ceboyd

in all honesty, I've had LESS issues with fedex ground than I have with UPS (I Had 4 claims with UPS in one year and only 2 claims in 4 years with FedEx ground -- one being a canada fedex ground loss and another they wouldn't cover due to 'insufficient padding' according to them so I overpackage breakable stuff now)

CentralCoastC4S

I was told by my shipper that UPS has a 3rd party insurance company handle their claims. They do not use an in-house agency. They are under constant pressure to keep the claims costs down so they make can make it difficult to get things covered. I lost an antique chair which they smashed and took no responsibility whatsoever for damaging. I gave up the fight after a few months.
I have recently used DHL for shipping some high-end guitars, the shipper says I am insuring with DHL, not another company, when I buy my insurance. They've been on-time and the boxes in perfect condition. FWIW...

c993k

UPS, FEDEX and US Post won't tell you when you are paying for the extra insurance BUT they don't cover specialty items or antiques.
Chris

dbf73

What is a specialty item? I spent a few minutes looking around the FedEx site and couldn't find the exclusions from coverage.

Rick Sylvestri

Thanks for all the info Guys
The shipper has stepped up and is dealing with FedEx, could be in lost and found at the San Diego drop off. I should know in a week or so what's going to happen.

ceboyd

g-luck!

grmnxtc

I'll add my $0.02

Fed-Ex and UPS have EXCELLENT tracking abilities...

DHL just plain sucks - nearly as bad as USPS... Have you ever tried to track (in the loosest sense of the word) a USPS parcel?? - two words "IN" and "OUT" - you see it go in, you see it go out - nothing in the middle. At least with Fed-EX and UPS you can see all the points in between..

Oh, and DHL ground has a novel concept for some of their deliveries (especially residential).... take the package from the customer, ship it to his nearest Main USPS office, and then let the Government (USPS) bring it to your door... keeps the cost low, but traceability goes WAYYYYY out the door.

DHL has lost over $60,000 worth of a customers equipment being returned to me for repair in the last 6 months and CANNOT trace were it went too (thought they show a "signature" for delivery that has no bearing with anyone in my office of three people...) Penny wise but pound foolish?

Each to their own.... but traceability/tracking wins in my book anyday!! I'll pay the extra couple of bucks for the knowledge of where stuff is.