• Please note that Audiokarma will be offline briefly for updates early on Monday morning, September 28th.

FedEx Max Liability = $100 ???

Too freaking funny!!

The only thing close to that I've seen is at work we had a guy loading up a flatbed with computers. vcrs, TVs, etc. He wheels it up to the side fire doors and busts out through them and............

Right into the police who were writing a ticket on his illegally parked getaway car!!

What a maroon!!
 
Cool stories, but I'm looking for a little guidance here.

Danamc and I both were essentially ripped off here. Dana paid 200+ for the unit, and FedEx reimbured about $190 total. To offset his loss somewhat, and because I felt so badly, I rebuilt his 700C preamp with the $190, which did not cover parts and labor, but was something I wanted to do to help ease the sting.

The gentlman in Omaha paid top-dollar for this amp ($350+), and it is worth it, as it is essentially perfect. Whatever resolution comes about, he cannot be out that cash.

We're gonna work on the seller and see what info we can gather. Beyond that, with no proof of serial numbers.....
 
Echo,

I wish I knew what advise to give you, but I don't. Please keep us up-to-date on what happens. It sounds like the gentleman from Omaha is cooperating with you. Hopefully that will make things easier. I wonder if FedEx can be more cooperative... maybe a supervisor can help provide more tracking information as internal theft costs companies more money than external theft ususally does.

Best of luck.

John
 
don't overlook the obvious???

EW... any chance that danamc recorded the serial number before it shipped to you, or has a photo of some kind, showing an identifying mark like a scratch or something??

Are any of the repairs or mods unique enough that you might have documented them in correspondence between you back in the day?

A long shot perhaps, but even an itemized list of parts replaced, especially if you can identify any with non-standard values that could not possibly have been standard issue? This may not be conclusive proof, but it might help....

... just a thought.. and good luck!!
 
Sorry EW, didn't intend to make light of your issue. If it had happened to me, I would have been hopping mad too. Other than getting in contact with FedEx and explaining the situation to them, after getting the info from Omaha, it's tough to know what to do. Even if you had the serial number, I'm not sure that it would help much, especially since you have the unit in your possession. Wish I could help more.

On a related issue, it seems that there's way more complaints about FedEx and lost or damaged gear that they are denying responsibility for. Just my informal observation.

Murray
 
Very interesting thread Glenn... FedEx was kind enough to lose my first Kenwood KR 9600.

I won one off of Ebay that was supposed to be in working condition, it wasn't.

I popped the cover to find the relay board cracked, the seller claimed that it was working when
it left his doorstep. I have to give the seller credit as he went way out of his way to help me.

So I make a claim against FedEx - they say they need to pick the receiver up to verify the extent
of the damage. I said that was fine and had them come and pick it up.

The guy shows up, grabs one side of the box and lets the other side bounce down the front steps! :yikes:

I yell at him telling him that I didn't want anymore damage done to the receiver in case I get it back.
He just wonders off merrily back to his truck!

About a week passes and no word... so I call the office that was suppose to have my receiver to
find out where it is... they told me that they checked it out and it's on it's way back to the seller! :yikes:

Seems that's what they always do in cases like this, the item goes back to the seller!

So I emailed the seller and told him that it was coming back to him, he couldn't believe it!

The seller then refuses the receiver thinking it would come back to me... the tracking number
showed it went to some FedEx depot, never to be seen again by me or the seller!

Same thing happened to me - I paid $280 for the receiver with shipping, it was insured for
$300, but all I got back was $121 (must be a standard value) and no receiver!

I fought for a week to make my case or to find my receiver, but no dice!

Strange that the only problems I've had with shipping item are always with FedEx and no one else!

Scott
 
I wish I could offer some advice, EW, but I wouldn't know what to do myself. I would have said don't cash the checks and don't sign off on anything until you're satisfied. That works with insurance companies but I don't know if it would make Fedex have to keep the claim unresolved. Sounds like not. My wife is really good at dealing with people like that woman. I have no clue how to get around them.
From now on I will write down the serial number of every unit I ship, though. Never thought of that.
 
hpsenicka said:
EW... any chance that danamc recorded the serial number before it shipped to you, or has a photo of some kind, showing an identifying mark like a scratch or something??
Click to expand...
Danamc never even saw it...he bought it and had it shipped directly to me. Only if some communication between Dana and who he bought it from included a serial number would we have hard evidence.
Are any of the repairs or mods unique enough that you might have documented them in correspondence between you back in the day?
Click to expand...
The six caps on the driver board replaced with Panasonic FC caps, the six original TO-92L pre-driver transistors replaced with the exact Panasonic TO-126 transistors that I use for this purpose, and the offset pot replaced with a Bourns multiturn trimpot. I need no other convincing for myself. Once I had the top off, I saw within 5 seconds that this was THE unit. That's how sure I was.
A long shot perhaps, but even an itemized list of parts replaced, especially if you can identify any with non-standard values that could not possibly have been standard issue? This may not be conclusive proof, but it might help....

... just a thought.. and good luck!!
Click to expand...
No list that I can find, but for a 9100 minor rebuild, these changes I mention are the EXACT changes I make. Trust me...I don't mention this stuff to convince myself, I already KNOW. It's getting someone else to believe it is the tough part.
 
EW, all I can offer is what I do with my repair work. I always initial and date the chassis I work on with a Sharpie in some inconspicuous area and I always note the make, model and serial number on the invoices I generate. Did you create some sort of paper trail when you previously worked on it that you can reference to as proof?
 
EchoWars said:
Cool stories, but I'm looking for a little guidance here.

Danamc and I both were essentially ripped off here. Dana paid 200+ for the unit, and FedEx reimbured about $190 total. To offset his loss somewhat, and because I felt so badly, I rebuilt his 700C preamp with the $190, which did not cover parts and labor, but was something I wanted to do to help ease the sting.

The gentlman in Omaha paid top-dollar for this amp ($350+), and it is worth it, as it is essentially perfect. Whatever resolution comes about, he cannot be out that cash.

We're gonna work on the seller and see what info we can gather. Beyond that, with no proof of serial numbers.....
Click to expand...

Sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit and work in a grey area to get the right thing done. Governments do this all the time, including our own: Think Patriot Act and Camp Delta.

Since you now have the unit and you likely have a digital camera, you can always take some pics with the date on the camera re-set to when you had the unit the first time it was in your shop. Once you've printed out some photos showing the date and the serial number on the back of the unit, you've got your proof that someone at FedEx stole your unit and resold it.

Since this crime took place across state lines, it's a federal offense and you can request the FBI to investigate.

And now you've got a great potential news story for a mass media outlet about how FedEx employees are stealing shipments and reselling them for a profit on eBay or where ever. Managed correctly by you and friendly attorneys, this could become a living nightmare for FedEx senior management.

Hell, contact UPS' headquarters and tell them you have proof that their chief rival is corrupt and stealing from their customers, you have proof, and how do you go about reporting them and who do you FedEx's criminal activity to. If I'm an executive at UPS, I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven if I had a chance to screw my chief competitor like this!

You have many options now. What are you waiting for?

This is not an issue about doing the right thing. FedEx made this personal with you, so you want a fair settlement and you also want to nail FedEx's cojones to the wall as a trophy if you can.

And don't feel any remorse about doing anything bad to them. Do you think they feel any remorse about screwing you? :cool:
 
EchoWars, a quick follow-up to my last post.

You also can't permit yourself to feel any remorse or feelings for the poor smuck that purchased the stolen 9100. It's sad he bought stolen merchandise and was unlucky enough to send it to you, but, he now is part of this situation.

Since you can now prove he ended up with a unit that was stolen, he needs to go after whomever he acquired it from and get his money back. If you decide to get serious and pursue this from a legal perspective, he will end up having to talk with the FBI or who ever ends up investigating this crime.

I myself would not inform him yet about what you've learned just in the very off chance he was somehow involved with the original theft. Let the FBI or whomever do their job if you decide to report this crime. :cool:
 
I still can't understand why people think its ok to lie. suggesting someone manufacture evidence is one of the most corrupt things I have ever heard. Also the "I got screwed so I can screw someone else" mentality is disgusting.

I suggest the course EW has begun as the best. Things should always be done the "right" way even at the risk of coming out on the short side. In the end your integrity and credibility are worth more than some $500 amp.
 
BeerCan said:
I still can't understand why people think its ok to lie. suggesting someone manufacture evidence is one of the most corrupt things I have ever heard. Also the "I got screwed so I can screw someone else" mentality is disgusting. I suggest the course EW has begun as the best. Things should always be done the "right" way even at the risk of coming out on the short side. In the end your integrity and credibility are worth more than some $500 amp.
Click to expand...
Indeed, its a problem we are having now (eg. 'camp Delta') that in the last one hundred years the misconception has caught on that what is needed to prevail is more important than who or what one is. Ben Franklin and chronies knew that score, and we are in big trouble unless we are able to move it back into the center of our U.S. culture right away. -sf
 
BeerCan said:
I still can't understand why people think its ok to lie. suggesting someone manufacture evidence is one of the most corrupt things I have ever heard. Also the "I got screwed so I can screw someone else" mentality is disgusting.

I suggest the course EW has begun as the best. Things should always be done the "right" way even at the risk of coming out on the short side. In the end your integrity and credibility are worth more than some $500 amp.
Click to expand...

As much as it is preferable to operate in the "ideal" world, reality often forces us to deal with the "real" world. How many of us here have hired an attorney to get us out of a speeding ticket, for example? The "right" way would have been to have paid the fine and the horrendous increase in our insurance rates for the points. But who here has actually done this? Have we irreparably damaged our credibility and integrity simply because we chose to fight a speeding ticket even though we were speeding? E/W is convinced the 9100 he got in for service is the one that was stolen from the FedEx system and he is now in a positon to document and report this theft. This is no different than the speeding ticket scenerio.

Idealists may be happier people but they get abused much more often by those who adapt to the "real" world, no matter how distasteful that may be. The key to not becoming corrupted by the real world is to recognize when you have crossed these boundaries, IMHO, and save your real world actions for situations that merit them.

The philosophical question here is, "Is the greater good served by precisely following the rules and hoping you get a fair settlement from FedEx, or is the greater good served by E/W receiving the insurance reimbursement he paid for AND maybe forcing FedEx and/or the FBI to internally investigate a possible employee theft ring that might save others in the future from this fate?” :cool:
 
I am far from living in the "ideal" world thanks to people like you. I am sorry that you feel lying cheating and stealing are fine virtues to have. The world is a sorry place thanks to the likes of people like you. And no don't paint me a bleeding liberal. I grew up on the streets of new york, I fought in combat twice and I vote republican for the most part. I just have more respect for myself.
 
sorry fellas, missed this part

you can always take some pics with the date on the camera re-set to when you had the unit the first time it was in your shop.
Click to expand...
:worried:
 
BeerCan said:
I am far from living in the "ideal" world thanks to people like you. I am sorry that you feel lying cheating and stealing are fine virtues to have. The world is a sorry place thanks to the likes of people like you. And no don't paint me a bleeding liberal. I grew up on the streets of new york, I fought in combat twice and I vote republican for the most part. I just have more respect for myself.
Click to expand...

You sure seem awfully sensitive for an idealist. And for whatever reason, you now seem to feel you've been pushed in a corner judging by your personal attack calling me a liar, a cheater and a thief. But I do believe I'd love to engage you in a game of "Texas Hold'Em:" I think I'd walk away with all your money :)

I choose not to respond to your attack. The tone of your missive speaks much about yourself and your current state of mind.

BTW, politics and combat experience are irrelevant in this group - It's an audio group, not a political discussion or support group. :cool:
 
Vinyl Rules! said:
You sure seem awfully sensitive for an idealist. And for whatever reason, you now seem to feel you've been pushed in a corner judging by your personal attack calling me a liar, a cheater and a thief. But I do believe I'd love to engage you in a game of "Texas Hold'Em:" I think I'd walk away with all your money :)

I choose not to respond to your attack. The tone of your missive speaks much about yourself and your current state of mind.

BTW, politics and combat experience are irrelevant in this group - It's an audio group, not a political discussion or support group. :cool:
Click to expand...

trust me I am not excited. I call them as I see them. I was not attacking you, by your own suggestions you so much as admit you condone lieing and cheating.

As for the other comments I was merly pointing out that I have plenty of real world experience and do not live in an ivory tower. It was not meant to be political nor would I seek your support.

Inspiribomb,
I will heed your suggestion and make this my last comment.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom