FedEx lost my money order and won't accept responsibility

[PinkyRomero]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I am so upset, frustrated and stressed with FedEx. I am a small business owner, I sell wholesale clothing and accessories on my website, I ship orders to my customers within the continental USA. I've been shipping through FedEx Ground so far, and in the 2 years I've been shipping with them they have "lost" some packages, and also some money orders.

Lost packages = they have either delivered to the wrong address and then they are unable to recover and they only cover up to $100 on each package because I didn't purchase insurance. Or they just left the packages on the front door, without concern, or care and customers never get them.
Money Orders = Those money orders are sent by the customers who prefer to pay by COD. Somehow they get "lost" in the process, but FedEx claims they put them in the mail for me. And since it is the regular mail, they have no tracking number to show proof of delivery.

Last Friday, 11/22/13, I received a call from a customer saying "this is very strange, but the money order I gave to the FedEx delivery guy to pay for my COD package was sent back to me in the mail!"

I called FedEx and requested that they sent the driver back to my customer's store to pick up the $727.00 money order, and I asked that they please send it to me in a secure way to use their own services (FedEx) to get it to me. They said yes they would do that to ensure I get it safe and on time.
Well yesterday, 11/26/13, I got an envelope in the mail (yes, regular mail) from FedEx. I opened it and just started to cry. There was no money order inside..! Just the COD label that showed the amount of the money order to be picked up. That's ALL..!! I have called FedEx and they won't accept responsibility, they want me to file yet another claim. I have filed so many claims and I'm so tired of it, they always come back saying "Our records indicate we mailed the money order to the address on file, blah blah blah".. I want to take them to court, they have cost me more than $3,000 dollars. I cannot take it anymore.

What can I do? And what are my chances of recovering what they have lost?

PS: I contacted UPS today and I will be closing my FedEx account, and ship through UPS from now on. But I still want my money from FedEx.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Additional Information: Money orders are payable to my business. Customers are asked to always write down my business name on the money orders.

 

[justalayman]

i am not familiar with how their COD works. Does the recipient make payment to you, the merchant or FedEX? (not who they physically hand it to but who is the payee on the check, money order, etc)

 

[swalsh411]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? and they only cover up to $100 on each package because I didn't purchase insurance.

That's on you. They fully disclose they will only cover $100 and you have to buy more insurance. Are you saying you didn't insure your packages for what they worth? And this is your livelihood?

 

[justalayman]

I just caught this:

Money Orders = Those money orders are sent by the customers who prefer to pay by COD. Somehow they get "lost" in the process, but FedEx claims they put them in the mail for me. And since it is the regular mail, they have no tracking number to show proof of delivery.

I don't think so:
http://www.fedex.com/us/developer/product/WebServices/MyWebHelp/Services/Options/c_Express-COD.html

.

FedEx returns payment to you the next business day by FedEx Standard Overnight® (where available: otherwise, FedEx 2Day®). An additional surcharge applies to C.O.D. shipments.

 

[PinkyRomero]

Thank you

i am not familiar with how their COD works. Does the recipient make payment to you, the merchant or FedEX? (not who they physically hand it to but who is the payee on the check, money order, etc)

Money-orders are payable to my business. Customers write down my business name on all money orders.

 

[PinkyRomero]

swalsh411

That's on you. They fully disclose they will only cover $100 and you have to buy more insurance. Are you saying you didn't insure your packages for what they worth? And this is your livelihood?

They only cover up to $100 on lost packages, and no I don't buy insurance on all of my packages. It is too expensive to insured each one of those packages. However, there is still the issue with LOST MONEY ORDERS.

The lost packages I can deal with, I have added "signature request" on all packages to make sure they are not left abandoned on the front door and to make sure FedEx will actually hand them to "someone", that takes care of lost packages.

But what about the lost money orders? That is a totally different story. They have record of picking it up from customers, but no record of sending it to me (i.e. tracking number, signature of person receiving)

 

[Proserpina]

They only cover up to $100 on lost packages, and no I don't buy insurance on all of my packages. It is too expensive to insured each one of those packages. However, there is still the issue with LOST MONEY ORDERS.

The lost packages I can deal with, I have added "signature request" on all packages to make sure they are not left abandoned on the front door and to make sure FedEx will actually hand them to "someone", that takes care of lost packages.

But what about the lost money orders? That is a totally different story. They have record of picking it up from customers, but no record of sending it to me (i.e. tracking number, signature of person receiving)

Quick question.

Presumably you're doing a lot of COD business, right? Do you trust your customers? As in, do you request the money order stub to see if the money order has been cashed or not?

 

[PinkyRomero]

Prosperpina

Quick question.

Presumably you're doing a lot of COD business, right? Do you trust your customers? As in, do you request the money order stub to see if the money order has been cashed or not?

My customers hand out the money order to FedEx at the time of delivery, that is a must. There is no way that FedEx will leave the package without first getting the money order, just no way.

So if FedEx delivered the package, that means they have the money order in their power. However, those i.d.i.o.t.s instead of sending it to me, they mail them back to the customer! Yes, they give them their money back..! So customers end up with FREE merchandise and their money back..! And screw me, right?

I'm just trying to find a way to get FedEx to pay me what they owe me in lost money orders, which adds up to about $3,000.

 

[Proserpina]

My customers hand out the money order to FedEx at the time of delivery, that is a must. There is no way that FedEx will leave the package without first getting the money order, just no way.

So if FedEx delivered the package, that means they have the money order in their power. However, those i.d.i.o.t.s instead of sending it to me, they mail them back to the customer! Yes, they give them their money back..! So customers end up with FREE merchandise and their money back..! And screw me, right?

I'm just trying to find a way to get FedEx to pay me what they owe me in lost money orders, which adds up to about $3,000.

Well, that didn't answer the question at all.

Let's try again. FedEx delivers, and the customer hands over envelope? It's not FedEx's responsibility to confirm the content of the envelope, or to check the validity of the money order.

Obviously, you have a client base somewhat less-than-trustworthy. You're blaming FedEX, which I understand. But what is preventing the customer from simply mailing you the money order or cashier's check in a manner which requires your signature for delivery before you send the goods?

I can't help but feel you're blaming the wrong party for this.

 

[PinkyRomero]

Prosperpina

Well, that didn't answer the question at all.

Let's try again. FedEx delivers, and the customer hands over envelope? It's not FedEx's responsibility to confirm the content of the envelope, or to check the validity of the money order.

Obviously, you have a client base somewhat less-than-trustworthy. You're blaming FedEX, which I understand. But what is preventing the customer from simply mailing you the money order or cashier's check in a manner which requires your signature for delivery before you send the goods?

I can't help but feel you're blaming the wrong party for this.

Yes, let's try again. FedEx delivers the package, and the customers hands them the MONEY ORDER by itself, not inside an envelope, not wrapped up, not blank etc. They give them the actual money order, it is FedEx responsibility to make sure the amount on the money order is correct, and that the money order is valid. Then the FedEx delivery guy takes it back to the station with the COD label that I attached to the box that was delivered. And the COD department at FedEx puts it in an envelope and addresses it to me using the COD label I attached to the box with my return information.

But instead of that, they for some reason address it back to the customer and mail it back to the customer, and they are not using the label I provided them with my return address.

And no, I'm not blaming the wrong party. It is FedEx responsibility to make sure everything is in order before releasing the packages. They get paid for their services, it's not free.

But, I don't think you've ever used their services because I can see you are not familiar at all with how they work.

Thanks anyhow.

 

[Zigner]

Your options will be specified in your contract with FedEx. I suspect your option is going to be binding arbitration.

 

[Proserpina]

Perhaps a more realistic option for you would be to withhold shipment until payment has been received and verified.

Good luck trying to sue.

 

[Proserpina]

Yes, let's try again. FedEx delivers the package, and the customers hands them the MONEY ORDER by itself, not inside an envelope, not wrapped up, not blank etc. They give them the actual money order, it is FedEx responsibility to make sure the amount on the money order is correct, and that the money order is valid. Then the FedEx delivery guy takes it back to the station with the COD label that I attached to the box that was delivered. And the COD department at FedEx puts it in an envelope and addresses it to me using the COD label I attached to the box with my return information.

But instead of that, they for some reason address it back to the customer and mail it back to the customer, and they are not using the label I provided them with my return address.

And no, I'm not blaming the wrong party. It is FedEx responsibility to make sure everything is in order before releasing the packages. They get paid for their services, it's not free.

But, I don't think you've ever used their services because I can see you are not familiar at all with how they work.

Thanks anyhow.

You're welcome, anyhow.

 

[PinkyRomero]

Prosperpina

Perhaps a more realistic option for you would be to withhold shipment until payment has been received and verified.

Good luck trying to sue.

Thanks, but you don't understand the way FedEx works. You cannot hold a shipment until you receive the money order. FedEx gives, FedEx takes. They give the package, they take the money order. That's the way it works. It is called COD, which means cash on delivery. There's no holding this or that.

But again, thank you for at least taking the time to read my post and trying.

Have a nice rest of the day, I'll keep trying to find a way to make them responsible for the money they have lost.

 

[PinkyRomero]

Zigner

Your options will be specified in your contract with FedEx. I suspect your option is going to be binding arbitration.

Thank you, I will sue them and hopefully they will accept responsibility and pay back.