I found a nice shiny unused Aluminum Intake Manifold from a forum member a few weeks ago. Everything went well with the discussions, pictures, pricing, etc. So I went forward with the purchase. The manifold was to be delivered to my shop because I wanted to make sure I received it personally. So it made its way across the country all the way from Arizona to Wisconsin. On the day it was to be delivered I happened to be replacing a front hub assembly on a customer's F150. Since I had multiple vehicles in my small shop I had the F150 half in and half out of the overhead door. The sun was starting to cook me while I was working on it so I closed the overhead door down to the top of the bed. About half way through the job I was at the back of the shop grabbing a socket from my tool box when I heard the infamous sounding UPS truck pull up. As I was making my way through the shop I could see that the driver decided to enter through the overhead doorway instead of my main customer entrance door. So I started to hurry to meet him and he ducked his head to get under the door and I met him about 3 feet into the shop where he proceeded to simply drop the box to the concrete floor on it's end right in front of me. I could hear a sickening metal to concrete clunk. I actually had my hands out to take it from him. He was in such a hurry to get his little computer pad out to have me sign so he could be on his way that he couldn't care less about the package. I couldn't believe my eyes. He just went about tapping his little pad as though nothing was wrong. The package didn't slip out of his hands or bump anything, he just dropped it like it was his normal method of operation. Well lets say I was not happy and asked him what was that all about? He just looked at me and held out his little pad and said "You Can Refuse It ", .... not so much as a "Sorry", not even a "Whoops". I told him I wasn't signing a thing until a note was made on the little pad that he had dropped the package on a concrete floor. He made the note, I signed for it then asked him to wait while I opened it and inspected the contents. Well turns out one corner did take a hit. He looked up at me and said "You Know This Package Probably Has Been Handled Worse Than That Before It Got Here", and "The Packaging Doesn't Look To Be Too Strong Either". At that point I just wanted him to leave so I did say ......... "JUST LEAVE"! I cleaned up the damaged area on the intake and it should be fine. Now tomorrow I have a set of aluminum heads showing up VIA UPS, ..... after thinking it over I got in touch with UPS and had them route the package to stay at their hub where I will pick it up myself instead of taking a chance with the driver mishandling a box that weighs twice a much as the last one. Who knows if the clerk at the counter tomorrow will bring the package out with care or not. We'll have to see. BTW, I haven't had a regular UPS driver on my route for a few months now, so I get different subs all the time. Larry
Dang buddy, that's rough. I've been lucky to have the same guys at my place for years, and they know my cars and what's in most the boxes I get. They even put them on the back porch so nobody sees them when I'm not there....
File a claim for damages / repairs. That was for that UBER rare blown Hillborn injection manifold for that all aluminum 425 nailhead right??? ws
If you or the seller had made a claim UPS would have tried to deny it saying it was not packaged correctly. Then it would escalate. 4-5 weeks later they agree to pay you but only after you provide proof of what it cost. At that point, if the sender had not purchased additional ins UPS will agree to pay you 100.00 + actual shipping cost. Thats all you'll get. Just went through this with a set of headers. If Jim Wise hadnt stepped up and bought them damaged I'd have been screwed totally.
I gotta say that although I have had a few issues with UPS, I have also had them with Fed Ex, USPS, and (especially) private freight companies. I once watched a private freight company drop a Corvette chuck onto my driveway from the back of his truck - destroying it. Overall though - here in sunny SW Florida, the big three shippers have been great; They bring packages right into my garage and have always been pleasant.
Well, I've got to say it's probably not the company of UPS. Kind of like you can go into one McDonald's, and get treated like dirt and the food is terrible. Then you go to another McDonald's and the people are great and the food is fresh. It's not that McDonald's itself is great or sucks, it's the people working there.
I feel like many shippers, try to destroy whatever is in every package. So we have to pack to try to prevent that. And Briz is correct, trying to win a claim is impossible as well. We use a very sturdy box so the box is rarely damaged, but what is inside sometimes gets moved around, and that has to be from extreme box impact or movement. Shipping is expensive and keeps rising. So pack like it is an egg going through an earthquake!
Most problems with the big delivery companies like Fedex, UPS, etc, are driver related. Call and tell his supervisor he not only did not care how he treated your delivery but copped an attitude when you mentioned how poorly he does his job. UPS guys are great in my area, but the Fedex driver is a lazy, lying slob. Its a crap shoot. Jim
Absolutely no excuse for that kind of handling. But it's also my opinion that it probably was not packed properly, considering you ended up with metal to concrete contact, with only the cardboard wall in between. JMHO
I picked up the aluminum cylinder heads at UPS today and all was good. As far as the intake goes, it cleaned up fine and I have to agree with you guys that it probably wouldn't get too far with claim, ... not worth the additional stress. Also by the time I was finished with the dumb a$$ driver, he pretty much skulked his way back to his truck with his tail between his legs. He got my point. Thanks for feeling my pain. Larry
Had a TH400 built for my GS 20 years ago and they sent it UPS. Women driver could not lift it so she kicked it out the back of the truck. I heard it hit the ground and came out of the garage. She proceeds to get it on her dolly and wheel it to me. The wood crate is smashed. I won't sign till I pull the crate apart and inspect it. 4" triangle of bellhousing falls out. I say take it back. She asks me to help her lift it in her truck. "No way darlin, you got it out you get it in!" No cell phones back then so she uses my house phone to call for help. Her manager was pissed at me for not helping. Mikey
Im sure if she asked you for help you would have gladly done so. But Im in CA and I have never seen a woman UPS driver. At least not one that Really Was A Woman. !!
I would've drove the backhoe with the shotgun in my lap out to meet the two at the truck and asked em if they hadda problem. Well, ya do now.....Jim
That really happened in Miami in 1993 and I would not help her. Wow, almost 25 years ago! Seems like yesterday... Mikey
