I bought a TV from Sears, and it didn't come with the retail box. I ended up keeping it for awhile and needed some money so I decided to sell it. I put it up on Amazon and it sold in a couple of days. It needed to be packaged and I didn't want to deal with that
so I shopped around town and found a pack and ship place that would package it for $60 and ship it via Fedex for $200. I dropped it off, paid, and all was well. Of course, a few days later I get an email from the buyer - fedex had destroyed the TV in transit. Screen was shattered, one of the corners was destroyed so bad the metal frame was bent. He sent me pictures, and it was unfixable. I was pretty pissed, but I had insured the TV (as a TV) for $1500, so that was relieving. Wrong.

I refunded him immediately through Amazon, so I was out a TV and $1500. He asked if I wanted to send it back but knowing it would cost a couple of hundred dollars to ship a broken TV I told him to keep it. Since I shipped through the pack n ship place, I sent the shipper all of the details, pictures, etc. He filed the claim and said it should be fine. Over two weeks later I hadn't heard a peep so I asked him to check on the status. He said they were waiting on more pictures of the packaging (which nobody told me about! or him). I am having the buyer send over more pictures of the box and whatnot - while it was not the retail box, it was packed in a brand new sturdy box with packing peanuts, foam, and bubble wrap - looked pretty decent. It was also labeled "GLASS" FRAGILE ELECTRONICS etc etc etc all over.

In the mean time, he also informed the shipper that guess what - Fedex only insures televisions up to $1000. Which I have NEVER heard of, and neither had the shipper (!?) I went to a retail fedex today to ask about it and none of their employees had heard of this. Googled it and I couldn't find a thing about it either. The only thing I found was this on the back of a form:

"For other shipments, the max declared value allowed is $50k per package, unless your package contains items of extraordinary value, in which case the maximum declared value allowed is US$1000 per package. Items of extraordinary value include shipments containing such items as artwork, jewelry, furs, precious metals, negotiable insturments, and other items listed in the Fedex Service Guide."

WTF! So even if LCD TV's are included in this "extraordinary value" category, I still clearly bought and paid for $1500 worth of insurance coverage for a TELEVISION. Which the shipper and Fedex had no problem with, no flags raised. I'm still waiting to hear back from the claims investigator, but the fact is this:

I shipped a TV. I paid to have it professionally packaged and shipped, and insured it. They accepted it, sent it, and broke it. Since I'm the 3rd party I'm not dealing directly with Fedex, even though I'm out the money and down a TV.

Hopefully they approve the claim, but if I only get the $1000 I'm still out $500 - nobody told me I could only insure $1000!

Fed Ex needs a huge class action lawsuit filed against them. If someone finds a class action attorney and everyone comes forward with their cases like this, we can do it!!! I will jump on the train with you all! I hate them, in a way I cannot even say on the Internet!