Argh! UPS and my 24-70L..

Frustration to no end with UPS because I could end up short a $1000 or my 24-70L!!!!

Should probably start from the beginning when I decided to take the leap and purchased a 24-70L from B&H around the middle of last month. Prior to picking up the 24-70L I had taken a few trips to a local Wolf Camera with my memory card to compare the 24-70 with the 17-55 2.8 IS and found that the extra weight of the 24-70 wasn't a problem and I wanted the extra reach of the 24-70 for use as a walkaround/portrait lens. Long story short, I decided on the 24-70 because the samples I took were just as sharp as the 17-55 and I liked the colors from the L better than I did the 17-55 so I placed an order with B&H.

Anyways, fast foward a week or so to when I received the 24-70 and took a few sample shots. The lens was sharp from the 35-70 range wide open but seemed soft wide open at 24. I didn't get worked up about it because I hadn't had the opportunity to take any real world shots yet so I kept the lens for about 12 days before I was finally able to put it to use and saw how soft it was at the wide end. When I compared them to the test shots of the sample copy in the store I was real dissapointed with my copy so I called B&H to see if I could get an exchange. They were more than glad to do so and gave me an RMA # with a label for return shipping the very same day.

Things pretty much went downhill from here. I took the lens to the local UPS store this last monday to have it shipped out and I figured everything would be ok from here on out. Well not quite so. I decided to check up on the package yesterday to see when it would arrive at B&H and saw that it said "billing information received" as the status. I was a bit confused by that since the packaged had already been dropped off so I called UPS today to find out what was going on. After giving them the tracking number I was told that the package hasn't been picked up yet. I told them that couldn't be right because I dropped the package off at the local UPS store on Monday. They told me they had no furthur info on the package and to call the UPS store to see if they had sent it off. Well after a call to the UPS store the owner tells me that he has no information on it and he never received it. Well at this point you can imagine how I was beginning to feel and told him that couldn't be right. He told me that he didn't know what else he could do and that I should call UPS again. So once again I call UPS and inform them about my situation. They start a trace at this point and i'm talking to some lady about the package and she informs me that I should contact the UPS store once again to see if they had any documentation on whether or not the package was picked up by the driver or not. She also informs me that they can't do much for me until then and that I should call them back when I get that confirmation from the UPS store so she can start a trace. As you can imagine I'm starting to get a bit frustrated at this point when I receive a call from the UPS store owner again and take his call while putting the UPS rep on hold. The store owner then asks me to re-read my tracking # to him and he realizes that he mistook my F for an S and re-entered it in his system. At this point it does show up as being dropped off at his store and picked up. With this bit of news I get back on the horn (after being disconnected) with UPS and then they change their tune by telling me that they can't do anything at this point still and that I now need to contact the UPS store once more and have them start the trace(takes up to 8 business days) to find out what happened to the package. Unfortunately the UPS store had already closed so I wasn't able to make the trip down there today to start the trace. What makes it worse is that I leave for a 4 day work trip tomorrow morning so I might not even be able to make it there in person to deal with this.

So now this is what it all boils down to according to the UPS rep on the phone. I tried to get a timeline for how long this might take because i'd like to have my lens by Memorial Day weekend and I was told absolutely nothing useful other than it takes 8 days to finish the trace. I was basically informed that they can't do anything until I prove that the driver had picked up the package so that they can start the trace. I was also told by the second rep that the UPS store owner must start the trace and after the 8 days they'll get back to him to work things out. So even if they figure out that the driver did pick up the package and the package is missing, they haven't guaranteed anything with regards to a timeline or refund or insurance claim with regards to my package. So in the end, it all depends on whether or not the UPS store owner has the correct info to prove to UPS that I did drop off that package otherwise I might be out $1000 bucks and my 24-70L!!!!!!!

you should have documentation that you dropped it at the store. That should be all that you need, your not responsible for the hand off from the store to the driver, you did your job when you paid your fee and got your reciept. That is if you insured it.....

Master Mason wrote in post #3148898
you should have documentation that you dropped it at the store. That should be all that you need, your not responsible for the hand off from the store to the driver, you did your job when you paid your fee and got your reciept. That is if you insured it.....

Supposedly the UPS store owner has some sort of documentation stating that I dropped off the package. Though realistically, there's no real way for me to prove that other than what he has in his system. I'm pretty sure that I do remember seeing him scan the barcode for the packing slip before he took it out back. Personally i'm more worried about getting the run around with all this because I get the feeling that UPS might claim that their driver never picked it up so it's the UPS store owner's fault and vice versa. As far as it being insured, it should be because B&H paid for the return shipping when they emailed me the shipping label.

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles with the 24-70. According to PhotoZone, this lens has a wide range of copy variability, which you obviously experienced. I had two copies of the 24-105, with one being much better optically and both front-focusing.

Regarding your UPS problem, did you receive a paper receipt from UPS? Otherwise, do you have a copy of the shipping label provided by B&H (perhaps you printed it). If you just dropped off the package using B&H's shipping label then B&H should be able to track the package - call them and ask. Good Luck.

Tell bh that you want a replacement shipped to you via fedex ground insured signiture required, or usps priority mail/insured delivery confirmation etc. And tell them that UPS lost the other one and for them to do the trace at their lesure but you must have a replacement before the holiday.

That sucks, hope it works out for you.... UPS has gotten bad over the years. They are catching up with USPS...

I am an asst mgr at a UPS call center. So i can help explaint the situation. The reason UPS keepd telling you to check with the UPS store is due to the UPS store being the drop off point. They know the details of when their driver came on a certain day, as well as whats the drivers name, how many packages went with the shipment etc... A trace last from 1-8 bus days due to the nature of the search. We check numerous lost and found dept called overgoods, we also check Hold rooms at the center as well as 17 different searches after interviewing both parties. I'm sorry to hear about your situation if you would like i can go a little bit further in searching for you if you'd like. But normally if its a situation where the UPS store has documentation that it was picked up, than your claim will be entered in as soon as that doc is received, because typical manifest traces end quickly due to either Shipper error (not shipping it out), or losing the pkg between stops on drivers route. Have you tried contacting B&H to make sure they haven;t received the pkg?

When I drop off my packages at any of the UPS stops (usually Office Depot or Staples near my home), they give me a receipt. Because B&H gave you a label, you don't get a receipt for it?

SuzyView wrote in post #3150169
When I drop off my packages at any of the UPS stops (usually Office Depot or Staples near my home), they give me a receipt. Because B&H gave you a label, you don't get a receipt for it?

I don't normally get a receipt or proof of drop off when prepaid label is used and the drop off point is one of the UPS Stores (and the worst thing is that UPS Stores are not owned by UPS ). I always wonder why..........and I worry about lossing the package every time!!!

Sorry to hear the sad story, Doubleo6point9! Good luck on the trace

I can see how if they give you a prepaid label you wouldn't have a receipt. Wow, that's something I need to remember next time I return something. Hope it works out man..

I'm sorry to say but I think B&H screwed up.

They should of issued a "call tag", not a prepaid shippinng label.

A call tag is given to the driver and he pick's the package up from you and gives you a receipt.

a prepaid shipping label is just like a postal stamp. Drop it off anywhere ups ships out, no receipt.

Bob

Anytime you give anyone a pkg you should always get a receipt, even if you hand it off to teh driver, document the time where and drivers ame.

If it was scanned at the counter. It's in the system. Period. The UPS owner should have no trouble locating the info on it and forwarding that to UPS Main to do a trace. You stated that the owner said it was dropped off at the store and picked-up by the driver. Nuff Said. it's in the system and only a trace will get this resolved.

My company uses UPS exclusively and are quite used to things being lost on occasion. Ironically, we jumped from FEDEx to UPS precisely because they lost even more stuff. Go figure. At least no one beats USPS in losing stuff yet.

Good luck w/ the trace! Did you call B&H yet?

doubleo6point9 wrote in post #3148926
Supposedly the UPS store owner has some sort of documentation stating that I dropped off the package. Though realistically, there's no real way for me to prove that other than what he has in his system. I'm pretty sure that I do remember seeing him scan the barcode for the packing slip before he took it out back. Personally i'm more worried about getting the run around with all this because I get the feeling that UPS might claim that their driver never picked it up so it's the UPS store owner's fault and vice versa. As far as it being insured, it should be because B&H paid for the return shipping when they emailed me the shipping label.

i have shipped things with UPS before and everytime i have done it they give me a slip saying what happend and what kind of shipping method i used and whatnot your sure they didnt give you anything ?? thats odd

turbodude wrote in post #3150424
Anytime you give anyone a pkg you should always get a receipt, even if you hand it off to teh driver, document the time where and drivers ame.

That's what I thought........but with the UPS Stores, they just don't care. You just don't get a receipt from them. I tried many times getting a receipt, but they said no receipt would be issued. It's not just one, but I've tried a few in NYC and they all don't issue receipt