The United Parcel Service’s big brown trucks, emblazoned with the UPS bright yellow logo and loaded with packages and envelopes, are a familiar sight in most towns. The largest delivery service operating, tallying more than 15 million deliveries a day, UPS services over 220 countries.
The logistics of moving such a large quantity of goods daily can overwhelm even their logistics department. Filing a complaint for a missing delivery or a forgotten pickup can be more so. To issue a complaint or log a claim, the UPS claims department is your first stop.
Complaining to Customer Care
Your first stop when filing a complaint to UPS is to call Customer Care (1-800-742-5877). Strengthen your message by also sending an email to their Customer Service Department ([email protected]). If you’re logging a complaint about a specific delivery driver or incident, speaking with the local UPS manager often yields the best results. When you get a real person on the phone, request that the manager, not an assistant, call you back.
Tips
If you’re savvy with social media, tweet @UPSHelp or IM them on their Facebook page. Word is you may get an even faster response using these methods.
Filing the Online Claim Form
Whether you are the sender or the recipient of a package that’s missing, you can start a claim with UPS. Before you do, check all around your residence or place of business to see if the package may have been left in another place. Inclement weather is often the cause of a delivery being left in a dry spot instead of at the front door. Neighbors are also helpful in tracking down a missing UPS package. If those inquiries fail, issue a loss claim.
A claim can be submitted for a damaged package, although UPS suggests that the shipper contact customer care to initiate the damaged package claim. They also can claim a full refund of the shipping charges if the package is delivered outside of the paid-for delivery window. Keep your damaged item until the claim has been resolved.
The claims process is cumbersome, with the claimant having to register with UPS on its website before any progress can be made. You’ll need to enter as much information as you can regarding the lost package once you enter the site, and it’s suggested that you get the tracking number from the sender before logging your package claim information. Photo documentation of a damaged package strengthens your case.
Processing the Claim
UPS considers 10 days as the length of time it takes to process a claim. If you haven’t heard back from them after the 10 days have passed, contact customer care’s claims department again. If you are issuing a complaint or claim after a particularly busy season, such as Christmas, giving the company a little leeway is suggested. But don’t wait too long.
A claim for a damaged package can take up to 15 days to be processed. Your damage claim is strengthened by any supporting documentation and information that you can supply.
If All Else Fails
If you feel that your telephone calls, messages, tweets and emails are going nowhere and the matter of your missing or damaged shipment is still unresolved, a handwritten letter addressed to the president of UPS can be extremely effective. Find the name and address of the president on the UPS corporate site.
Be polite, express your appreciation for the work the company does, and then go into the reason for your letter. Be sure to include your claim number and any tracking information. The kinder you are, the more likely you will be to receive a letter or a phone call from someone the president has handed off your letter to.
Copy the head of your local UPS office at the bottom of your letter, and be sure to send it there as well. Once your issue has been resolved, follow up with a letter of thanks.
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Writer Bio
A writer for many years, Jann has contributed to television programming revolving around legal issues, written for magazines and web sites regarding the law, and her manuals on real estate law specifics are used in real estate schools in Florida.