Posted by Jennifer Cotsmire on 4/10/09 11:47am
Msg #284330

Teamwork Title

I did two closings for Teamwork Title in Grafton Ohio in the fall of 2008 through Statewide Document Services in Indiana. I used the title companies UPS account number to return the packages. Teamwork closed on 12-31-08 and are refusing charges on the return packages. UPS is billing me $71.33. Statewide is basically telling me that I have to pay the bill. Am I wrong in thinking that Statewide should pick it up? For all future UPS shipments, I am putting the receiver and shipper as the same but I still have to sign the airbill. I am soooo sick of fighting with UPS.

Reply by Philip Johnson on 4/10/09 11:48am
Msg #284331

Sign with a squiggle and you'll be fine. n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 4/10/09 11:53am
Msg #284335

I never sign the airbill.

But I do handwrite 'em and pick up labels from drop boxes and never, ever put my name or address on 'em. "From" and "Delivery" address are the same.

As to your problem, I'd be yelling like crazy and insisting upon being paid for these charges to you.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/10/09 11:49am
Msg #284333

"but I still have to sign the airbill"

No you don't - that, I believe, is waiving signature at the delivery point - I've never signed the airbills and I refuse to do it.

Reply by Richard Goodwin on 4/10/09 11:51am
Msg #284334

I do not sign the airbill either. If there is any question, make the sender & receiver the same and drop it in a drop box where no one can question you.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 4/10/09 11:53am
Msg #284336

Sign Only With Your Initials...

...& never put your own name or address anywhere on the shipping label. You live & learn in this business...every day.

Reply by Jennifer Cotsmire on 4/10/09 11:56am
Msg #284338

Thanks everybody. You gave me some good ideas. I have been doing this for 6 years and would think that I've seen it all but I continued to be surprised (and not in a good way).

Reply by ME/NJ on 4/10/09 11:58am
Msg #284339

Burn once many years ago..Never put own info unless trusted

New companies I write out the bill, trusted ones I have setup on my UPS and Fed Ex account. Seems most companies have been sending airbills with the docs now.

Reply by Gary_CA on 4/10/09 12:20pm
Msg #284344

Your problem is with UPS.

UPS may be too big to fight, but tell the idiot in billing you want to talk to someone in the legal department.

They had an account with an entity that is now bankrupt. Tell 'em to stick their bill wherever makes 'em happy. It's not your bill.

I'm sure they'll quote some blah blah blah in the fine print on the back of the airbill...but I'd stick to my guns... not my bill, I'm not paying it, quit harassing me.

Reply by sue_pa on 4/10/09 2:57pm
Msg #284367

My problem would be with Statewide

they are the middle man and I would be looking to them to make it right. If they had any integrity at all, they'd at least offer to compromise and pay 1/2 although for me that still wouldn't be good enough.

Of course, contrary to "expert" opinion, I am still one of the many that says this type situation is easy to avoid in the first place by not having your info on the label.

Gary, while I don't know what the label says, I'm betting it says by using that label you agree to pay for the charges.

Reply by A S Johnson on 4/10/09 3:53pm
Msg #284382

Re: Your problem is with UPS.

Federal law allows allows a transportation company to collect from sender, reciever or other 3rd party who can be shown as being involved with the shipment.

Reply by MW/VA on 4/10/09 12:47pm
Msg #284349

I had also got burned for a UPS shipment. They will backcharge in a heartbeat.
For UPS I now only use handwritten airbills, putting the company's info in both shipper & receiver. I never have a problem with Fedex, and use online shipping manager to prepare the airbills.

Reply by pamow/oh on 4/10/09 1:11pm
Msg #284361

I too have had problems with UPS, stating the account number is not a valid number and charging to my account. I was so tired of contacting companies to get them to pay the bills, no such problem with FED EX.
I ended up closing my UPS account and now I have to scramble to find supplies needed. The only way to get supplies without an account is to get lucky at a drop box. Some companies are even charging the agents a $10 reduction in fees if not in a UPS carboard box and they are nowhere to be found.

Reply by dickb/wi on 4/10/09 1:21pm
Msg #284362

if you have a relationship with a local title co......

[if you don't then get one] just ask them for the hard envelopes, the plasic stick on pouches and what ever......they usually get them in case lots.....that's where i get mine.....then stop by the drop boxes to get the shipping labels......

Reply by Jim/AL on 4/11/09 12:25am
Msg #284441

U can get most UPS Supplies w/o an account.

I have never set up an account and have gotten everything except airbills from UPS 800 number delivered to my door.
They will argue that they cannot and I argue back that I wll let all of my clients know that I am unable to ship UPS anymore because they refuse to send supplies.
They change their tune really quick when you tell them that you will be shipping 20-30 packages a month via FedEx if they do not want to send you legal envelopes, pouches etc..
Trust me they will find a way!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/10/09 4:14pm
Msg #284384

Re: Teamwork Title...pamow

"The only way to get supplies without an account is to get lucky at a drop box. "

Try any Mailbox Store, Goin' Postal or any shipping center...that's where I get my supplies. I got caught in a pinch once and both were closed - I found out my local Office Max is an authorized shipper and has supplies on hand (making me one happy camper)..

Reply by MikeC/NY on 4/10/09 4:53pm
Msg #284386

"I ended up closing my UPS account and now I have to scramble to find supplies needed. The only way to get supplies without an account is to get lucky at a drop box. "

If there are office buildings (with multiple tenants) in your area, you might want to scout them out. Around here, they often have a mail room in the basement where there is a supply of shipping boxes and labels for both UPS and FedEx. They're intended for use by the tenants of the building, but if you don't get too greedy it can be an alternate source of supply...

Reply by Jennifer Cotsmire on 4/10/09 9:08pm
Msg #284423

I think it's funny that UPS gives us such a hard time about getting supplies to ship packages. They get paid to ship packages - how do we ship them w/out supplies! Why should we have to sneak around raiding drop boxes like we are doing something wrong. I have actually went to my local UPS hub and they don't keep supplies there either and they wont' deliver supplies w/out me having a UPS account number.

Anyways, Statewide has advised me to not pay the bill - the owner of the company is trying to work something out with UPS. Some peope make it really hard for us to do our jobs.

Reply by Richard Ingram on 4/11/09 11:47am
Msg #284477

UPS is a real pain. Trying to get legal size envelopes is a problem and their back charges take forever to get corrected. I never have a problem with FedEx and will not use UPS unless I have no choice. I made a special trip to our local UPS hub this week to try to pick up some legal sized envelopes and as usual they had none in stock.
I do think if they knew how much business they are losing as a result of their poorly run business that they might make a few changes. From what I am reading here and from my own experience very few choose to us UPS over FedEX. However, my guess is they are to big to even listen to our complaints.
I have told several title companies that I can't get good UPS service without having an account with them and that I canceled my account because of the problems with incorrect charge backs.
Usually, they have both services and I can use FedEx. I have one signing company that threatens me with a $15.00 fee if I do not use the legal sized UPS envelope. I have on more than one occasion called them and told them I could not get them and they have waived the fee.