And UPS isn't any better. I had a package delivered with a big hole in it, and they claimed that it was given to them that way. However, the hole was right through their shipping documents... they refunded the shipping, but not the insurance on the item that they had destroyed with their forklifts. Right now they are holding a package that was shipped to me and won't tell me why they can't deliver it.
From: "cctalk" <cctalk@classiccmp.org> To: "cctalk" <cctalk@classiccmp.org> Cc: j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 7:08:25 AM Subject: FedEX unsurance issues Hi, a heads-up on sending expensive items via FedEx. They appear to have a new policy, limiting honouring insurance coverage; so, in my opinion, they are now unsuitable for shipping valuable items. Data point 1: a couple of months back, I bought a PDP-11/40 on eBait. It was shipped via FedEx in two separate packages: one with boards, and one holding the chassis/front-panel. They somehow managed to lose the second box - and then refused to fully pay out the insurance coverage on that box. We provided them with data on an open eBay auction for an identical item, to prove that our valuation was not inflated, but it didn't help - they only paid out a reduced amout, not what the thing was worth, and _what we had insured it for_ (even though _they_ lost it). Data point 2: I collect Japanese woodblock prints; a large dealer I do business with used to do all their shipping via FedEx - dozens of shipments per week - but as of yesterday I as informed that they are now switching. Why? FedEx lost a valuable, insured, package - and would only pay out US1K on it, not the full insured value, leaving the dealer to absorb most of the loss (several US$K). There's a clear pattern here; FedEx is refusing to honour the full insurance coverage when an item is lost. So I wouldn't ship anythihg valuable via FedEx unless you can find an outside insurer to cover it - since Fedex's own insurance coverage now often cannot be relied upon. Noel
