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  1. CajunTiger Cajuns and Gators can't read newspapers! Jul 20, 2015

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  2. Kringkily Omega Collector / Hunter Jul 20, 2015

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    Correct they will phase them out soon
     
  3. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Jul 20, 2015

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    How will I insure my watches in transit?!
     
  4. CajunTiger Cajuns and Gators can't read newspapers! Jul 20, 2015

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    Parcel Pro isn't going away...they are now just owned by UPS. I would guess once their current Fedex contract ends...it will be UPS only.
     
    oddboy likes this.
  5. Tony C. Ωf Jury member Jul 20, 2015

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    This does not make me happy. Quite the contrary, in fact.
     
  6. persco Jul 20, 2015

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    UPS is the worst courier service I have experienced. This is bad news. I avoid UPS at all costs.
     
  7. Paedipod Jul 20, 2015

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    At least a two above me admit to being from the Great White North, and UPS up here is abysmal! For some work stuff things have to come up across the border and the supplier's contract is with UPS so I am roped in for that circumstance. My fingers will bleed if I type in all of the problems that I have had with them over the years.:mad:
     
    persco likes this.
  8. WatchVaultNYC Jul 20, 2015

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    Only means less choice and higher prices. Alternatives?
     
  9. gemini4 Hoarder Of Speed et alia Jul 20, 2015

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    How hard is it for Fedex to bring over some key Parcel Pro people and start Fedex Pro. Not very I'd imagine.
     
  10. CdnWatchDoc Jul 20, 2015

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    +1 on this Paedipod...I hate going into a UPS "service" center-they don't get service, they are shady (charging you brokerage fees weeks and months post shipment), and the boxes look like they were used for football practice! I for one will be staying with FedEx.:eek:
     
  11. Wongo Jul 20, 2015

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    For me Fedex cost more (Insurance) if I declare the watch fully but don't know if they pay out if it goes missing.
     
  12. CajunTiger Cajuns and Gators can't read newspapers! Jul 20, 2015

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    Fedex will not insure watches. Parcel Pro is an insurance company for shipping Jewelry and watches. FedEx just handles the shipping
     
  13. NT931 Jul 21, 2015

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    Argh! Worst news ever. Parcelpro + Fedex made a pretty good combination for shipping to Singapore,and I've used that combination several times with zero hassle.
     
  14. watchlovr Jul 21, 2015

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    I'm in the UK and ship using whoever I choose, (once ok'd by PP and put on my drop down list of shippers), I just use PP for insurance.
    Can't see that changing.
     
  15. Fer Seamaster Jul 21, 2015

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    I have a watch in transit currently... These are the latest news I have:

    Location Date Local Time Activity
    Castle Donnington, United Kingdom 21/07/2015 2:55 A late UPS trailer arrival has delayed delivery. We're adjusting plans to deliver your package as quickly as possible.

    It seems there was an important traffic jam at 2:55... UPS is horrible and expensive service.
     
    persco likes this.
  16. Paedipod Jul 21, 2015

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    the brokerage fees are outrageous for any of these guys.....I ordered some screws from Florida, $7 each. Came via Fedex so through their brokerage. Customs over the border ~$4 total. Brokerage fees etc. cost me more than $20. Box beaten up but inside box, padded envelope, smaller envelope inside were all ok. Surprisingly the four screws survived the two week long trip with a side stay in customs.
    ::facepalm2::
     
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  17. toddle321 Jul 21, 2015

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    I think in European countries ParcelPro is just insurance, in the US we actually print our FedEx label through ParcelPro's website. I believe there is another company in the US similar to ParcelPro that might still use FedEx, does anyone recall the name?
     
  18. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jul 22, 2015

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    I was very frank with my ParcelPro rep when he called me about this a while back. I told him in no uncertain terms that UPS has the absolute worst reputation of any carrier in the watch collector community. He said that although other reps were telling their customers that they still might be able to use FedEx, he said he was quite sure they would not be once the current contract runs out.

    One bit of (slightly) encouraging news he gave me was that they will get a deal with UPS on things like brokerage fees. So like it was with FedEx you were getting essentially a group rate using all the purchasing power of the combined shipments made through ParcelPro. This means the prices for shipping and insurance were lower than if you just walked in off the street and wanted to send a parcel to someone using FedEx - our rates as ParcelPro customers were much better - sometimes half of the normal rate. My rep indicated that they would be doing a similar deal with UPS when it came to all their fees, so my hope is that the clearance fees won't be the rip off they normally are, and will be a small flat fee rather than a percentage of the package value as sometimes has happened with shipments coming to me. I already have UPS as a shipping option when I log into my PP account, but FedEx is still there for now.

    The other thing he told me was that all the carriers are crap essentially, and the only reason they have had such good results with FedEx is that PP has an army of people tracking/monitoring shipments that they are covering. They jump on issues quickly to get them resolved so he said the same thing will be done with UPS shipments to make sure they are getting to where they should be getting. This might all be spin to keep customers happy, but I hope they do come through and are as reliable as FedEx has been (100% for me to date).

    For Canadians, UPS offers adult signature option where FedEx did not, so that is also a bonus and will hopefully prevent watches being left at someone's door, which has always been possible with the oddball Canadian FedEx rules.

    Anyway, I was not happy to hear this either, but after talking to my rep I'm somewhat more hopeful than I was initially when I heard this news.

    Cheers, Al
     
  19. CdnWatchDoc Jul 22, 2015

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    Thanks for this information, Al. It doesn't make the loss easier, but it may mean UPS will have to up its game. With the 25-30% premium on shipments from the US, one doesn't want to have any screw ups.
     
  20. persco Jul 24, 2015

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    I bought a small custom made flashlight for $125 in the US a few years ago. The seller shipped using UPS without asking me. UPS charged me $50 USD in brokerage and duty (there is no duty on electronics from the US). $50 for an item that cost $125. It was outrageous. When I challenged the amount, UPS told me to try to get it addressed by Canada Customs. Right.

    I was told years later by a UPS employee that sometimes the company charges customers for duty and taxes that the item is not subject to. UPS just keeps the money if the customer doesn't make a stink about it but they spin you for a long time to make it difficult to challenge.