Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

Well, I hope you have read my rant aginst FedEx by now.
Here's some info about my local UPS terminal.

As in most areas of the country, we have a local UPS terminal, and a local UPS Store as well. The UPS terminal is closer to my home that the UPS store, which used to be known as "Mail Boxes Etc".....I think.
Anyway, since the UPS terminal is closer to home, I went over there to ship a Titan to Bob Wilcox in Paso Robles for a V6.0 upgrade, and the SE update.

I had made computer generated "To" and "From" tags, and clear taped them to the box top....no big deal.....they add their label too, and you have the "belt and suspenders" approach. Enough labels that any english reading moron on the planet could figure out who is shipping it to where.
The lady behind the counter told me that it would be nice if I would fill out the UPS computer label, using the terminal and printer on the counter to my left. That must be the new standard procedure......I replied that I would be happy to, and started figuring it out........since I was facing another direction, I didn't notice that she was busying herself opening the JetCat shipping box that I had so carefully packed, labled and sealed.
Her next word were "Is this a carburator?"
I looked 90 degrees to my right, and saw her holding up the turbine by the starter, with two fingers of one hand, with a look of curiosity on her face.
She had opened the sealing tape, removed the top foam package liner, removed the turbine core from its plastic bag in order inspect the contents to satisfy her curiosity that I am not a senior silver haired terrorist. Ill addmit to being sliver haired.......but that's the end of it.

I informed her that it was not a carburator, but a miniature jet engine......
She told me that they would not ship it, as it smelled like gasoline.....
"Not gasoline, but kerosene", I replied....
"Well, it smells flammable to me"
"As it is a jet engine, it is built to contain fire.....since it contains fire, it is obvious that it is not flammable!!!!...... The container is was packed in, being made of cardboard, is more flammable that any of the contents" says I. The smell she was objecting to was from the pump. It was in it's own plastic ziplock bag.

This didn't change her mind, as she didn't wish to be confused by the facts, so she again informed me that they (UPS) would not ship it because she, in her educated opinion has decided that it is flammable!
I informed her that I expected her to repack it, and she almost told me to straight to Hell, do not pass go, do not collect $200.00, just find someone to ship it! "Get lost!" she said.

"Okay, I will find another way. Think you are the only game in town?" I didn't bother to tell her that my AMG has a navigation system, and in opposition to and in defiance of her desires, I certainly wouldn't get lost, or take a wrong turn and end up in Hell on the way home. Maybe close to Hell, but that's another story too. I went 5 miles home to repack it. (and flush the pump with PPG DX330 to get rid of the Jet-A smell).

After flushing the pump, and repacking the whole mess, true to my word, I took it to FedEx, and they shipped it. No sweat...their representative didn't even ask what it was...just if it was flammable or not. I joked with the FedEx counter lady that the cardboard box that it is packed in is more flammable that the contents....she hadn't heard that one before, and chuckled a little. I chuckled too. I decided that I would never again use UPS.

FedEx shipped another engine for me, then on the third attempt by FedEx to ship an engine to Paso Robles, they lost the engine for me. See the Shipping by FedEx thread for the problem I had with them.

Next time I will go to the UPS store, instead of the terminal and see how it goes there.

Just make sure you insure for the full amount of the engine and its accessories, even if you are shipping a partial engine.

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

Harley,

I had a similar experience, but the cardboard box had UPS's label on the front of it from the time it was shipped to me. I told the lady that "you had just shipped it to me", and I had to send it back!

What she was smelling was the oil that lubricates it.

I think, it was just the matter of finding the wrong person with the wrong attitude, etc. I'm sure that if you go back a different time with a different person, it'll be just fine.

Raf

Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

Raf,
There was a kero smell from the pump....but, very faint.
Small town, small crew.......You're right, wrong person that day.
Exchanges like this leave a foul taste in my mouth, but I will press on.

"Endevoure to persevere".

drdoom

My Feedback: (9)

I like your sense of humor, Don't burn your bridges at USP, because if they fire her,, She may end up at FedEx. and You will have to return to UPS, or USPS[X(].

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Harley - judging by your 2 threads today, you have got to be the unluckiest guy around, when it comes to shipping !

Can I please get you to ship my VW Passat to somewhere, fully insured ? I need to replace it by something that isn't such a complete piece of trash, so would welcome having it 'disappear' during shipping !

jetnuno

I use odour free kero

F-16 Skywalker

She need to be fired!!!

Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

Gordon,
If you can afford the gas to get it up here, I'll ship it to Timbuktu for you.

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

I had a bad experience with UPS they told me I did not pack it with enough bubble wrap and it shattered the plane from tail to nose...

It was obvious that a forklift rammed it with a pallet, looked like an accordion...

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

When it comes to small stuff like engines, I only use the USPS and ship priority. Priority is 2-3 days from coast to coast and comes out cheaper than UPS ground which is five business days from coast to coast. Never lost a priority package. Yes their online tracking is not up to snuff but even with more accurate tracking, UPS and Fedex lose packages all the time. JMO.

Marty

highhorse

My Feedback: (2)

BUt guess what? If ur shipping priority coast to coast with USPS.....it's going thru the FEDEX (!!!!) hub in Memphis, via a fedex airplane. Go figure.

KC36330

must be where you guys live at, the UPS here is the best by far to ship with. I've never had a problem with shipping anything, i even ship live corals (my other expensive hobby) and they never give me any hard time or open anything. i fill out all the details on the computer, it prints out the little label and they scan it, measure the box and give me a total, i pay, they say thank you and i leave with the receipt. on the occasions I've had problems they dealt with them promptly and paid for all damages no questions asked.

Kriptonic69

My Feedback: (1)

I would have slapped the $hlt out of that UPS chick and knocked her out with a Pimp Slap.............

How dare anyone at OOPS (ups) open up a package without due cause.

Gene

SkyKnight

My Feedback: (67)

I have the same problem at our local UPS terminal that Sir Harley of Kalispell has. I wish I could describe things as well as he does! Anyway, of the 3 counter agents (at least this one woman would appreciate that title) at this termial, I always get the same woman. I've even tried to repsoition myself in line but she must have a turbine magnet or something.

After fierce interogation similar to what Sir Harley went through, I too get my packaging destroyed. I even told the woman this is the same box and packaging the factory sent the engine to me in through UPS at this specific terminal. It even contains all prior shipping labels.

No matter how thorough I describe the contents, she remains as dumb as a bag of hammers.

Like the woman out there in MO, this woman is extremely rude....to the oint I feel like filing a complaint! Maybe the two of them are related. I'm gonna try USPS next time.

-SK

Bob_B

My Feedback: (11)

I have visited the local Fedex Ground Hub and they handle the packages as if it is a demolition derby in these buildings.
Long boxes are handled the worst of all, this side up labels completely ignored. It is amazing that more models are not destroyed.
The night I was there there was a FAI F3C pattern plane in a large wooden case and it was was being handled properly!
If you are shipping in cardboard it MUST be double boxed to survive period.

drdoom

My Feedback: (9)

I just ordered some #8 grade Bolts. Ill keep you posted.

cactusflyer

My Feedback: (4)

UPS get's a little "sensitive" when it comes to hazardous materials. Due to a couple of incidents and the loss of a DC-8 in PHL, I believe that it came to light that the operation wasn't tracking WHAT they were shipping very well. The DC-8 had lithium batteries in it that did what lithium batteries sometimes do..............So the decision came down the pike that they would no longer ship hazardous materials...I'm not sure if that was voluntary or mandated. At this point, it doesn't matter.

Not to provide any unwarranted defense to the gal in Montana, but I'm sure the sh$$t storm rolled down hill pretty fast after the Philly incident. What did she have to loose by telling you adios?....Now if she accepted your package and burned down another airplane or the Memphis sorting center.........That's bad for her. If a package was previously accepted while smelling like fuel then that person working the counter screwed up.

That was a good idea to flush with DX330........I'll file that one away.

Tailwinds,

John

Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

John,
What I objected to the most, was the way she displayed it to me after reemoving it from the box......a thumb and index finger grip on the flexible plastic starter motor, held 5 feet above a concrete floor. Had she dropped it, the nozzle would have been bent, and perhaps the starter would have been broken off. That would have really fired me up!

If she had dropped it on her foot, maybe there would have been enough comedic value to cool my temper somewhat. Not that I don't care about her foot!!!! Wrong!!!

The bottom line is: At least she could have held it a little more carefully and securely. If you have to ask what an article is, then you damned well don't know it's value....and that makes me believe that she should have exercized more caution and care when a $3,800.00 engine was in her custody.

How does JetCat ship everything home to us? Answer: UPS, and without any of the flammability hassles that I am aware of.
The pump always has kero in it when it shows up.

I can't take credit for the flush hint. "The Inlet", BVM's publication, was where he printed the tip of using DX 330 to flush the entire fuel system of our jets before packing the jet in your BVM JetCase for an airline trip. That's where I read about it. I did that when I flew to Superman in 1999, but didn't have any DX 330 to re-flush before the return trip home. The airline took it without any hassles at all. But, that was before 911 when they were a little more lax.

SGT.SHAGGY

I am sorry about the damage. From the looks of the picture it seems that there was a load shift.

We dont use forklifts.

It is important when shipping items of high value that you use proper shipping boxes. these boxes will have a UN number on them with a crush rating.

SGT.SHAGGY

I will post a list of items that are not permitted in the air system and a list of items that are not permitted in the ground system..... unless the smell of the kero was comming through the box she should not have opened it in the first place. I am sorry that this took place

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

In order to ensure that we each purchase a box with a sufficiently high 'crush rating', can you tell us how much crush UPS actually applies to boxes marked "fragile" ?

Gordon

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

BTW, I heard a rumor that Fedex doesn't use forklifts either ... they have a cool new loading method called a trebuchet:

SGT.SHAGGY

A pkgs is never damaged on purpose nor is a crush rating tested with a customers pkg, if that is your state of mind than i am sorry . sometimes a load may shift, it shouldnt, but sometimes it happens. a lot of people use pkgs over and over and over again and the box loses its integrity and is easer to damage.

DocYates

My Feedback: (102)

Also don't be fooled the UPS Store, they will double or triple your shipping costs. Here locally one of the best places to take items is to the local Office Depot, they have a shipping department that gives you basically the same price as taking it to the local UPS dock. That may not be the case everywhere, but I learned my lesson at one of the UPS Shipping stores (old US Mailbox) or whatever it was. I took a plane, a small one, in to be mailed. I asked if they had a box to fit it, and she said yes. I tried to buy it, but she offered to put it in the box for me. She was so cute and nice, I thought this can't be too bad. Man, should the red lights have went off then. She told me to come back in an hour and she would have it ready, but leave the address for her and she would have it ready to go. When I went back, she said the UPS truck had already came by and she took the opportunity to send it on its way. She was smiling with those big beautiful teeth when she told me the cost was $178 half of which was the shipping charge.....***...I like to have passed out. The plane was sold for $150. It was a little small propjet. She proceeded to tell me how she added the bubblewrap and foam to it, and then it had to be shipped oversize, even though it only weighed like 6 pounds, it had to be labeled appropriately so the gorilla would know to kick it a little harder.
I basically PAID $28 for the guy to get his plane. Lesson learned. Stay away from the UPS store and good looking young ladies who are TRYING to help you....LOL. My wife thought it was funny till I told her how much it costs, then it was my fault all over again. Wimmin, can't live with them, and can't beat 'em without going to jail.....

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

That's hilarious !

Look on the bright side … many guys end up paying a heck of a lot more than you did, in exchange for a little attention from a cutie.