Ring stolen out of FedEx box!

[hanione]

Not sure if this is right place for this, but I have to vent...

Three weeks ago I ordered the perfect anniversary band from Signed Pieces: 1 ctw, 7-stone, platinum, basket setting. I have been patiently waiting and finally got word that it had shipped and miraculously, would arrive just in time for our fifth anniversary trip to Paris (we''re leaving in two days). Lo and behold, I stopped home for lunch today and the FedEx truck was outside--a day early! I ran outside to meet the delivery man, and was greeted with...

"You''re not gonna like this, but I think your s*** was stolen."

The outer cardboard box had been ripped open. We pulled out a padded envelope from inside. The envelope had been slit and the ring was gone. All the paperwork was still there. I am still in disbelief.

First I called FedEx and placed a claim...they were NOT that understanding. I guess my little ring doesn''t seem like a big deal to Ms. Customer Unservice, but it was a big deal to me!

After I got off the phone with FedEx, I called my husband and cried.

He''s taking me for some ice cream after work to soothe the pain.

After I got myself under control, I called Powel at Signed Pieces, who was wonderful. For anyone out there who is feeling nervous about online purchasing, I hope this doesn''t scare you. My situation is frustrating, but it''s a one-in-a-million thing. Once the claim goes through with FedEx, Signed Pieces will be making me another ring and I''ll just have to wait until the end of the month (hopefully!).

In the meantime...grrr. I was looking forward to staring at that thing for 8 hour on the plane to France!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh what terrible news!

Did Fed Ex give you any idea of how this could have happened? With all the tracking they do can''t they figure out who the last person was that touched the box and didn''t note any damage to the packaging?

 

[Harriet]

Ouch, I''m sorry!

 

[Ellen]

Aww, I''m so sorry.

 

[mrssalvo]

gosh, that is just terrible news. I hope fedex will take care of things quickly for you so you can get another ring asap..

 

[Skippy123]

I am so sorry. Are you going to call signed pieces too?

 

[hanione]

Date: 7/2/2007 3:30:39 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Oh what terrible news!

Did Fed Ex give you any idea of how this could have happened? With all the tracking they do can''t they figure out who the last person was that touched the box and didn''t note any damage to the packaging?

Ah, yes, well according to the delivery guy, when a FedEx package goes through a major city''s shipping hub, there are always people on the lookout for small, pocketable goods. He said that the major chain jewelers use fake return addresses so they don''t attract attention. He also said I''m lucky because usually the thief will re-seal the box so the customer accepts the package without realizing anything is wrong. In this case, the delivery guy was able to file the report instantly from his truck.

I''m not sure whether I believe all that, but I guess it''s not that crazy of an idea. I''m just angry that someone''s going to pawn my beautiful ring for way less than it''s worth and then it''ll be floating around some cheap jewelry store...that idea hurts more than anything.

As for restitution, Powel at SP says that it should take a few days for FedEx Security to complete their investigation, but when the insurance claim goes through, they''ll make me a new ring.

 

[chrono]

I''m sorry to hear this. I believe SP should have insurance on it so you will be covered but it''ll take some time for all the paperwork to clear. I would also think that Fedex should be able to track the ring''s passage and all exchanges of hands on it, so may be able to find the thief.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

It seems to be quite common that FedEx-boxes are slit open, and that the contents are taken out, especially with high value-shipments. For that reason, our insurer for instance demands the following safety-procedures:

- double-boxing, so that when the outer box is slit open, they first find the next box,
- filling up the box, so that the contents do not rattle,
- absolutely no indication of ''diamonds'' or ''jewels'' in any of the company names, nor of the sender nor of the receiver,
- putting a specific code on the AWB, which technically means ''diamonds'', but which does not read as ''diamonds''
- no value declaration on the AWB.

I recommend these procedures to all jewellers in the business. After all, it is better to be safe (slightly safer) than sorry.

Live long,

 

[princesss]

My heart about stopped when I read through this! But how nice that the FedEx guy noticed and was able to file a claim right away. That should take away any doubt of FedEx''s that you pocketed it and then tried to file to get another one, which is at least a small silver lining. I''m so sorry this happened!

Beware when you fly, too...I''ve heard stories of people''s jewelry getting taken during x-ray screenings for carry ons.

I hope this gets taken care of and you get your new band quickly.

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh geez, that sucks, so sorry.

 

[Stephanie]

That''s awful!! With the details you gave, it sounds like someone loads the truck, or the driver himself, took it. Was Signed Pieces name on the box? I wonder if they just saw the insured value and decided to take it or if they knew it was jewelry... Try to enjoy your trip to Paris.

 

[hanione]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:01:14 PM
Author: Stephanie
That''s awful!! With the details you gave, it sounds like someone loads the truck, or the driver himself, took it. Was Signed Pieces name on the box? I wonder if they just saw the insured value and decided to take it or if they knew it was jewelry... Try to enjoy your trip to Paris.

Yes, the Signed Pieces name was on the box, but the return address doesn''t look like a jeweler. I checked the package tracking online and it was routed through the Newark, NJ distribution center before coming to the local office in my town in Pennsylvania. The delivery guy said the box was damaged when he put it on his truck this morning, but wanted me to be the one to open the package in case the contents really were stolen. According Mr. Deliveryman, the big city distribution hubs are kind of notorious for this sort of inside job. Grrr...I guess this is why we have insurance!

 

[Ellen]

Sadly, this is a prime example of why, if you are shipping, or are having something shipped jewelry wise that is irreplacable, use the Post Office.

 

[chrono]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:20:16 PM
Author: Ellen
Sadly, this is a prime example of why, if you are shipping, or are having something shipped jewelry wise that is irreplacable, use the Post Office.

Ellen,
This item is shipped from SP so it should be covered by SP's insurance. USPS isn't foolproof either. I've had a paraiba stolen by the Post Office people even though it was through Registered Insured mail. The cutter did get his money back since it was insured but I was still out of a gorgeous gemstone. The poor cutter tried to make it up (even though it wasn't his fault) by cutting 2 smaller paraibas for me because he didn't have a lot of rough left.

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m so sorry to hear what happened, this is really shocking. I''ll cross my fingers that the claim is processed quickly. Please enjoy your trip to Paris, hopefully you''ll have a nice present waiting for you when you get back. It''s probably best that you don''t travel with your nice diamond ring anyways.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Oh sweetie...I am so sorry.

But as the Delivery man said...it could be worse. If the scum thief had sealed the package back...it would only be your word that the item wasn''t there. That would have been a bigger headache than this sad event.

I seem to always find a silver lining...and I think that the stones in the new ring will be much much much better...and besides you do get icecream tonight! What a sweet hubby you have. He is for sure miserable knowing your are in pain...and bless his little heart ice cream is his answer! Gotta love

him!

Spend those 8 hours on the plane staring at your Hunk of man...he is more precious anyway.

DKS

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:24:07 PM
Author: Chrono

Ellen,
This item is shipped from SP so it should be covered by SP''s insurance. USPS isn''t foolproof either. I''ve had a paraiba stolen by the Post Office people even though it was through Registered Insured mail. The cutter did get his money back since it was insured but I was still out of a gorgeous gemstone. The poor cutter tried to make it up (even though it wasn''t his fault) by cutting 2 smaller paraibas for me because he didn''t have a lot of rough left.

Chrono, I understand. I was talking about irreplacable, like my OMC ring.

And no, no place is foolproof, but I still think the PO is safer overall.

 

[chrono]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:32:39 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/2/2007 4:24:07 PM
Author: Chrono

Ellen,
This item is shipped from SP so it should be covered by SP''s insurance. USPS isn''t foolproof either. I''ve had a paraiba stolen by the Post Office people even though it was through Registered Insured mail. The cutter did get his money back since it was insured but I was still out of a gorgeous gemstone. The poor cutter tried to make it up (even though it wasn''t his fault) by cutting 2 smaller paraibas for me because he didn''t have a lot of rough left.

Chrono, I understand. I was talking about irreplacable, like my OMC ring.

And no, no place is foolproof, but I still think the PO is safer overall.

Yeah, my gemstone was also irreplaceable to me. These paraibas are so rare and expensive. To this day, I still mourn the loss of my gemstone, and have continued to search for a replacement stone that is worthy of the original.

 

[hanione]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:28:58 PM
Author: door knob solitaire
What a sweet hubby you have. He is for sure miserable knowing your are in pain...and bless his little heart ice cream is his answer! Gotta love

him!

Spend those 8 hours on the plane staring at your Hunk of man...he is more precious anyway.

DKS

DKS, you''re so right, and I must say your comments have me laughing out loud.

Ellen, FYI, I asked Powel at Signed Pieces if they ever use other couriers for their shipments. He said four customers have insisted on using the USPS. Three out of four of those packages were "lost" in transit. Hmmm...

This stuff happens, and it stinks, but what are you going to do? Based on this experience, I don''t think I''d ever ship an irreplaceable sentimental treasure. At least with my ring, I know I''ll get something equivalent, it''ll just take longer.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/2/2007 4:36:46 PM
Author: hanione

DKS, you''re so right, and I must say your comments have me laughing out loud.

Ellen, FYI, I asked Powel at Signed Pieces if they ever use other couriers for their shipments. He said four customers have insisted on using the USPS. Three out of four of those packages were ''lost'' in transit. Hmmm...

This stuff happens, and it stinks, but what are you going to do? Based on this experience, I don''t think I''d ever ship an irreplaceable sentimental treasure. At least with my ring, I know I''ll get something equivalent, it''ll just take longer.

If they were Registered packages, that''s indeed interesting, and highly unusual. Many experts on here recommend them as well...


Chrono, I''m so sorry about your loss.

 

[snlee]

That''s awful! I hope you get things taken care of quickly!

 

[luckystar112]

Wow. I would be so livid!!!

I have HUGE issues with ALL delivery methods; UPS, USPS, and fed-ex.

All of the drivers seem to think that it is okay to drop my packages off in front of my front door. None of them take the time to ring the bell. My car could be in the driveway, my garage door could be open...they are just lazy. In the last year I have had plenty of very valuable items dropped off at my house. A new laptop, a video camera, a cell phone, etc. I have a sign posted on my door that says "please knock if delivering a package." they still don''t!

But the absolute worse, I have to say...is USPS. My grandmother was trying to send me some of her china. She packed the first box well, but never got it insured. It arrived busted open with half of it''s contents missing and the other half broken into bits. I was devastated. This was like, 50 year old china.

My grandmother offered to send me a different set of china that she had, and I told her to pack it extra tight and make sure to get plenty of insurance. USPS lot the package, and when I finally got it everything inside was broken again. I KNOW my grandmother packed it well, as I saw the remnants of all of the plastic air pockets, styrofoam bubbles, and newspaper. She had also taken a black sharpie and written "FRAGILE!!! GLASS!!" ALL over the box. There were stickers from USPS that said "fragile" as well, and multiple stickers that said it was insured. Apparently that wasn''t enough for them to be careful with it. I actually WITNESSED the lady DROPPING it in front of my door. I ran down there to confront her but she had already driven off. I went straight to the post office, sat in line for an hour and bawled my eyes out.

We were never able to claim the insurance money on it either! She was located in Florida, and they were telling her one thing. I was in TX and they were telling me another thing. They wanted proof of how much my grandmother paid for it. I guess they wanted her to travel back to 1973 and miraculously NOT throw out the receipt. We couldn''t prove how much it cost...they kept on telling us we needed all of these "new" things in order to prove it to them. It was a nightmare.

And I still see my mail lady dropping packages off in front of people''s doors when they aren''t home.

My boyfriend briefly worked at UPS back when he was in highschool, and he said you can''t trust those guys. They could care less if your package is insured or if they break anything while handling it. They are more focused on making sure their employees work fast than on whether or not they are breaking anything. So packages get thrown, dropped, tossed...and everything else. If something gets broken, it''s "oh well." It''s the company''s problem, not theres. It''s like sitting on a plane and watching the baggage handlers toss your suitcase underneath...but worse.

Wow...sorry for the vent everyone. haha

 

[DBM]

while i never actually went through the claims process after sending something via USPS Registered and it being taken I would think though that the advantage of being able to insure for up to $25k for a relatively small fee makes it well worth it even if a person''s package DOES get taken. It''s always good to overinsure by a few thousand just to cover oneself. you figure if it gets taken you''ve now just got a windfall of a couple more thousand dollars to spend, no?

 

[He Scores]

The key lesson to be learned here is not to accept a damaged package. The shipper could have claimed it on their insurance then.



Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/2/2007 5:19:29 PM
Author: luckystar112
My boyfriend briefly worked at UPS back when he was in highschool, and he said you can''t trust those guys. They could care less if your package is insured or if they break anything while handling it. They are more focused on making sure their employees work fast than on whether or not they are breaking anything. So packages get thrown, dropped, tossed...and everything else. If something gets broken, it''s ''oh well.'' It''s the company''s problem, not theres. It''s like sitting on a plane and watching the baggage handlers toss your suitcase underneath...but worse.

Wow...sorry for the vent everyone. haha

That IS part of the problem, for sure.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 7/2/2007 5:22:58 PM
Author: DBM
while i never actually went through the claims process after sending something via USPS Registered and it being taken I would think though that the advantage of being able to insure for up to $25k for a relatively small fee makes it well worth it even if a person''s package DOES get taken. It''s always good to overinsure by a few thousand just to cover oneself. you figure if it gets taken you''ve now just got a windfall of a couple more thousand dollars to spend, no?

Nope. You have to prove the value of the item. They don''t just write you a check. This would probably be fraud.

 

[yellowsparkles]

Date: 7/2/2007 5:24:21 PM
Author: He Scores


The key lesson to be learned here is not to accept a damaged package. The shipper could have claimed it on their insurance then.



Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

Exactly - the driver noticed the package was slit open. Lessoned learned - don''t accept the damaged goods.

 

[DBM]

Date: 7/2/2007 5:28:44 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 7/2/2007 5:22:58 PM
Author: DBM
while i never actually went through the claims process after sending something via USPS Registered and it being taken I would think though that the advantage of being able to insure for up to $25k for a relatively small fee makes it well worth it even if a person''s package DOES get taken. It''s always good to overinsure by a few thousand just to cover oneself. you figure if it gets taken you''ve now just got a windfall of a couple more thousand dollars to spend, no?

Nope. You have to prove the value of the item. They don''t just write you a check. This would probably be fraud.

obviously within the limits of the range of retail value. If a customer bought a 1 carat F SI1 ring for 4k and the retail value is 7k there''s no fraud in insuring for 7k.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/2/2007 5:19:29 PM
Author: luckystar112
Wow. I would be so livid!!!

I have HUGE issues with ALL delivery methods; UPS, USPS, and fed-ex.

I used too.
Now I know my mailman by name and he knows me.
He got a nice Christmas gift within the post office limits.
My UPS guy gets a cold bottle of sprite when he drops off a package.
My fed-ex guy leaves stuff on my back porch inside my grill going out of his way too do so if im not home. (I havent met him but I left him a nice note asking him to do so once and left a little something for him, which he didnt take.)
Know your delivery person and be nice to them.