There is no trick as UPS and especially USPS always try to hide behind their "systems" and required documentation. It is simply perseverance. If you can't file a claim online (and UPS makes it very difficult as their box to insert "account number" can't be filled out as it is an eBay generated label and therefore an eBay account. Fun eh? When asking eBay to help they generally tell you to go pound sand, when you ask your local USPS store, who I use to wrap items from time to time as the insurance offered is a scam and a fraud (since they, UPS and all others simply say the shipper used the wrong box, not enough bubble wrap or wrapped it when the moon was waning) , call the client line or store line at 800-877-1760 and you will finally get to file the claim with a person. The problem is, they will then tell you they will call the recipient, which they mostly don't do and if you don't follow-up within a day or so it will be ignored. I have one I am still working on despite it being over 2.5 years since the initial claim was filed. I just spent three hours on two calls with various brush offs telling me to contact eBay, or I should have received a request for claim payment form (2 of three yes, one no) and even then you can't fill it out online because you don't have an account number. So they give you an email claimstatus@UPS.com and you send their forms and your proof from the eBay sales and then they come back and say they tried to contact the recipient and couldn't a lie! Keep at it, obviously if you have a kind buyer as I have had. Also, and then three eBay screens from the transaction as you have to show the tracking, customer address, amount paid and blood type (kidding on the last item).
Essentially their 90 day system is set up like USPS' 20 day response requirement to tell you that you missed the deadline, or the documents weren't received or some other excuse to deny, deny, deny. Frankly it would be less expensive for them if they simply paid the claim when submitted rather than employing all the people at the call centers who keep repeating the same script and sending the same useless emails to us. Just keep at it and while I have not filed a few claims for less expensive items damaged in transport, that is essentially giving them what they want, us not to file claims and simply to shrug them off as some of my colleagues do. When they reach a certain dollar amount and when I used the UPS or FedEx stores to wrap the items and they still get damaged, that is when I draw the line. I even received a letter from FedEx telling me that they "respectfully decline to honor the insurance due to poor packaging that their own store did for me! Sorry for the rant, but neither eBay or the shipping companies are there to help at all and my message is just not to give up or give in.
Lorne - Gettincreaky
