...and Now, The Rest Of the Story

[Touchwood]

Back in March, I posted the gloat about my JDS Multi-Router find. Got lots of nice kudos from y'all.:icon_thum:icon_thum

BUT....It was actually the start of a train wreck.:swoon:
When I bought it I had the owner take it to UPS to both pack and ship it..and insured it for the $2000 I paid. I noticed the box that arrived had a pretty good dent in the top (like maybe it fell off a conveyer belt?), but everything appeared OK inside. After I got it set up, I found that the two horizontal tables (in-out and side to side) moved like there was sand in the bearings. JDS said the bearings were bad, so I sent the two castings down for repair. Thomson linear bearings go for 40 bucks and there are eight to replace...$400 later they're back and if anything they were worse. Next I replaced the Thomson precision steel guide rails ($150)...no better. Back they went to JDS..by this time I was committed..I had way more invested in it than planned,and I would only get scrap value for it as it was.:tinysmile_cry_t:

JDS concluded that the castings had got deformed in shipping. These are aluminum castings and a heavy blow downward could do that. Had to now wait 6 weeks for the next production run at JDS...but finally got the new castings back,and a bill for $490.

With new castings, new rails, new bearings and a lot of swearing, it now works beautifully.:eusa_danc The one smart thing I did was to insure it. Ever try to get UPS to cover an insurance claim?? :nah: This frustration took the whole six weeks to resolve, while I was waiting for the castings. They were certainly not going to pay $2700 for a new machine. I was able to show receipts for a total of $1200 in repairs, shipping and insurance cost. Believe it or not..they came through with a check for $1350. :wsmile:

At the end of the day, I have essentially a brand new JDS Multi-Router with all the accessory templates they make, plus air clamps and extra hand clamps...total over $4000 in today prices, for total out of pocket of $1850. I guess it was worth the hassle.

The first job it got was to build it's own drawers for the cabinet I built for it. Used the box joint template and cut the drawer parts in stacks...all three drawers were cut in about 30 minutes, and a lot of that time was me learning how to set it up.

Full complement of templates..every one they make.

The air-clamps by themselves are about $400

I already had a brand new Bosch 1617EVS that fits their drill pattern perfectly.:icon_cheers

Now I guess "gloat" is appropriate :gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi:gar-Bi

Don

 

[farmerbw]

DUDE, major hassle, but in the end MAJOR ROCKAGE!!!!:banana:ccasion1:icon_cheers

Oh yeah, you suck!!!

Brian.

 

[Tarhead]

Glad it turned out well Don! Congratulations on a great tool! Really drool worthy!
Looks like you already have it broken in and I'm sure beautiful things will be pouring out of your shop.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Guess this is a case of "All's well that ends well". Congrats on a really sweet tool. Really like the cabinet you built for it. :icon_thum

Bill

 

[Travis Porter]

Wow! What an ordeal. Looks like you have gotten the unit figured out and into production quickly once you got it fixed.

 

[dlrion]

I am amazed that they actually came through with the claims.

I never get that lucky!

Kudos to you!

 

[ehpoole]

I am amazed that they actually came through with the claims.

I never get that lucky!

Kudos to you!

That's what impresses me the most!

The last (only) time I tried to pursue a claim with UPS (back in 1995) it was for a [then] top of the line NEC cd-rom reader (worth about $400 at the time IIRC).

The unit had failed just a couple months from the end of the warranty period, so I packed it up securely, insured it, and overnighted it to the manufacturer for in-warranty repair.

Several weeks later the tracking information showed no progress for my shipment, and the manufacturer had not received the unit either. Thus begain the saga....

I filed a claim with UPS, which they took several weeks to research, and after endless searching of warehouses, delivery trucks, computer systems and such, UPS could not account for the package any longer. They could confirm they took delivery of it, and that it reached a sorting facility -- but the trail ended there.

After several more weeks, (a month plus, has elapsed by now), UPS finally agreed to pay my claim. Unfortunately, UPS did not bother to specify WHEN they intended to pay the claim.

So, 4-5 months later -- two months after I had replaced the [desperately needed] cd-rom reader based on UPS's 'promise' to pay on the claim -- the missing package mysteriously reappears!

As such, 4-5 months after 'overnighting' my package, I was left with a $400 out-of-warranty brick, on the hook for another $400 for the replacement drive (that UPS had 'promised' to pay a claim on months earlier), I was out the roughly $40 in shipping and insurance fees AND the package, in 4-5 months time, had successfully travelled from MY FRONT DOOR to MY FRONT DOOR -- total 'shipping' cost for this package when all was summed up: $840 (2x $400 drives plus $40 shipping) plus months of headaches and CSR calls, and nothing positive -- just infinite frustration -- to show for any of it.

I can't even begin to convey how irked I was that I had to PAY $40 in shipping and insurance fees (UPS refused to refund the shipping) on a package that essentialy went nowhere and left me with an out-of-warranty brick! Needless to say, I don't put much faith in UPS's shipment insurance these days!

So, your success in getting a $1,200 claim PAID ccasion1 by UPS seems downright miraculous to me! I can't help but to think that someone in UPS's accounts payable department screwed up and is probably now filing for unemployment! :rotflm:

 

[Touchwood]

Ethan,

I sure sympathize with your non-adventure. I read many, many similar stories on-line. ..and was sure I was in for a hassle.
I think the difference in my case was I had had the sender take it to the local UPS store in Tampa and I told him to have them pack it and insure it.
When I talked to the local UPS central office in Raleigh about the damage and insurance claim, I was told I was going about it all wrong. The claim had to be filed by the sender they said. That was a lot of donkey doo. :nah:
It turns out that it's really up the local UPS Store at the senders location to file the claim. That ensued a series of scanned receipts and emails..but she, the Tampa manager, was very helpful..after all, they had packed it.
At the end, she actually called me and said the claim SHE had submitted had been accepted...I guess the local store is on the hook if I press charges. A week later the check arrived for $150 more than the receipts supported. It took me about 3.5 seconds to cash that check:wrolleyes:

Once in a while things do work out right..not often:eusa_pray

Don

Don

That's what impresses me the most!

The last (only) time I tried to pursue a claim with UPS (back in 1995) it was for a [then] top of the line NEC cd-rom reader (worth about $400 at the time IIRC).

The unit had failed just a couple months from the end of the warranty period, so I packed it up securely, insured it, and overnighted it to the manufacturer for in-warranty repair.

Several weeks later the tracking information showed no progress for my shipment, and the manufacturer had not received the unit either. Thus begain the saga....

I filed a claim with UPS, which they took several weeks to research, and after endless searching of warehouses, delivery trucks, computer systems and such, UPS could not account for the package any longer. They could confirm they took delivery of it, and that it reached a sorting facility -- but the trail ended there.

After several more weeks, (a month plus, has elapsed by now), UPS finally agreed to pay my claim. Unfortunately, UPS did not bother to specify WHEN they intended to pay the claim.

So, 4-5 months later -- two months after I had replaced the [desperately needed] cd-rom reader based on UPS's 'promise' to pay on the claim -- the missing package mysteriously reappears!

As such, 4-5 months after 'overnighting' my package, I was left with a $400 out-of-warranty brick, on the hook for another $400 for the replacement drive (that UPS had 'promised' to pay a claim on months earlier), I was out the roughly $40 in shipping and insurance fees AND the package, in 4-5 months time, had successfully travelled from MY FRONT DOOR to MY FRONT DOOR -- total 'shipping' cost for this package when all was summed up: $840 (2x $400 drives plus $40 shipping) plus months of headaches and CSR calls, and nothing positive -- just infinite frustration -- to show for any of it.

I can't even begin to convey how irked I was that I had to PAY $40 in shipping and insurance fees (UPS refused to refund the shipping) on a package that essentialy went nowhere and left me with an out-of-warranty brick! Needless to say, I don't put much faith in UPS's shipment insurance these days!

So, your success in getting a $1,200 claim PAID ccasion1 by UPS seems downright miraculous to me! I can't help but to think that someone in UPS's accounts payable department screwed up and is probably now filing for unemployment! :rotflm:

 

[Trent Mason]

Excellent work on the cabinet! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap Sorry it took a fiasco to get the machine working right, but I'm glad that it all worked out. :icon_thum

 

[merrill77]

I'd like to see that beast in action some time, Don. IIRC, you live near me...near Ray Rd / Strickland?

 

[Touchwood]

Chris,

I live in WoodValley...Ray& Norwood area. Shoot me a PM if you want to see it.

Don

I'd like to see that beast in action some time, Don. IIRC, you live near me...near Ray Rd / Strickland?

 

[ScottM]

Love those happy endings. Don I am glad it all worked out. Beautiful job on that cabinet.