Messages in Defense of UPS

While I received many messages of support for my criticism against UPS, I also received messages strongly objecting to that criticism. Some assert that a business could not be as large as UPS without also being good. (But we have seen large bad businesses: Enron, Worldcom, Adelphia, and others.) Others proclaim what a great place UPS is to work. Still others deride my negativism. Many of the defenders of UPS fail to understand the difference between the fees charged by a customs broker and customs duties levied by a nation.

In some cases, I quote those messages (without editing) along with my response. In others, I merely describe them. When I quote message, they are indeed quoted verbatim, without me correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, or syntax. I'll let you judge the intellegence of the writers by giving you their exact words.

On my way home from work on 24 November 1998, the freeway (I-405) was very congested (as was often the case). So I took an alternate route on surface streets. On Pacific Ave in Santa Monica, there are two lanes in each direction, with signs saying "No Parking". Sure enough, there was a UPS truck parked — blocking one lane — to make a delivery. I was not surprised. I have seen UPS trucks parked in the handicap space at a medical center and blocking the main aisleway through a shopping center parking lot. They don't care; they're UPS. Al, a UPS driver, visited these Web pages and noticed a comment about this. (During a revision of these pages, that comment was moved here.)

Al then sent me E-mail about what a hard job UPS drivers do and also compared UPS trucks blocking traffic with U.S. Postal Service trucks doing the same thing. Yes, all delivery drivers work hard — UPS, Postal Service, FedEx, and the rest. And yes, the Postal Service is notorious for parking in No Parking zones. And finally, I must agree with Al's comment about shopping center developers not providing adequate loading zones.

But my complaint is with UPS not the Postal Service or FedEx, and that is the subject of these pages. Al characterized my complaint about charging an unstated, unjustified customs brokerage fee as a "mistake". There was no mistake about it. By telephone, I shuttled from one UPS office to another and to yet another. At each of them, UPS representatives claimed this fee was indeed intentional. Even though I had a contract that supposedly described UPS's services and the fees charged for those services, UPS extorted additional fees — ransom — for my daughter's possessions.

Al also trivialized my complaint as little more than McDonald's omitting pickles from a Big Mac. You can buy several Big Macs for the $30 this "mistake" cost my daughter. And this was not a mistake; it was a systemic charge, intentionally levied. This charge is levied on all international UPS shipments worth $25 or more. If an omitted pickle cost only 1% of the price of a Big Mac, McDonald's could increase its profits by over $12,000,000 merely by omitting the pickles on one-tenth of its Big Macs. I am sure some state's attorney general would then collect a significant part of that as a penalty for defrauding the public — not for omitting my pickle but for omitting pickles on a large scale. "Mistakes" like this — applied in general to a company's customers — are not at all trivial.

With Al, I touched a raw nerve. Good! I hope he carried his unhappiness to his management at UPS. No, Al is not the target of my complaint; but his managers are. Their decision to implement this fee might be within the bounds of current law, but that attitude will only beget further laws. Remember:

To: xxx@aol.com
From: "David E. Ross" <rossde@acm.org>
Subject: Re: ups sucks response

At 03:42 AM 04/24/99 EDT, you wrote:
> I am responding in to your web listing. Postal workers
> are not like UPS drivers or any other delivery drivers. How
> many companies have overweigh 55 years olds on their payroll?
> Next time mail your package. Along with the DMV wait at the
> post office there will be another wait at the receiving end
> for the package.

I'm overweight (not overweigh) and 57, and my employer (an industrial company) seems to value my work very much! At least my pay, fringe benefits, and general working conditions indicate they appreciate me. And I am not the only overweight senior professional on the payroll. You obviously have a problem with relating to individuals who have the talent that only experience can create and who enjoy eating.

My daughter receives packages mailed through the U.S. Postal Service and Canada Post much more quickly than the two packages we sent via UPS. And we spent far more time at the UPS facility (not a contract location) than I normally spend at the Post Office.

R. O. (an employee of UPS) sent me an E-mail asking why I continue to keep these pages posted on my Web site for so long and expressing concern that I am truly hurting UPS's business:

Your web-page just does injustice for hard working and sincere employees like myself. What do you hope to accomplish with keeping it posted for such a long time. Maybe, you want UPS to go out of business, maybe you would like to see many such as myself be out of a job and searching for other means to provide for our families. Maybe if that would happen, you would feel redeemed.

Please take time to consider if posting this page to the world is equal to the many jobs that would be lost if say…UPS did go out of business due to web-pages like this.

Actually, this is one of my most successful sites, averaging over 60 "hits" per day. And I also continue to receive E-mail messages about this site, most of them relating similar experiences with UPS. As long as it continues to attract such interest, these pages have not been on my Web site too long.

No, I am not trying to put UPS out of business. The pen might indeed be mightier than the sword, but I strongly doubt that I have that much power over one of the world's largest package delivery companies (not quite as large world-wide as DHL). My goal is not the elimination of UPS but the elimination of an unwarranted customs brokerage fee, collected in Canada even when there are no Canadian customs duties levied. I hope that by publicizing this abuse of UPS's customers I can inspire other customers to complain to UPS and to government agencies. Either UPS will recognize that "doing the right thing" means eliminating the customs brokerage fee when no customs broker really does anything or else the government will force UPS to act. If correction cannot be obtained either way and UPS finally does go out of business, the fault would lie within UPS for failing to change.

R. O. is very supportive of his (or her?) employer. However, a few weeks ago, I received an E-mail message from another UPS employee who described the company as a gross abuser of its own employees. Not all of R. O.'s coworkers share his position.

From: Tammy <xxx@email.msn.com>
To: rossde@acm.org
Subject: ups
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 13:46:18 -0600

People like you are the reason that people in America are suffering. UPS employs over 400,000 people. Now how can you and other cold people who put up sites degrading companies like this live with yourselves. Maybe one day you will make a mistake and be out of luck. But a good thing that UPS works with the United Way and other various groups to help those in need because maybe you or your family might need help. I have looked over complaints regarding UPS, Fedex, and the Postal Service for some time, but again all you bored and jealous people do is hurt the working middle class families.

Tammy strongly defends UPS but fails to indicate anything untrue about my complaint. Perhaps that is because what I say here is true. She also seems to think that a very large corporation that employs many workers should be held sacred. I definitely cannot agree, especially since some of the largest companies regularly abuse their employees (including UPS as some of its employees have informed me).

Overall, Tammy's message is off-target. I, too, am part of "the working middle class". And my daughter works hard for a living; she could ill afford the $43.87Cdn (about $30US at the exchange rate at the end of 1998) it cost to ransom her belongings, packages that the Canadian government allowed duty-free. The fact that UPS donates to charity does not excuse this practice any more than charity by Phillip Morris (another very large company with many employees) excuses their lying about the health effects of cigarettes. Finally, I really do not understand Tammy's reference to "people in America are suffering", unless she is referring to the suffering caused by greedy and rapacious businesses.

Not only did the Herseys have their facts wrong, but then they challenged me to post their message here.

Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 23:20:51 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
From: "The Hersey's" <xxx@mint.net>
To: <rossde@acm.org>
Subject: the rest of the story

I cant believe you are blaming UPS for charging duties on your daughters personal stuff. First the Canadian goverment requires the duty,not UPS. All that money didn't goto to UPS. Some of that money goes to Canada. If UPS had used a private brokerage house it would have been more and second it would have taken longer. And if you even bothered to look at the billing copy UPS gave YOU . You will see that you checked off the box "bill recipient for all customs cost". People like you amaze me. Also her personal belongings would have been duty free if she took them with her but she didn't. What is the Canadian govt supposed to do guess what is personal and what isn't. Every person sending any package would say "this is personal". Your argument is very sad to any person with any sense at all. I make minimum wage for a shipper who has shipped out 2 packages to Canada and I figured it out. I didn't finish high school and I read the rules to shipping. Hmmm … Blame yourself ,apologies to your UPS dude and say your sorry to your daughter for goofing this up. All carriers would of charged you the same thing. You wont post this because it is undebateable facts and you will hold your head in shame for being so…so…you

While the Herseys cannot believe that I am blaming UPS, I can easily believe they did not carefully read this Web page. Of 17 sentences in their E-mail message, over half are contrary to fact. They also sent me a follow-up message; I won't further embarrass them by posting it.

After receiving Skippy's E-mail, it becomes easy to believe the problem with UPS is caused by the fact that its employees are only semi-literate.

From: Skippy
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 02:13:56 EST
Subject: UPS
To: rossde@acm.org

i like the way people blame ups for all the things they do, as stated on your site. but as an employee working at ups for a little over a year now, i love my job. its hard work and all, but im up for it, and its because of the benefits i receive from them, far more outreaching than any other company, even better than military benefits in some cases. ( i know cause im in the reserve) ups offers full health benefits, including dental and vision, up to 2,000 towards tuition reimbursement, 401k, and employee discount towards certain products. pn top of that, ups has redefined the meaning of "teamwork". ups wouldnt be the biggest package carrier without having such a great teamwork system in operation. what company doesnt park in the fire lane or no-parking zones? go file a complaint against the police department, they do it all day while they go in to snack on fats. to all, a good night

Notice that Skippy cannot find the apostrophe key or the shift key (for capitals) on his keyboard. It's amazing that he can find your home or office to deliver a package.

Of course, this isn't true. I have received very literate messages from UPS employees, both opposing and supporting my criticism. And yes, UPS does provide very nice benefits for its employees. However, a company that treats its employees well can still treat its customers — the people whose money pays for the employees' wages and benefits — as trash. And, as I noted several times before, not all UPS employees think they are treated well.

From: "Todd" <xxx@adelphia.net>
To: rossde@acm.org
Subject: UPS
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2002 16:57:39 -0600

I found that the info you gave was wrong or bias… I just want to go record to say this is why there should be govt control of the internet. You should be held accountable for such trash. Ship UPS international all over the world and found them to be the best. You will be posting this right? Didnt think so…

Obviously, Todd was wrong about me adding his message to this Web page. But he is wrong — very, very wrong — in other ways.

The information on these pages might reflect a bias, but it is very much correct. Its veracity is supported not only my personal experience and by many other messages I have received (even messages from UPS employees). It is also supported by an agency of the Canadian government.

Todd would impose government censorship on the Internet rather than allow the misdeeds of UPS be exposed. Poppycock such as he spreads should be the first thing censored. However, I am firmly opposed to any form of censorship, even if it would rid us of the Todds in this world.

(I suspect Todd is the same person who wrote a critical message to me a little over a year ago (quoted earlier on this page). The E-mail address is different. However, the last name is the same; and the diatribe is similar. I would not have posted this later message, but I had to expose how supporters of UPS would rely more on censorship than on the truth.)

From: UPSFan42@xxx.com
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 13:31:00 EDT
Subject: Reply

My husband is a UPS driver of over 25 years and I stumbled onto your site, by accident.

[From the other E-mail I continue to receive, a number of your husband's co-workers — drivers and managers — are unhappy with UPS as an employer and embarrassed by the practices I describe on this page (which they confirm do indeed happen regularly).]

I don't know why I feel the need to respond, but I do. Outside of being married to a UPS driver, I also was the office manager of a law firm for many years, before becoming a clinicial psychologist. We exclusively used UPS and after trying to be swayed to other services, found that you couldn't beat the price or the service! Your suggestion of using the U.S. Post Office's services instead is a joke! Have you ever tried to ship with them? On more then 4 ocassions our law firm attempted to give them a try for overnight delivery. 3 out of the 4 times, not only did our package not get to their destination the next day, but got there slower then if we would have just put a stamp on the envelope and mailed it. They could never track it or tell you what was going on either. Now in fairness to them, the last time I tried to use them was many years ago and they could have gotten much better.

[I have used the U.S. Postal Service to send packages from California to my daughter in Canada. Not once has a customs broker become involved.]

It seems to me like you have way too much time on your hands to devote so much to this "cause". I can see being slightly annoyed at the situation, but you have to admit, their fees are substantially lower to begin with, so outside of not really being informed up-front of these additional charges, it's not that big a deal. I'm sure your daughter was able to ship a substantial amount of her special belongings for the full price it cost you in the end, and, isn't that what's important?! You seem to be one of those guys who all through life probably addressed issues that weren't that big of a deal because "it was the principle of the matter…" and just have to have the last word.

[I have plenty of time. I'm retired. Yes, it is a big deal because it is pervasive. Many others — not only those cited on this page — have had the same experience. According to E-mail I have received from UPS employees, the practices described on this page are per UPS policy; what happened with my daughter's shipment was not an accident. This is not the experience seen by those who use the Postal Service or AirBorne. In the end, my daughter had to pay extra — beyond the "total" fees quoted by UPS — to receive her belongings.]

I'm glad you have found such personal fulfillment in this cause but do you realize how much more constructively the time you devote to this could be spent if you put all this energy into a worthwile cause?

[Actually, my fulfillment comes from the thanks I have received from others who have had similar experiences with UPS and who appreciate that I took the time to publicize UPS's chicanery.]

[I do indeed put energy into worthwhile (not worthwile) causes. I am president of a public charity that operates entirely through unpaid volunteers. I volunteer to help the unemployed use computers to search for jobs and prepare résumés. Out of 143 actions to build better communities listed by the Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, I have done or currently do approximately 100.]

P.S. By the way, just saw the little paragraph about your name and that everyone must address you by David. That paragraph alone answers many questions I have about what type of person would create this web page to begin with!

[You are referring to my request that I not be called "Dave". At least I make my name public. You, on the other hand, chose to remain anonymous. I have the courage of my convictions. Do you?]

Here, my comments were taken verbatim from the reply I sent. The message from DHL cited below was a correction to my statement that UPS was the largest delivery company. During a rewrite of these pages, I incorporated that correction into the text and deleted the DHL message.

From: xxx@hotmail.co.uk
Date: 24 Apr 2005 04:36 PM UTC
Subject: UPS "Information"

I am sending this e-mail to you on behalf of a friend who works for UPS in the UK as a customs trainer so he knows his stuff when it comes to Brokerage.

Yes UPS do do there own Brokering and they have a dedicated team of advisors and Brokers who contact ALL importers to gain the correct import information. When they did so with your daughter they would have asked the question "Under what grounds are you importing these goods" To which your daughter would have replied "They are my own personal belongings". With this response there would be a form to complete in order to gain relief of all import duties and taxes (Under customs procedure code 000041 Goods which have been owned and used by the importer for more than 6 months) Alternately if your daughter was studying in Canada and she told the UPS advisor this when they called they would have used CPC 530050 which are goods for a temporary visitor or student in the importing country. The charge you are talking about is probably a Non routine entry fee based on the amount of paper work a customs entry such as this one would generate. The option is always there (In UK Customs anyway) to come and make the entry yourself which would probably go wrong, take twice as long and mean you would pay more to customs than you would to UPS.

[My daughter had already immigrated to Canada and had the status as a permanent resident, not a student. The shipment was marked by UPS at the shipping terminal as duty-free personal belongings for a "landed immigrant". Note this was at a UPS facility, not a contract or franchise store.]

There are many ways around the customs charges you just need to know them and give true answers to the questions you are being asked.

[There were NO customs charges. UPS never asked for any, and none were due. The entire fee was for the broker.]

What you have to understand is customs is a very specialist industry and with UPS have 400 thousand employees globally it wouldn't be possible to have every one of them fully trained as a customs broker. I'm sure you agree.

[If UPS charges a fee for a customs broker who is a UPS employee, UPS has an obligation to ensure that person is indeed knowledgeable and appropriately trained.]

I would like to know what action did you take once your daughter gave the money to the UPS service provider? There where channels you could have gone through in order to make an amendment on the customs entry meaning you or your daughter would have got there money back.

[I contacted the local UPS terminal from where the boxes were shipped. They referred me to UPS's international shipping department, which effectively said "Tough luck! No refund." Remember, the fee was a brokerage fee, not customs duties. UPS charged the fee although they knew from the beginning that the boxes were duty-free.]

To be honest we only looked at a few of the complaints on the site but at tops there are 20 complaints on there. If you ask me in 96 years of service and 3.2 million packages a day compared to your 20 complaints isn't a major problem.

[I have received many more complaints. I don't list them all. The page is too long already.]

This is a message to the individual from DHL. Remind me how long has your company been in business? Not 97 years is it? Oh and how many customers do you have globally? Not Quite that of UPS. Does your company have a AAA credit rating? No they don't unlike UPS, Who has a blue ribbon from Fortune magazine for coming in the top three in 5 or more of there annual polls? I shall give you a clue it isn't DHL! How was your 1st quarter results this year? Not quite $9 Billion was it? Where are you ranked in the worlds most admired companies? Behind Fed Ex which coincidentally isn't higher than UPS, Remind me where are you in the standings for the worlds largest company? Higher than 7th? No you not because UPS are.

[The length of time a company has been in business is irrelevant. If they operated ethically a century ago but operate unethically today, they are an unethical company. If a company makes an outstanding profit while operating unethically, that makes it worse, not better.]

From: xxx@hotmail.com
Date: 30 Jan 2006 04:02:23 CST
Subject: Rant page about UPS

David,

I Just wanted to say that I don't support your opinions on the page about UPS, but I do support your right to free speech.

I think you have become obsessed with one simple mistake (if it was a mistake to charge the fee in the first place) and taken the whole thing way to far. I hope we never cross paths in my lifetime, I sure would hate to accidentally upset you and be sentenced to a lifetime of internet rants.

To put it simply, lighten up! Life is more pleasant if you focus on the good things.

Rob

It was not "one simple mistake". According to messages I received from other UPS customers, this is standard practice — charging the recipient in Canada a large customs brokerage fee without clearly explaining that fact to the shipper in the U.S. Indeed, according to UPS itself, this is standard practice. When there are no customs duties going to the government (as was the case with my daughter), other shipping companies do not charge customs brokerage fees.

From: Swampmanfla@xxx.com
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 19:43:41 EDT
Subject: (no subject)

You are obviously a man with too much time on your hands. I work in the shipping business and I disagree with your comments. You obviously have limited knowledge of int'l business.

I have the knowledge gained from being a customer of UPS, USPS, FedEx, and others.

As far as there being a charge on an int'l shipment that was not communicated effectively or even was in addition to what you were advised — it happens sometimes — particularly with int'l shipments. And if you think that can only happen with UPS and never with Fed Ex / DHL then you are either naive, bitter or just plain stupid. I understand you being somewhat pissed but to devote a website ?

The additional charge for customs brokerage is very often hidden by UPS. The others either do not levy this charge or else they disclose it when the package is submitted for shipping, not (as UPS) when it arrives at its destination.

And who cares why your daughter moved to Canada ? If things are so great there why don't you move too ? But if you do make sure to ship your packages DHL / Fed Ex.

As I indicated, I was asked why my daughter moved to Canada; and I answered. I prefer the climate of southern California, where I was born; so I remain there.

You have devoted an entire website to an issue over $30.00. If you put up a website everytime you thought you did not get a fair deal in life you would probably have over 100 sites. Then again you might. You have too much time on your hands.

This was not an isolated incident affecting only my daughter, involving only US$30. The E-mail messages I cite show that this is a widespread problem with UPS. The CBC and members of the diplomatic corps in Ottawa confirm this. Customs brokerage is a profit-center for UPS.

What Swampman does not realize is that I have not put all the messages of support or thanking me on these Web pages. To do so would take too much space on my Web server. Although I attempt to show all messages criticizing my stand on this page, this page is only one-third of the size of the combined pages containing selected messages of support, even after added my own comments to this page.

Thomas's message was a single block of text, which I broke apart (as best I could) into paragraphs. I then inserted my comments between the paragraphs.

From: Thomas <xxx@ngu.edu>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:19:32 -0500
Subject: UPS

As a web browser coming across this page, and a UPS employee, I think your argument against the United Parcel Service is bogus and childish.

The volume of messages supporting me (including one from the wife of a U.S. diplomat based in Canada) and the news items in the Canadian media indicate that there is real substance in my complaint.

For number one, when you asked about the shipment being paid for, it was. As you pointed out, there is a possibility of brokerage fees for the receiving end on an international shipment. IT STATES THIS. It does not matter if its for a broker, the country, or UPS. The point is, the line is there that states that there maybe extra fees. You are making this situation way to analytical and have taken it to a childish level.

Second of, approximately 30 dollars to receive valuable goods is not a whole lot of money. Seriously, how can you hate a multi-million dollar corporation for charging some change to get a package delivered so you won't have to spend hundreds of dollars doing it yourself? I just really think you should think more about what happened to you and place yourself in the shoes of a financial planner for UPS and consider what you would do. It is the 2000's now and everyone should realize nothing is free.

The packages were marked "Duty Free", in accord with a letter my daughter received from the Canadian government. There would have been no "hundreds of dollars doing it yourself".

Further, it is not merely my daughter's $43.87Cdn. UPS has charged so many Canadians brokerage fees of this magnitude that U.S. merchants are beginning to receive demands from Canadian customers not to ship via UPS. The same packages shipped through the joint operation of the U.S. Postal Service and Canada Post have only a $5.00Cdn brokerage fee, which apparently is waived for duty-free packages.

This web page has truly disgusted me and to think there are so many ignorant people in this world is scary. On a side note, the phrase "The customer is always right" is a bunch of bull so do not even use that on me. If the customer was always right then everything WOULD be free and there would be world peace. Please…

Disgusted? I'm disgusted by the way UPS uses customs brokerage as another profit center. In this case, the customer is indeed right because the customer can demand that goods be shipped by other carriers.

The following message was brief and to the point. Because it had no subject, I almost trashed it as spam.

From: <CatSio@xxx.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:16:08 EST

You need to get a life buddy! To spend so much time on a problem with one package is so sad! UPS ROCKS

Ah, but I do have a good, interesting, and rewarding life. I love my wife and am warmed by the glow of her love. I enjoy my grandchildren. I currently head a charitable foundation and volunteer as a docent at a public garden. I was chosen to serve a year on my county's grand jury; my service was sufficiently appreciated that the presiding judge of the county's superior court appointed me to a second year on the jury. My neighbors respect me as a leader of the community.

As for "one package", there were two packages that started this complaint. If CatSio had only read the messages in support of my complaint, he or she would have noticed that many other packages sent by others have also been involved over the years since I started this Web site. This was not a one-time problem.

Finally, while these pages about UPS generate far more "hits" than any of my other Web pages, I spend far less time maintaining these pages than I spend on my pages about gardening, cooking, and political commentary.

I received a message from James that was one long paragraph. Below, I broke it into sections to facilitate my responses.

From: <xxx@@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 00:09:10

David,

Your UPS expierience really not only disturbs me but is not right. The extra fee you and your daughter received should have been explained to you by your local ups store. The people that open these stores do not have affiliation with the union nor UPS for that matter. They are simply people that open a store and receive packages not only for UPS but for other parcel delivery services as well to make money. It is as simple as someone who opens a gas station, they do not know all the rules and regulations at first. (Although they should especially when representing a fortune 500 company).

]I did not go to a local UPS store. I went to a UPS Customer Center, owned and operated by UPS itself. Actually, the facility is also a terminal where UPS receives packages from local UPS stores, sorts them, and routes them and from where UPS trucks make their deliveries.]

Your expierience is misfortunate however have you not used UPS again?

[I try to avoid UPS whenever possible. Only when ordering merchandise that I really want from a vendor that will ship only via UPS do I use that service. When I ship, I always choose the U.S. Postal Service.]

You should really try sending a 150lbs parcel through USPS and through UPS at the same time and see which parcel makes it first. Even if you can through USPS without having a fee from the post office for freight charges! Fedex is absolutly out of the question for this expieriment! It is a very known fact UPS is the fastest parcel delivery system in the world with tracking for no additional charge! Yes USPS can get a piece of mail like a card, with a 100 dollar gift card, in 1-2 days but what happens when its lost? They do not refund your money for this and UPS does.

[Since I am not running a business, I have no cause to ship 150 pounds. I also do not like gift cards; instead, I shop and buy real gifts.]

To get to the point you should not bash UPS for a non expierenced UPS store employ or owner!

[To repeat, I was not at a UPS store! I was dealing with an actual UPS employee at an actual UPS facility located at 1501 Rancho Conejo Blvd, Newbury Park, CA 91320. Since you later indicate you are a UPS employee, look up that facility in your corporate directory. ]

You said on your site that 1000s of ups and fedex employs have agreed with you. Every last one of them should quit there job. If they do not believe in the service they are doing they should not be working there! UPS is a service they do not manufacture or anything like that it is a service to the businesses and people who use them. (Which are treated equally weather a person is sending one letter or a large business sending 100 parcels a day they are treated the same and have equal rights to the service!)

[UPS does not have a monopoly on unhappy employees. There are many unhappy empoyees in many different jobs. In today's economy (2010), telling an unhappy employee to quit is unrealistic. Having a paycheck today is far more important than happiness.]

As you may know by now I am a UPS employ and love my job. Thank you for taking the time to read my message. The next time elderlys and young infants need medicine next day aired and kept cold think about the one company who cares and not only donates money to organizations but also has employs working with united way to build houses for the homless and donate hard earned money out of their check each week. Thanks for your time. Please feel free to look any of this up. It is free information.

Thanks
James

Brian also sent me one-paragraph message, somewhat rambling. I quote it verbatim, with all of Brian's failure to proofread his message. The ellipses (…) are as Brian placed them; they do not indicate that I omitted anything.

From: <brianxxx@xxx.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:55:17 -0400

But i've worked for UPS for 17yrs now … route driver … and we MUST be doing something right … lets see 1. We aquired (own) 80% of DHL … currently have contract with POST OFFICE to handle 60% of their parcels … soon to be near 90% … absolutely blow FedEx out of the water as far as Customer service rankins … revunue … and overall Volume … so if we are doing Wrong … somebody forgot to tell the CUSTOMERS ….

Brian looks closely at UPS from the inside. UPS shippers and (much more important) their customers — UPS recipients — look just as closely but from the outside. From the latter viewpoint, UPS looks quite different from what Brian sees; just read some of the other messages I have received from shippers and recipients.

According to her E-mail message below, Connie obviously did not carefully read this Web site.

From: <connie@xyzzyx.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 09:28:00 -0400

David,

You clearly have no idea about the responsibilities of a Customs Broker are. As a licensed Customs Broker and having worked in the industry for over 25 years, I can personally tell you that there is a lot of work that goes into each and every shipment that clears through Customs and UPS does not do that for free. Your "opinion" that UPS should do that for free tells me you have limited brain power and way too much time on your hand. You are someone who clearly didn't do your homework on importing into the United States and now wants to blame UPS for your mistake.

Thank you!

Look at the last sentence in the main paragraph. I did not import into the U.S. I sent packages from the U.S. to Canada. The packages were clearly marked to indicate no customs duties were due since this was a shipment of previously owned personal property of my daughter, who immigrated into Canada and became a permanent Canadian resident. As an immigrant, my daughter was allowed to bring into Canada her personal property duty-free.

When I shipped the packages from a UPS terminal — not from a franchised UPS store — I was assured that all fees had been paid. That should have included UPS's customs brokerage fees since the broker was UPS itself and not an outside service.

From: <connie@xyzzyx.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:52:39 -0700

Importing or Exporting. Duties, Taxes, and Customs Fees are still due.

Canada does not levy either duties or taxes on previously-owned personal property when imported into that nation by those immigrants granted permanent residence (whom Canadians call "landed immigrants"). Those imports enter Canada duty-free and tax-free. My daughter was with me — on a visit from Canada — when we submitted the packages to the UPS terminal; and we made this very clear to the UPS clerk. Indeed, my daughter did not pay any duties or taxes on this shipment when it arrived in Canada; but UPS nevertheless required her to pay for a customs broker, who happened to be a UPS employee.

The number of messages I receive in support of my complaint against UPS far outnumber the messages I receive against my complaint.

______________________
* My copyright does not apply to quoted E-mail messages that I received from others. Although I do not have a copyright on such messages, however, I do assert the right to publish any message I receive unless the sender explicitly requests within the message that I do not publish it.

A Shipment to My Daughter