Forum Moderators: buckworks
FWIW, carriers like TNT tend to have high damages because of the wide range of goods they carry (pipes/machinery/awkward shaped products). Some like Amtrak claim to be specialists in fragile goods like computers but I found the customer service worse than appalling.
For what you describe I'd use the post office really.
i've tried them all Parcel Farce, Amcrap, DHL, UPS - they're all as bad as each other. if they're breaking the stuff, the drivers/warehousers are stealing it.
if you havent already, you might be better to invest in some good robust packaging materials to reduce breakages and clear bright red 'fragile' labelling.
only other thing i can think of is do your own deliveries if they're local, you can pickup a 2nd-hand transit van quite cheap, or even contract hire.
With TNT at least when they damage something they pay up - eventually! - unlike some others I could mention.
All carriers will try to argue the customer accepted the goods in good condition. So its a good idea to put a label on all boxes, telling your customer to check the goods before signing, or at least signing for them as 'goods not inspected'
The destination of the parcel also has an effect. We always put extra packaging in parcels going to London!
Its teh only way I find.
All carriers will try to argue the customer accepted the goods in good condition. So its a good idea to put a label on all boxes, telling your customer to check the goods before signing, or at least signing for them as 'goods not inspected'
Unfortunately, the law is very much biased in favour of the customer. If they fail to sign for it as "goods not inspected" then there's nothing you can do. The courier will state that they goods were signed for as "received in good condition" and they are therefore rejecting your claim. If the customer signs for it as "goods not inspected" the couriers will still reject your claim under any of several get-outs
1. You didn't contact them immediately to notify them of the damage
2. You contacted them but didn't put it in writing.
3. You contacted them but didn't put it in writing within the required time.
4. They didn't get your request for a claim form and now it's too late
5. They lost your claim. You need to re-do it but it's outside the time limit now.
6. The customer threw away the packaging.
7. You did not supply all the right documents with the claim - including the customer's invoice, your orginal invoice from your suppliers, photographs of the damage, detailed valuation for repair costs, detailed valuation of what the scrap value of remaining goods is, the date your grandmother lost her viginity...
8. Even if all the documentation is correct they'll forget about it, send you boilerplate letters asking you to send the correct documents, return them to you and then say they lost it.
9. One million other routes to avoiding liability.
TNT doesn't pay "eventually". Over a course of several years and several million pounds worth of goods sent, several tens of thousands of pounds in insurance premiums paid to them, tens of insurance claims, and every claim submitted meticulously.... I got paid £0. It was only on witholding paying their invoices (against their terms and conditions) and a threat of court action did we get to sit down with them and reach a compromise to write off our invoices against the insurance claims. And we never used them again.
When that's not possible (as in our case) spending on packaging is the number one priority.
We sell & ship glass shower enclosures & other products to consumers/retailers across the country. The glass is toughened and therefore almost impossible to break. Damage occurs when the driver drops the door from 2ft off the back of the lorry and bends the aluminium frame. £5 of extra ethafoam packaging per item helps reduce this.
I can recommend two companies...
We use APC Overnight to ship the glass shower enclosures. We pay something like £7.50 for the first 25 kilos and .25p per kilo extra.
For larger items we use Cranleigh Freight Services, who deliver door to door (ie, no hub is being used). We get almost zero damage here, but it's more expensive. Could be good for your furniture though depending what you're able to spend.
If it's the glass that's always being damaged by your courier, then I'm not sure any courier (other than door to door like Cranleigh) will get it there in one piece. I'm sure all their insurance policies have disclaimers re glass.
Have you thought about having the glass toughened?
[edited by: lorax at 11:57 am (utc) on May 23, 2005]
[edit reason] removed DNs [/edit]
TNT doesn't pay "eventually"
Oddsod, all I can say is in my case they did. They paid for an item they damaged in Nov 04 in Feb 05.
I can't say they didn't try every excuse you outlined, and we didn't have to constantly chase then, but eventually they paid the full value of the damaged goods.
TNT's biggest problem is London:
Next day deliveries often take 3 or 4 days, excuses include address dosen't exsist, or customers are not there.
The outer carton's look like they have been through a waste compactor.
Parcels go missing, this hasn't happened to me, but a friend who sends desirable items now always seals them in opaque black bags.
