Warning on Shipping Prints/Art/Photos via FedEx!!
2002-09-10 by Editor P.O.V. Image Service
It seems that FedEx has lost one set of prints for the current 13x19 exchange (Richard's prints) and UPS has mine in limbo somewhere.. Now for the more generic information. I would STRONGLY suggest that shippers NOT use FedEx to ship prints.. I learned out the hard way about 3 years back, that even if you purchase additional insurance from FedEx that neither film, nor photos are on their list of declarations (i.e. they will not reimburse you for anything but the actual shipping fee if lost). I discovered this when they lost numerous rolls of film containing NCAA basketball imagery shot at two in-season tournaments in Alaska. FedEx had left them on a busy street, without a "no signature release" during the holiday season. Although we had insured the film for $4500 FedEx refused to pay citing the declarations list.. Sadly, we then discovered that although photos and film are not listed as excepted items on their standard shipping forms, they are listed as excepted in their declarations list within their general shipping info booklet... Like anyone ever reads the "shipping booklet" -- in fact, we had never seen one until then... Nice... Unlike FedEx, both Airborne and UPS will cover lost film and/or photos up to the insured value. Additionally UPS automatically covers the first $100. I have no idea whether DHL lists film/photos/art as excepted items.. My suggestion: use Airborne or UPS.. Keith [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]