Canadapost Trailer catches fire on Trans Canada Hwy near Revelstoke BC

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Just when things were starting to get somewhat back to almost normal, a Canadapost trailer catches fire on Trans Canada  Hwy. near Revelstoke BC, Dec 19, 2018. Fortunately, the driver had only minor injuries,  the trailer and parcels were a write-off. To anyone that had parcels coming or going on this trailer my heartfelt condolences. Now how does anyone possibly confirm if you had mail involved if it was the untrackable type?

https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/news/parcel-truck-catches-fire-in-southeastern-b-c/

-Lotz

[momcqueen]

It's probably less about being sneaky than it is about the limitations of their web-based software, to be honest. Places like CBC would have that 'last edited' feature embedded. These guy from the article cited are probably running some version of wordpress from a custodian's closet at the local rec centre.

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

When I heard the first story on Global as Mom had noted they mentioned it was a Canadapost trailer. When I checked online they too noted Canadapost was involved. When I checked a few days later noticed the update about it being UPS freight. I find it usually takes a while for all the details to come out. I had looked on the Canadapost website and there was nothing posted there. Just glad that the parcel owners will be compensated.

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I've no bones with a goof in reporting if a usually reliable source such as the RCMP has provided misleading information, but if goofs are made it should be noted in subsequent reports.

As far as compensation goes, this news article suggests otherwise (perhaps it also needs updating):

https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/highway-truck-fire-turns-kamloops-sent-presents-to-ashes-1.235...

[marnotom!]

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@momcqueen wrote:

It's probably less about being sneaky than it is about the limitations of their web-based software, to be honest. Places like CBC would have that 'last edited' feature embedded. These guy from the article cited are probably running some version of wordpress from a custodian's closet at the local rec centre.

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While I agree to a point (Black Press appears to be using a different interface for its newspapers' websites than six months ago), I do think that if a reporter can get into an article and change a few lines to an existing articles, they can also add a few lines of text to the article explaining those changes.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

According to the UPS policy that does not sound entirely accurate. Unless there is a way they can bypass based on the service chosen.

How do I protect my package?

UPS is liable for loss or damage, at no extra cost, for up to $100.00 for each domestic package, international shipment, or pallet in a UPS Worldwide Express Freight® shipment, on shipments with no declared value. If the value of your goods exceeds this amount, you can declare up to $50,000 per package or $100,000 per pallet (subject to terms and conditions) by entering the declared value when you create a shipment on ups.com and paying an additional charge. Certain domestic packages are eligible for the enhanced maximum declared value of $70,000, subject to restrictions set forth in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service. Please note that these amounts are in U.S. dollars.

Sounds like in reality they should have been covered, whether it was declared or not declared for bare minimum 100.00 and definitely for the freight charges.

-Lotz 

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

According to the UPS policy that does not sound entirely accurate. Unless there is a way they can bypass based on the service chosen.

How do I protect my package?

UPS is liable for loss or damage, at no extra cost, for up to $100.00 for each domestic package, international shipment, or pallet in a UPS Worldwide Express Freight® shipment, on shipments with no declared value. If the value of your goods exceeds this amount, you can declare up to $50,000 per package or $100,000 per pallet (subject to terms and conditions) by entering the declared value when you create a shipment on ups.com and paying an additional charge. Certain domestic packages are eligible for the enhanced maximum declared value of $70,000, subject to restrictions set forth in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service. Please note that these amounts are in U.S. dollars.

Sounds like in reality they should have been covered, whether it was declared or not declared for bare minimum 100.00 and definitely for the freight charges. 

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Just going by what you quoted here, what you're referring to is just for UPS Worldwide Freight.  The packages in the semi-trailer may have been shipped using a different UPS service; certainly a domestic rather than international one in the case of the family from Kamloops.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

That's what you get when you google UPS Insurance Canada. Very possibly they are going to try to do everything in their power to wiggle out of claims. At one time it was 2.00 per lb then at some point it changed to 100.00 free insurance with most couriers in Canada. Anything extra you paid the additional fees. Rarely made claims but it was there if you needed it. Very curious to know how it all ends up?

-Lotz

[momcqueen]

“While I agree to a point... I do think that if a reporter can get into an article and change a few lines to an existing articles, they can also add a few lines of text to the article explaining those changes.”

Perhaps you should write a letter to the editor to that effect.

[momcqueen]

When I was a reporter, I’d definitely have confirmed the validity of the witness statement prior to reporting it. Even without UPS available to comment. The internet is a wonderful resource of freely available information that serves to fact-check without sweat.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

An FYI for you on that very subject. Caught a portion of this report on CBC. It's making it very difficult to know what to believe anymore.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/theinvestigators/a-newspaper-s-crisis-of-trust-the-investigators-with-diana-...

-Lotz

[momcqueen]

I’m not as on-top of things happening in the industry as I may have been 15 years ago but there have been a handful of fairly shocking allegations of journalists faking facts, sources or even whole interviews. As with any profession, it usually comes down to pressure to perform and lack of oversight to prevent it. I can think of maybe one newsroom that still affords to employ fact-checkers. The rest is left to harried editors and producers who are handling 50 crises an hour while juggling personnel issues and deadlines. Lack of manpower plus lack of resources equals lack of accountability and lack of factuality. It only gets worse as the legit newsrooms fail; no one governs blogs and those invented news sites.

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

Sounds like in reality they should have been covered, whether it was declared or not declared for bare minimum 100.00 and definitely for the freight charges.

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Okay, so I misread the quote that you made.  Yes, Canadian domestic packages sent by UPS Standard do get up to $100 coverage, buuuuuut. . .

It appears that UPS officially (at least) does not use the term "insurance" and refers to its coverage as "declared value" coverage, instead.  Proof of the item's "declared value" is required to make a loss claim with UPS, and perhaps the family no longer had that.

https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=FactSheets&id=142632154503...

[momcqueen]

That's par for the course with any carrier. Canada Post has lost my parcels in the past and they didn't give a hoot about the value of the free gifts that I included in the package, regardless of their declared value on Customs forms. If I didn't have a receipt to provide to them that showed the buyer paid X for this and I shipped it, they didn't care and wouldn't replace value of it. My sworn statement that 'the lost parcel also included one extra free diecast car of which I paid X for Y number of them as part of what I can show them on this other invoice' was deemed entirely irrelevant.

The carriers are happy to take your money but fight to keep it even when they wreck what they were supposed to send.

So if the family sent something for which they had no receipt, they would be out of luck on their claim. Unfortunately. I can't recall if the article said what burned to a crisp in the fire. 

Again, a good reporter (and one with adequate time on their hands) would flush all that out as part of the story. Or at least it would have been an angle I'd have chased... but then I like to make things difficult for myself in the name of a higher calling. Otherwise, everyone who reads the story is left with the erroneous impression that if a shipper loses your parcels in a truck fire, you're left with nothing and no recourse. 

[momcqueen]

If the reporter read the email and had access to it (as opposed to quoting as if verbatim from a third-party verbal source) it would seem as if UPS was being deliberately shady with their terminology so as to potentially avoid responsibility for payments.

UPS is the shipper who insured the parcels in their possession. Is it not? 

I also find it highly doubtful that a corporate email from UPS would claim a vehicular fire was 'beyond anyone's control' because a truck fire is hardly Act of God stuff you find in insurance policies. Maybe this so-called email from UPS was written by a franchise owner who doesn't get how things actually work and spends all his or her time running photocopy machines. 

Something doesn't add up. My critical eye tells me that someone made an error here in either the reporting of it, or the handling of it from the company standpoint.

[momcqueen]

Or does UPS legitimately expect senders to insure the value of the parcels they are sending domestically on top of the shipping fees? If that's the case, that would put UPS at a steep disadvantage. Or doesn't it? Regular Parcel by Canada Post isn't insured? But Xpresspost is. Sellers use Expedited; insurance is part of that.

Maybe UPS really doesn't offer complimentary $100 insurance on domestic services.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

According to a current UPS Worldwide Services Waybill wording as follows for insurance:

Domestic(Canada)(Early AM/EXPRESS/EXPRESS Saver/EXPEDITED/Standard)

Declared Value:

Enter the total value of the shipment for insurance purposes. The shipment is automatically covered up to $100. additional coverage may be purchased. A charge (premium) applies for declared values above $100. Call UPS for details.

International(USA/Worldwide)

"Unless a greater value for insurance is declared in writing in the space provided on this waybill, the shipper declares the released value of this shipment to be no greater than $100.00. However, the rules regarding liability established by the Warsaw Convention Act may apply. The carrier's liability is limited by the Warsaw Convention Act, as amended, and the other applicable Terms and Conditions on the reverse side of the Shipper's Copy of this waybill, which are incorporated by reference. An additional charge (premium) applies to declared value for insurance in excess of $100. (See the reverse side of the Shipper's Copy for details.)

The shipper agrees to the Terms and Conditions on the reverse side of the Shipper's Copy of this Waybill. The shipper authorizes UPS to act as forwarding agent for export control and Customs purposes. (Unless you specify you prefer to use your own broker and note accordingly.)

For reverse side see attachment.

It does not appear UPS has wiggle room on those claims up to the 100.00 limits according to their waybills. 

-Lotz

PS. Have checked Purolator/Loomis/FedEx and they have very similar wordings for insurance.

[marnotom!]

But if the sender doesn't enter an amount for insurance purposes, I doubt that UPS would just hand a hundred bucks over to them in the event that their item is lost or damaged.

And my understanding is that if the item is valued over $100 and the sender forgoes purchasing additional coverage, UPS isn't going to hand over $100 regardless.  Perhaps this is what happened in the case of the family from Kamloops.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

According to the bill of lading...Actual physical copy it states Automatically up to 100 either specified or not specified. Above the 100 would be a loss. I used to process 30 plus Purolator shipments in Winnipeg. When we switched to the computer-based software the same wording was still in effect. I filled in the $100 as a habit, but the same verbiage was in place back then. A claim would still need to be processed for any folks with a shipment on this particular trailer. To advise people their package was damaged in a fire and then to say tough noogies is avoiding their responsibilities as a freight carrier according to THEIR bill of lading which is a legal document.

-Lotz

Past experience. 5 packages dropped off (Valued at almost 1000) between doors when I was at work. Shipper did not declare value on waybills. UPS Paid 5 x 100.00 and after arguing with their customer service department because the packages were dropped off in full view of the street which is NOT something that is supposed to happen, I also received a credit for free shipments.

[marnotom!]

But then we're getting back to the issue of the sender having proof of the item's value in order to make the claim, which we don't know if they have or not.

As @momcqueen has said, something doesn't quite add up in the Kamloops newspaper account, so I don't really see much more point in playing armchair quarterback on this with the information we have at our disposal.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

My main concern was filing a claim being outright denied. When I've made claims in the past with Canadapost it's been a very painless process. They only question when they feel it doesn't, in their eyes look like a duck. As you stated we do not know if documentation was provided as required by UPS. It would really depend on how nit-picky UPS is being in each case.

This is UPS's posted policy regarding filing a claim.

If you are the receiver, notify UPS® (using the "File a Claim" link on this page or by calling the number below) or notify the shipper to initiate the claims process.

If you are the shipper, notify UPS (using the "File a Claim" link on this page, or by calling the number below). UPS Customer Service will send a claim notification with a claim number.

It is essential that the shipper supplies UPS with documentation that supports the actual repair or replacement cost of the merchandise, up to the declared value, as requested in the claim notification. This documentation can be provided either when the damage is first reported, or after the notification is issued. Supporting documentation can include original invoices, purchase orders, or other information required by UPS.

The claim notification provides instructions for submitting claims documentation online, by fax, or U.S. Postal Service®.

You can start a claim for packages that have been lost or damaged:

• Loss: You can file a claim on a package if it has not been delivered 24 hours after the expected delivery date and time. Before filing a claim, be sure you’ve checked all exterior doors and other locations where the package could be placed, including the porch, back patio, garage and any area out of potential weather hazards. You should also check with anyone who might have retrieved the package. If you’re still unable to locate the package, contact the shipper to start a claim.
• Damaged: The shipper or receiver can initiate a claim on a damaged package, although UPS encourages the shipper to report package problems.

-Lotz

[momcqueen]

Yes, something here just doesn't add up. I go back to my original theory of either the reporter using the third-hand information conveyed to them by the family as verbatim what was written in the alleged email, or UPS allowed an untrained employee or franchise holder to send that email.

It would be TERRIBLE public relations and customer service for a carrier to not reimburse senders whose shipments you lost to catastrophic fire before delivery. Companies cannot buy their way out of that kind of bad publicity, it's easier to avoid completely at the cost of insurance. And I doubt that money is coming from UPS anyway, I'm sure they've insured themselves against things like trailer fires just as I'm sure Canada Post does. Big corporations don't gamble like that.