Originally posted by dragonwsun I got email from UPS today and it said:
"Please note that the claim check is being processed and a check will be issued and mailed within five business days after UPS received the paperwork."
Does it mean I will get the check soon? My concern is whether there is any possibility that UPS will refuse to pay. I have to refund to the buyer today, otherwise, the case will be escalated to ebay and I will lose transaction fee.
Here is my experience with insurance claims.
USPS: I do camera repairs to help support this hobby of mine. Mostly Rollefilex type TLR cameras. Somebody sent me 3 (three) cameras to do a basic CLA on. He had Double boxed all of them and sent them in a very well padded outer box. You probably could have driven a truck over this box without damaging the contents. What you could NOT do however, without damage, is ram the box with the blade of a forklift. A real long story short, it took him 3 months to settle the claim and they finally did pay.
UPS: Many moons ago I wanted an ALPS Dye Sub printer to print decals (specifically so I could print White on clear decal film). Bought one used on ebay, from a 'Reverend'. He didn't pack it correctly and as a result the gear that moves the print head back and fourth sheared teeth. A Very common problem with these printers. BY this time, Alps had stopped any support of the printers. I asked the seller, remember, a 'Reverend', to help with a claim. He refused. He refused any help at all (and if I ever meet that SOB, he will meet his maker at the end of a Louisville slugger). Since the Shipper owns the claim, he has to initiate it or release it to the recipient. Doesn't matter who actually paid for it and I think that is the case with All shippers. Bottom line, this should have been a shot into a napkin (instead of finding a fertile egg) jerk off has my $230 and I have a Large paperweight.
Fedex (ground)... Same printer. I had managed to make the necessary compound gear to get the printer working. I had actually managed to make a print with it. By that time however I was so disgusted with the prospect of this shitty printer, I didn't want it anymore. So, I listed on ebay (disclosing everything), and sold it for what I had paid. By this time, I'm pissed off with shipping anything at UPS I've decided to use Fedex Ground instead. Pack it properly, take it to the depot, pay the money and insure it, off it goes. Buyer gets the printer, plugs it in, turns it on, big cloud of white smoke comes out of the back. He writes, we file the claim, fedex ships the printer back, and refuses the claim stating no apparent damage. I get on the phone, politely explain, Again, that this was internal unseen damage. After a few minutes of going up through the ranks of Fedex claim management, they agree to cut a check for the price he paid minus the shipping cost. I refund his money (minus the shipping cost), everybody is happy or at least as can be given the experience (this is before ebay's paypal only policy and he'd paid with a postal money order). I could have just given him the half peace sign but I'm not that kind of person.
I finally unloaded that printer on ebay (again) as a parts unit. The guy who bought it wanted the gear to fix His printer. I've since had a few requests for gears but no one wants to pay the price. I really don't want to make another one but for my asking price, I will.
Fedex (ground): 1999, Dad dies. He had a fairly well set up video production studio. Mom says unload this stuff for me. Most of the sales go without a hitch. With the exception of 2 of the monitors. They arrive to the recipient smashed. File the claim, fight with them a little bit, they pay, done. In this case however they did not return the package.
So, to answer your question, I don't know. It's always like pulling teeth and I have always heard that UPS was among the worse. If they Say they are going to pay you, and you are the original shipper, make sure your paperwork is all in and see what happens. At this point at least, they haven't refused.