Posted by L.G (Buc) Alboucq on 9/13/09 5:31pm
Msg #303757

UPS

UPS is at it again. Billing my account instead of the receiver. FED EX never does this.
I guess its back to picking up blank air bills at the drop boxes.

Anyone else have this problem?

Reply by MW/VA on 9/13/09 5:35pm
Msg #303758

These carriers are having huge problems with fraudulent shipping (people using someone else's acct. # to ship) so they've kind of over-reacting on the "bill receiver" issues we use all the time.
Again, if you call UPS you can usually get it resolved. I also haven't encountered any problems with Fedex.

Reply by Bonnie T Gray on 9/13/09 6:30pm
Msg #303766

They do that if you ordered your labels from them. I was told because they read the bar code that is printed on your labels. It should happen if you check the proper box on the right side to bill the receiver and put their charge number in. However, I was told they don't always look at that; they simply use their scanner when they pick the packages up and that is what picks up your billing number.

I was told it's best to use a blank label and fill it in.

Reply by pan/nd on 9/13/09 7:04pm
Msg #303767

Buc,

I had the same problem as you several years ago.

Only with UPS.

I finally resolved it by......UNFORTUNATELY......taking labels from their dropboxes.

Used to order them from UPS...but then they have all your info..in case the billing goes sour.

Had a bunch of those kind of labels and pitched 'em after problems started happening.

Things quit happening after I started using labels out of their dropboxes....sad--but--true.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/13/09 7:10pm
Msg #303769

Did you fill out the form online?

I have never had that issue on an online transaction -- yet. I did have that issue one time early in my experience by messing up and putting my return address on the label then they crossed referenced it. ..... When you do it online, then you know if you have a good billing number or not immediately.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/13/09 9:23pm
Msg #303772

"Anyone else have this problem?"

No, because years of reading this board has made it quite clear that it's a bad idea to do what you're doing.

If you've had this happen to you before, why on earth did you give them the opportunity to do it to you again? It's not a timesaver, it's got to take just as long to go to your computer, log into their website, type in the information, and print it out, as it does to simply fill in the airbill by hand, which takes 1 minute, max.

I just don't get it, there are several people on here who know what can happen and are still willing to risk getting nailed for these fees. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't happen in the future, and I've seen posts on here where they've been hit for a couple of hundred in shipping fees at once. No thank you, I'll just use a pen and ensure that it's impossible for that to happen to me.

Reply by LKT/CA on 9/13/09 10:16pm
Msg #303776

5 Star Post, CaliNotary n/m

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/13/09 11:02pm
Msg #303781

Re: 5 Star Post, CaliNotary

Well, I have entered documents online because I have had and still have other interests where I ship packages through UPS. And since I have some damage to my writing hand, it is better and neater for me to type rather than try to print it out by hand. I have shipped perhaps hundreds of packages through ups during the past several years and the only time I had an issue was when I filled it out by hand. The chargeback issue is when an invalid receiving or third party account number is used. That number is checked during the online process. The chargeback was credited back to my account with a simple phone call. As far as giving them a credit card number, I give them a virtual cc number generated by Citi bank with a value that I have to approve before a charge is allowed to pass. They can try to charge me until hell freezes over, but unless I go online and approve it, it is rejected.

I would still be interested in hearing back from anyone who entered the transaction online and was charged back. So far, I haven't heard of any.

Reply by LKT/CA on 9/13/09 11:35pm
Msg #303783

Re: 5 Star Post, CaliNotary

Glenn, it's not totally a bad thing to print shipping labels.

CaliNotary's post (in my opinion) was stellar and very specific in response to the first poster who said "UPS is at it AGAIN....and....they'll go BACK to getting labels from the drop boxes to which CaliNotary said: "If you've had this happen to you before, why on earth did you give them the opportunity to do it to you again?

To me, that was key. The first poster seems to have "been there and done that" so why would they GO there again?

Virtual cc numbers....that's a great idea...or using a Visa gift card as the credit card since the VGC does not allow recurring charges.

Reply by jojo_MN on 9/14/09 9:41am
Msg #303794

Re: 5 Star Post, CaliNotary

If you do a search on UPS, you will find many instances. It's happened many times to me in the past. Some companies have paid me back the fees, others have gone out of business and I got stuck with them. Over $400 total. So far you have been lucky.
They not only charge you for the cost of shipping; they add $10 to each shipment for using a bad shipping account number.

I Understand how it may be hard for you to write, but maybe you can have someone else fill out the form for you. You could also ask the tc or ss to email you a label. Many are including them with their packages. Just make sure that it is addressed to the title company or wherever your instructions tell you to send the docs. Sometimes the lender will send a label to the tc to send the documents back to them after closing.

Have a great week!.

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 9/13/09 10:59pm
Msg #303780

Our local UPS shipping facility carries NO supplies

And there are only a couple of places in town who would have any. The local Mailboxes gives me some when I ask, and the local office supply place gives me a dirty look and reluctantly parts with 1 label when I ask. Even worse is getting cardboard legal-size envelopes. There is not a single place in town I can get cardboard legal-size UPS envelopes, just those plastic ones.
So the only choice is to send an order to UPS for blank mailing labels and cardboard legal-size envelopes.

Reply by Lee/AR on 9/14/09 7:03am
Msg #303786

Pick up labels from the Drop Boxes as you travel around n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 9/14/09 8:43am
Msg #303789

Re: Our local UPS shipping facility carries NO supplies

IMO this is two separate issues. You can establish a UPS account just for ordering supplies.
It doesn't mean you have to use your account to print shipping labels.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/14/09 8:50am
Msg #303791

Re: Our local UPS shipping facility carries NO supplies

From what people are saying here (if I understand correctly), is that even if you get blank labels from UPS, the bar codes are recorded. That's why it is prudent to pick up labels at a drop box.

Reply by Regal/NC on 9/14/09 9:29am
Msg #303793

Correct. Labels ordered online have account info embeded n/m

Reply by Laura_V on 9/14/09 9:48am
Msg #303795

MW is right - you can get labels without your acct info

Just order by phone and make it clear the client always pays for the shipping.

They started to refuse the first time I phoned them for this, but I just explained that my clients pay me via cash or check at the appointment before the package is dropped off and I've lost money trying to estimate the shipping fees. (All true.)

They also send me free envelopes and clear label sleeves. I have these on hand so my clients don't have to dig them up.

Reply by SharonH/OH on 9/14/09 11:09am
Msg #303801

UPS no longer will ship airbills to non-account holders

I have been able to order supplies in the past with the same explanation and have had no problem. But this discussion reminded me that I was running low, so I just got off the phone with UPS. Per the service rep I spoke with, they have a new policy - no supplies without account number, and most of their UPS offices are being advised not to give out blank airbills either. So I guess I'm stopping at drop boxes until they quit that too. I'm thinking of passing this info along to clients - if they want UPS, then a pre-printed shipping label must be included.

Reply by Laura_V on 9/14/09 1:12pm
Msg #303821

I have an account and I get free blank airbills

Not to criticize, Sharon.

Perhaps the policy has changed since the last time I ordered.

My apologies if this is the case.

Reply by SharonH/OH on 9/14/09 8:19pm
Msg #303866

Re: I have an account and I get free blank airbills

The problem is that I don't have an account and don't want one. I used to be able to order airbills without having an account. Now they say no account, no airbills. I didn't ask when they changed the policy. Last time I ordered was 2 years ago.

Reply by Yoli/CA on 9/14/09 11:26am
Msg #303803

Re: Our local UPS shipping facility carries NO supplies

Absolutely! That's what I do. Just order my supplies online without using my account number. Have a good supply at home, don't have to stop at every drop box I see and always use ship to information as return information as well. Avoiding problems is so much easier than fighting them.

One personal bad experience and reading this forum taught me a good lesson.

Reply by NCLisa on 9/13/09 10:16pm
Msg #303775

I won't use UPS unless the company sends me a label with the package. If they don't, the packages goes back fedex with their account number. I can never get a UPS airbill when I need one, and refuse to give them a CC number so I can open an account with them again and order supplies. The UPS's stores around here won't give me blank airbills, they say they aren't permitted to.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 9/14/09 5:22am
Msg #303785

At least once a month before I stopped putting my name on the sending portion of the airbill.
And why would you want to take a chance on the billing account not paying the bill or going belly up by putting your name/address on airbill?

Reply by Regal/NC on 9/14/09 7:36am
Msg #303788

Easy fix! Enter the receiver as the sender also. Works everytime for me.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 9/14/09 11:14am
Msg #303802

I think its time to kind of demand that all pkg's have a

shipping label included so this never happens to any of us.

Reply by davidK/CA on 9/14/09 11:58am
Msg #303805

Explaining The UPS Store refusal to supply shipping forms.

The UPS Stores do not want to provide "customers" any blank shipping forms intended to be used to ship a package and billed to an account holder because they get paid NOTHING from UPS to handle the package in their store.

If you walk in with a paper shipping label already attached to a package and hand it to a clerk it's just like dropping it into a metal pickup box, the box does it's work for free and so does the UPS store owner.

Having been in the business I can tell you that it's very frustrating for The UPS Store owner to have to provide these paper shipping forms for free, pay the rent and employee wages to process the package, be responsible to insure that the package is given to the UPS driver and then run the risk of loss or damage and yet earn zero dollars. At least if the package has a computer generated label on it the store can earn $0.75 from UPS for their efforts, which is a heck of a lot better than nothing.

Certainly UPS has a problem with false billing issues but it's not fault of The UPS Stores. They are entitled to earn some money for the services they provide, but UPS requires them to accept the packages for shipping even if the stores earn nothing for their efforts.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/14/09 12:41pm
Msg #303814

Re: Explaining The UPS Store refusal to supply shipping forms.

Thanks for alerting us to that issue. In the past I knew that stores that shipped fedEx pkgs got $1 for handling the package. Is that still true?

Reply by davidK/CA on 9/14/09 1:00pm
Msg #303818

Re: Explaining The UPS Store refusal to supply shipping forms.

The UPS Store franchisees are no longer allowed to ship FedEx packages. The original stores were called MailBoxes Etc. and they shipped with multiple carriers. The stores that converted from MBE to "The UPS Store" for a while continued to offer FedEx, but that ended a few years ago when UPS clamped down on the franchisees.

Yes, the typical fee paid by FedEx was $1.00 for a store to accept and process a "pre-paid" FedEx overnight domestic envelope so the stores did earn something for their efforts but UPS took that revenue source away from their franchisees when they prohibited FedEx services in the UPS Stores.

Reply by Carole Breckbill on 9/15/09 11:34am
Msg #303925

Re: Explaining The UPS Store refusal to supply shipping forms.

My local UPS Store told me a couple weeks ago that they get $1 for a dropped off envelope (pre-labeled with paper label) and said they appreciated my bringing the package in rather than having the UPS driver pick up at my house.

UPS supplies are often available in the metal pick up boxes. You can also open an account with UPS and get your supplies delivered to you.

Reply by dickb/wi on 9/14/09 12:16pm
Msg #303811

excuse me if i am being redundant as i have....

not read every response to this post........we have talked about this ad nauseum.....when are we going to learn not to show us as the senders?.........when i don't get a printed ship label with the docs i hand print one and the sender is the same as the receiver and i drop it in a box, sometimes right at the ups center [not the ups store but there shipping center for the area] [they don't take packages at the counter u have to drop them in the box outside] and they have no trail back to me.......jmho

Reply by L.G (Buc) Alboucq on 9/14/09 1:32pm
Msg #303823

another question

I now have blank UPS air bills that were picked up a drop box. Do I enter the receivers account number in both the receivers box and the Shippers account number box since I have been advised to enter the receivers address in both the from and to boxes?
Sorry, tired of getting billed

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/14/09 1:43pm
Msg #303828

Re: another question

Some recommend entering the BO's address as the sending address others the receivers in both boxes. When I have done it this way, I just entered the account number in the receivers box. It worked.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/14/09 1:59pm
Msg #303833

Re: another question

I don't have to handwrite UPS labels too often. When I do, I put the recipients acct. # & address in box 1 (shipper), their address again in box 2 (receiver), check "Bill shippper's acct." in box 8, sign in illegible name in box 10 & date it. They've never come back on me.