Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

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Dok
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Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Dok » Wed Mar 27, 2019 10:04 pm

Let's start with the fact that they require the person that shipped the guitar to make the claim regarding damages and not the person who received the actual destroyed fucking item. Guitar was shipped in a hardshell case with/in the same packing box and material that I received another acoustic guitar the week before. And then let's discuss how the guitar itself was insured with the declared value of the sale amount. What's the point of insurance if they're just going to destroy it and deny any responsibility?

My current theory is that this was stabbed by a forklift. You have to put a LOT of pressure on a hardshell case to get it to disintegrate like it did. I sent them every one of these photos and their letter states that "supporting documentation is not verifiable to our satisfaction." Hrmph.

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At any rate, if anybody feels like helping amplify this, I have a Twitter thread here https://twitter.com/hatfeeled/status/11 ... 7032759296 and would greatly appreciate any retweets and sharing. The guy who bought this from me is out $800 and we are essentially being told to get bent.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by zhivago » Wed Mar 27, 2019 10:52 pm

TNT did the same to me with a '52 J50 that was being returned to me by a luthier...the guitar was full insured, but their get-out was:

"You didn't open up the guitar box and fully inspect the guitar BEFORE signing for it to our delivery person"

WTF?? Like anyone ever does that...still makes my blood boil after 6-7 years...I recently sold the guitar and lost at least a £1000 in devaluation due to the repaired damage. :fp:
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by mackerelmint » Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:04 pm

USPS did the same to me when I shipped a guitar to Xray spex over in Ireland. He provided documentation of everything, but I had to be the one to desl with the claim. Despite the evidence, the post office insisted that the package had been returned undelivered. Then they just found ways to run out the clock, and made sure they never had to make good. I felt bad I couldn't do better for Charlie, but he was understanding, which I appreciated.

Fucking frustrating when companies do this, and frankly it's fraud. It'd be nice if someone in government gave a shit and actually put some people in the slam for it to set an example.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Singlebladepickup » Thu Mar 28, 2019 3:10 am

Everyone hates on the blues lawyer until they get the broken axe blues. By that I mean, you might consider getting a lawyer because getting some money back is better than nothing.

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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Mar 28, 2019 3:59 am

That damage is very stunning- I'm curious, though, since it arrived in that condition why did the purchaser sign for it and accept it?

How would FedEx not have been talking about the damage on their own- surely that could not have been missed by them? Something weird his happening.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Trout » Thu Mar 28, 2019 4:32 am

My guess is the case was in a cardboard package?! Here in Sweden you are not allowed to open anything until you have signed for it.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Mar 28, 2019 4:37 am

Yeah, but that cardboard package was ripped in half from what I can tell in the picture there. Very visible to both the shipper and the receiver I would imagine unless the cardboard package that was ripped in half was inside another package that was not ripped in half, in which case we would imagine that FedEx put it there.

If there's anything we know it's that Dok would never have sent a guitar out that was anything other than what he says it is, so whatever is happening took place after he took it to FedEx. My only questions are, how did FedEx destroy a package so badly during shipping but not acknowledge it, and why on earth did the buyer sign for it?
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by X-Ray Spex » Thu Mar 28, 2019 5:39 am

mackerelmint wrote:
Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:04 pm
USPS did the same to me when I shipped a guitar to Xray spex over in Ireland. He provided documentation of everything, but I had to be the one to desl with the claim. Despite the evidence, the post office insisted that the package had been returned undelivered. Then they just found ways to run out the clock, and made sure they never had to make good. I felt bad I couldn't do better for Charlie, but he was understanding, which I appreciated.

Fucking frustrating when companies do this, and frankly it's fraud. It'd be nice if someone in government gave a shit and actually put some people in the slam for it to set an example.
Yeah this was ridiculous, the headstock of the guitar had been knocked THROUGH THE FUCKING BOX and the bastards still wouldn't pay out. I've bought and shipped a few things since then and just refuse to ship anything/have anything shipped to me by USPS.

It's entirely fraud considering insurance was purchased on it and everything and I don't know how USPS still get away with it in 2019 ffs.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Dok » Thu Mar 28, 2019 7:39 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Thu Mar 28, 2019 4:37 am
Yeah, but that cardboard package was ripped in half from what I can tell in the picture there. Very visible to both the shipper and the receiver I would imagine unless the cardboard package that was ripped in half was inside another package that was not ripped in half, in which case we would imagine that FedEx put it there.

If there's anything we know it's that Dok would never have sent a guitar out that was anything other than what he says it is, so whatever is happening took place after he took it to FedEx. My only questions are, how did FedEx destroy a package so badly during shipping but not acknowledge it, and why on earth did the buyer sign for it?
Yeah, I don't know why he signed for it either. He seems like someone who is new to getting guitars in the mail. His first question after he received it was "hey, was there a crack in the case when you shipped it? I didn't have time to check out the guitar before I left for work but the case seems not normal". The dude is actually being really reasonable about it and when I offered to split the cost of the repair with him after the claim was denied he told me not to worry about it, which would be a pretty ineffective way to run a scam.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by DeathJag » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:02 am

Okay two things I’ve heard that doesn’t help this case:

1) Insurance is only an incentive for them not to lose something.

2) They only pay settlements if THEY do the packing.

A follow up to #2 is that of course they charge for that, and possibly won’t do it as good.

Lastly - get a lawyer and sue them for every single cost involved. And then please update this thread!

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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Dok » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:04 am

Just spoke with a very nice person at FedEx who now says she can process the claim and issue a check. GEEZ. Whether they actually issue one remains to be seen, but maybe good things do happen to bad people (the bad person is me)
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:05 am

I sent a set of tuners via USPS, the packaged arrived ripped open with nothing in it and a "We Care" sticker on there, I refunded the guy, contacted the USPS and was reimbursed within two business weeks.

Different situation, clearly, but I would imagine that FedEx is capable of doing the same.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by s_mcsleazy » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:07 am

my friend had a similar experence. she brought a rickenbacker 620 for like $1800 because she was looking for a particular colour. got it shipped to the uk, it was in a case in a box with all the packing peanuts. however she noticed something odd on the box. BOOT PRINTS. like boot prints up and down the box. when she pulled it out the case, it was fucked. fretboard had came away from the neck and the neck had a pretty bad split. she took pictures of all the damage and the box. took UPS a few weeks to get back to her. she explained that the repair would take a good 2 months of her time and to get it back to a playable condition would cost her £500+. the package was insured but ups said "you work in a guitar shop so it wont cost as much to repair. as for the state of the box, things can happen during transport. however here is £75 compensation"
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by HNB » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:32 am

I had an issue with USPS like this. I paid for insurance and it arrived with a squished box and broken neck. They denied my claim because they said guitars cannot be insured unless they are shipped in a hard case..... Those little details that are not even mentioned when you say you are shipping a guitar and want to buy insurance. I haven't paid for insurance since because it just feels like a scam.
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Re: Check out what FedEx did to the guitar I just shipped

Post by Dok » Fri Apr 19, 2019 8:06 am

Well, it's been a process but after two more rounds of photo submissions and phone calls, FedEx has issued a refund. Thanks to everyone who replied and retweeted, and to FedEx for resolving this.
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