FREE
The How-To-Order Net Book
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The Great Internet
"How should I order something over the net?"
Book
Compiled by Mark Manning
Created by everyone on the net (Thanks guys & gals!)
Last Update Applied on 6/23/2005
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Set your tabstops to four(4) in order to read this.
Welcome to the "How should I order something over the net?"
book! This book was started by myself after several times of
having to go through and help people out who had made a
transaction and had been ripped off. The research I did on
this subject comprised several sources and I am presenting
this information here for everyone to read.
Do not think that this is a COMPLETE book. These things never
are. I'm still waiting for information from DHL and a number
of other carriers (even the US Mail), but it is a start and
I will expand upon it as time goes by and I get the brochures
I've asked for.
Further, as with anything one person writes, this is based
upon my experiences in dealing over the net with people. I've
asked for, and received a few, experiences from other people
on the net. These have reflected the same kinds of experiences
(with differences of course) and I feel that, with my talking
with other agencys (such as the US Post Office), this book is
fairly accurate in its scope.
Enjoy it, let me know your feelings on the book, but most
importantly - IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY - SAY IT IN A
NON-DEGRADING MANNER AND WITH WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE CORRECT
WAY TO APPROACH A GIVEN SUBJECT. What I mean is: Don't just
say "You're &#^%$&^ WRONG!", say something like: "You are
wrong about <blah>. The correct way to do this is <blah blah
blah>." -or- "I believe there is a better way to do <blah>:
<blah blah blah>." All flame bait will be tossed in the bit
bucket and promptly removed. The same holds true for joking
flames. I've got too much else to do to wade through the tons
of garbage flamers tend to create.
Send comments to: Simulacron I
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In the beginning....
After having read several books and having been given some
e-mail, I have the corrected version below:
In the beginning there were no mail carriers per se. There
were, instead, individual companies which delivered what were
called "scripts" and packages. After the Civil War though,
it was determined that an inordinate amount of price gouging
was going on and the US Mail division was formed. Today we
have many different types of mail carriers in the United States
and each has it's own way of shipping things. I decided to
compile how each of these carriers worked and to pass on this
information to everyone else as soon as I had that information.
Therefore, as each of these company's sends a brochure on how
to handle things through them, their brochures will be condensed
and put into this listing.
1. The US Mail
A. The US Mail is still the largest mail carrier within
the United States. Only a short while ago, the carriers of
the US Mail began destroying some of the packages which they
carried. As seen on 60 minutes (CBS), people whom postal
people did not like began finding their packages crushed,
ground up, and otherwise destroyed. Luckily, the US Mail
administrators decided to look into the matter and some (if
not a lot) of these offending postal workers no longer work
for the US Post Office. At least, I have noticed a marked
increase in the number of times I have received a package and
it was in very good shape. Further, in the past few years,
the US Mail service has begun expanding upon the services
which they offer until now the US Mail service offers the
same kinds of services which the other carriers have been
offering for several years (such as overnight packages).
2. UPS
A. Corrections to what I had originally for UPS (via word
of mouth from UPS workers) was incorrect. The correct
information was sent to me by someone at UPS itself. It
is presented here.
"First, UPS was not founded by former US Mail workers. Jim
Casey founded the precursor to UPS (Amercian Messenger
Service) in 1907 in Seattle. The initial business was done by
telephone. People would call the office with a message which
was then given to a bicycle messenger who would then deliver
the message to the recipient. The service expanded into other
areas such as running errands for customers.
AMS began to take its modern incarnation when the messengers
were used to deliver parcels from department stores to
customers homes so that they wouldn't have to carry them
themselves. That business evolved into what UPS is today.
Perhaps your most serious mistake is your idea that
UPS drivers are paid according to the number of packages
they deliver. This is absolutely false. All UPS drivers
are members of the IBT (International Brotherhood of
Teamsters) which negotiates contracts with UPS. UPS
drivers are paid an hourly wage. I'm not sure, but I
think they start at around 17.50 an hour. (Notes:The
original statement [that UPS drivers were paid on a
per package basis] was told to myself by a UPS driver
when I was collecting this information.)
On the other hand FedEx and RPS drivers are not even
employees of their respective companies. Rather they
are contractors who are paid on a per piece basis.
Drivers for those companies must buy their own trucks
(which they usually lease from the company) and provide
their own benefits.
Perhaps your third misconception is that drivers leave
packages because they are paid per package (which I
have already explained is false). This procedure is
known as Driver Release (DR). DR is only allowed in
certain areas. There are highly specific procedures
in place to ensure the safety of DRs. UPS DILP personnel
frequently audit UPS drivers to make sure that they
are using the procedures for safe DR. Regardless,
there will always be some drivers who refuse to follow
the specified delivery procedures." (Notes: Packages
delivered by UPS to my house are, because both my wife
and I work, often times placed behind bushes, left on
the front doorstep, or (rarely) given to our neighbors
to hold. This year alone we have been sent and never
received four packages via UPS. One package was
discovered while mowing the grass. Luckily I stopped
in time. :-) )
Included hereinafter is a condensed history of UPS
which was provided by a very nice person at UPS itself:
Key Dates in UPS History
1907
In August, the American Messenger Company opens for
business, furnishing messengers for errand service in
Seattle, Washington. Founded by an enterprising
19-year-old and a handful of teenagers, the company
quickly builds a reputation with the advertised slogan,
"Best Service, Lowest Rates."
1913
A merger with a competitor changes the corporate name
to Merchants Parcel Delivery, reflecting the company's
growing concentration on retail packages. Scheduled
consolidated delivery service is inaugurated with the
purchase of the company's first delivery vehicle - a
Model T Ford.
1919
Business expands to Oakland, California and the name
of the firm changes to United Parcel Service (UPS).
In succeeding years, UPS expands to other cities along
the West Coast of the United States.
1929
UPS begins an air delivery service on the West Coast.
"United Air Express" ends operations in 1931 due to
a depressed U.S. economy.
1930
Three stores in New York City turn over their delivery
operations to UPS. Over the next several years, service
is opened in major urban areas throughout the Easter
and Midwester United States.
1953
Department stores cut back on retail delivery services
after WWII. UPS looks for growth opportunities in
common carrier service and begins the long process of
obtaining authority to serve all points within and
between every state in the country. It competes with
the U.S.Postal Service for the right to move packages
for manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and the
public at large. The year also marks the rebirth of
UPS air service. Major cities on the East and West
coasts are connected by the two-day service.
1975
UPS becomes the first company to serve every address
in the 48 contiguous Unites States. The first UPS
operation outside the U.S. is established in Ontario,
Canada.
1976
Service is initiated within West Germany.
1980
UPS 2nd Day Air (formerly Blue Label Air) is expanded
to include every address in the 48 states and the
island of Oahu, Hawaii.
1982
Entry into the overnight air delivery business begins
with UPS Next Day Air offered in 24 major metropolitan
areas; rapid domestic and international air expansion
follows.
1985
UPS Next Day Air delivery service is expanded to
include all addresses in 49 states, Puerto Rico and
Anchorage, Alaska. UPS International Air service
begins between the Unites States and six countries in
Europe.
1987
UPS becomes the first package delivery company to
deliver to every address in the 50 United States and
Puerto Rico. UPS International Air service is now
available to most of Western Europe, Japan and parts
of Canada. The UPS Airline is born.
1988
A major expansion of UPS International Air service
extends the delivery network to 41 countries in North
America, Europe and the Pacific Rim.
1989
UPS expands international delivery network to more
that 180 countries, including East and West Europe,
the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific
Rim. UPS acquires eight European package delivery
companies, and adds ten 757 package freighter aircraft
to the fleet.
1990
Acquires Cuallado, S.A., a Spanish package delivery
company; an interest in a Bermuda delivery company;
and the express-parcels division of Seabourne Express
Ltd., a U.K. company with valuable transborder
operating authorities. UPS also forms Unistar Air
Cargo with Yamato Transport, Ltd. of Japan to serve
the growing trade between the U.S. and Japan. UPS
begins flying its own aircraft to Asia, acquires an
all-cargo route between Houston and three Mexican
cities, and begins building a new air hub in Ontario,
California. In addition, the company enters into
agreements with Rolls-Royce Tay to re-engine its
727-100's and with Boeing for 25 new 757 package
freighters. UPS begins testing MaxiCode, a new package
encoding system, and introduces a 10:30 a.m. guarantee
for its UPS Next Day Air service, as well as Worldwide
Expedited Package Service, a service option for
international shippers that offers longer transit
times at significantly lower rates.
1991
Introduction of our new Corporate Mission and Strategy.
Introduction of new services: Saturday Delivery,
Delivery Confirmation, and 2nd Day Air Letter. UPS
announces promising results from its two-year experiment
with natural gas vehicles in New York City and is
ranked number one in Transportation for the seventh
year in a row by Fortune magazine. Begins nationwide
deployment of a hand-held computer, known as the DIAD
(Delivery Information Acquisition Device), that captures
all delivery and pickup information, including
signatures.
3. FedEx
A. Federal Express (FedEx) was created by a business man
who understood that businesses needed their packages there
the next day. They have been (and still are) one of the most
consistent, state of the art, carriers around. They also
cost more than any other carrier when it comes to shipping.
Small packages cost (on the average) $10.00. Prices go up
from there. If you positively, have to have something
overnight - FedEx will get it there. Not only will they get
it there, but it will be in almost exactly the same condition
you sent it in. What I mean is - the only differences in the
CONTAINER will be that there may be stamps or other such
things on the container when you get it. I, for one, have
never had FedEx hurt a container (ie:Tear it, crush, or
anything else).
4. DHL
A. DHL is another delivery service similar to FedEx. They
too state that they can deliver world wide. I have only had
a few parcels delivered via DHL. All arrived in good shape
with no signs of scuffs or scratches.
5. Emery
A. Emery air services is another air carrier similar to
FedEx. I have never had anything shipped via Emery, but from
what I have heard (and seen) of things shipped via Emery it
is every bit as good as FedEx.
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Where to get information...
1. The US Mail now has a number (local to each city) which
you can call to get information about various things. It is
called the "Postal Answer Line" and is a touch tone phone
automated phone messaging set-up. The numbers are as
follows:
Atlanta GA 767-0305
Austin Tx 929-1253
Baltimore MD 332-1747
Birmingham Al 521-0557
Boston Ma 451-9922
Brooklyn/Queens NY 522-7530
Buffalo NY 854-7241
Charleston WV 340-2789
Charlotte NC 394-8865
Chicago IL (ZIP 606) 427-5960
S. Suburban (ZIPs 604-605) 563-2059
N. Suburban (ZIPs 600-603) 451-5471
Cincinnati OH 381-3384
City of Industry CA (818) 369-2141
Cleveland OH 443-4741
Columbia SC 731-8235
Columbus OH 469-0305
Dallas TX 760-4300
Denver CO 297-6100
Des Moines IA 283-7600
Detroit MI 961-4950
Ft. Lauderdale FL 735-3596
Ft. Worth TX 625-0700
Grand Rapids MI 776-0223
Greenboro NC 271-2066
Harrisburg PA 231-4477
Honolulu HI 422-7070
Houston TX 226-3292
Indianapolis IN 464-6520
Jackson MS 352-8777
Jacksonville FL 366-4800
Kansas City MO 421-5272
Las Vegas NV 361-3444
Lehigh Valley PA Future
Little Rock AR 945-6606
Long Beach CA (800) 734-5582
Long Island NY (800) 624-5225
(ZIPs 115, 117, 118 & 119)
Los Angeles CA (213) 587-6142
Louisville KY 451-2905
Memphis TN 521-2336
Miami FL 599-0166
Milwaukee WI 271-8897
Minneapolis MN 349-9100
Nashville TN 885-9378
New Jersey-Camden County 933-4240
New Orleans LA 589-1360
New York NY 330-4000
Newark NJ 596-1711
Norfolk VA 640-8777
Northern Virginia (ZIPs 202-223) 698-6360
Oakland CA 268-8871
Oklahoma City OK 278-6391
Omaha NE 345-6245
Philadelphia PA 382-9201
Phoenix AZ 231-0892
Pittsburgh PA 322-1321
Richmond VA 321-8777
Rochester NY 272-0083
Royal Oak MI 546-8424
Sacramento CA 923-4328
St. Louis MO 436-3333
St. Paul MN 223-3445
Salt Lake City UT 974-2500
San Antonio TX 650-1630
San Diego CA 491-0014
San Fernando Valley Area (818) 908-0130
San Franciso CA 695-8760
San Jose CA 436-9745
Santa Ana CA 662-0681
Santa Barbara CA 963-7379
Seattle WA 284-3302
Sonoma and Marin County Area
(ZIPs 949, 954, 955) (707) 778-5400
Spokane WA 459-0371
Tacoma WA 756-5978
Tampa FL 879-1600
Tulsa OK 599-1170
Washington DC 526-3920
West Palm Beach FL 697-2100
Wichita KS 945-3748
2. United Parcel Services does now have a 1-800 number to answer
questions. The number is: 1-800-782-7892.
A. An update on the above (sent by UPS) is the following:
Try the following call: 1-800-222-8333
Ask to receive the UPS Air Service Guide, the How to
Use UPS manual, and the UPS International Air Service
Guide. For completeness, you may also want the
Hazardous Materials Shipping Guide.
If they ask, tell them that you are the traffic
manager at a manufacturing company and that you are
thinking of switching carriers.
B. An update presented to me on 11/2/95 by drducky@bway.net
is:
Now you can use the WWW to track your packages.
Connect to:
http://www.ups.com/tracking/tracking.html
and follow the instructions.
Other things of interest are found at:
www.ups.com/contents/contents.html
3. Federal Express has two 1-800 numbers which customers can
call to get information about their services.
FedEx Information Number: (USA) 1-800-238-5355
(Other) 1-800-247-4747
A. From chargers@netcom.com comes this:
Not sure if you are aware of the http://www.fedex.com
site. Here, you can track packages and find
out pretty much about anything you want to
know about FedEx and their services. You can
also track your packages via email at
track@fedex.com by sending there with the body
containing only "Airbill xxxxbillnumberxx"
And then there's the FedEx software that you
can install on your own PC to track and ship
packages. The good thing about all these
technologies is: They are free for the asking.
4. DHL uses a two tone approach. Information is usually gotten
through a local office while orders are processed through
either the local office or a 1-800 number. For you, this
means you must (as with UPS) look up the number in your phone
book (in Houston the number is 443-8500).
5. Emery has a world wide toll free number which you can call to get
information about their services.
Emery Information Number: 1-800-443-6379
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How to wrap packages...
All of the above carriers agree in this area. WRAP YOUR PACKAGES AS
IF EVERYTHING WERE MADE OF GLASS. If you follow these outlines, then
you are going to strengthen your case when it comes time to prove
that the carrier damaged the item rather than the person who sent the
package or the person who received the package.
1. Rules of breakage.
A. If the item you are going to send would normally
break if dropped from a height of four feet (ie: waist high
on a six foot tall person), then you need to have at least two
inches (2") of protection on ALL sides of the item.
Protection can consist of:
1) Foam molding
2) Styrofoam peanuts
3) Styrofoam half shells
4) Shredded newspaper*
5) Crushed newspaper (ie:Balled up)*
*-Be sure to fill the bottom of the container
and then shake the container to settle the newspaper.
Then fill it with more if necessary.
B. If the item is non-flexible (such as a circuit board,
something made of glass, or other rigid items, the item
should, in addition to PART A above, be wrapped in one of
the following:
1) Bubble plastic
2) Some kind of plastic wrap which has additional
packing between the wrap and the item. The
easiest way in which to do this is to use a
plastic garbage bag (appropriate to the
item's size). Open the bag, put in your
insulating material (See part A), insert the
item, and then place more material around the
item. Finally, using a good shipping tape
(paper or otherwise), close the garbage bag.*
*- The idea behind the extra wrap is to insure that
the fragile item will not be broken. Packing not
secured to the item by tape or other means could
allow the item to work its way to the edge of the
container where it gets broken. This type of packing
(ie:Not securing the packing around the item) would
be considered bad packing on the part of the shipper
and would not be covered by insurance in many cases.
C. If the item can withstand being dropped from a height of
four feet or higher, then only one inch of insulation
is usually required. However, two inches should
still be used. It is always better to be safe than
sorry.
D. Be sure that your container can withstand having other
packages set on top of it. Flimsy containers will
not be covered by whatever insurance you purchase at
the time. Check the weight rating of the container
(usually stamped somewhere on the box by the
manufacturer) and act accordingly. Remember! The
heavier your item, the more sturdy the box. A good
rule of thumb is to multiply the weight of your item
by ten pounds to find the weight capacity your
container should support. An example would be
something which weighs ten pounds should be placed
into a container which can withstand 100 pounds of
weight. Why?
1) Your container should be able to withstand up
to ten times the weight of the item because
your item will be packed according to size.
Thus, the larger the container, the heavier
those things which will be packed on top of
your container. Sometimes, as many as ten
items can be placed on top of your package.
2. Labeling the box...
A. With the US Mail, you should always place your name and
address as well as the name and address of the person
you are sending the package to on at least two
surfaces of the container. This insures that if the
first set of information is lost, then the second set
can be used. Further, you should place a slip of
paper inside of the box with your name and address
and the name and address of the person to whom the
package is being delivered as an added precaution.
B. With UPS, the same precautions should be taken when
shipping a package as you do with the US Mail.
C. With FedEx, a single multi-part form is used to tell
everything about the package to be sent. This
multi-part form is kept inside of a clear plastic
wrapper which is attached to the container. It is
still a good idea to put a piece of paper inside of
the package, but I have never heard of anyone who
shipped via FedEx receiving a box which had been
opened in order to know who to ship the item to.
D. DHL
E. Emery
Emery uses the same method as FedEx when dealing with
packages. A single form is attached to the box and
is not removed until the shipment has been
delivered.
3. Closing the box...
A. Rothstei@mcs.kent.edu pointed out that there wasn't
a section on closing the box. He was right! His
suggestion was:
Every seam must be covered with postal-approved
tape; if the parcel is being sent registered/
certified, the tape must admit writing on it.
The US Mail will stamp the tape to make sure
nobody removes and replaces it.
1) Postal approved tape is any tape which
is either paper based (usually brown
in color) or of the clear plastic
variety. Colored tape is discouraged
as certain colors are used by the Post
Office to help them transfer the mail
from one location to another.
B. Rothstei@mcs.kent.edu further pointed out that
packages should not be tied with string. This
is because the current technology which the
US Post Office uses would not be able to handle
the string. Also, string does not hold a box
together too well.
4. Various methods of shipping...
There are several ways in which to ship an item from
point A to point B. These are:
A. The US Mail. The US Mail has several ways in
which to ship things to and from you.
1) 1st Class. This is almost the same
as air mail and will (most times)
arrive at the same time as all
(non-overnight) air mail. This is
because a lot of time first class mail
is sent in the same air plane as air
mail. Only if there isn't sufficient
room on the airplane will 1st class
then be sent via trucks (ground).
You can expect slow downs around the
major holidays. Otherwise, 1st Class
is usually quite adequate for most
shippings.
2) 2nd Class. 2nd class mail is pretty much the
same as 1st class, except it doesn't get as
high of a priority as 1st class. In other
words:If there is room on an airplane for
some mail, then 1st class comes first, then
2nd, then 3rd, etc....
A) From the MIT Media Laboratory this note
came through: Priority mail (i.e., "2
day" service) can take up to a week,
especially if the package is going a
long way (so don't get antsy if your
seller said s/he shipped and you
haven't got the goodies yet).
3) 3rd Class (Bulk mail). This is the slowest
(and cheapest) way of sending items via the
US Mail. This mail also goes by the cheapest
method available. In most cases, this means
shipping via ground transport. When you
really want to tick someone off - send it 3rd
class mail. I had something arrive a month
after buying it because of this. :)
4) Air Mail. Fast, usually overnight, mailing.
Some times it may take as long as a week to
receive air mail. It depends upon what kind
of transportation is available and how many
times a week it runs.
5) 2nd Day Air Mail. Again, like Air Mail, this
mail can take up to a week to be delivered.
It all depends upon how many times a week the
mail is shipped via airplane. It has been
noted that NOW the US Mail will point out
when and where 2nd Day Air Mail can not be
sent. Obviously someone talked with them
about this.
6) Overnight Air Mail. Like the name says.
This type of mailing is supposed to
get to the other person by the next
day. This is NOT always true. Again,
it depends upon how many runs there
are each week for a particular town.
Large cities (like New York), will
get their packages overnight. People
stuck out in the middle of no where
may get their packages in two to three
days.
7) From the MIT Media Laboratory this note on
USPS's COD:USPS COD can take three to four
weeks to return the check to the sender.
B. UPS has 1st Class, Bulk (3rd Class), Overnight,
(The Following is from UPS itself) Next day Air
Second day Air, Ground, Ground Saver, Hundredweight,
Ground Track ARS, Consignee Billing, and many more
which I don't know off the top of my head, for
example all of the International services Express,
Expedited, Standard, Cargo etc.
C. FedEx is exclusively overnight. Any time, any where.
I have heard of FedEx hiring and sending special
couriers to extremely out of the way places. Their
guarantee is that if the package is even 60 seconds
late - you get your money back. So they are VERY
serious about getting the package to you on time.
D. DHL
E. Emery
5. Options offered...
There are several options you can choose when sending a
package somewhere.
A. The US Mail has the following:
1) Normal mailing. Nothing special, no extra costs.
2) Certified. Something is certified if it costs
less than $1,000.00. You pay a differential
for anything over the first $100.00.
3) Insured. For things which cost more than
$1,000.00, the US Mail will allow you to
insure it IF, you can provide proof (like a
sales receipt) for the item and some way in
which they can double check the value of the
item.
4) C.O.D. or Collect on Delivery. The US Mail
will allow you to send things through the
mail with the intent to collect some sort of
monetary recompense from whoever is given the
package.
5) Return Receipt. A return receipt can be
requested. This is helpful in determining
whether or not a package was picked up.
B. UPS
UPS offers the same types of service as the US Mail
does. The only difference is that the names have
been changed. In other words - if you say you want
to send something Certified it is not called
"Certified Mail". The same holds true for the rest
of the names. I suppose it has something to do with
keeping UPS separate from the US Mail. I simply find
it a pain in the rear to have to know each company's
various names for things.
C. FedEx
1) Domestic Services (US)
A) FedEx Priority Overnight Service. Delivery
by 10:30am, next day, in their AA areas. By
noon in their AM areas.
B) FedEx Standard Overnight Service. By 3:00pm
the next business day in their AA areas. By
4:30pm in their AM areas. Not for Saturday
services.
C) FedEx Economy Two-Day Service. Delivered by
4:30pm the second business day.
2) FedEx International Services
A) International Priority Service.
Customs-cleared, door-to-door
delivery of documents and packages up
to 150lbs. Typically in 1, 2, or 3
days.
B) International Priority Plus. Overnight delivery
of documents and packages up to 70lbs from New
York City to major European cities.
C) International Priority Distribution Service.
Customs-cleared, door-to-door delivery of
bulk shipments to multiple international
consignees.
D) FedEx International MailService. Speedy, cost-
effective delivery of international mail to
Europe, Asia, Canada, Latin America, the
Middle East, Australia, and Africa.
E) FedEx International Priority Broker Selection
Option. A service that lets you choose the
broker you want them to work with on handling
your International Priority Shipment.
3) FedEx Freight Services
A) FedEx Overnight Freight Service. Next-business-
day freight service to destinations in the
continental U.S. and Alaska.
B) FedEx Two-Day Freight Service. Second-business-
day delivery of freight within the continental
U.S., Alaska, and Oahu, Hawaii.
C) FedEx International EXPRESS freight Service.
Flexible, time-definite delivery, typically in
1, 2, or 3 days, of virtually any size freight
shipment in the U.S. and major world markets.
D) FedEx International Airport-to-Airport Cargo
Service. Economical airport-to-airport
international delivery typically in 2-4 days.
E) SeaTiger Service. FedEx all-cargo planes are
available under contract for a single day or
long-term use.
F) Flying Tigers Air Cargo Services - Live Animal
Service. Live-animal cargo services on a
worldwide, airport-to-airport basis.
4) FedEx Special Services.
A) Saturday Service. Delivery, drop-off, pickup,
and more.
B) Hold at FedEx Location Service. When you
prefer to pick it up yourself.
C) Dangerous Goods.
D) Collect on Delivery Services.
5) Notes
A) There are modifications to the above
if you are not within the forty-eight states.
D. DHL
E. Emery
1) United States/Canada.
A) Same Day Services. Requires advanced
notice that you wish to use this service.
B) Next Day AM Service. Any size, any
weight shipment delivered by noon the
next business day.
C) Next Day PM Service. Predictable,
reliable delivery by 5pm the next
business day.
E) Second Day Service. Delivery no later
than 5pm the second business day after
pickup.
2) International
A) Express Service. Door-to-door delivery
service.
B) Preferred Service. Airport-to-airport
delivery.
C) Standard-Plus Service. Door-to-door
service for consolidated international
shipments.
D) Standard Service. Airport-to-airport
delivery of your less time-critical
shipments.
3) Special Services
A) Emery Customs Brokers. Import and
export brokerage service.
B) Air Charter Service. The arrangement
of transportation of any size shipment
on virtually any size aircraft.
C) Warehouse Inventory System Express.
Inventory management control system.
D) Consignee Assistance Program. Service
to pay special attention to in bound
shipments (both domestic and international).
E) Gemini PC System. A system for preparing
manifests, airbills, labels, and management
reports.
F) Transportation Protection Services. Total
security protection for extremely valuable
and fragile shipments.
G) Free Domicile Service. Consolidates all
charges into one invoice (including customs
brokerage, duty, and delivery).
H) Dangerous Goods Shipping. Special shipments
of hazardous goods.
I) Perishables Shipping. Special shipments to
handle perishable goods.
J) IATA Agent Service. For shipments that have
to travel via IATA carrier. They handle all
reservations, documentation, pickup, and
delivery.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
And now in this ring...
Finally, after getting to see all of the possible options which these
companys (and governmental agencies) have to offer - we have the best
ways in which to conduct business over the network.
1. The basics
A. The first thing you should always remember to do, when
buying something over the network is to get the following
information:
1) The person's REAL name.
2) The person's REAL home address.
A) The street address*
B) The city
C) The state
D) The zipcode
*-If the person gives you a P.O.Box number, then
this could be the start of a rip off scheme. Remember
to insist on a regular, non-P.O. Box number. If they
refuse, then proceed with caution.
3) The person's home phone number.
4) The person's work phone number (if possible). This
might not be possible as some people do not wish to
have other people call them at work.
5) The person's e-mail address. This should be fairly
easy since this is how you contacted them in the
first place.
B. The second thing you should do is to insure the other
person gets YOUR information. One of the worst things
you can do is to build a wall between yourself and
the other person. One of the easiest ways to do this
is by making demands of the other person you yourself
are not willing to submit to.
C. Be sure to get, in writing, exactly what it is you are
purchasing. If you do not, you only have yourself to
blame when what comes to you isn't what you thought it
was going to be.
D. On items costing more than $100.00, you should at least
take the step of verifying the person's existence. To
do this you would:
1) Call 1-(the area code)-555-1212.
2) Give the operator the city, person's name, and
address as given to you. DO NOT give the operator
the phone number. Ask them for it. Compare this
number to the number given to you by the person.
If they aren't the same then write down the new
number.
3) If the numbers aren't the same, then
your next step is to give the operator
the number you do have and tell her
that that number was given to you by
the person at that address. Ask the
operator to look up the address for
that number too. Take it down.
4) Thank the operator and hang up. The operator
has helped you as much as they can.
5) If the address and phone number matched, then
there is nothing else for you to do in this
section. Go on to the next part.
6) If the address and phone number did
not match, then you have a problem.
Something somewhere is not right.
Your best bet is to then send an e-mail
address to the person asking them why
the number they gave you is for one
address and the address given by the
operator is another. Or why any of
the other possible combination of
things has occurred. Do this, if you
can, without malice, contempt, hatred,
or anything of a similar nature.
There could a perfectly valid reason
why they asked you to send a check/money
order to another location. All you
are trying to do is to determine the
"WHY" of this. You aren't there to
accuse the person of wrong doing.
7) Once you have gotten your information, then make
a decision (based on the person's reason) whether
to continue or to stop the transaction.
E. The last thing to do is to sit back, take a deep breath,
and consider everything before you proceed. Many times
people simply rush into a network transaction without
thinking things through. You should consider the
following:
1) Most network transactions take WEEKS to complete.
A) First there is the initial contact period.
B) Arrangements are made.
C) Then money is sent. Usually in the form of
a check of some kind.
1> It usually takes three days minimum for
a check to reach someone.
2> It takes a minimum of three days for a
check to clear the bank.
D) Then the item is sent.
1> It takes three to five days for most
packages to reach their destination.
E) In some cases, then additional money is
sent.
*- As you can see, the normal net transaction
can take anywhere from ten to twenty days
to transact. This is not a fast process.
In addition, many of the people on the net
are students. This too can cause delays.
Especially when you are trying to get
something and finals are coming up.
2) As noted above, many of the people on the net
are students. You can run into many problems
when dealing with students. This is NOT because
students are terribly wicked people. It IS
because:
A) Students have their studies to do which are
important to them. Many times, these people
are heavily overburdened by their professors
with things to do and they simply do not
have the time to go to the post office, stand
in line, and mail a package. Dropping off
a check is different. All you have to do
is to make out the deposit slip and drop it
into the night deposit. This is why so many
times you hear about someone who had time to
cash the check, but not send the item. There
is a BIG difference between the two actions
but most people do not understand this. And
yes, the student should mail the item out as
quickly as they can. But that is a Utopian
ideal and real life intrudes quite quickly
in these kinds of situations.
B) Students have tests. Everyone knows this,
but for some reason this knowledge goes out
the window when dealing with students a lot
of times. Simply remember to ASK if they
are taking classes and if it is going to be
to much trouble for them to ship the item.
If so - don't buy it from them. Or wait
until a better time frame comes along. This
is especially true around finals and midterms.
Neither test is usually easy. And placing an
additional burden on the student doesn't
help. In fact, it could wind you up in a
position where they take your money and don't
send you anything because you've made them mad.
C) Universities, colleges, and even the lower
schools ALWAYS delete their old accounts and
create new accounts at the beginning of each
semester. Now, I'm not talking about facility
and staff accounts - those do not change. I'm
talking about the normal student accounts.
The schools do this so abuse of their computer
systems (ie:Someone who took a class six years
ago may try to use the computer) doesn't occur.
Semesters go from January to May/June, June to
July, July to August, and August to December.
>>>IF<<< you start talking with someone about
buying something near the end of one of these
semesters you might want to wait to conclude
the transaction until after the new accounts
have been issued. In this way, you avoid
buying something from someone who then just
disappears - never to be heard from again.
*- Please DO use common sense when dealing with
such things as end-of-semester times, semester
lengths, and account stability. Different places
are different! No two places ever act the same.
So again - ASK. It is the only way to find out.
3) Real life, unfortunately, oftens intrudes into a
network transaction. Myself, I was to send a few
items out but did not get them out the door before
my marriage. When I returned two weeks later, it
was to find indignant e-mailings piled up. Even
though I had mailed to each and every person that
I was getting married and might not be able to
mail everything out on time. Things were quickly
straightened out, but I believe the point has been
made. Accidents, deaths, work, and other such
emergencies can intrude quite quickly where they
are not wanted. Further, when such a thing happens,
the person on the other end is often left dangling
(usually for several weeks at a time). I'm not
going to say you shouldn't get mad (because I would),
but I will say that you should at least try to
find out what happened to the person before sounding
a bugle call. After all, if you DID get the person's
home phone number (You DID do that didn't you? ;) ),
then all you have to do is call them. BTW:You DID
verify that phone number didn't you?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The transaction - or "Did I buy that thing?"...
1. There are as many ways to handle a transaction as there are
transactions. No single way will ever mean you won't get
burned in a deal you make over the net. None. The only
thing that you CAN do is to try your best to insure that
both you _and_ the other person get what they want. In
other words - make this be a transaction where you _both_
win. If you can work at it from that angle, many times
people who might otherwise rip you off won't. So how do
you conduct business over the net?
A. There are two main ways in which business is conducted
over the net. Money first, and item first. With the
"money first" deal the buyer sends their money to the
seller first and then waits for their item to come. This
is the usual way in which business is conducted. The
second method is the "item first". With this method
it is the seller who must wait for their money. This
is not the usual way in which businesses work. Let's
explore each of these methods.
2. Money First.
Buyer sends money to seller who then sends item to buyer.
A. Problems.
The main problem with this approach is that the buyer
can easily become a victim of the seller. There are
many types of scenarios which can be built. But
mainly the buyer sends the money to the seller who
then does something with the money (looses check,
cashes check but doesn't send item, etc...).
B. How to protect yourself (Buyer).
There are several things you can do to help protect yourself
from being taken by the seller.
1) Get their correct name, address, and phone number.
2) Use only a traceable method of payment (ie:No cash).
A) Personal check**
B) Cashier's check*
C) Traveller's check*
D) Money order*
*- Retain the copy for your records.
**- Personal checks are the preferred method of payment
because you will receive the check back after it
has cleared. It is proof that the other person
did accept the cash for whatever item it is you
are attempting to purchase.
3) When you send the money, send it certified and ask
for a return receipt. This will force the person to
sign for the item and will (again) be something you
can use as evidence in case you have to go to court.
C. How to protect yourself (Seller).
Here are some things you can do to help protect yourself
as a seller of items.
1) Get your customer's name, address, and phone number.
2) Accept the customer's method of payment and then
allow the appropriate number of days for the payment
to clear (ie:Wait three to five days).
A) Call your bank after three days to see
if the item has cleared. If not, ask
them how long it will take and get
back with your customer about it.
Under federal law, all banks are
supposed to clear checks drawn on a
US bank after three business days.
The important thing though, is to
simply make sure your customer knows
what is going on.
B) If your bank can not get the money, then contact
the person back and let them know what has
happened. Get their reason and if it turns
out that they can not buy the item after all,
simply thank them, send them back their check
as soon as the bank sends it back to you, and
find someone else to purchase your goods. Don't
argue about it. It doesn't help matters and
all you've wasted is some of your time.
3) Always send things certified, return
receipt, and/or insured. In this way
you know for certain that the item
arrived at the person's house and was
accepted by them.
4) Never leave a customer hanging. After you receive
your return receipt, be sure to e-mail the person
back again. First off because it leaves the person
feeling that you care. Secondly because it allows
you the chance to see if there is anything else
you can do for them (and may lead to more sales).
3. Item First.
This is commonly called sending something C.O.D..
A. Protecting the Buyer.
1) The buyer is fairly well protected in most cases.
The main times when a buyer is in jeopardy is when
the carrier will not allow the buyer to examine the
goods before paying for them. Then the buyer has
to buy something without seeing it first. Again,
the best method for circumventing this problem is
to use a personal check, cashier's check, traveller's
check, or money order. All of the above can be
canceled if it turns out that the box contained
a bunch of rocks instead of what was expected.
B. Protecting the Seller.
1) In C.O.D. transactions, it is the seller who is
assuming most of the risks. First off is the
risk of damage in transit. Secondly is risk of
the buyer deciding not to buy the item after it
arrives. Lastly is the problem of the buyer
cancelling their check after accepting the
package. These are all drawbacks to sending
things C.O.D.. Further, there is no easy way
in which to circumvent any of these
problems. Therefore, C.O.D. is discouraged
for most, if not all, transactions.
2) The only protection you have, as a seller, is
the person's word. In a true C.O.D. transaction,
you are betting that:
A) The person is honest.
B) The person will have the money, on hand (or
they will have a check) to pay the carrier.
If either of the above is not true - then you
are left out in the cold. Some people have
said C.O.D. was never meant to be used by
private concerns. I don't know. I only know
that it places all of the control in the buyer's
corner without any regard for the seller. Some
people may like that - I don't. I'd much rather
there was a 50/50 approach (which there is but it
is a very slow process).
4. Notes on what we've said so far.
Both methods of shipping have their drawbacks. Both methods
lean towards one person or the other (ie: buyer or seller).
So which one is best? Well, from past experience I'd have to
say neither. Both have their bad spots. The real problem
usually comes from the time aspect more than the method of
transport. Many people expect next day service from an
individual. Or, in other words, many people treat
individuals as if they were running a store or were some sort
of a retail outlet. They demand immediate gratification
when, in truth, net transactions _should_ be conducted in a
somewhat slower manner. So one of the things which you
should be on the look out for is someone who is pushy when it
comes to time. If someone contacts you and says they have
a time frame problem then you should get a good explanation
from them. Failure to do so could cause you to loose money
or goods.
5. The third alternative: 50/50.
There is a third alternative to shipping items. It is
nothing new but it works and works well. It is called the
50/50 shipment. The way it works is the buyer sends half of
the payment to the seller who then sends the equipment to the
buyer via C.O.D. for the rest of the money. The nice thing
about this is that the buyer commits only half of their money
to the transaction. Once the check has cleared, the seller
then has to send the item to the buyer in order for him to
get the rest of his money. This method has a number of
advantages to simply sending something to someone. First, it
allows the seller to see whether or not the buyer is going to
actually buy the item. Secondly, it only makes the buyer
have to come up with half of the cash needed in order to buy
the item (the rest is paid when the item arrives). Thirdly,
in the case of either person disappearing, it means that the
other person is only out half of their money.
A. The nice thing about the 50/50 approach is that the
buyer and seller can settle on an amount to send initially,
and then the rest is due when the item comes. You can
use 25/75, 50/50, 66/34, or whatever percentage you want
to use with the same results.
6. Another alternative sent to me via e-mail:
From: cleveland.Freenet.Edu
One addition that I'll throw out, when verifying a person's
existence, an excellent on-line resource is the internet
sled. The only way you can get in the database is by making
a personal check out to the company that runs it, they verify
the name on the check to the name you entered in the
database, also they keep a tally of how long your account has
existed. You can get information via email at
sled@drebes.com with 'info' as a subject.
I think it's worth mentioning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions - "When should I use what?"
1. Money First.
This is a good way to send anything which has a value of
up to $500.00. Anything over the $500.00 mark should, to
protect the interest of both the buyer and seller, be
dealt with via the 50/50 method.
2. Item First.
This method should only be used with items which cost
less than or equal to $100.00. For things costing more
than $100.00 it is advisable to either switch to the Money
First method or the 50/50 method.
3. 50/50.
Because this method takes so much time, it should be
regulated to those purchases where the cost is greater
than $500.00.
4. Notes.
Any of the above methods can be used by anyone anytime.
These are only suggestions. Any of the above methods
can be made to work. It is just a question of how
much ground work will you do before beginning. If you
do the basic things (ie:Get a full name, address, etc...)
then almost any of the above methods will work. Some
work better than others - but they all will work.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions - "What if they don't want to send it the way I want them
to?"
1. Your first alternative is to simply not deal with them. There
are hundreds of other people out there who WILL work with you
through the method you prefer. If you do not feel right using
another method - then tell them so and give them the chance to
work with you in your method of shipping. If they do not want
to do so, then thank them and tell them you would rather find
someone else who will let you ship in the manner you've chosen.
2. Your second alternative is to let them know that you would rather
use a method you are familiar with. If they are adamant about
using a different method, then go back to #1.
3. Your third alternative is to go with the way they wish to conduct
business. Be sure to get all of the information as outlined
in the other section and then proceed cautiously. If things
start going wrong then tell the other person your concerns
and try to reach a common ground of understanding. If you can
not do that then return to #2 and finally to #1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions - "I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF!"
1. As has been said before: Be sure you aren't jumping the gun
before you begin yelling that you have been ripped off.
There are MANY ways in which communications can become
tangled. Always assume the problem is a communications
problem first and a person problem second. In other words,
try to talk with the person about the problem first - before
assuming they are trying to rip you off. Further, when you
e-mail them (or call them), don't use finger-pointing tactics
("YOU said you'd mail it today!"), accusatory remarks,
remarks which put the person "on the spot", or other such
things. Instead, assume something came up and they have not
had the time to do whatever it is they were supposed to do.
State your problems in a manner which will convey your
concern without attacking the other person(ex: "I was
surprised the other day to see that the X hasn't made it here
yet. Has there been a problem with shipping it?"). You would
be amazed at how much more can be accomplished when you
treat someone else with the respect due them instead of
something like "You M***** F*****!!!! Where is my g** d***
X!!!!? I sent you my money over five weeks ago!"
2. If you HAVE been ripped off (ie:You've tried for three
weeks to contact the person without success [Two week
vacations are fairly common - so three weeks are needed]),
then here are the steps you should follow to try to get
your money back. They are listed in increasing order of
harshness.
A. Send a simple, non-verbally abusive letter to the
person stating that you have tried to contact them
and that since they do not wish to communicate with
you you are going to have to pursue other avenues
of communication. Wait two days before proceeding
further. Be sure to keep a copy of your e-mail to
them.
B. Call them. If they have an answering machine then
leave a message stating when you called and when
they can call you as well as a phone number to
reach you at. Give them a day. Call them back
again on the second day if they haven't called
you back. Repeat this three times. Make a note
of when you called somewhere for future references.
C. Send a message to the sysop/sysadmin of their system.
Advise this person of what the other person has done.
Let them know you would appreciate their help in
this matter and then give them the details of what
has happened. Use the person's full name, address,
and e-mail information. Again, be sure not to be
inflammatory - it doesn't help. Instead, give
dates and times so the sysop/sysadmin can verify
everything. If they say they can't do anything,
then simply thank them and forget about them. You've
notified them there is a problem with one of the
people who hold accounts on their system - if they
don't want to help then don't push it. You'll only
make them mad and have two people to deal with
instead of one. You've got enough problems don't
you? Don't create more of them.
1) Give this person a week to do something and
then contact them back. If they are able to
help - a week is more than enough time for
them to have done something.
D. The next step is to make a call to the long distance
operator again (1-[area code]-555-1212) and ask them
for the main police number for that area. Take it
down and call them. Tell them the following:
1) "Hi, my name is <your name>. I have been trying
to get in touch with <their name> at <their
address> for the past few weeks with no luck.
Could an officer be dispatched to contact <their
name> and ask them to get in touch with me? I'm
concerned that something may have happened to them."
This should definitely get some sort of a response
out of them. Probably a negative one. :/
E. The next step to take is to make a call to the police
department again. Tell them:
1) "Hi, my name is <your name>. I have a complaint
against <their name>. I sent <their name> <amount
of money> for <item>. They have failed to answer
my mail and phone calls. I would like an officer
to stop by their house and ask them to please
get in touch with me."
Remember to give them your phone number so they can
call you back if they need to as well as so they can
give your phone number to the person.
F. If you have reached this point, then you need to stop
and ask yourself if it is worth it to continue. Most
of the things coming up are going to cost you time and
money. The question you have to ask is: Will it cost
me more to get back the money than it will to simply
forget about the money? If the answer is "It will cost
me more to try to get my money back", then you might
want to simply forget about the money, write the person's
name down somewhere, and never deal with them again.
Otherwise - keep reading.
G. Contact your local Post Office and obtain the form from
them which deals with mail fraud. Fill the form out
completely and send it in. An investigation of this
sort usually takes between six months and six years.
But it is a start.
H. Contact your local FCC office and ask for the form
which deals with abuses of the telecommunication
channels. Don't bring up all of your problems with
the person on the other end. Simply tell them that
there is someone who, using a communication's device
(Internet), has bought/sold an item from/to you but you
have never received the item/payment from them and that
you would like to file a complaint against them.
I. Call the operator again and ask for the number to the
local bar association. Call them. Ask them to refer
you to an attorney to represent you against the person.
This will mean that you will have to go to court
there unless you can get the court to change the
location to being in your city. They might do this
if you can show that you have been trying, in good faith,
to reach the person without success. Then it is the
other person who has to come to you - rather than
you to them.
J. Everything past this point is only for those people
who are so obnoxious or evil that they would rather
dance upon your grave than give you either the
money back or the item. Be forewarned that these
things are not nice things to do to people and you
should not do them unless there is no other avenue
of escape.
K. If the person becomes abusive in their dealings with
you, DO NOT sink to their level and do the same
thing. Instead, keep copies of what they send and
make printouts. Take these printouts and GO to the
nearest FBI headquarters. Don't call them. Most
FBI HQs get hundreds of calls a day which they do
not do anything about. If, instead, you take the
letters with you to their HQ, they will sit down
and talk with you about the problem. They may also
suggest other avenues (such as one of the things
talked about above) to pursue getting your money
back (or item).
3. Notes.
There is one more thing you can do to the person. But it is
a nasty trick to pull on someone and can ruin their lives.
So I'm not going to tell you what it is or how to do it. The
above should be more than enough for most people.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Thoughts....
1. Remember to always give the other person the benefit of the
doubt. Someday you might be in their place wishing someone
would do the same for you.
2. Remember to keep copies of all letters. This helps to keep
people from saying "I didn't say that" and other such statements.
If you have what they wrote, then they can't deny having written
it.
3. Remember to always get ALL of the information about the other
person before dealing with them. There is nothing worse than
only having an e-mail address after having sent something to
to someone.
4. Always send things certified, return receipt, and insured. No
matter if you send C.O.D. or not. In this way you are protected
against the carrier damaging your merchandise and you know, for
a fact, that the person received the item.
I hope this net.book helps everyone. Like I said at the beginning,
all comments are welcome so long as they aren't flames and they
provide constructive suggestions to help improve the book.
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