Question for shop owners (liability for shipped goods)

Fixed it for ya!

 

Pretty specific information for a hypothetical situation.

 

If this had happened/been offered in earnest, it would've assuaged some of the anguish. Part of the irritation can be attributed to lack of empathy and trouble shooting.

Speaking with State Police and post master confirms that the mail box is on shop property and thus property of the shop. It should be treated as theft by the shop, investigated by local law enforcement and shop insurance should cover.

Why a shop wouldn't want to assist a customer who was spending upwards of $800 - with potentially more dollars in the future - is confusing.

I appreciate your input.

 

Umm, insurance deductible is probably 2-3x that and rates go up along with claims. I understand your position too and I'd be pissed likely as well, but look at it from the shop owners point of view, he's not getting anything out of it either, why would he go to bat when he's not certain things went down quite like stated. Do what you can, if it goes nowhere, suck it up and move along and learn from past mistakes is all you can do. I wouldn't go burning down bridges over 800$ (or whatever it was). I think for an 800$ package I'd be asking for proof of signature and delivery like stated.

 

Theft claims usually have a zero deductible. At least the policies I'm familiar with.

 

And this isn't about burning bridges, hence the anonymity. Purpose is to get a vibe from shops and how it would/should be handled.

Why would he go to bat? Because a theft of his customer's package occurred on HIS property. No different than if I dropped off a bike to his shop and the next morning the bike is gone, and shop said "not my problem". At bare MINIMUM a call to PD should happen.

 

Considering it from a shop owner point of view, it's a difficult call. I think, if all the hypothetical facts are accurate in this completely fictitious situation, and I had a good existing relationship with the customer, I'd eat the $800 and make it right.

 

It is a very difficult call for sure. I think it's BS a package was delivered after hours, even if said employee took it. If so, you'd think it would be easy enough to get some answers but apparently not.

 

If something like this happen in my shop (and it has) we'd make it right with the customer. It's difficult from both sides, but in the end I sleep better knowing I/we went above and beyond to make them whole. That said, it almost always creates a return customer.

 

Once its in the mailbox its delivered and personal property. Dont ask how I know.

Pay for signature. Around here even express mail signature is optional and based on route. My passport was delivered express..was supposed to be signature. But it was left in my mailbox then stolen.

 

Based on time of delivery would it be that hard to tell which employee it was handed to?

 

1.5 months before I close my shop in SoCal a couple months ago I had ordered parts for a bmw k75s scrambler I was building for a customer and a a street fighter ZX10R. I was in Austin for a week and they dropped all the packages off at the front door over that week. Needless to say every package was stolen. It was about $2k total worth of stuff. After talking with UPS, FedEx and USPS I had to bite the bullet and reorder all of it. Not quite the same situation but once the packages are dropped off the shipping companies wipe their hands and I got no where.

As a shop owner you do what’s right for the customer. End of story.

 

Thanks for the input. It is appreciated.


Does shop insurance come into play? Is my understanding theft typically carriers a zero deductible erroneous?

 

I wouldn't think so. The delivery confirmation is time stamped and GPS confirmed. I would also think in-store security cameras would be operating. Pinpoit a time window and either confirm or discredit the postal carrier's statement that the package was given to an employee.

 

For $800, I'm not bothering with insurance. $8k? Yeah. $800? No. Cost of doing business sometimes.

 

^^^ Same here.

 

If the guy had a key as the post office says the shop owner should be well aware of it. He should make it right. Him not getting with the post office wanting to know more ans be more inquisitive himself tells me something....
I wouldnt do business with them again.

 

Once PoPo get the Investigation going they will (read should)
-Interview all employees at the shop
-Interview post office employee who delivered the item to an employee
-Pull the video From that morning
Etc Etc

This is a simple theft investigation.

The fact the item was delivered to a person who had access to the shop is different than it being dropped in a box on shop property.

I know more facts to this incident than others on here just shedding some light on this without naming names (yet lol).

I’m stunned at the shops “lazy approach” to dealing with this at this point.


Ride safe,
AAron

 

A lot of shops have more of a "worst case scenario" insurance. Aka someone broke in and stole every single bike and tool. Even IF I went over the deductible then I have to weigh out what my insurance hike was going to be on the next renewal. This is my process for something like this:
Cost?
When was it delivered?
Trust the customer?(due diligence on my part, if its a new customer I do my research)
Call delivery company and deal with them myself. I do this instead of the customer especially since I've had lazy postmen that have marked a packaged delivered and then come to find out they did it so they met the 2 day time frame only to find out that they have the package on their truck.

If I get no where and I trust the customer then I just eat it and move on. CODB.

 

So, I've had UPS send me delivery confirmation on a package, and when I get home there is nothing there. The next day, the UPS shows up and delivers the item. Had similar with USPS.

Just because they 'say' they delivered doesn't mean crap.