Landlord (language)

[Diablo]

Hey folks. So I moved to a new state for work. Ended up living in much nicer digs, with lower crime, more space, etc. One of the perks of my job is that I am able to purchase products cheap from my employer's parent corporation which produce electronics and the like.

So with Christmas rolling around, I ordered three things.

I notified my building manager that I was expecting 3 packages. He informed me that they sign for packages and if no one picks them up, they have their people put them in the person's apartment.

Cool!

Well I am waiting and waiting. Friday rolls around and UPS says two of my items showed up and are signed for by a lets say "Sue". I walk by the office after work and don't see them. And they ain't in my apartment. But since I can't see well into the locked office, I figure no biggie, they are just tucked away somewhere.

So Monday comes around and my third item, a 32" TV that my mom is gonna love, shows up and is signed for by the building manager. I call up, ask about the items. Well the TV is there but nothing on the two other items. I tell him I will try to get home before he locks up the office.

Well work keeps me there late....but when I walk into the building, my FUCKING TV is just SITTING IN THE MAIN HALLWAY! I am serious...its just sitting in the hallway, in a box clearly indicating its make and model, outside the locked office.

Next day I call up the office. I talk to his secretary indicating that I am very annoyed about my TV being left out and I want to know who this "Sara, Susan..damn it...some name that starts with an S that signed for my stuff". She proceeds to tell me that she doesn't know who that could be and that I should make sure my stuff didn't make its way into my apartment. See i didn't have the shipping order info on me at work but I knew that someone with a feminine name that started with S signed for it. She indicated no one there fit the bill.

I get home and call the Building Manager at home once I had the shipping order in front of me. Turns out that "Susan" is his FUCKING SECRETARY THAT I WAS TALKING TO ON THE FUCKING PHONE! AND...SHE REGULARLY SIGNS FOR ALL THE FUCKING PACKAGES!

So she signed for my shit. Now that its missing, she seemed to think that I was a fucking moron and that if she played stupid, this would go away. The building manager doubles down and says he is certain they never got the packages. I say "Fine but I am going to file a claim with the sender" which he basically said okay.
"Well Bob...just so you understand, this will involve the police" Now the Building manager starts to you know...act fucking concern about my missing shit. While I am only out of about $100 for the items, they actually are retailed and insured via shipping for close to $700 (high end electronics from Japan). Bob starts flipping out about how I should have had the items shipped with insurance.

This led to me having to explain to a grown man how insurance works. I'm not eating this cost. The corporation that sent it is. But they are going to require obviously a police report. Bob again claims that the packages never showed but promptly shut the fuck up once I showed him the shipping manifest that his IDIOT of a secretary signed for.

Thus began the accusation that if they did receive them, the onus is upon me to promptly show up at the hallway before someone walks off with my package. This led into another conversation how when a PERSON SIGNS FOR A CERTIFIED PACKAGE THEY ARE FUCKING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUCKING PACKAGE!

Who wants to bet that my lease does not get renewed in 11 months?

[Andara Bledin]

Holy fuck, your landlord and his secretary are dumber than snot.

Also, while it may be a hassle, if your work allows, you should check into the possibility of having things shipped there. I do that with all of my stuff because my work is cool like that, and there's never anybody home during the day where I live.

They signed for it, so they're responsible for getting it to you. Abandoning it in the hallway is not getting it to you.

And it sure as hell isn't leaving it in your apartment, like they claimed they would do (which is potentially not legal, which is why they don't do it).

^-.-^

[Sapphire Silk]

I had a landlord who signed for packages for me all the time. They were kept in the office, secured, until I showed up to get them. If I didn't come right away, I'd get nagged until I came and got them, but my property was NEVER placed where it could be stolen. It never happened.

Of course, the landlord was a big company that owned lots of apartment complexes. The manager was a trained professional who knew her stuff and worked hard to keep residents happy.

Your guy is taking some big risks with his insurance company by having such lax procedures. The shipping company will go after Landlord's insurance after they settle up with you.

[Jester]

I once sent a birthday package to my sister via UPS. The UPS driver, rather than getting a signature or leaving one of their notices simply left the package at my sister's side door, in full view of, well, the world. Well, UPS alleged that that's what happened. The end result was my sister never got her package.

At the time my budget was pretty tight, and I had spent a decent amount on this particular present, which was now WHOOSH! gone. I was NOT happy. So, I did what anyone else who's on a tight budget and has serious problems with people fucking with that budget, and who's got a bit of an ornery streak in them: I called UPS. The local office, not surprisingly, was not very helpful, but then, it wasn't really their doing. So I went up the ladder, and called the HOME office. And kept calling, until they got so sick of me, they finally cut me a check to shut me up. Not that they ever admitted they were in the wrong, or that their driver was an idiot. But I took my small victory. And, of course, cashed the check.

Oh, and your landlord is an idiot, and his secretary is a major bonehead liar.

[Andara Bledin]

Another option for those who can't be sure to have their packages actually given to them after being signed for at their homes and can't arrange through their workplaces to have them delivered there; Have them do a Hold for Pickup shipment, and then pick them up at the facility of you choosing.

People with PO Box delivery will do that for items that can't really go via USPS.

^-.-^

[Zellie Crescent]

I'm thinking the secretary signed for the packages then took them for herself.

[dendawg]

Note to self: Rent a UPS Store box next apartment I move into.

[PepperElf]

when i was in Virginia the delivery agencies would either drop stuff at my door or drop it at the apartment office. some of them did a drop-and-run though.

When I was in upstate NY the UPS man always knocked and waited while Fedex dropped-and-ran. One time though they put down that they left it in the closet. turned out they meant the hallway that opens up to the personal closets for each resident. which I appreciated because, pretty much no one goes in there anyway, and it's not visible from the street.

Here in KY UPS drops-and-runs while Fedex waits for a signature mostly. Sometimes our neighbor D will pick stuff up for us if we're out of town for the weekend etc, cos he's sweet like that.


oh except usps. those go into the mailbox with the little signy-card thing.

but yes, once you sign one of those cards you take responsibility for the package.
And since you're filing a police report on it, sue/susan/whomever might just get fucked on it. which is her own fault

I'm thinking the secretary signed for the packages then took them for herself.

i'm wondering that too, especially since she played the "i don't know" card when asked about it.

and if this is USPS shipping that's a federal offense.... oh no it's just UPS. still it can be a criminal offense at least

[PhiSigGirl1988]

Definitely suspicious if she's pulling the ignorance card. I agree with the idea that she took the packages for herself. Keep us updated!

[Kristev]

I agree. Fill out a request that your items be held at the UPS office instead of taking the risk of this no doubt thief of a secretary getting her hands on your stuff again.

[PepperElf]

if anything let us know how the police report turns out.
i mean it's not like the landlord can stop you from filing one