The UPS Store

To: UPS Corporate Customer Relations (UPS Store)
Fr: John Sparkes ([protected]@ns.sympatico.ca)
Date: April 3, 2019
Sub: UPS Tracking number 1Z1750860485193388

Background:

On Wednesday, March 20 I had a call from my friend (Tony Mucciardi) that he left his house keys in Florida and was en route back home to Montreal Que., Canada when he realized he left his house keys in Florida. His route home consisted of driving to Orlando Fl., taking the car train overnight to Washington, DC and then driving from Washington DC to Montreal Que. on Thursday, March 21, arriving in Montreal the evening of March 21. Tony called on Wednesday, March 20th and asked that me to courier the keys overnight via UPS from the local UPS store located at 16850 Collins Ave. #112, Sunny Isles Beach FL, 33160.

The Experience:

At approximately 12:51 on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 I went to the local UPS store and was given two options by the UPS agent on the delivery time of the keys (a) for $3x.00 (I forget the exact amount) the keys would be delivered on the best possible date and maybe by Friday or Monday (b) for $89.00 plus tax and an envelope (total $92.50 $US) the package would be delivered on the next day Thursday, March 21.

Due to the urgency of the situation I chose the overnight option at $92.50 ($US), at no time was I ever told by the UPS agent there could be possible issues with customs at the Canadian border etc. but that the parcel would arrive at the Montreal Que. destination the next day.

I tracked the package and was pleased to see the package arrived in Canada on Thursday, March 21 (I believe at Lachine, Que.) and it was at the UPS depot late afternoon on the 21st. What surprised me was that the tracking update said the package was not going to be delivered by UPS until the next business day, Friday March 22. That meant my friend had to find a lock smith ($150.00) to get entry into his home on Thursday evening.

On Friday morning I returned to the local UPS store in Sunny Isles Beach to make a complaint and a claim to lower the delivery cost from the $92.50 overnight to the $3x.xx best date charge. The UPS agent agreed this was an issue but said he could not file a claim until the package was delivered to the destination in Montreal. Once I heard from my friend (Friday, March 22 in the PM) that he received the package I went back to the local UPS store to file a claim for a partial refund.

I was told by the agent (who checked with his manager, Alain Cueto) that the local UPS store cannot issue any refunds and all claims must go to the UPS corporate office and should the corporate office agree the claim is a valid one they would issue a cheque back to the local UPS store (made out to me) and the local UPS store in return would call me and give me the associated refund in the form of a cheque. The agent said to expect a weekly update and that I would be called with updates.

The Details on Passing the Buck/Royal UPS Corporate Run Around:

I returned to the local UPS store on Tuesday, April 2nd for an update on my claim (a partial refund). The agent had nothing to report so I asked to speak to the manager (Alain Cueto). The manager was able to find an email associated to the claim he made on my behalf to the UPS corporate office. He read me the email from UPS corporate and it said that due to the fact the item had to clear Canadian customs there is no overnight guarantee thus there is no basis for any restitution to me, the customer. I complained to the manager as to why I was not informed about this policy before I paid the $92.50 and his store representative lead me to believe I had the overnight delivery guarantee. The bottom line he said it was out of his hands and that I should deal with UPS Corporate and he provided me with their toll free number 1-800-742-5877.

I called the UPS Corporate office at the 1-800-742-5877 number and was quickly told because this is UPS International delivery I needed to call 1-800-782-7892 and discuss the matter with UPS International.

I spoke to the UPS International agent and she informed me that any claim and or associated refund can only be made by the local UPS store. She informed me that the UPS stores are franchised and any refund must come from the store. This is exactly the opposite as to what the local UPS store manager (Alain Cueto) told me. He claims he has no authority and cannot issue any sort of refund. All I wanted was to be charged the correct amount for the service rendered and I was not looking for a complete refund.

In the end the UPS International agent sad she could not help me and the only recourse for me is to try the UPS Customer Relations department, which I did. I got the UPS Customer Relations chat line and entered into a chat with the agent and sent her the informational document on what had transpired. Not long into the chat was it determined that she needed to transfer me to the UPS International Customer Relations department which she did and we began the chat all over. After the agent read the document I was advised that it is unfortunate but that is the UPS Corporate policy and there will be no refund. I asked to speak to her supervisor and she told me that she would arrange that I would get a call back from her supervisor within an hour.

I received a call from the UPS International Relations department (Synthia) who was extremely helpful. She did not quote UPS Corporate policy but did tell me that the correct process for any sort of refund was that it has to be done by the Customer Relations Corporate group who deals with the UPS store franchise process. She also told me to contact your department and you would be the best chance that I would have for someone at UPS to take some real action. She also told me the initial UPS store manager was correct in that any refund comes from your department back to the store and then to me the customer.

Summary:

The basis for my claim to a partial refund is two fold:

(a) I was never informed by the local UPS store about any possible Canadian customs clearing issues and if I were informed I would not have taken the overnight $92.50 option
(b) Based on the tracking information I was able to find, on March 21 the package was in fact at the Quebec UPS depot and had already cleared customs so why was it not delivered or at least the customer called to inform him the parcel was there (his cell was listed on the UPS shipment receipt).

I appreciate your understanding in this matter. If UPS has any idea on what customer service is all about UPS should understand as a customer I have a very valid basis for this claim. In addition, your local and corporate policies are out of sync (the local UPS store says they cannot refund and the corporate agents say they should refund, which is it?). Also your staff, be they franchise or not, should be better informed about international shipments so they are able to inform their customers accordingly.

Respectfully Submitted<
John W Sparkes
[protected]@ns.sympatico.ca
[protected] (Condo)
[protected] (Cell)