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Ameritrade "has every reason to believe" that the tape has either been destroyed or is being held by the shipper.

The have surely been destroyed by UPS.

SD

Near as I can tell, it's a portmanteau of "Mandrake" and "Connectiva". Sort of like the old joke about FedEx and UPS merging to make FedUp.

This is a by-product of UPS's Industrial Engineering unit with the aim of not keeping an eye on their employees as much as making sure packages are sent as quickly as possible.

Without this unit you wouldn't have packages sent as quickly to you thanks to their research in creating systems to determine the shortest land route to deliver as many packages as possible or track packages accurately.

This is with the aim of helping deliveries of your amazon product or thinkgeek gear get to you as quickly as possible. What's the problem with that?

Here are some little suggestions.

There are not "many" color or sound trademarks.
...but there are very few color only trademarks. The only one I know of is Orange, which gets the color orange for cell phones.

UPS does it for a flat $7.50 per package.

Quoting from the article:

"Government Entities: Microsoft intends that this product be used in accordance with applicable laws and regulations for the evaluation, use and benefit of your government agency only," Microsoft states in the note. "You may, at your discretion, return this product package to Microsoft at its expense."

Okay, sending back at Microsoft's expense is easy. Just send it via UPS SonicAir same-day service. Doing a quick quote, from Texas (for example) back to Redmond would cost at least $264.94. Also, be sure to send it in the evening so that nighttime charges apply, and from obscure locations so the extended mileage also figures into the cost. If you do it right, you could get it up into the thousands depending on location (overseas stations?) and time of day. If there aren't any commercial flights, you can have UPS charter a plane just for your CD. Oh, and send each CD back separately for maximum effect.

When you absolutely, positively, have to stick it to Microsoft.

*imagines a jet fighter with 10,000 stamps on it*

With built in UPS, you don't need roadies. It ships itself!

UPS, FedEx, and a few other delivery companies already do this. And its really nice. When I don't get a package on time, I just check the ID number on the website, and they tell me where it is, how long it stayed there, and so on. It is VERY convenient and saves a lot of worry.

This is just expanding an already good system to the regular mail. If it can be done reasonably fast and efficiently, I see no problems here.

The benefits are good and I'm not worried that any government thugs will be obscesssed with watching where my mail goes. (they could already do that anyway... each envelope I send has an address on it.)

I'm glad you came up with this idea. You should contact a patent lawyer -- after all, it has never been done before.

Already possible with UPS.
I've only used it once, but it worked great and ran to within 5 minutes of their projected arrival time.
It is a bit expensive, but when you gotta have it, you gotta have it...

--

Was it the sheep climbing onto the altar, or the cattle lowing to be slain,
or the Son of God hanging dead and bloodied on a cross that told me this was a world condemned, but loved and bought with blood.

Grumble...grumble... Freshpond Parkway is right...

Then there's the fun trip on Mass Ave, where it suddenly becomes a one-way street past Harvard (Univ). Plus the "guess which lane is the x turn only lane" games that seems popular...

Oh, yeah, and what does Brown do for me? Block the right hand lane with their stupid delivery trucks! Thanks a lot!

Of course, driving in Boston is not the problem. The problem is parking in Boston...

>Canada has very little in the way of duty or import fees for products from the USA.

That was about 7 years ago.

Here's the new rates, UPS style. And here's basic mail rates.

So, here's the breakdown for a $300 CDN item:

$32 brokerage + duties + PMs import tax + GST = $$$$.

Read it and weep. It costs a hell of a lot to import into Canada unless you're a business. I know, I've done it enough -- it's tough to get good electronics parts in this country. And going with another carrier only shifts the responsibility of paying the brokers to it being part of shipping, rather than an extra amount at the door. $32 is pretty low -- I've seen it as high as $40 for a shipment under $100.

>$200 US is about $300 CDN which would generate about $45 in taxes. What other charges were you hit with, $50 shipping and $50 brokerage?

Well, it was shipped from Michigan to Ontario, and was in a box about the size of a large paperback novel and about the same weight. IIRC shipping was about $25 CDN. Another $25 CDN for brokerage, the rest the PMs special import tax.

This once pointed to a comprehensive set of costs to import. Interesting that now it's close to election time it's gone missing...

>and you cannot really blame the PM for the shipper's charges.

I'm looking hard for this, but the PM specifically instituted an extra tax on import goods, past the GST. And it's huge. About $50 for $100 in goods, and it went up in proportion to that.

Well... look at that. It's near election time and I just found this. The updated version of that form. Looks like they just took off the extra tax for election time. It's better than a Shawinigan slap-in-da-face, I suppose!

Of course, now they choose to limit our freedoms on stuff we can legally buy here...

"You cannot import items such as: pornography; obscene and seditious material;"...

Great... Way to sanitize the country! You go, PM! Nothing but women mounties showing it all for me!

I can assure you I've been hit by these duties multiple times. My favourite was a $70 US box of PCBs that ended up at $130 US... It was still worth it, though, since the only company that seems to sell presensitized PCBs in Canada is MG Chemicals, who charge 2x to 5x the value of any product for some reason.

[Just look on the newsgroups for some info on how bad rates to import into Canada have become since Chretien got into power].

I can try to find you an article on this extra tax if you'd like. A lot of implementing it had to do with keeping internet business and economy in Canada, IIRC. Me, if I can't find something, though, I just don't spend the money rather than find an inferior solution, which is far worse for the economy.

So he can type up the waybills for FedEx, UPS, etc.

I wouldn't be suprised if FedEx has done the same thing.

If I wanted to send somebody a bomb I'd use FedEx.

Maybe UPS if the bomb was too heavy.

Who needs all this gigabuck technology anyway?

According to UPS [here] you can't ship any alcoholic beverages at all. But A-OK are sulfuric acid (up to 50% concentration), sodium hydroxide solution, and everyone's favorite, hydrofluoric acid (up to 60% concentration, but that's OK, it'll kill you anyway).

[..]This matches my experience shipping within the US (I recently shipped a PC to a friend and of course I bought the additional insurance).

So when you say that UPS doesn't insure, what you mean is that you neglected to ask for or buy insurance. Did you assume that you shipment was insured, or did you just forget to ask?

I used to work for a Pak Mail and have dealt with about every shipping/freight courier under the sun. In order to receive compensation for insurance, there is guidelines for packaging items. UPS (and FedEx) require fragile items (glass, ceramic or electronic) to be double-boxed with at least a two-inch diameter between the two boxes (packed with styrofoam peanuts or the like).

Depending on the insured value of the package, UPS will have an insurance claims representative inspect the packaging to make sure it was done correctly. If the package was lost somewhere in transit, a "tracer" is put on the tracking number for ten business days. All UPS waypoints are notified to look for the package, and if it turns up, it is sent to the recipient. If it doesn't within 10 days, claims paperwork is faxed or mailed to you.

With international shipments, a commercial invoice needs to be enclosed with a description of the contents and a declared value. Most people *don't* send, or declare a high value on items sent to foreign countries. Foreign countries, including Canada, may charge duties and taxes based on this declaration. This tax can be billed to the sender or the recipient, whatever you prefer. UPS insurance is typically .35 cents for every $100 (past the free $100), but duties and taxes can add up very quickly. UPS insurance guidelines are available is here (PDF) or Google (cached HTML) here.

I try to discourage sending anything of value unless you are willing to fully insure the item and pay duties/taxes. In a nutshell, shipping internationally is a royal pain in the ass.

Another thing to note is the longer something is in transit, the chances increase of getting damaged. In my experience, anything *not* going UPS ground has signifigantly better chances of survival (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, etc..). While you can get by much cheaper sending internationally to Canada (via UPS standard, equivalent to UPS ground), you increase the risk, especially farther the destination. Hope that helps.

is here, email forms are here.

is here, email forms are here.

If you can read you would notice:

"UPS Ground does not insure international shipments"

Yes, the story summary says that.

Unfortunately, it is wrong .

(Check this PDF for UPS's insurance policy; they do offer insurance on international shipments, and the only limitation I could find for international shipments that was different than for domestic shipments was for jewelry).

Packages shipped via UPS Ground from Canada are protected automatically against damage or loss up to $100, and Excess Value Insurance (brochure available here) can be purchased for values exceeding that. The cost is only 35 cents per $100 of value, up to $50,000 of coverage. Looks like he just didn't opt for the coverage.

Caveat expeditor.

Packages shipped via UPS Ground from Canada are protected automatically against damage or loss up to $100, and Excess Value Insurance (brochure available here) can be purchased for values exceeding that. The cost is only 35 cents per $100 of value, up to $50,000 of coverage. Looks like he just didn't opt for the coverage.

Caveat expeditor.

Packages shipped via UPS Ground from Canada are protected automatically against damage or loss up to $100, and Excess Value Insurance (brochure available here) can be purchased for values exceeding that. The cost is only 35 cents per $100 of value, up to $50,000 of coverage. Looks like he just didn't opt for the coverage.

Caveat expeditor.

"UPS does not accept hazardous materials at UPS Letter Centers, UPS Customer Counters, commercial counters, or as infrequent (one-time) pickups." Your idea is a great way to get your package refused.

While I feel your pain from the broken machine, and think it sucks that UPS didn't insure it, looking at your pictures it appears that you might have taken a bit more care in the packaging.

There is a foam packaging system on the market (I think you can get it at most packing places) that consists of large thick foam sheets. You basically place several sheets in the bottom of the box until it is 50% full, put the contents on top and compress it half-way in. You then place more sheets on top, and compress the rest of the way until it is flush with the box top. It's not the cheapest stuff, but is fantastic for protecting equipment.

Also (and I'm not sure if these exist in Canada, but would expect they do,) there are a number of companies that specialize in shipping. Examples in the states are "Mailboxes, etc.", "Shipping Shack", and a few others. A lot of these places offer their own shipping insurance in addition to whatever insurance the carrier has. That could have provided a work-around for UPS's international policy.

Finally, did you ask if UPS offered insurance for an additional fee? According to their website:

The option of additional Excess Value Insurance may be added to your shipment.

All in all, the whole thing is very unfortunate, but perhaps others can learn from this before it happens to them.

and This link should be used to report damaged packages. Use it even if you don't think you'll get anything from them to make sure someone knows what's going on.

JFMILLER

and This link should be used to report damaged packages. Use it even if you don't think you'll get anything from them to make sure someone knows what's going on.

JFMILLER

Oh, boo fuckin hoo.

Your "well packed" equiptment was apparently expensive enough for you to whine about, but not expensive enough to insure, and ship appropriately. What sort of idiot ships a fragile, ESD sensitive, vibration sensitive, humidity sensitive $2000 piece of equiptment via UNINSURED UPS Ground?! Its rediculous to assert that UPS doesn't insure internationally. Go look at their webpage! You just didn't want to pay extra to have it shipped the way you should have shipped it! You likely went as cheaply as possible, and subjected your machine to two or three weeks of abuse in the system when for a few bucks more, you could have done the job right!

If you actually looked at UPS's website, and saw their rates for an example journey from Montreal to Miami, you'de know how much your decision to go cheap cost you. You probably payed $78, the cheapest possible rate for a 25kg package measuring 40cm x 40cm x 40cm. For $40 more, you could have had it delivered in 3 days guaranteed and insured for $2000.

For every fuckup any shipping company makes, they do the job correctly a million times. You voluntarrily elected to subject your machine to the equivalent of "riding in the cattle car"...What did you expect?

In other words, it's not UPS's fault that youre a dumbass...And a cheap dumbass, at that.

According to the UPS webpages, they offer optional "Excess Value Insurance" on UPS Standard and UPS 3 Day Select from Canada.

For packages from Canada, they do not mention UPS Ground at all! The lowest class available in their list is Standard. In the page for UPS Ground, they explicitly mention "within the 48 contiguous states".

So, UPS made a mistake here, selling you UPS Ground service when it officially isn't supported. They are partly at fault here. If the packages are valuable to you, you should have opted for a higher class of service that can be insured, as you no doubt realized as soon as you saw those boxes. Caveat emptor....

According to the UPS webpages, they offer optional "Excess Value Insurance" on UPS Standard and UPS 3 Day Select from Canada.

For packages from Canada, they do not mention UPS Ground at all! The lowest class available in their list is Standard. In the page for UPS Ground, they explicitly mention "within the 48 contiguous states".

So, UPS made a mistake here, selling you UPS Ground service when it officially isn't supported. They are partly at fault here. If the packages are valuable to you, you should have opted for a higher class of service that can be insured, as you no doubt realized as soon as you saw those boxes. Caveat emptor....

According to the UPS webpages, they offer optional "Excess Value Insurance" on UPS Standard and UPS 3 Day Select from Canada.

For packages from Canada, they do not mention UPS Ground at all! The lowest class available in their list is Standard. In the page for UPS Ground, they explicitly mention "within the 48 contiguous states".

So, UPS made a mistake here, selling you UPS Ground service when it officially isn't supported. They are partly at fault here. If the packages are valuable to you, you should have opted for a higher class of service that can be insured, as you no doubt realized as soon as you saw those boxes. Caveat emptor....

According to the UPS webpages, they offer optional "Excess Value Insurance" on UPS Standard and UPS 3 Day Select from Canada.

For packages from Canada, they do not mention UPS Ground at all! The lowest class available in their list is Standard. In the page for UPS Ground, they explicitly mention "within the 48 contiguous states".

So, UPS made a mistake here, selling you UPS Ground service when it officially isn't supported. They are partly at fault here. If the packages are valuable to you, you should have opted for a higher class of service that can be insured, as you no doubt realized as soon as you saw those boxes. Caveat emptor....

According to the UPS webpages, they offer optional "Excess Value Insurance" on UPS Standard and UPS 3 Day Select from Canada.

For packages from Canada, they do not mention UPS Ground at all! The lowest class available in their list is Standard. In the page for UPS Ground, they explicitly mention "within the 48 contiguous states".

So, UPS made a mistake here, selling you UPS Ground service when it officially isn't supported. They are partly at fault here. If the packages are valuable to you, you should have opted for a higher class of service that can be insured, as you no doubt realized as soon as you saw those boxes. Caveat emptor....

The option of additional Excess Value Insurance may be added to your shipment.

How long does the claim process take?
Once the claim paperwork is received by UPS, a check is typically issued and mailed to the shipper of record within five business days.

link

I assume its been more than five days? .. Darn misleading FAQs anyways ..

My last job we were an all dell shop. Around May timeframe we bought all new servers. After I left a few months ago a HD went bad. A new one was there the next day.

Same thing with a mobo. Integrated NIC broke and Dell sent a new mobo UPS Sonic Air . Tech was there a few hours later to install it.

Just noticed this the other day, press release here or http://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressreleases/0,1014, 514,00.html

Now, I don't know to what extent this can be used for customer control, but it is cool to be able to send email to someone saying a package has been shipped, with an easy link to the UPS tracking. As it is, I have to copy the tracking # from the email (if the sender bothered even to include it) and copy/paste it into the browser after opening up the UPS page and clicking on 'track'. Yet another example of Msft giving the 'path of least resistance' option.

"Well sir, our typical ground rate is $3.50, our overnight is $9 per pound, and we're having a special this week on our 'escaping earth's gravity' rate: only $2,543,789"

-psxndc

This is what UPS is for!

Other strange things that have come through the system include an unwrapped matress, a freshly severed bear's head, LOTS of tires with no wrapping, a car bumper that looked like it had been ripped off the car, complete with the license plate, boxes of live crickets which usually break open so you have crickets loose all over the place, individual car parts with no wrapping. Rank food is quite common on return items.

Not to criticize your findings of strange items, but according to UPS's shipping guidlines, tires and bare metal parts are quite acceptable if common sense is used, however some of the items you mentioned would have never left my store they way you described.

Nonetheless, I agree with UPS's reliability. For a retail shipping outlet I actually *see* what goes into these brown boxes (yes, I did a severed bear head too for a taxidermist).

IMHO, I think USPS should get out of larger parcels altogether (12x12x12 max). Their tracking systems, claims process and customer service is horrible. They need to be deregulated like NSI was over internet domains and start making shipping/mailing a open market.

- Slash

I would advise you, though, not to put the postal employees through too much grief. Their job is tough enough as it is. When you want to send some critical and strangely sized package, just do us all a favor and use FedEx or UPS or one of the many other private carriers. And pack appropriately! The poor guy who had to figure out what to do with the moldy and stinky cheese deserves a medal. The person who was forced to break the brick into little pieces to check for drug content probably had better things to do. And the person who had to lug the snow ski to a mailbox probably does not get enough medical coverage by the USPS to make up for the dent in his back.

These are people, people! Give 'em a bit of respect, or at least think about what they have to put up with on those days when you want to shoot someone because of the quality of service you receive.

Presuming many of you have been hiding under a rock, some background information is needed to consider this thing.

The big losers are apt to be DOD and the Amateur Radio community. DOD lobbiests will not have enough clout to protect the relatively vast amount of bandwidth that they have compaired with the communications lobbiests. Too bad, who needs militiary communications anyway right?

The Amateurs respond to attempts to take bandwidth on nearly a weekly basis. Usually they're successful, but in cases like the 220MHz band, the United Parcel Service had better lobbiests than the amateur community and 2ish MHz of bandwidth was lost. Ironically, UPS ultimately didn't use the spectrum it acquired.

So now Bill (or Hillary) gets lobbiest money to 'assist' the telecommunications industry in doing yet another land grab that makes the US treasury a little more money. If they think that March 2001 is realistic for the auction date for non-DOD bandwidth they're going to be very very wrong. It will be held up in court for years.

In the end, we've not got a telecommunications policy any more than we've got an energy policy. Both are important plans for mapping out the future. Whose fault is it? Your choice. I tend to think that fixed location systems shouldn't waste radio bandwidth that should be saved for mobile users. So much of the current initative (radio broadband) is just to get around the increasingly incompetent "last-mile" carriers.

Finally a question. When these 'bandwidth' are auctioned, how long is the 'ownership' period? If it isn't time-limited, then the bandwidth is essentially infinitely valuable and we've been screwed once again by lobbiests and the technical morons in Washington.

so I called UPS and asked for a refund on my shipment (to which they claim I'm entitlted).

Actually, if you read the really small print you'll notice that it says the offer is void from December 12 to December 25. Of course, it is really hidden away so it's slightly devious I guess.

I shopped exclusively on the Net this year - mainly from Amazon - and was happy in the end. Amazon shipped everything within 36 hours after my ordering it, with one exception, which still shipped within 96 hours.

I am not happy with UPS, however.

Amazon dumped a large shipment of stuff bound for my house onto a truck on December 16th, all marked two-day. UPS scheduled delivery for the 20th. They don't deliver on weekends, and that is fine by me - it gives them even less of an excuse to be late.

Late they were. On Tuesday, the 21st, I still hadn't got my packages, so I called UPS and asked for a refund on my shipment (to which they claim I'm entitlted).

"What refund?" the lady asked. I cited the web site. "Oh, that doesn't apply during holidays," I was told.

That shipment arrived on Thursday, the 23rd December. Another arrived on the 24th, thankfully.

I've just sold my UPS stock.

I can already see some manager wondering who got their hands on it -- a competitor? 2600 or LoD -- aren't they based in the east coast, possibly New York? Then thoughts shift to what this will do when management hears about this: have we just committed a "career-limiting act"?

There's probably always been a kind of siege mentality at Microsoft. I'm sure that this has only intensified with the recent finding of fact by Judge Jackson, BackOrifice 2000, the spotlight that Linux took from Windows and all the general ill will towards the company. Couple that with the human tendency to assume that something that's gone missing has been stolen (especially if that something is valuable), and you have a recipe for paranoia. Except that paranoia is the mistaken impression that people are out to get you.

In the end, they assumed theft-by-scam, for which it would have been justified to call the cops. Since it wasn't the case, it's yet more egg on Microsoft's face, and you can allow yourself a little schadenfreude and know that somewhere inside 1 Microsoft Way, someone is getting the riot act read to them.