More complaints are surfacing about UPS, with another high-value shipment declared “damaged and destroyed.” In this case, a parcel containing copies of one woman’s birth certificate.
JoAnn Yates told ABC7’s investigative unit 7 On Your Side that she sent three copies of her birth certificate to the Internal Revenue Service in New Jersey as part of the process of applying for Italian dual citizenship.
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When she tracked down her shipment, she discovered it was “just sitting there at the New Jersey facility.” So she called UPS about the matter.
“The person I got said it was damaged and destroyed,” she said. “I felt they should have contacted me before destroying documents that are damaged, so I basically didn’t believe them.”
Sadly, this isn’t the only case of valuable, sensitive or one-of-a-kind shipments that have gone missing, with the shipping company claiming the contents were damaged, destroyed or disposed of.
Incidents are starting to pile up
Yates’ experience follows another incident earlier this year when California resident Tony Diaz purchased a rare guitar for his son. The seller, Adam Hulsey, sent the Dean Dimebag Dime Slime guitar via UPS, but it never showed up.
When Diaz contacted UPS, he was told conflicting stories: “Burned up in a California wildfire, fell off a truck, fell off a train.” Eventually, he was told the package had been damaged and destroyed.
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But then he discovered that very guitar — with the same serial number — for sale on a Guitar Center website. The seller, Adam Hulsey, snapped it up so that Diaz could retrieve it in person.
Following that news report, two more viewers contacted 7 On Your Side about items that had gone ‘missing’ in transit with UPS: an original painting by artist June Chen Ahleman and a one-of-a-kind motorcycle supercharger.
Pam Daniels, who was shipping the painting, said she didn’t know how it could go ‘missing’ given its size.
“I don’t know how you lose something that’s five feet by seven feet big,” she said.
As for the motorcycle supercharger, buyer Mike La Marca told 7 On Your Side that he later found what appeared to be the same supercharger for sale on eBay — and was told by the eBay seller that they buy “lost freight” from shipping companies.
In response to questions from the 7 On Your Side, UPS said they’re “committed to providing reliable service and take any report of a missing package seriously.” They reimbursed Yates, Diaz, Daniels and La Marca.
In the case of Yates, whose birth certificate copies went missing, UPS is not only reimbursing her for the lost package but paying for three years of identity theft protection.
The bigger picture
There is no question that courier services may sell “unclaimed or undeliverable packages.”
A 2022 investigation by 11 Alive News confirmed that UPS and FedEx have policies in place that allow “for the sale of unclaimed or undeliverable packages.”
But FedEx told 11 Alive News that it “makes every effort to return the item to its rightful owner by using advanced technologies and exhaustive customer research” and that if it cannot return the item, it may dispose of them “which could include the sale of items in some circumstances.”
The U.S. Postal Service website says undeliverable packages are sent to its Mail Recovery Center (which serves as its ‘lost and found’) and held for 30 to 60 days. After that, the packages are either disposed of or auctioned off on GovDeals.
There are a number of sites where consumers can buy or bid on unclaimed packages.
The Penny Hoarder website even explains how to buy unclaimed packages from Amazon and other sources to ‘flip’ and resell as a side gig. In addition to GovDeals, it mentions eBay, Liquidation.com and 888 Lots, to name a few.
But the article also warns to steer clear of scam sources who claim to be selling unclaimed packages and just take your money and your ID in the process.
How to protect yourself
While this doesn’t explain why high-value items said to be missing end up on liquidation sites or online marketplaces, it does point to the importance of insuring high-value shipments for the full replacement cost.
The shipper is typically responsible for refunding or replacing an item that has been lost, damaged or misplaced in transit — even if it isn’t their fault.
If the item is insured, the shipping company is liable for the amount you declared. However, if you didn’t insure it, you may not get your money back unless the seller is willing to reimburse you out of their own pocket or the online marketplace has consumer protections in place.
For example, with eBay, if an item hasn’t been delivered after 30 days of the estimated delivery date, sellers have three business days to provide a delivery update, offer a replacement or give you a refund.
If the seller doesn’t respond, you can escalate the issue to eBay directly and potentially receive a refund through its eBay Money Back Guarantee.
Always keep receipts and proof of purchase, as well as request a signature confirmation for high-value items.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.