Shipping valuable items via UPS

When shipping high-value items via UPS (or Fed Ex Ground, etc.) you must do more than simply buy the insurance. There are packaging standards that have to be met, such as the amount of "cush" around the item, the kind of protective materials to be used, and the test weight of the cardboard. You can't just toss the item into a box with a few sheets of bubble wrap thrown in for good measure the way Amazon does it. Proper packing is critical to survival of the goods as well as filing a viable claim in case of damage. Review the packing standards and realize those are the minimums.

UPS has a bad habit of denying claims automatically - the reason is almost always "Insufficient packaging". They have nothing to lose by doing to, they know about half the people will simply give up at that point, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars in claims payout. The other half will have their pieces "inspected" and most will get a second denial as well.

HOWEVER - there are ways you can protect yourself from this. 1) Read the packing rules and guidelines and adhere to them. 2) Document your packing prior to shipment. 3) Be polite and professional with the claims people at UPS, don't yell at them or get upset.

Earlier this month, a good friend of mine who lives in the Seattle Washington area won the bid on a piece of original artwork at an auction house that is located 7 miles from my store. The auction house does not pack and ship, so he asked me if I could do it and I was glad to do him that favor. Here's the piece when I picked it up.

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I have been packing and shipping UPS for high dollar goods for over 30 years now, I know the procedures. He paid $ 4,800 for this original painting by an American artist. I packed it up very carefully, exceeding UPS standards, and advised my friend to ship it UPS 2nd Day Air, not UPS Ground. The reason? UPS Ground is handled many more times and loaded into railcars for cross country shipping plus several different truck along the way, each movement results in more risk of damage. UPS Ground, fully insured was $ 422.00, UPS 2nd Day Air Was $ 1,330.00. He opted for Ground because of the cost, against my better judgement. Sure enough, the artwork arrived damaged and was essentially ruined, losing all its value as a collectible. UPS Denied the claim, citing "improper packing", even though it was fully insured. However, knowing how they operate, I kept the receipt for packing materials AND took photos of the packing before it was sleeved in the box and secured. These photos, when presented to the Claims Supervisor, turned it around and they agreed to pay the claim. By taking two quick cell phone photos, I can demonstrate they were correctly packaged and I also have documentation for Small Claims Court if it has to go to that level. Always Photo your items when packed before shipping them.

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And here is how it arrived on the other end.

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In hindsight though, what I should have done was simply removed the original art from the frame and tossed the frame and mat into the dumpster, then rolled the artwork into a double-tube and shipped it that way. This piece was just too large to ship in a flat box and could have simply been re-framed in Seattle once it arrived. You're never too old to learn!