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Shipping Damage or Loss Policy

It is rare to have packages arrived damaged or go missing and not arrive at all, but unfortunately it does happen occasionally. This page will guide you through the procedures necessary to handle these situations.

TRACKING NUMBERS

All shipments should have a tracking number assigned by the carrier unless it is for local pickup. You will normally receive the tracking number when the shipment is processed. Some items may be direct shipped from the manufacturer rather than from out warehouse, and where tracking numbers are provided they will be forwarded to you as well. Sometimes direct shipments will be delayed a few days until we get an order acknowledgement form out manufacturers.

SHIPPING INSURANCE

Most of the common carriers include insurance or we add insurance if over the included amount. We may choose the carrier's insurance or a third party insurance. If a package is lost or damaged, you must cooperate with the claims procedures of the carrier or third party insurer using the procedures noted here.

PACKAGE RECEIVED WITH DAMAGE CLAIMS

If a package is delivered with visible damage, we recommend you report to the carrier delivering it that is was damaged on arrival. If the package is left at your location, take photos of the damage of the unopened package before opening to use in case of an insurance claim. 

If you open a package and find damage after opening with external damager, or you find concealed damager SAVE the package and all packing material. Take photos of both and keep in case the carrier needs to see, as they are almost always required for a successful damager claim. Take photos of the damage to the product and send all photos to us by email with a request for a shipping damage claim. Save all broken or damaged parts until the claim is resolved by the insurance provider.

In some cases, on higher prices items, the carrier may ask you to take to a local post office or make an appointment for a visit by the carrier or their inspector. If you refuse to cooperate, the claim may be denied. If there is salvage value for repair, the carrier can require they get the broken item for salvage, or repair at their expense if repairable.

We try our best to package all shipments to handle normal package handling and beyond, but sometimes they do get mishandled in transit. 

PACKAGE NOT RECEIVED

Most packages have a tracking number to identify their delivery status. A lost package search can generally not be made until the package has not been tracked for about 7 days, and a lost package claim cannot be made from 14 to 21 days from the date of shipment. If either of these thresholds are met, please request us to do a package search or a lost package claim.

PACKAGES SHOWS DELIVERED BUT NOT FOUND

Occasionally a package will show as delivered but cannot be found. Please search locally before filing a  missing package claim.

  • Usually, it has been delivered, but another employee or family member has received it and put it somewhere else, so ask others at the delivery address who may have received it.
  • Sometimes the carrier will deliver to a neighbor who accepts the package for you so please check with neighbors as well.
  • Some carriers will try to hid a package to prevent it from being stolen by "porch pirates" Check behind you entrance and around porches or shrubbery to see if it was partially hidden.
  • If not found after the above contact your LOCAL Postmaster or local postal carrier to see if they can locate the package. Most modern delivery scanners stamp the GPS location of the delivery scan to verify it was delivered to the correct address. Some will take photos of the delivered item. If the carrier delivers to the wrong address, they will sometimes honor a lost package claim after the delivery scan. 
  • Sometimes a delivery scan is done and the carrier didn't feel the package was safe and delivers it the following day or it was prematurely scanned as delivered.
  • If not found after the above, it is possible it was stolen after delivery. In this case insurance will not cover theft once delivered and you will need to file a case with your local police department.
  • We are not responsible for shipments stolen after delivery, so we recommend you take care in shipping to secure locations or make sure someone is there to accept the delivery. You may request signature required delivery to assure packages aren't left if they are valuable or you are in a vulnerable area to theft. High value items may be shipped with signature required at our discretion.

LOST PACKAGE CLAIM FILING

Most claims are filed by us as the carrier, but only with the information you provide on a claim. Most insurance providers have a waiting period on a lost package claim. We will file as soon as they allow based on the tracking data. When we get a confirmation that a claim is accepted, we will issue a refund and wait for the carrier to reimburse us. However, if you need a replacement, you will need to order in a separate transaction if you need it before a claim is approved. Although very rare, sometime a package does show up after a claim is made with a long delay in shipment. In this case, one of the two shipments may be returned for credit. 

For inquiries on shipping claims, please contact us at sales@utility.biz and attach photos of damag