sawdust board 100 dollar stuff. It took months to get the problem clarified and resolved . These items were always insured.

Good Wraps Bob

i'm not sure of the procedures overseas, but normally, the courier/forwarder cannot be held accountable for contents of the package if it is considered clean and in good condition. If there were no visible external indications that damage has taken place on the packing, then in the event where the item discovered damaged later on, the courier/forwarder cannot be held liable as they would not have been able to determine the condition of the item within.

but of course, if the packing is visibly damaged, and if the courier did not inform you regarding any inspection/survey (in my country , at least) , then liability falls onto them for accepting the item from the airlines/terminals in that condition, unless they were themselves responsible for it. Should you turn down the inspection even though you were informed of damages, then liability is yours..


Just wondering, JIm, the new packing you received.. did it have the labels/ marks and such or it was totally clear of all those?

-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!

Hi Christopher, That's one of the reasons the 'second' delivery appeared so suspect - the new box into which the old tube had been placed was pristine (no marks, dents, scrapes, nothing). I have received dozens of those boxes over the years and none have arrived looking as though they haven't even been on a plane! It also had the original shipping documents moved from the tube to a new plastic bag taped to the outside of the box. The new box has a number of official forwarding stickers on the outside, but none to indicate it has come or been beyond Sydney. The original stickers on the damaged tube inside have been covered over by white, very sticky labels to hide them. As I said in my original post: 'Blind Freddy' can see that someone is pretending that I received this parcel in good condition, therefore it is not the responsibility of the Courier or their Australian agent that the 'contents' have been destroyed. I also note with interest that all but one of the broken pieces of tips and ferrules (spigot ferrules broken off at their base) that were visible during the first delivery, have now been lost or removed. Someone has gone a lot of trouble here. Jim