Well having just had a shipping loss I’ll jump right in on this one.
We have always sworn by FedEx. They are able to track their packages
better and quicker than any other company. The USPS has no true
tracking system. UPS can track things but we have found their ability
to correct a problem is just about nil. My parents just overnighted a
package to us via the USPS on Friday. They finally attempted delivery
on Tuesday (didn’t deliver–just attempted). Their claim was that
someone in the overnight office left abruptly so no one was there to
process the package! We bought something from a store on Wednesday in
NYC and asked that it be overnighted to my store in Cambridge, MA for
a Friday delivery. They shipped it UPS. Nothing showed up. Friday
afternoon I called the store, got a tracking number and called UPS.
UPS claimed that someone had attempted delivery at 9:30 am. No notice
was left. No redelivery attempt was made. We have had the store in
the same location for 20 years, with the same hours. They all know
who we are, yet they couldn’t come back a half hour later when we were
open. They refused to bring the package back out until Monday, even
though we have Saturday delivery in the area. They claimed it would
be too difficult to locate it and redirect. As to our recent loss: We
sent a customer’s diamond and sapphire to our stone cutter in NYC for
a clean up. FedEx called us the next day and said the package had
been pulled aside because it appeared to have been opened and
resealed. We asked them to open it and sure enough the diamond had
been stolen (not the sapphire). They forwarded the package to their
security office than made sure that the sapphire got delivered the
next day. It took us one week to find a replacement stone (it was an
old mine cut) and 30 days from that point to get the $500 from FedEx
for the coverage we had paid for. My insurance company (Jewelers
Mutual), took a few days longer to pay the balance under our shipping
coverage with them. No other shipping company would stop a package en
route because it appeared to be tampered with. Unfortunately, since
it was an internal theft, it does mean that they have some criminals
in the system, but I think all the companies have a few bad apples.
Here’s the best part though. It cost us $2500 to replace the diamond.
The wholesale value of the sapphiRe: $8-9000! Just goes to show
that there are no smart criminals out there. Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers 1794 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02140
@spirersomes http://www.spirersomes.com
As long as we are talking about shipping experiences, I haven’t had
any problems since I started doing the following: I pack the jewelry
in a gift box and place it inside a self-stick padded mailing
envelope. Then (and here’s the new procedure) I staple it shut and
tape over the staples. It is very easy to open a self-seal mailer but
very obvious if you open a stapled & taped mailer. Ever since I
started doing this I have had no problems. (I use the post office)
The only caution is I won’t ship anything to a Chicago customer
unless it is priority mail with delivery confirmation. I know this
isn’t the same as insurance, but at least I can tell that it was
delivered.
My favorite post last year on this subject was the person who said
they were shipping manure supplies when they had to write down the
contents of the package. And for heaven’s sake don’t put the word
"gem company" or “jewelry company” as part of your return address -
you might as well put a red sticker on the package to let would-be
thieves know that something valuable is inside.
Carol
There is another potential concern in regards to insurance and
shipping and that is payment of value. I sometimes do cartography
work where I am inking updates on large vellum originals that are
oftentimes decades old. Last year one of these was lost in shipping
by UPS. When we filed the insurance claim we were told that the VERY
STRICT policy of all the major shippers (USPS, UPS, Fed EX and
Airborne Express) was that they will only cover the cost of the
materials. Period. Any work done by craftsmen or artists or
technicians to increase they value of the materials was specifically
exempted from insurance coverage. They offered to pay us $400 on a
map with a replacement cost of $12,000! Luckily for us the person
they did deliver it to several streets over (UPS insisted they
dropped it at the address listed in spite of the "Signature Required"
label) finally brought it to us. It was quite a scare and initial
research into the other shippers confirmed what UPS told us. We
decided to switch to FedEx for ease of use and because we were just
mad at UPS. Has anyone ever had similar experiences? During the
research I was also specifically asking about jewelry as well, and
was told in every case that the insurance payout would only cover the
replacement cost of the raw materials and not the the hours and hours
of workmanship that I had invested in the piece. we decided in the
end to just play the odds and hope for the best. Has anyone ever had
to actually collect on a lost piece of finished work?
Another note on shipping. Six years ago I was working out of state
and Arizona Motor Vehicles Department requested that I send them a
Priority Mail Packet for them to ship me my new license plate. When
it never showed up I spoke with a Postmaster General in Phoenix USPS
who told me that “all Priority Mail means is that if there is only
room for one more bag on the truck, it will be the Priority Mail
bag”! When I asked him point blank if this had been a waste of my
money he said yes.
Epaul Fischer
Gryphon Song Creations
Phoenix, AZ
Hi Gang,
With all the negative comments about UPS, could it be that UPS really
stands for ‘Usually Poor Service’?
Hi Ron,
I had a loose with the USPS. A custom set of wedding rings that I
made. I gave them a copy of the invoice and they took care of it. They
were a bit slower than I would have liked.
Timothy A. Hansen
TAH Handcrafted Jewelry
web-site : www.home.earthlink.net/~tahhandcraft
PS
Is anyone on the list intersted in exchanging web links?
Just jumping in here with a thought. Every time I ship a package UPS
and write jewelry on the package contents line I feel like I’m just
screaming out to anyone who handles it, “steal me”. Yet I suppose if I
don’t correctly identify the contents there would be no insurance on
it. One time I had to wait in line behind a person shipping a number
of boxes of hog semen (no kidding, I live in Iowa). It was something
packed in coolers and was being kept on ice so I just HAD to ask. I
don’t suppose someone would steal that. Wish we could trust people.
Annette
Hello all,
I would like to ask how any of you living outside developed countries
does for shipping. So far I have avoided it but I would really like
to start sending pieces to some shows but really don’t know how or
who to trust. And how do we know if the insurance works? There are
lots of international shows and such but how do jewelers get their
work to the site safely???
Thanks in advance for any help. Keep the positive comments coming
and breath deeply before slamming someone.
Sharron in Saigon thinking about other places
Hi Diane, The package has arrived at last! I was somewhat
disappointed to note that the pairs were not matched for size and
were somewhat smaller than requested, with the exception of one
piece! The client has been very specific as to finished size so I
will have to confer with her to see if the smaller size will be
acceptable. Unfortunately, I am involved in Christmas on the Prado in
Balboa Park all of today and into the night, as well as the same,
tomorrow. It will be early next week before I know if these pieces
will work for her. I will keep you apprised of the situation as soon
as possible. Thank you again for all of your efforts, Susan Ronan
Hello all,
About shipping, I found out that the safest way of shipping is,
sending it in the bulk of non valuable post. This post is send in such
large amounts arround the world, that thieves never find the valuable
stuff under these amount of parcels. I have had two time send something
valuable under assurance. It has arrived in one case 5 day later and
in the other case opened. I got the value back from the insurance, but
the jewels were gone. The Dutch post is very difficult in paying out
the insurance money, you often have to wait 1 year to get it. I think
they hope the send parcel will found some where in that period. So
nowadays I send even valuable things in standard envelopes and
parcels. I never lost one and they all game on time. strange?
Martin Niemeijer
I think the payout you get from a company depends on how you describe
it to them. If some mail order company sends out a blanket that
retails for $500 and it is lost the shipper cannot go back to them and
say there is only $12.00 worth of wool in this and that is all we are
going to pay you. Proof of value is the most important thing and it
has to be a clear statement about that (i.e. you should have
repeatedly forwarded them a copy of an invoice to the customer with
$12,000 listed as the value of the vellum original and not told them
anything about how you actually arrived at that figure). I think the
second most important thing is to find an insurance company who will
insure your shipping. Jewelers Mutual does offer this as part of
their package. You still need to have a deductible on it but that is
the amount that you ask for from the shipper. Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers 1794 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02140
@spirersomes http://www.spirersomes.com
All,
Been watching this thread for some time…time to give my two cents.
I have shipped very valuable (capital stones) via USPS for years with
no problems. But then again, many of my suppliers use both FEDEX and
UPS when they ship to me. In nearly 30 years… thats nearly 30
years, only one package has been lost. Unfortunately that was just
before Christmas last year and it was via UPS. My supplier gratiously
provided a replacement shipment and I was able to get it to my client
just in time. Unlike Nancy, my UPS driver is GREAT! He will NOT ever
leave a package at my house unless I give him a specific signed
authorization for a specific package. I live in a gated and guarded
community and my front door is recessed so no one can even see into
the area from the street…but he still will not do it. FEDEX is
also pretty good though they do tend to leave things next to the door
now and then.
I guess its just a matter of where one lives…you know what they
say…location, location, location.
Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL, USA, where
simple elegance IS fine jewelry!
Remarkably the NZ post people seem to get honest workers, and we have
little trouble with theft in transit, although the Courier companies
who are supposed to deliver packages ‘hand to hand’ don’t. What
happens is that you wonder where the hell your order has got to, then
fall over it when leaving by the door you don’t use every day! This
happened only a few days ago with a consignment of sterling wire,
sheet and granules. They were supposed to get a signature for it; but
most don’t bother. Admittedly they don’t leave it sticking out of your
street mail box - they just drop it at the door you don’t often use.
Why don’t they bother? Well, the obvious reason is that they get paid
very little for each item and knocking on doors, waiting for it to
open, etc, takes the time they could have used to made another
delivery. Then there’s the fact that bored householders try to
buttonhole them and pour out their troubles when they need to deliver
as much as they can to make a decent living. (a friend who is a
courier explained this) When I send jewellery items overseas, I do the
usual careful wrapping and sealing with tape and put another address
on the inner package, then send in a bubble posting bag with very
clear labelling and return address, staple the self-stick opening and
use tape over that. On the inevitable customs slip where the space is
for ‘description of contents etc’ I always write “ornament. Stone and
metal.” Admittedly I don’t send $50,000 diamond brooches, (What a
hope!) but I have never had problems. Aren’t we lucky? Hope you
didn’t mind my 2� worth of positive among all the negatives! – John
Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ
With all the negative comments about UPS, could it be that UPS really stands for 'Usually Poor Service'?
I strongly disagree. I have gotten every one of my UPS deliveries.
Any that didn’t arrive on time were directly attributable to the
sender. Same goes with the US Postal Service. Airborn, however, seems
to get lost from time to time.
My most recent scare was when I accidently left town with my solitary
safe key in my pocket. I knew it was a problem when I realized what I
had done, but just tried to keep checking my pocket for it’s presence
while on my trip. On my return, I discovered that it was lost. I
searched everywhere. Nothing. I called the cab company and offered a
$300 reward. Mind you, I really didn’t wish to use a torch to cut open
my safe. I would waste a day and have to go out and buy a new safe. I
was really freaking. I think that thoughts of suicide were sounding
pretty good. Finally I called security at the airport that I had last
flow out of. I thought that I might have parted ways with it while
trying to get through the metal detectors.They told me that if I didn’t
hear from them in 20 minutes, to forget about it. About 5 hours later,
they called. The police returned it to me by Airborn. Well, almost.
They delivered it to someone else first and insisted that I must have
it. Sheeeesh! They did some checking and got it back to me within the
next hour. Let me count some lucky stars.
I trust UPS.
Bruce
John B - “Ornament. Stone & Metal”… That’s brilliant! I am
always stumped about what to do when I ship jewelry overseas (and as
of now I don’t ship anywhere but overseas) & I’ve got to put the
contents on the customs form. I don’t have “jewelry” anywhere else
on the package, like company name or anything, and it frustrates me
that I have to put it there for customs. But, “ornament” is quite
correct, and so it “stone & metal”. It’s correct, but not revealing.
I love it!!
Sounds like you also have the package well sealed. Did I understand
that you basically pack it twice, both times taped up, with the
inside one addressed as well?
Thanks for the wonderful idea.
Lisa
Designs by Lisa Gallagher
www.designsbylisag.com
Brinks,Loyds of London.Levmore in New York used to insure
international freight,even Federal Express.Trade Organizations like
MJSA,and Jeweler’s Board of Trade,likely AGTA offer members difficult
to obtain Gemstone,Jewelry insurances/transportation. Sometimes the
show promoters will handle transportation,customs
clearance,delivery,etc.Use a top notch import/export agent with
International offices,not subcontractors.Danzas(worldwide) is a good
example. ALL insurance companies will delay as long as possible,and
attempt to avoid payment on claims.This is life. In third world
countries like Brazil,even legal export is filled with corruption and
bribes.All export is really done Black Market,if insurance is offered
by your Brazilian exporter,they won’t pay on loss.Today,it is a big
risk to carry the merchandise out yourself.For sure bulk,all baggage
is xrayed now,they have moderized and added them in just the last
couple yearsAnd federal police presence dramaticly increased with the
main purpose of taking your money.Best way to be sure for small
amounts is still to secret it on your person. But today is a much
larger risk.In the past they were more interested in the “fine”.They
have discovered that seizing the goods for auction,and holding you for
a few days brings in more money. DON’T even try to bring in under $400
to the US undeclared if it is a commercial import.Have your broker
meet you beyond custom clearance to make formal import.The costs,less
duties usually around $150.Remember International flights arrive in
the middle of the night or very early morning.They earn this. I have
published at my website the complete section of the US Customs
Harmonized Tarrif duty rates and regulations regarding
jewelry/gemstones at this URL
http://www.LICCINI.com/Htariff/hrm77.html Hey folks,you like my posts?
I just semi-retired,lots of time.I really enjoy feedback,and
cultivating e-mail pen pals in my life’s area of interest Gemstones.
Mark Liccini
http://www.LICCINI.com
I would like to ask how any of you living outside developed countries
does for shipping. So far I have avoided it but I would really like
to start sending pieces to some shows but really don’t know how or
who to trust. And how do we know if the insurance works? There are
lots of international shows and such but how do jewelers get their
work to the site safely???
Timothy- I would be happy to exchange links with you, if you would
also be interested. If you go to my site (www.designsbylisag.com)
and click on “links”, you can then follow the link to info on
exchaging. That goes for anyone else that would be interested, too!
Lisa
Designs by Lisa Gallagher
www.designsbylisag.com
I don’t have “jewelry” anywhere else
on the package, like company name or anything,
I suggest what when a valuable package is to be sent to say, “John
Doe Jewellers Limited, 69 Hine St, Westport, NZ” one should simply
leave out the word ‘Jewellers’ or ‘Jewellery’ and you’ll find the
package gets there OK just the same - or better!
Sounds like you also have the package well sealed. Did I understand that you basically pack it twice, both times taped up, with the inside one addressed as well?
Yes; it is called, 'belt, braces and string mentality' I have seen some
pretty sorry rags of parcels. Think to yourself that you have to defeat a
wild predatory post-devouring ravenous monster whenever you have to post
or
send anything, and wrap it accordingly. And even put your return address
on
the inside parcel. It’s all a damned pest, but play safe!
– John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ
Dear Mark, Your post on shipping, especially with reference to getting
stones out of Brazil, brought back memories of anxious moments
getting through customs at the Rio airport. Actually, I never had a
problem in this regard…when I was active in gemstone commerce in
Brazil getting the stuff out of the country was the old check-in
baggage routine. I do, however, remember when a mutual friend of
ours,( J.S. ) thought he would carry goods out in his briefcase…he
was nabbed at the gate and wound up in the penitentiary…seems to
me he had to pay seven thousand dollars to get out. It was the
classical old shakedown routine. I never could figure out why the
Brazilians would be so short sighted as to thwart commerce in their
own bailiwick. You would think that they would welcome gringos with
open arms and without the myopic policies…let alone the fact that
their customs people were on the “take”.
I wonder whether D.E. in Teolfilo , in his capacity of self appointed
despachante, can get the goods through without a hassle ? I suppose
ultimately you have to resign yourself to the fact that small
operators are at the mercy of the bigger operators who, in turn , are
the ones who are protecting their own turf by buying off the
politicians. On the one hand you call it “free enterprise” and on the
hand it is called “smuggling” ! It depends on which side of the fence
you are on…Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA. Early Show, Tyson
Wells, Quartzsite