I signed up with Bare International for an iPhone repair shop that required a device to be mailed to me. This morning, a UPS driver knocked on my door and handed me a small padded envelope. As soon as I touched it, I immediately realized that nothing was inside. Additionally, it had a very noticeable tear along the top of the label. He turned to leave, and did not ask for my signature (the package was mailed with a signature requirement). I stopped him from leaving, and gave the package back. I told him that I was refusing delivery of an empty package. All I need is to be held responsible for a missing device that someone over at UPS stole so brazenly. I asked him why he even bothered to deliver it, since it was obviously not mailed that way and it was clear as day that the item was stolen. He did not really have an answer. I was supposed to ship the phone back after completing the shop. Two years ago, I was doing a smart phone purchase shop with IPSOS that required the shipment and return of a new phone with my current mobile provider. And very much like today, the package went mysteriously missing. Someone just stole it. Since the mobile provider had no knowledge of this being a mystery shop, they sent me a replacement device after a month of supposedly investigating the matter, and to make it right, they cancelled out the contract and made the phone free! Since the theft was not my fault and I kept my scheduler in the loop the entire time, I was paid for the shop in full, as well as received a brand new decent quality smart phone to keep. This was my third experience with UPS theft, and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences. I'm just really bummed, because I waited all morning yesterday and today for the delivery (it was originally scheduled for yesterday), read and re-read the shop instructions, and ended up completely wasting my time. These jackwagons who steal mobile devices have to know that the phones can be remotely disabled with the IMEI number. I just feel bad for whoever they sell the device to.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2022 03:18PM by digikiss.

A lot of delivery drivers (regular and seasonal) steal. You can waste an afternoon watching YouTube videos about delivery drivers-thieves. Sorry you wasted your time but then congrats on that free phone. Great job on confronting the driver!

Well, I did not accuse him because the most likely scenario is that someone in the distribution center stole the device-but the driver should have used his brain and notified his supervisor about the empty package instead of wasting fuel and my time delivering an empty package. The other phone was definitely a nice bonus, but believe me when I tell you, I worked for it! This happened just as the pandemic was taking off, and one of my phone calls to the mobile provider kept me on hold for over 4 hours, after which I was disconnected. That's why they finally agreed to give me a free phone. I called the IPSOS scheduler and told her that I was going to keep the phone, which was a much better deal than completing the shop and being paid $70. She discussed it with her manager and told me to go ahead and complete the report, since this information was useful to their client. I've experienced UPS theft a lot, back in the days when I worked in retail jewelry. We had a number of stolen items missing from shipments. The thief is going to sell the phone to some poor unsuspecting shlub and then it will be remotely disabled after it's reported stolen to the client. The project manager was surprised that this happened, apparently it was the first time.

4 hours and then disconnected??? Holy cow! I thought my experience with AT&T was bad!

My phone needing repair is due to be delivered tomorrow. Thanks for the heads-up on this so I can be sure there's actually a phone in the package before I sign for it!

Not UPS, but I'm positive that somebody in the USPS system stole a dress I'd ordered from Nordstrom and returned via USPS. It started tracking on April 22, then has dropped off the face of the earth. It keeps showing as "estimated delivery date will be supplied." I tried putting in a claim with USPS, but all they did was tell me what the tracking already showed, then closed the case! They made no attempt to find the package. That would NEVER have happened years ago. I ship hundreds of packages a year through USPS, and they always tried to locate a missing package. And generally succeeded. In 21+ years, I've never had a package permanently lost, but I have had one item that was coming to me stolen.

I'll bet a worker saw the Nordstrom label and couldn't resist stealing the package. Nordstrom has issued me the refund, and I hope the dress does show up so they aren't out both the dress and the money. Sounds like delivery-service theft is on the rise. Sad.

No kidding :'(. It was just over 4 hours, which I found out later is the max time a person can remain on hold before being automatically disconnected. I knew that the longer I stayed on hold, the more $$$ I could demand to receive as credit on my monthly bill. I did not expect them to go above and beyond and provide me with an entirely free brand new phone.

Got my delivery--and there was indeed a phone in the package! But I made the UPS guy wait until I'd opened the envelope to make sure that what I felt in there was a phone.

USPS has so much theft going on, probably people who work in the distribution center. I never realized how bad it could be until I moved to a new neighborhood not far from where I live now - it started with a birthday card from my stepsister, which mysteriously went missing along with a $100 money order she said she sent me. It continued to happen with gift cards and financial statements mysteriously not being delivered. Every time I went to the post office to complain, I had to stand in a long line of people waiting to do the same thing. I can't even tell you how many times I reached out to the postmaster general and other USPS supervisors. They were very aware of issues at this branch, with entire baskets of unattended mail being stolen and other incompetence and fraud. After two years, I could not stand it any longer - I wanted to choke the life out of somebody for wasting my time and creating so much stress for me. Instead, I moved to a different neighborhood. Some of those postal workers really need to be prosecuted, but they're union employees and they aren't held accountable for anything.

USPS has so much theft going on, probably people who work in the distribution center. I never realized how bad it could be until I moved to a new neighborhood not far from where I live now - it started with a birthday card from my stepsister, which mysteriously went missing along with a $100 money order she said she sent me. It continued to happen with gift cards and financial statements mysteriously not being delivered. Every time I went to the post office to complain, I had to stand in a long line of people waiting to do the same thing. I can't even tell you how many times I reached out to the postmaster general and other USPS supervisors. They were very aware of issues at this branch, with entire baskets of unattended mail being stolen and other incompetence and fraud. After two years, I could not stand it any longer - I wanted to choke the life out of somebody for wasting my time and creating so much stress for me. Instead, I moved to a different neighborhood. Some of those postal workers really need to be prosecuted, but they're union employees and they aren't held accountable for anything.

Oh, and you reminded me of something that happened years ago! I ordered a leopard print dress from a Victoria's Secret catalog and received the package - with a hair straightener inside! I don't remember the specifics, and I did get my money back because that was the last dress in my size. To the best of my knowledge, nobody ever figured out how the brand new hair straightener got into that package. I googled it, and it was actually pricier than the dress. I had to send it back, and I'm pretty sure that the customer service rep did not believe me. I am sorry that your dress went missing. USPS does precious little to secure customer packages, and neither does UPS.

Well, this is a new situation to this topic, so wondering if anyone has had this particular thing happen. I did another round of these shops, got the phone just fine, returned it the next day (using the MSC's supplied return label), and later got an email asking me to return it. This almost a month after I sent it back. I input the tracking number to the UPS system, and the package is "delayed," stuck for nearly four weeks in one location, and with no delivery date estimated. My guess is that a UPS worker has stolen it.

I'm frustrated because I supplied the MSC with the screen shot of the UPS tracking plus the email I received when I signed up to track the package. I received another email today asking me to check the delivery status. They have the tracking number; they can't check?

Now they want the receipt from UPS, which I have and which I offered to send them days ago. I filed it away when I didn't hear back from them.

I feel like they don't believe that I sent it back, but how else would the return tracking show up? Maybe they need the receipt for a claim. Since they're the UPS client and paid for the return shipping, shouldn't they be handling this with UPS?

Guess I'm lucky have never not the recieved an ordered package. Albeit one was delivered a week later than expected and the delivery co couldn't find it.