Shipping companies are a pain in the neck -- period. I'd have to review them again, but when it comes down to it, my understanding was that a claim (no matter how painful a process) was more positive with UPS than FedEx -- something along the lines that regardless of what total you ensure for via FedEx, that when it comes time for a claim, they act more like homeowners/renters insurance, allowing themselves to determine the true value of the product vs. replacement value. Can't recall exact details, but think I have bookmarked an explanation from AA somewhere.
As for the mention that FedEx Ground is better -- again, maybe I'm mixing things up, but I thought FedEx ground exists as an acquisition and wasn't originally FedEx (or is is Air?). Can't remember which, but one one the two branches is filled with horror stories worse than UPS.
As for general customer service -- courtesy, availability, followups on lost shipments and reshipments, I find FedEx head and shoulders above UPS.
In general, if something is traveling a distance, expediting a shipment always seems better if you can guarantee air -- less package handling.
As for original boxes -- I think all carriers say that your claim is useless if its not in the original box, but they obviously have the way out to say that the packaging is still not up to their standards. I do my best to go overboard with shipping materials, and double box original packages if I question their survival. Reading the requirements is a bit frightening on what they expect a package to go through -- drops from XX height, etc.. Some items rediculous to the point that you have a hard time conceiving of how a package could go through some of the scenarios with the exception of if say truck loading occured by using catapult from 50 yards away....
...A few months back, I ordered a pair of Mirage Omnisats and stands for a TV system. Shipped UPS. Tracked. Midway through I saw a tracking status message I hadn't seen before...but that wasn't positive. When I called customer service to find out what that meant, they said that they didn't know the exact details, but it usually meant something literally along the lines of it falling off a truck and either ending up missing, or destroyed beyond recognition where they throw it away instead of returning the sender. Frightening. Luckily it was from a dealer who cares about customer service -- I contacted him. He was on vacation in Florida, called me via cell phone, immediately refunded my money and followed up on the claim on his own.
One thing if you run a business, but if you are an individual, and a seller, pack like crazy, as its YOU, the shipper that has to followup on the claim, and ends up being you that has to provide the refund...don't go spending your money until you know it arrives safely....and be prepared to be out that money while you fight with a company not looking to give money back for their own errors.
Also keep in mind another clause -- sometimes its stated in the insurance terms. Sometimes if you go to a branch location, like The UPS Store, and they see that you are shipping electronics, they will ask you to sign a waiver that essentially says that since UPS can't guarantee that they unit was working at all prior to shipping, if its damaged and no physical damage is seen, they won't honor insurance claims. So if you pack too little and its dented, in theory they would cover it....but if that happens, they will aim for the "you didn't pack well enough." If its packed "pretty good" but can be damaged by shock and vibration, you are are off to the repair shop and without a claim... So pack your stuff with the expectation that it will be dropped from a satellite to earth.
Preference for shipping companies is based on experiences and not unlike cars... Are you a Toyota guy or a Nissan guy? Two people both with great and horrlble opposing experiences, but everyone eventually gets a bad experience....
So when you buy your boxes, buy the thickest you can....to wrap around your original packaging...
When you buy bubblewrap....find yourself the largest box you can find...
Its a lot cheaper and less painful than fighting with the company for months.
