UPS lost cooler with $1000 of my gear inside

[coppermushroom]

Hello all - looking to see if you have any ideas that I have not done yet...

Third season rifle I shipped my sons gear as well as my own to a friend in CO via UPS. Gear was packed and sealed in two big coolers (much cheaper than airline baggage fees). They got as they were supposed to so all we took was our binos, GPS, and rifles with the airlines.

After the hunt we flew home and he shipped the two coolers back...however only one arrived. What's worse is that my buddy inadvertently forgot to insure them. I have filed a claim and talked with my local UPS hub. My friend has met with the UPS store manager in CO who remembers helping him get them shipped. Tracking numbers do not show the missing cooler ever leaving the UPS store in CO.

I had well over $1000 in that cooler with my pack, sleeping bag, clothes, etc and right now UPS is offering me $100 plus the cost to ship for a total of $210. Since the insurance was missed what other curse of action might I have to recover close to the value? I have provided a detailed list of what was in the cooler, called every number I can find, and my buddy is stopping almost daily at store in CO to put pressure on them. He feels terrible and it's maddening the response that we are getting. This is a massive package that I have trouble believing was just 'lost'.

Where do I go from here?

 

[MidGAHunter]

My father used to own a UPS store before he retired. I hunt with three different guys that drive for UPS. I asked all four, and their response was unanimous in that without added insurance, you may be SOL. My Dad did say to discuss with the store owner regarding the fact it says it was never picked up, and to call corporate and see if they can do anything. His words were that it can't hurt but it also might not help. In the end, without the added insurance you are at their mercy. Sorry to hear this and I wish you luck.

 

[justinspicher]

I’d start calling the regional hub manager and higher.

 

[Brendan]

Police report as stolen / lost then file a claim with homeowners may be your only option. Your credit card may have a form of travel insurance as well if you paid for flights, etc.

 

[Vandy321]

See if the store owner has cameras. Should make it pretty easy to see if that package was in fact picked up...then, you can go from there.

 

[Rob5589]

Odd that they accepted it into the system but it never left that location. Seems fishy to me, especially since you had any some valuable gear stowed inside, and the other cooled showed up. For a grand worth of gear, I'd be making contact with law enforcement. Good luck!

 

[dieselchessy]

When we have stuff like that we track down the driver. They have routes and tend to do the same route. Ask the driver if he picked up 2 coolers and where he took them.
Then go to the local distribution center (by the airport?) and ask them if they have it.
I’m guessing since tracking doesn’t show, it wasn’t scanned in at the distribution center. Might still be there. Then check at the distribution center on your side.
We lose stuff like that cause it’s 2 packages as one shipment and folks can’t seem to grasp “1 of 2” and “2 of 2”. So you receive half the shipment and the other half languishes in a distribution center cause no one wants to take the time to figure out where it belongs.

 

[slvrslngr]

Sounds like it was stolen. File a police report and continue beating the down the doors of UPS. Don’t settle for $210.

 

[txhunter581]

To prevent real tracking errors (wouldn’t help if stolen) I always write my name and phone number on the outside of the cooler with a sharpie and also put a card with my info inside the container. That way of the address label gets ripped off they can still call you.

 

[FLAK]

It didnt just evaporate, its out there somewhere.

 

[TXCO]

Man Im sorry. Sadly, unless you have renters insurance, your homeowner deductible is probably too high to mess with. Hopefully it shows up.

 

[Mike Islander]

Sounds like your buddy owes you $790?

Without additional insurance UPS is not legally liable for more than the included $100 insured rate your buddy agreed to when he left off the insurance. But definitely go to local and regional UPS management to see if they will do anything.

UPS store is a franchise, and since the package never left the store, technically this franchise never got it to the shipping company. So they may have some liability beyond the standard shipping insurance. I would hammer the phones and show up in person. Report the theft (since it never made it to UPS shipping), etc. Not sure if anyone legally owes you more than the $100, but it can't hurt.

 

[Skerhunter]

The way it looks, it was stolen from the store (label created and never shipped). I would say keep putting pressure on the store/ups and file a police report. You insurance should cover lost or damaged during shipment. It never shipped, so it was lost/stolen at the store. Hopefully the pressure will make them look into it closer. It is possible that it was picked up and never scanned. It would have to be sitting wherever it got dropped off first (check your other tracking number) and still unscanned. That seams unlikely though.

 

[Crowmangler]

"We lose stuff like that cause it’s 2 packages as one shipment and folks can’t seem to grasp “1 of 2” and “2 of 2”

This may be the issue. Just happened to me a few days ago. I ordered 2 identical items & when Fed Ex came I just happened to be home. He gave me one box & tried to leave while I was taking it inside. I asked him where the other one was & he argued with me & said there wasn't another one in the truck. I pressed him on it & then showed him the order on my phone & told him to keep looking for it. It was there the whole time of course. I'm not gonna say he was trying to do something fishy but it sure would be easy to do since his system showed that he delivered the order.

I'd have an attorney press the store for their camera recordings & see what happens.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Please file a police report. When I was on the job we had a very large UPS distribution center in town. Made arrests out of there routinely for theft.

 

[Stalker69]

I would guess stolen also, how were they sealed when shipped, taped, strapped, locks ? Does it look like the one you received was “ resealed” ? Some one may have wanted to know what was in them, opened them and figured they would keep the “ good one”. I would think shipping companies should be held accountable for a lot of things like this, but they aren’t, even when insurance is purchased they get away with it so many times. They lost a cooler of fish ( salmon, trout) I had shipped back from NWT and they never did a thing about it. Argued with them and told them they were going to have to pay for another trip back up there, of course they didn’t, and they didn’t care in the least that it was a once in a life time trip for me.

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

Sorry man that packed got lost. Unfortunately insurance (cc or homeowner) will get you some of your money back. Police report with the items. But they won’t look into it. A lawyer is going to cost most of the $1000 you already lost, so I don’t think I personally would take that route.

Either way it’s a crappy deal. Hope the cooler is found!

 

[coppermushroom]

Thanks for the suggestions. Am currently talking with police and have asked for about the cameras. The two coolers - while shipped back to me at same time - had separate tracking numbers. The one that arrived had 15 scans between Colorado and Ohio. The one that is missing shows the label was created in CO (by the store manager of the UPS Store) but no other scans. According to my local UPS hub that is a very strong indication that it never left the store...while this seems obvious to me I am essentially getting shoulder shrugs from the UPS store, the 800.PICK.UPS line, as well as the individuals who have called me after claim was filed. I will keep pushing and see where it goes.

 

[tntrker]

You're going to be SOL with no insurance taken out. Hate putting this on the friend, but WHY would they not insure it? If I had done that, I would feel obligated to pay you for the loss. You may have to chalk it up to an unthoughtful friend that lost you the items..

 

[Joshk358]

Good luck. Hope you get your cooler and gear back. Sounds like it was stolen to me as well, just my 2 cents.