UPS is sticking it to me

[GoodSteward]

I bought a split mini last year when I was finishing my outside office building. It is a Mitsubishi 12K BTU AC Only(I'm in the south) that I picked up new in the box from someone who didn't need it for 875$. The set sold for 1400$ online. I was trying to save money from just paying the local AC person since they charge a ton. I would have less in the whole setup with a high end unit vs just having the local AC company install a cheaper one. I ended up coming to stand still on putting more money into the building and was given a small window unit. I ended up just keeping that in the building since it worked better than I thought and wanted to pay something off, so I sold the AC unit on ebay. It sold for 1050$ so minus ebay 10%, paypal 3%, and shipping I cleared around what I had in it.

But then...UPS dropped the outdoor condenser.

When the buyer got the item he inspected it and it had damage on the corner. I didn’t know if it would mess up the unit and I had insured the condenser for 1000$ so I thought I’d just file a claim and get a new one. UPS picked up the box, and denied the claim saying it was “insuffient packing.” It was new in the box with the plastic straps on it still with Mitsubishi on the side. I filed a dispute. I had pictures of the whole process, and sent them to UPS. They came back and told me it was a “used box” since it was shipped to me first. They sent the condenser back to me, and they damaged it a lot more actually breaking things because they didn’t pack it right. Now, they are only offering to pay to have it inspected and cover 30% of the repair.

UPS is sticking it to me, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. I had to refund the guy that bought it, and he is going to return the indoor unit he still has. I had used the money to pay something off already so now I’m out 1 grand. This put a big damper on my weekend while I was out of town on a family trip. I still have to get the unit inspected, and try to get something for it. 

[bennkar]

And here I was upset about someone buying an old watch from me and returning it because it didn't run. "Well yeah, it didn't run, it needed the battery replaced. Idiot."

Sorry for your problems though.

[sv2007]

UPS is sticking it to me, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.

There's the court system. Even after SCOTUS, there's still something that can be done!
Anyway, sorry to hear about your loss.

[GoodSteward]

There's the court system. Even after SCOTUS, there's still something that can be done!
Anyway, sorry to hear about your loss.

I thought about that but I shipped this through my job to get reduced rates. Retail shipping was 125$, but my price with insurance was 22$. I don't want this coming back on the company I work for, possibly losing the contract they have with UPS. We are a 5 million dollar UPS account. I had a lot of reps from UPS involved, but apparently, nobody can help. I also didn't know if it would be worth it since I would probably pay as much or more in legal fees.

[bjl584]

I deal with these issues all the time at work.

The deck is definitely stacked in the favor of UPS when it comes to filing claims on damaged and lost packages.

It is hard to recoup any money from them.

Good luck in fighting them.

[Spiffster]

Just a side note... eBay, paypal, and UPS suck, use craigslist for larger items like this.

[GoodSteward]

Just a side note... eBay, paypal, and UPS suck, use craigslist for larger items like this.

I tried. Left it there for a month, and all I got was spam. I used eBay as a last resort because I didn't want to deal with shipping.


Update on this. I got a call at lunch asking me to accpet a 30% payoff from the repair value. I called a local AC dealer and they refused to do an inspection stating they can't declare the repair until it is installed to know for sure. They will not sign off on it being good without seeing it action, which I completely understand. I relayed that to UPS, and they came back stating they will give me 30% of the declared value(1000$), and will let me keep the unit. I figured that was fine and I would just try to resell for what I could(not sure about shipping this time). When I got back from lunch I had a voice mail from UPS to call them to veify some information. I called, and they confirmed that wasn't repairable. I told them in it's current state I can't have it repaired. So she then said "ok then, I am going to submit this for final approval to give you the full 1000$ claimed amount." :O I didn't ask another question. I just said "ok." I don't know for sure what I will get just yet, but it looks like I Might get the full amount. Talk about an answer to prayer!

[DaveInPgh]

I hope the full refund goes through.

If you do end up reselling the unit, give Facebook a try. There is a chance there is a Flea Market/Yard Sale type Facebook group for your area.

I belong to FB flea market groups for my particular borough, a couple neighboring boroughs and a couple for my entire county. Items posted range from baby clothes to cars, and the items reasonably priced always seem to sell. Something to check out.

[GoodSteward]

Well, the claims department submitted the 1000$, but the final adjuster went back to the 30% "agreed upon" amount. That was the amount I had to agree to under the impression it was getting fixed. They sent a 300$ check, and I called back. I explained it couldn't be repaired, again, and they resubmitted for the other 700$. I got a call a week later and they said they have to have a document stating it can't be repaired for claims over 1000$, which I can't get. However, when I realized what she said I offered to accept 900$ to get around the paperwork requirement. She said 75% of the claim is the most I can get if I want to settle for less, so I took it. I"m getting a total of 750$ and I get to keep the unit still. I'm ok with that since I should be able to make up the rest selling it.

[Tabs]

I avoid UPS whenever possible. I used to work in a supply warehouse for years, and worked with UPS, FedEx, and DHL on a daily basis. Between them, UPS has always been the most careless about their packages.

That said, I do realize it's based on my own limited personal experience, accidents happen, and your mileage may vary. So, feel free to take that for what it's worth.

On another note, I've seriously pondered about getting a mini-split myself. The idea of drilling only a minimal hole for pipes is very enticing. However, I am not sure if I am able to install it all myself, especially if I need to build my own concrete foundation. Any further insights would be appreciated.

[GoodSteward]

I avoid UPS whenever possible. I used to work in a supply warehouse for years, and worked with both UPS, FedEx, and DHL on a daily basis. Between them, UPS has always been the most careless about their packages.

That said, I do realize it's based on my own limited personal experience, accidents happen, and your mileage may vary. So, feel free to take that for what it's worth.

On another note, I've seriously pondered about getting a mini-split myself. The idea of drilling only a minimal for pipes is very enticing. However, I am not sure if I am able to install it all myself, especially if I need to build my own concrete foundation. Any further insights would be appreciated.

Just pay someone. You need some special equipment to deal with the freon and the warranty is typically either voided or severely reduced if a certified tech doesn't install it. I was going to still have someone else install this, but after everything I'm going through I should have just paid to have one installed with everything included. I paid 900$ for this unit on ebay new(locally was 1400$), but still needed to buy another 200$ in accessories plus around 300$ to install it. I got a quote from a local AC guy for 1300$ installed, however, that was for a lower end unit that was a step smaller. I bought a Mitsubishi unit because it can have up to a 10-year warranty, and is the luxury brand of the split minis. My problem wasn't from doing it on the side, but from trying to resell it since I decided not to bother with it. I got a unit I'll sell ya for 600 shipped!