Originally Posted by 63rickert

UPS lost a bike I shipped. It was insured. I spent six months trying to find it, talked to dozens of UPS employees who understood it was a custom bike and I wanted it. They wanted to help. Some had seen the distinctive shipping case. One had been on the scene when the locks were broken and the contents examined. Contents included my business card taped to the lid in two locations, my name on the top tube, the name of the builder, who was local to destination, and two water bottles from a local to destination LBS. Waterbottles were complete with address and phone number and the shop knew the bike well.

After six months UPS was out of excuses to not pay the insurance. I called. Only a vice president could approve a payout that large. Took about an hour to get transferred to a VP. I talked to a VP who instantly put me on hold. Two minutes later he had found the bike. I asked how he had done that when the staff had spent six fruitless months. He said "I have codes they can't access." To which I replied "In other words you don't give them access to codes they need to do their job." He came back with "We don't trust them."

It would be another two weeks before I got the bike. UPS would not deliver. I had to drive to a regional center to claim it. I was treated like a terrorist. Surrounded by a flock of armed security. I opened the case to verify contents. I pointed to my name on top tube, pointed to my business cards taped inside the lid. The supervisor in charge of this operation at that time spoke to security and said "Get him out of here." I was manhandled and carried out the door by the goons. Once out in parking lot the goons put me down and literally begged forgiveness and asked me not to press charges. They said at least one of them was going to be fired before the day was over because the supervisor was that way.

I have not used UPS for anything since.