For reference, UPS is almost (but apparently not quite) as bad. They take the same info multiple times, loose the claim, have you spend hours on red tape.
FedX probably does want to wait a bit to see if the box shows up from somewhere else - so they will spend some time "investigating".
The key is that insurance for shippers is a profit center. UPS was making so much money on insurance profit that they set up an off shore company to evade US taxes. UPS got nailed, but then a Judge ruled in UPS's favor on appeal. If I recall, for every .35 cents paid for insurance, they spend roughly .17 cents on claims. That is a very large profit margin for such an activity.
The flip side is the shippers do need to be careful for claims of damage that are trumped up. So I can see them foot dragging in order to discover frivolous claims. But for packages lost entirely? Heck, they shouldn't even care what is inside since mathematically, if folks were shipping refuse but paying the insurance claims, the shippers with their overall excellent performance would still make the same amount of money!
I find FedX is generally less expensive and roughly as dependable as UPS. And FedX almost never seems to loose overnight packages. That is why I often ship very valuable items overnight (FedX or UPS) as it keeps the item in their clutches for less time. It is also why I drive to the Cirque each year - one less opportunity to loose something really cool in shipping.
Mike "why did I write so much about this?" Kone in Boulder CO
> I just purchased a bicycle which was shipped via FedEx from California to me in
\r?\n> Tampa. It was lost in transit.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I am sure that all shippers are reliable. This is the first time this has
\r?\n> happened to me. However, what I think the list needs to know is how FedEx
\r?\n> handles (or doesn't) claims.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> FedEx has been awful. They try to prevent you from contacting them. They hide
\r?\n> options on their voice mail and on their web site. They deny they have received
\r?\n> a claim, when they have received it.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> They lie about their own policies. They say they will only pay the shipper,
\r?\n> when in fact the shipper can waive payment. They won't supply proper forms to
\r?\n> document the claim. Their online claims page says it is "temporarily"
\r?\n> out-of-service when you try to submit claim forms. But it works if you keep
\r?\n> trying.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> FedEx knows they lost my shipment, knows its declared value ($1000) and has
\r?\n> received proof of purchase and payment. Yet they won't pay the claim. "They
\r?\n> are still investigating."
\r?\n>
\r?\n> If you are still considering using FedEx, you should download and read their
\r?\n> 180-page service agreement. Even if they lose your shipment and it is their
\r?\n> fault, they don't have to pay you for 6 months. And you can't sue them for that
\r?\n> period of time.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Needless to say, I will never, ever use FedEx.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Louis Schulman
\r?\n> Tampa, Florida