Posted by CorpJen on 5/26/11 12:26pm
Msg #384421

Courier Charges

We hear very often a notary gets charged for the courier fee in error, maybe the notary forgets to check bill to (receiver-consignee)

Never, never, never show yourself as the shipper. ALWAYS show the shipper and receiver as the same. You can never be billed. This is common practice in shipping.

Reply by PAW on 5/26/11 12:41pm
Msg #384425

I really don't believe that the number of times a notary is billed erroneously for shipping charges by FedEx or UPS is as large as you may think. I'm sure it has happened, but there are ways to avoid it, even showing yourself as the shipper.

Don't use handwritten airbills, unless you put the recipients name in the Sender field.

Use online airbill generation by the respective shipping company. This does require that you set up an account (if you don't already have one) with the shipping company.

Using the online systems, be sure to select "bill recipient" or "bill 3rd party" and enter the CORRECT account number.

In over 20 years, I have never been erroneously billed for a shipment.

Reply by jojo_MN on 5/26/11 3:11pm
Msg #384446

I haven't had any problems with FedEx, but lost hundreds of dollars from UPS. When Archer Land Title went out of business, I had over $250 in UPS charges from them alone. It has also happened with other companies. If the party being billed disputes the charges or goes out of business, it is charged to the person that generated the air-bill. I learned that the hard way.

I always request that the hiring party sends me an air-bill, or I will do a hand-written one putting in the receiver's name in as the sender also. My name will never be anywhere on the air-bill. ALSO, if you order blank air-bills from UPS sent to your address, they document the tracking numbers so you can also be billed if for some reason the sender denies it or goes out of business.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 5/26/11 3:42pm
Msg #384453

Very true. Another company that stuck many notaries with UPS chargebacks was EFS - they closed their doors a few years ago very suddenly. Some got hit with hundreds of dollars of chargebacks.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 5/26/11 10:57pm
Msg #384503

I have had UPS charge me (even by sending me a bill in the mail) a few times while in this business and several other times in another business. I now request that my customers provide me with a FedEx label or FedEx account number.

Since UPS will no longer allow you to use handwritten airbills without your name appearing in the sender box, I refuse to ship back via UPS without a label provided by the customer.

I no longer have a UPS account in part due to them trying to charge me (and in at least one case) the receiving party for the same package. FedEx has more drop-off locations and later pickup times for those locations. So overall, it is better for me and them to use FedEx.

To their credit, in every case that UPS erroneously billed me they did correct it after I notified them and/or the customer and I have not had to pay any of them.

Reply by Matt_VA on 5/27/11 10:05am
Msg #384514

At the top I put "same as below" then put the co info on the shipping part. Done it for years, never had a problem. NEVER put your name or address on the waybill!

Reply by CorpJen on 5/27/11 7:58am
Msg #384510

disagree with Paul.... many times the courier acct with ups gets denied for some reason..

Reply by PAW on 5/27/11 10:50am
Msg #384518

If you use their (UPS) online air bill generation, I believe it verifies the 'bill to' account number before allowing you to print the air bill.

Reply by BestFlCloser on 5/27/11 2:13pm
Msg #384535

I have both UPS & FedEx accounts and I use their system to generate airbill or labels. I have never had an issue with being billed by either company. I do use their system to generate the labels and they do check the account to see if it's active.

Reply by ShipTropolis on 12/7/12 7:54pm
Msg #445859

Ask the Title or Escrow company to sign-up with ShipTropolis.com so you can print UPS and Fedex labels on demand on their account.

1. ShipTropolis.com is secure for the title/escrow company.
2. It's easy for notaries to quickly create labels on demand.
3. It ensures the notary doesn't get wrongfully stuck with the shipping cost.

Disclaimer: I work for ShipTropolis

Cheers,
Bob