Before I even get into the post I want to make it very clear that my fantastic agent addicted-to-smoke did a great job packing up the kettle and there is absolutely ZERO blame pointed his way. Thank you again for all of your help ATS!
Unfortunately I feel sick to my stomach right now.
As most may know I've been anxiously awaiting the brand new red MT from St Louis. Well, it arrived today but as soon as it came off the truck I knew I was in trouble....
I really don't know what else to say at the moment so here is one pic for now. Also some damage to the lid and legs. I know it sounds foolish but I'm just devastated at the moment.
(http://www.fraservalleyweddingfestival.com/temp/damagedgrail.jpg)
I called UPS and someone is coming to take a look at it tomorrow. I'm terrified to learn how they plan to reimburse me for this?! At first the lady on the phone said they will come and take the parcel away for inspection but I obviously refused.
Kettle Gods can kiss my ass this evening.
Sorry folks just been one of those days </rant> >:(
Damn, sorry to hear.
:(
Is that the only damage?
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That's a damn shame!
Quote from: Troy on June 10, 2014, 06:47:47 PM
:(
Is that the only damage?
"Also some damage to the lid and legs."
That's nuts!!!!
What the hell do they think they're doing in the shipping business?
I've dealt w/ UPS since the late 70's & seen some trashy stuff, but this is just crass......I'm really sorry !!!!
My bad. Reading is hard
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Oh shit! Words cannot describe how sorry I am to hear and see this. They (UPS) had better make this right.
Wow, that sucks!!! I'd be devastated also!!!
Did you take pictures of the box before you opened it to show them?
That really sucks. I think everyone was eagerly awaiting its arrival and more pics. What a shame to have happen to such a beautiful grill.
OMFG
I feel sick.
Godammit!
It's a simple thing. Put box on truck. Drive truck. Remove box.
Where the hell does slam something into it come into play? I know I spent at least an hour packing it and shoving every conceivable cardboard and bubble wrap possible into it. There was no way it jostled around loose in there. They attacked it.
I don't know what to say, 604. I'm so sorry!
I'm here with my sister (who was the Agent on Duty who picked it up from the seller) and my dad ... I won't even show them the picture. They're also pissed.
Damn. It probably got thrown and or dropped pretty hard. That sucks, man. I've been tempted to get something shipped but stories like this makes me fearful for even trying. Even the best packing job isn't going to save something that's handled carelessly.
I feel your pain mate. Had exactly the same thing happen with a NIB offset brown smokey joe. It managed to live peacefully for over 40 years until it got introduced to a few shipping 'professionals'.
It's amazing how bad it makes you feel. I actually lost a bit of interest in all for a little while.
Really sorry it happened to you.
Ken
Sorry to hear that happen to you. I run a shipping warehouse and you would be amazed at what happens to some of the most well packed items we ship. I've literally had ups drivers run over packages of hazardous items.
One note with ups no matter how many times they deny a claim keep submitting it you will win the claim
Hower how do you replace an non replaceable item
zorknards2~~>
'Hower how do you replace an non replaceable item'
Guess UPS is going to be hiring a couple extra folks to scan CraigsList & EBay.......
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I can not believe that happened! They are not going to understand what you did just to get the kettle. I'm so sorry to see the damage.
Oh hell no!!! WTF. Sorry this happened to you. I'm feeling the pain. Dang it!
I'm so sorry. Total carelessness and negligence by the carrier.
Sorry buddy. That's a damn shame. Take a lot of pictures for your claim and don't give up until you are compensated. I hope that mt lives to grill another day.
I read the story of how you got the MT and this really mad me happy and smiling.
But this story now nearly makes me crying ... If it would be mine I probably would have cried .
As already said before it's not replaceable but maybe UPS will offer you something that eases the pain a bit.
Wow...
No. No. No.
Quote from: addicted-to-smoke on June 10, 2014, 07:04:46 PM
OMFG
I feel sick.
Godammit!
It's a simple thing. Put box on truck. Drive truck. Remove box.
Where the hell does slam something into it come into play? I know I spent at least an hour packing it and shoving every conceivable cardboard and bubble wrap possible into it. There was no way it jostled around loose in there. They attacked it.
I don't know what to say, 604. I'm so sorry!
I'm here with my sister (who was the Agent on Duty who picked it up from the seller) and my dad ... I won't even show them the picture. They're also pissed.
You have absolutely nothing to apologize about! Thank you again - It's very clear that you put a lot of time into packing each piece individually so UPS just beat the hell out of it on the way here. Such a shame... I'm still worried about how they are going to place a value on something like this? Obviously I want all my money back for shipping which was just shy of $200 once the brokerage was included. I feel at VERY LEAST they need to refund the $140 I paid (Which I feel was a bargain) and I should get to keep what's left. What do you guys think a showroom new Red MT would fetch on eBay?
The kettle is by no means a write-off, just not the crown jewel of my collection it was supposed to be. I can obviously replace the damaged leg and the chip in the lid is fairly small. The lid handle was also slightly tweaked so the clean "wet" look to the red paint all around the handle welds has now cracked around the perimeter. I'll get a bunch more photos later once they come and have a look. It hasn't moved an inch from where they set it down, nor will it until they come inspect.
I don't have the heart to tell the previous owner (81!) what has happened. I had promised pic's once it arrived - is it wrong to get creative with the photos I send so it still looks minty?
I did take pictures before I even cut into the tape and throughout the unboxing as you could tell the box was deformed. I will be showing the "inspector" the handful of red porcelain that came along in the bottom. :'(
Still in shock.
Thanks. I'm still gonna feel like shit regardless, but this certainly isn't about my feelings.
When I was at UPS they asked for its value and I said $150 because it needed to at least cover your purchase price, so that might already be a non-negotiable because it's gotta be in the shipping manifest somewhere.
I think I read that up to $200 (USD) worth of insurance is already included automatically. But as for eBay or any other CL purchase, I think all any carrier (or insurance provider) would do is reimburse purchase cost, not someone's appraisal. So I wouldn't spend a lot of time speculating on its value, if for no other reason there wouldn't be enough of a supply to make one?
Very strange about the lid handle. I inverted the lid into the kettle, so did they deform the lid and cause the handle to reach the kettle interior bottom???
Did any wood handles survive? I know I removed one of them, probably that side handle for fear of physical exposure on that side. I probably should have left it on if it could have been sacrificed instead of the metal. Fuck, I don't know.
Overall is sounds as if the box got supremely squished since there's both top and bottom damage. If they'd shipped it on its side, perhaps the kettle bowl would have instead been squashed into an oval.
Don't know if it could have been somehow different with some other carrier?
FedEx, might still have happened......some kind of common carrier......never know what other kinds of freight would be travelling w/ it & heavy stuff sometimes crashes around even with those types of shipping......
I've seen Bretheren do tag team ships across the country, as members passed thru an area, one to the next to the next to home......we might take some kind of look at that, but I don't know that there's quite enough of us to be able to do that yet?
This never happens with the other shippers....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKUDTPbDhnA
This is horrible. How do you replace something or put a value on something that is no longer made? Ask that question to UPS!
I've seen too many instances, and had several happen to me, to where I will no longer use UPS. Its just not worth it anymore. I truly feel horrible about this. I hate seeing it. I do like Buckie's idea from the Brethern with cross country country tag teams with members, but I understand that would still be a logistical nightmare.
OUCH!! that sucks! I know it can't be replaced, but hopefully everything works out as well as it can. That's painful to look at.
I'm at a loss for words.
My deepest sympathies.
I hope someone at least has the courtesy of saying Sorry.
>:( >:( >:( There is no excuse for this! I cant even imagine what you are going through, I am so sorry. :'(
Oh wow ! That really sucks!
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Damn. Sorry to hear!!
That's fucked up! :O
Sent from another Galaxy using Mental Telepathy
That's a crying shame.
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What did UPS say?
They called this morning but I was unable to answer at the time. I then called them back 15 min later and left a msg but still no response. Will try again tomorrow. :-\
I would say that when they ask the value, you could say what you would want if it got destroyed. I think your going to get what you declared the value as. I always use the Fed Ex 24x24x24 box. It is incredibly strong and allows a ton of padding around the grill. I always use Fed Ex to ship. Not saying they couldn't ruin something but so far so good. What kind of box did you use? Someone shipped me a yellow in one of those horrible home depot boxes and the grill was chipped to shit on the edge. First order of business I cut up shitty home depot box and threw it in the recycling. I know those Fed Ex boxes cost a little more but I think it's money well spent. I have shipped at least 20 grills and never had one issue....I know it doesn't help this issue but it's good for thought. I guess the next step is find this man a new master touch....
HD is one of the recommended places on this site to buy a suitable box. If you have evidence or experience to the contrary, please let Troy or whomever know so that the Guide may be edited.
That said, I bought a new 24x24x18 box from U-Haul (another recommended place in the Guide) the closest in size to Weber's 24x24x14 size for 22.5" kettles. I would describe it as an average-strength box.
We can speculate that a box with say, 8 reinforced edges (if available) or exact-fit styrofoam forms (ditto) would have made the difference but it won't change what UPS did here.
Seeing that picture almost made me throw up! That's horrible. As crazy of an idea as this may sound, you ought to tell UPS that you are going to be shipping the damaged grill to Rick's Restorations in Las Vegas to be repaired and that you will be sending them the bill. As a rule, whenever I ship anything "Weber related" that is highly prized, valuable, irreplaceable, etc. I always declare the value at $1000 minimum no matter what it is.
Personally, I think this whole "insurance" thing is a big rip-off that was invented by these shipping companies as a way of making more money. What other business can you think of where you have to pay additional money just to "insure" someone does their job right? When you order a pizza from Dominos, do you have to pay "insurance" in case they drop your pizza? When someone puts a new roof on your house, do you have to pay extra to "insure" it doesn't leak when they are finished? If you go to Midas to have a new muffler put on your car, do you have to pay extra to "insure" it won't fall off when you drive away? Why should shipping be any different? It was in their possession the whole time. The damage occurred while in their care. They should make it right no matter what it cost.
Sorry to see that this has happened.
I use the uhaul boxes and fedex to ship my grills. I've never used the Home Depot boxes, like Brian said they seem too thin.
That SUCKS!!
+1 for FedEx boxes. Ive shipped a few kettles using them and had no issues. They are pricey but wrth it. However, even a good box wont compensate for bad handling during delivery.
Well, this will most definitely be my last shipment via UPS.
How messed up is this?
I call back again this morning because they never returned my call and finally get a hold of the damage inspector. He asks me to forward photos to him so that they can have a look... no problem, photos sent 5 min later. I then get an email saying:
"Once the inspection is completed, all the claim information will be sent to the claims department. They will deal directly with the shipper on record, the shipper is the person or company the package was shipped out from. If you have any questions regarding this claim please contact the shipper directly."
I call and question him on it and am told that essentially I cannot be a part of the settlement process as it's between UPS and the original shipper (THE #$!#$ UPS STORE) and I guess ATS? - So more than likely addicted-to-smoke is going to be getting a call instead of me?!? and we have to work out the rest on our own? How ridiculous is it that they hide behind their own stores?
ATS: If either UPS or the UPS Store calls you regarding the claim can you please have them call me direct? I will pm my cell# again...
Now I have to wait up to a week before this gets sorted and I seem to have little to no say in the situation at least at this point. What a mess.
Just seeing this for the first time now SixZeroFour. Felt more than a little sick seeing that photo as well....I saw the thread describing your purchase of this so knew about it. I woulda' cried too. The big companies care not about your loss and the exercise in frustration you are in for is just that so I advise to resolve yourself. Know this though....there are a whack of us here that care and send along best thoughts for you there bud. Sorry man. I fancy myself a Buddhist and somewhere along the line I read the old guy wrote that, "The meaning of life is loss and suffering". I have not learned to smile about all my losses and some still hurt bad. Be nice if this one stays off your list of ones that hurt a long time for you.
Sorry for your loss. I have dealt with items damaged with UPS. Unless things have changed in the last year, UPS will only give you current replacement value even if it was insured for $1000. They do this to prevent people from shipping already damaged items to get paid a high claim. You are most likely getting $150 for a new OTG. They will not reimburse shipping costs either but will most likely get to keep the grill and the $150 claim check once the UPS store gets it.
"Once the inspection is completed, all the claim information will be sent to the claims department. They will deal directly with the shipper on record, the shipper is the person or company the package was shipped out from. If you have any questions regarding this claim please contact the shipper directly."
MY response to this would be:
It's not the shipper's problem, it's YOUR problem, UPS.......your employees damaged the package!
Credit where credit (or blame) is due................
Troy should be well aware of my opinion of those Home Depot boxes. I personally would never use anything but the Fed Ex boxes. I don't like the Uhaul boxes either. I just can't in good conscience use anything but the best box I can find. I have shipped ultra rare grills and never had a worry when they went out. Personally I do not like the way the How To Ship thread says to ship a grill. I would never do it like the guide says. I made my opinion known. I do it a different way. I like my way and I'm sticking to it. So far so good. As I said 20+ maybe 30+ grills and no damage.
The way I see it the only grill that comes close to being comparable to that MT is a New Performer right?
As far as the box issue goes , here's a Weber Box 1/4 thick, 26 X 26 with corrugated support to prevent crushing.
It's heavy duty .
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/13/a7a5yper.jpg)
I am not sure it helps, but maybe we should invent WKC kettle shipping insurance and self cover.