In October, 2024, I purchased four lots from an online auction in Boonton, NJ. I contacted UPS Store 4650 in Boonton to do the shipping, and I sent them photos and invoices of all the items. (Each auction lot had multiple items.) These were all antique porcelains over 200 years old. Two large boxes arrived, but UPS Store 4650 had not picked up all my items. Also, the packing was very unsafe, with only one layer of bubble wrap around most items. They stacked six saucers of various shapes together with nothing between them and then wrapped them tightly with sticky tape, then wrapped the stack in a single layer of bubble wrap. I had to dissolve the tape off because sticky tape will lift gilding from antique porcelain. They also taped a lid onto a teapot and a lid onto a sugar bowl with nothing in between to cushion them. I had to dissolve the tape chemically rather than pull it off. They stacked three teabowls of various sizes together with nothing cushioning them, and one of them broke, dating to about 1770.
I phoned UPS 4650 and complained loudly about the missing items, the breakage and the bad packing. I explained how to pack porcelain safely--each separate piece in its own bubble wrap, no tape on surfaces, etc. The fellow said they would do better when they sent my missing items.
In the next box, they broke two pieces. Again, most items had a single layer of bubble wrap and were knocking against one another in the box. They charged me nearly $100 for this shipment, making me pay for their mistake in not picking up the items earlier. I noticed this charge when my credit card invoice came, so I called and demanded they reverse the charge, and they did. Throughout all this, the people at the UPS store told me "Don't worry," "It will be fine." Have patience." "I just returned from a trip," etc.
I asked for a partial shipping refund, since only 3 items were broken. They filed a claim with their insurer. After nearly a month with no word, I called again. Apparently the claim was on hold because the insurer needed the invoices I had already sent the UPS store. I took care of that. A couple of weeks later I received a refund for the full cost of shipping, more than what I asked for. That was nice, but that won't fix the three antique porcelain items that broke because of their poor packing.
UPS Store 4650 made more mistakes than I can count. Their packing was incredibly bad, even after I explained the right way to do it. They ignored the most basic procedures for how to serve customers. read more
