Lost/Stolen by FedEx- Gretsch Masterbuilt Purple (or blue grape) Sparkle & White Penguin

JDE

I assume the seller is a private individual and not based in the U.K. Where are they from? Also, is it definitely FedEx? TNT sometimes carry goods in the U.K. that are sent via FedEx from the States, so it’s possible the consignment number was changed in the U.K. to a TNT number which is why they can’t locate it. 

FreddieVanHalen

@Wazmeister please keep the humour coming, I need to keep my chin up!
@ lots of other folks, sadly it's a private sale arrangement so there's going to be some argy bargy

@jde it was sent FedEx from the USA, so maybe that's a possible explanation - if you have any inside information on how to navigate FedEx/TNT would really appreciate it.

FedEx hasn't directly admitted it's stolen, but they are now considering it lost as they've concluded their search process, whatever that is, and no package has been located.

The tracking updates every night with "departed FedEx location" but nothing ever arrives and no package can be found within the sort facility where the package was allegedly last scanned.

Arktik83

merlin said:

How long has it been missing?
I've had stuff sent by 24hr services that are due for delivery on a Friday, get lost and arrive on Monday or Tuesday.... Keep hope and in the meantime get the serial number circulated.

OP said it's been missing a week so far, hopefully like you say the dummies have just misrouted the shipment and it'll turn up in a warehouse in Europe and get sent back.

I don't know if you have much "power" in this matter as you weren't the person who commissioned FedEx for the delivery but don't take no for an answer with these people.  Go above their heads, go to the CEO and kick up a stink, threaten to go to watchdog/trading standards.  

It must be absolutely gutting, will keep an eye out but I really hope they've just done a balls up rather than someone has pinched it.  I know it seems like the more logical explanation is someone's lifted it but fingers crossed!

Do you know where the package was last, was it in the UK?

victorludorum

I presume you've been in contact with your credit card company/paypal to see where you stand? I would be amazed if you're not fully protected as a buyer here.

FreddieVanHalen

Hi @Arktik83 yep, I'm now trying to get hold of the UK Head of Customer experience but he has a gatekeeper secretary and he never calls me back. I haven't had one single call back from FedEx on this, not even once despite promise after promise.

The package was allegedly last seen in the UK, but the tracking results make no sense whatsoever and now seem to be considered meaningless by the FedEx "escalations team."

@victorludorum and others, sadly this was a private sale from the USA so there isn't going to be any recourse to credit card companies. The seller is trustworthy, but this is now going to come down to difficult conversations and claims on FedEx.

Whitecat

Social media shaming might help. Companies are often quickest at escalations when they are brought to their attention via Twitter or Facebook - as long as you aren’t a dick about it. 

FreddieVanHalen

Whitecat said:

Social media shaming might help. Companies are often quickest at escalations when they are brought to their attention via Twitter or Facebook - as long as you aren’t a dick about it. 

I will try that in conjunction with trying to get hold of more senior contacts within FedEx.

I have been most reasonable with them so far but after four days of being fobbed off and FedEx appearing to do nothing to help me I've had enough.

Been trying to get the message across how bloody upset and worried I am whilst making sure I don't rant so much that they lose any interest in helping me.

Vibetronic

Sorry to hear that There's only just been a feature in Guitarist (in the Gilmour article) about how rare these are, so at least people might be slightly more aware if they come across it. 

merlin

If the consignment was booked through any kind of company like parcel monkey or parcels2go and they used FedEx then there will be delays and FedEx will deny responsibility but it will eventually show up. I hope that this is what happened. 

Hick81

Unfortunately in situations like this you have to be like a dog with a bone. 

guitars4you

FreddieVanHalen said:

I have been most reasonable with them so far but after four days of being fobbed off and FedEx appearing to do nothing to help me I've had enough.

Been trying to get the message across how bloody upset and worried I am whilst making sure I don't rant so much that they lose any interest in helping me.

I can recall a chat with UPS over a missing parcel - I was asked 'please describe the parcel'

Hard not to be sarcastic with 'it is brown with brown packing tape as per 1000' s of other boxes in your depot'  - Granted any guitar logo on the box might help them if known

This to a phone operator who is just doing a job, from an ivory tower, but has zero influence with busy staff in a depot

m_c

It could be something as simple as the label has fallen off, and it's now sat in the corner of a depot waiting for somebody to try and figure out where it's going to.
We occasionally get random things delivered to my work with missing labels, but the courier company has found a snippet of an address/paperwork inside the parcel, and take the gamble we'll know what to do with it.

I also know somebody who ended up searching a parcel depot with the depot manager to find a missing parcel, and it was the same thing, the label had fallen off. Thankfully the box was plastered with his company's custom parcel tape though, so was easily identified, and the manager did say they would of eventually returned it to the address on the tape, but it would be whenever they got around to it.

For that reason, whenever I personally send anything, I always double label it, and put a copy of the shipping label inside the box.

Whitecat

FreddieVanHalen said:

Whitecat said:

Social media shaming might help. Companies are often quickest at escalations when they are brought to their attention via Twitter or Facebook - as long as you aren’t a dick about it. 

I will try that in conjunction with trying to get hold of more senior contacts within FedEx.

I have been most reasonable with them so far but after four days of being fobbed off and FedEx appearing to do nothing to help me I've had enough.

Been trying to get the message across how bloody upset and worried I am whilst making sure I don't rant so much that they lose any interest in helping me.

Good luck man. Really hope this story has a happy ending!! 

RiftAmps

What makes you think it's been stolen, as opposed to just missing?

My UPS driver cannot tell you how many times labels have fallen off boxes or ripped off on the conveyor system and they can't do anything about them as can't identify immediately. He said they are then put in a room/on a shelf at the depot until they are allowed to open up (after 30 days I think) to hopefully find any info on sender/recipient.

andrewaward

I've had a few parcels appear to go missing, and have had to describe the parcel like @guitars4you , but every time they have always been found . I imagine  someone walking off with a large guitar shaped box isn't that easy. Hope it turns up , it may well.

also as its coming from the US, sometimes it gets held up at customs

Strat54

Like this one.....?

https://www.rainbowguitars.com/guitar/gretsch-custom-shop/masterbuilt-white-penguin-with-purple-sparkle-top/9252002578/FE

Some questions...

Where did the tracking trail end? Is it a local depot? I'd be tempted to go down there and see the manager. In fact I'd go no matter how far it was.
If the package was shown arrived at a specific depot and is not there now then I would contact the police. 'Lost' is not acceptable. Its a long large parcel. It therefore has been stolen so its a police matter. Its 'Your' parcel and someone has taken it. Those premises are literally covered in CCTV it would be easy to check and see a guitar shipping carton, they are pretty distinct....well to us anyway.Don't give up....kick up a fuss....FB and Twitter....'You've lost my £5k guitar!' 

TheMarlin

Really sorry to hear that. Would be gutted if my Steve Stern Gretsch went missing. 

Fingers ctosssed it’ll turn up. 

All the best

Marlin

ourmaninthenorth

The sense of powerlessness in these situations really piles on to the original kick in the balls.

Hopeless of me to say, but I truly hope that by some fortune this resolves itself to your satisfaction.

What an absolute bastard of a fix you've been put in. 

Keep punching...

FreddieVanHalen

Strat54 said:

Like this one.....?

https://www.rainbowguitars.com/guitar/gretsch-custom-shop/masterbuilt-white-penguin-with-purple-sparkle-top/9252002578/FE

Some questions...

Where did the tracking trail end? Is it a local depot? I'd be tempted to go down there and see the manager. In fact I'd go no matter how far it was.
If the package was shown arrived at a specific depot and is not there now then I would contact the police. 'Lost' is not acceptable. Its a long large parcel. It therefore has been stolen so its a police matter. Its 'Your' parcel and someone has taken it. Those premises are literally covered in CCTV it would be easy to check and see a guitar shipping carton, they are pretty distinct....well to us anyway.Don't give up....kick up a fuss....FB and Twitter....'You've lost my £5k guitar!' 

Very much like that one but not that exact one - this one had a Bigsby.

Appreciate the feedback and experience from everyone else in the business who ship a lot, thank you.
@riftamps I can't prove it's been stolen but a couple of people I've spoken to have lead me to believe that is a likely cause.

I hope everyone else here talking about the ripped label or other "misplaced" type events is correct.

I did want to get something out there ASAP in case it has been stolen - this one is rare enough to find if it can be caught in time.

JDE

If you message me your tracking number and the let me know where the last real physical scan was (if you know) I can look into it for you if you want? I’m not at work today but I should be able to access my TNT account from home. 
Also, now that I know where it’s from - have you paid import duty yet? As in, have you received a bill from someone and paid it, or did you pre-pay it when you purchased the guitar? 
Thanks