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Claim Problem Using FedEx
ArtD
Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
I recently shipped a rifle I sold on GunBroker via Fedex Ground. I ensured that the rifle and contents was fully insured.
The rifle was shipped and arrived to the buyer but sustained shipping damage to the muzzle. I initiated a claim via Fedex's Ground Claim Service. The claim was filed and I immediately mailed the necessary support documentation.
Fast forward, today I am contacted by Fedex Cargo Claims department and am told that the claim must be filed by the listed sender.
My question, has anyone else had problems with a shipping claim?
The rifle was shipped and arrived to the buyer but sustained shipping damage to the muzzle. I initiated a claim via Fedex's Ground Claim Service. The claim was filed and I immediately mailed the necessary support documentation.
Fast forward, today I am contacted by Fedex Cargo Claims department and am told that the claim must be filed by the listed sender.
My question, has anyone else had problems with a shipping claim?
Comments
It's been my experience that NO shipper will honor an insurance claim without the claimant jumping through 10 hoops and having to file appeal after appeal. Too much trouble and not worth it.
In each case, I did provide good pictures, and copies of sales receipts. However, it seems that the amount of money someone just paid for a gun is no reflection of the gun's actual value. That has to be determined from other sources. Never mind that I insured for actual value; now I had to PROVE how much each item was worth.
And each claim was denied, and I was given another address to appeal the decision, where I had to start all over trying to prove my case. My claims were denied at this level too, and I was given a THIRD address for making a final appeal.
This time, my appeal went to Washington DC, and again, I had to start all over, proving value, proving damage, proving that the guns were well packed. Whoopee! This time, I got my money.
Never again. I'd have been much better off to have had the buyers return the guns to me, refund their money, and the sell the guns for whatever salvage value was left. So, now I self-insure.
Insurance is just a way to raise revenue.
By the way, damage occurred to both guns within days of one another, and it was during the Christmas rush season. So, every one of my auctions bears this statement in the Additional Terms Of Sale:
"PLEASE NOTE: Long guns and/or any item valued at $200 or more, I will not ship during the time between the first week in December and the first week in January. If you have ever had to file an insurance claim with USPS, you will understand why. Thanks!"
1. When you use GunBroker to create your shipping label, although you are the actual sender, you are not listed as the Sender. IA Tech, LLC is listed as the Sender. I do not know if that is a third-party GunBroker uses or is actually part of GunBroker.
2. In GunBroker's instructions, they direct you to begin a claim via the carrier's claim process. They even provided a link to Fedex's Ground Claim service.
3. After completing the claim, Fedex contacted me and said that the contract they had with IA, Tech, LLC required any claim be initiated and processed by the listed Sender. Any monetary awards would be sent to IA, Tech, LLC and then sent to me.
3. Thus far to their credit, Fedex has actually been very helpful in my dealings with them. They have called me twice with updates, provided me with an actual contact number and extension, and are trying to reach out to IA Tech, LLC.
At this time, the ball is in GunBroker's court. I'll keep you up to date.
Nunn is right, USPS makes it almost impossible to get paid on a claim, unless you know who to talk to. I'm filling out a claim forms today on a lost low value insured shipment. Their website is impossible to navigate and doesn't work right 99% of the time.
My postmaster has given me the "local" unlisted phone number for their Consumer Affairs department in Las Vegas that covers my area. Since doing it this way, I have dealt with the same lady, and they have paid two of my claims without dealing with the numbskulls that answer the regular 800 number.
Gun Broker is the shipper.....it is their account. You need to contact Gun Broker support and have them start the claim.
I contacted them yesterday via the GunBroker Support e-mail line. Over 24 hours later and I have heard nothing. Just crickets!
Art
Additionally, I asked GunBroker to explain the claims process and they provided this information. I hope this will be helpful to anyone needing to initiate a shipping claim in the future.
GunBroker.com Support (GunBroker)
Dec 5, 1:04 PM EST
We understand that the claims process can be somewhat confusing. Typically, when there is a claim, the shipper on record (owner of the shipping account) is required to file the claim. Our parent company, IA Tech, LLC, is the owner of the account and thus, considered the shipper on record. We generally require our users to provide us with any and all documentation of the item damaged-pictures, repair estimates, etc, so when we file the claim, we have everything needed to get through the claims process. Then, as we are the shipper on record, any payment for approved claims is refunded to us and in turn, we return that money to the user, in this case you.
We realize that this does take time, however we have to follow the required steps set forth by FedEx in order to get through the claims process as smoothly as possible so we can get the claims paid as quickly as possible.