UPS must hate sailors

Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
We even get a knock on the door when they deliver and the last delivery the driver waited until we answered the door. I trust them more than USPS.
USPS suffers from exceptionally poor leadership. When tasked to improve the USPS finances his response was to reduce service and increase price. I've always been pleased with USPS personnel, the leadership and politics about the USPS is a different story.

I order a lot from Defender. Typically the liquids are shipped with the caps secured, bagged, and in a box with shredded cardboard. The boxes contain less than a gallon of liquid and are clearly marked with "This End Up" labels. These liquids are usually a pint or quart.

As someone mentioned earlier, when a company processes millions of parcels a day some are going to be damaged. Perhaps by accident, perhaps by intention. I wonder how many of us here haven't dropped anything in a while, especially something heavy?

"Honey, that glass just jumped out of my hand. Really! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!" :biggrin:
 

CYQK

.
Sep 11, 2009
576
beneteau first 42 kenora
Had same problem with ups last fall
Had to take them to small claims to get them to even act like they wanted to try to make an apperance that they would begin the process of identifying how they might be able in the future to act like they might care!!!!
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
After retireing from public safety, I was employed by an LTL carrier. UPS & FedEx operate on the same premise... NO space in the trailer goes unfilled.. If you remember the old American Tourister commercial with apes representing luggage handlers , you'll have a good idea of what occurs on a loading dock. The damaged paint can most likely suffered it's demise at the outbound UPS terminal and not the local one that delivered it.
 

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
You must have a valid reason, but why would you purchase your bottom paint from a source that had to ship it to you?
To me, having to have any liquid shipped, especially paint, would be an absolute last resort. If the packaging is not properly labelled even if it is properly packed is risky at the rate the material goes through the sorting and loading process at the shipper.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
You must have a valid reason, but why would you purchase your bottom paint from a source that had to ship it to you?
To me, having to have any liquid shipped, especially paint, would be an absolute last resort. If the packaging is not properly labelled even if it is properly packed is risky at the rate the material goes through the sorting and loading process at the shipper.
Can't speak for the OP, however many of us don't have an option. There are no marine stores within 75 miles of my boat, save for a few small marina stores with limited stock. My choice is to drive 150 miles to buy overpriced WM products or order online. In 37 years of shipping bottom paint and other supplies, I've never had an issue with damaged goods.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
That's improper packaging for oil-based paint IMO and experience. Should have been in haz mat packaging, double boxed, and better contained. That's on Defender, not UPS. OK for latex, maybe, but not solvent-based bottom paint. Yes, I've had to train folks on packaging.

If that had been the USPS they'd likely be in legal trouble.

YES and I blame DEFENDER 1000%. It is entirely their fault. Any management who would train employees to used shredded cardboard to package a heavy object makes a strong argument why the old minimum wage should not be increased. That manager will need to start his career over somewhere... UPS has a specification of what packages are supposed to be able to withstand. There is no way on earth that shredded cardboard will support anything of any consequence. If the object is heavier than the product used for packaging, it is quite obvious it will be pushed out of the way and not protect the product. Seriously, how can a shipper that ships out 100s of packages not understand basic requirements for packaging. Its a mail order business for goodness sakes.

Unfortunately we see this all too often in my line of work. But in our case, since we are a repair center, the customers are shipping items they are not familiar with, so in their case, we are not as surprised. But Defender is a large mail order business. No excuse for them not knowing how to properly package what they sell.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
You must have a valid reason, but why would you purchase your bottom paint from a source that had to ship it to you?
To me, having to have any liquid shipped, especially paint, would be an absolute last resort. If the packaging is not properly labelled even if it is properly packed is risky at the rate the material goes through the sorting and loading process at the shipper.
cost is a big reason. I order mine online from Wholesale Marine. Significantly lower cost per can and free shipping.
 
Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
This is how my anchor, 2 coffee presses and wind indicator arrived from Defender. Delivered by UPS IIRC. I didn't have to open the box to remove the contents. I took this photo after I lifted everything out. Amazingly everything was fine. They shipped the chain in it's own box, but shipped the anchor with everything else.
 

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Aug 2, 2009
637
Catalina 315 Muskegon
I just received a box from Defender, full of all new running rigging for my Catalina 315. Defender included bubble wrap in the box to prevent any shipping damage to the Sta Set line. :huh:
 
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Mar 30, 2013
700
Allied Seawind MK II 32' Oologah Lake, Oklahoma
UPS has been a little annoying at my location here lately. I've had packages "delivered" by being tossed into the back of my wife's pickup truck, set on the hood of my Jeep or just stacked up in the driveway.

I'm still giving good vibes to Defender. I now they are busy as heck and sometimes mistakes get made. In dealing with the damaged paint issue they have tried hard to get me straightened out. The order I had placed with the paint also included a bunch of Amsteel Blue line and some hardware. It was shipped separate from the paint and had arrived safe and sound several days previously and I informed the customer service rep of that fact. I suspect there may have been some miscommunication or misunderstanding between the fine customer service rep I dealt with and the warehouse, perhaps they got the idea that the entire shipment had been damaged, either way they sent a duplicate shipment of the line and hardware. After again talking with customer service yesterday I was contacted by the Customer Service Manager this morning. We had a pleasant talk and they emailed me a UPS shipping label so I can return the duplicate shipment. He also informed me that the replacement paint has shipped.

People and businesses make mistakes, :poop: happens. The real measure of a company is in how they fix their mistakes. So far Defender has been making a good effort.
So far, I continue to be a satisfied Defender customer.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I've always been pleased with USPS personnel, the leadership and politics about the USPS is a different story.
You obviously don’t live where we do. In my experience, USPS employees in our region (with a few glowing exceptions) are mostly rude,, “entitled” and apathetic.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
You create an organization where the employees are virtually immune from being fired and the management is comprised of mostly political hacks and you expect perfection?
 
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Mar 30, 2013
700
Allied Seawind MK II 32' Oologah Lake, Oklahoma
And... I still don't have any bottom paint:facepalm:.

UPS tracking showed it in Oklahoma City then "DELAYED, NO STATUS". I'll be calling Defender again tomorrow.
:banghead:
 
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Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
And... I still don't have any bottom paint:facepalm:.

UPS tracking showed it in Oklahoma City then "DELAYED, NO STATUS". I'll be calling Defender again tomorrow.
:banghead:
No doubt poorly packed again and probably spilled all over, leaking out of the box.
 
Mar 30, 2013
700
Allied Seawind MK II 32' Oologah Lake, Oklahoma
Defender called me last week and we are trying one more time. UPS says it should be here tomorrow.
 
Mar 30, 2013
700
Allied Seawind MK II 32' Oologah Lake, Oklahoma
And I now have antifouling paint! Third time was a charm. Only took 43 days from dropping the order to delivery of undamaged cans of paint.
:biggrin:
 
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Nov 21, 2007
631
Beneteau Oceanis 34 Kingston, WA
Shappens... sometimes things get damaged in shipping. We received a shipment the other day, a 92# box, has to be heavy enough to spend the entire time on the floor of the truck or at worst on the first layer of any pallet that it was on. I wouldn't claim that the carrier hated remodelers, just an accident, that's all. We had this delivered last Saturday, by... um, err.. UPS... :facepalm:
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