# Bike flights



## bikebozo (Jun 30, 2021)

I .had a nice bike shipped by bikeflights , it was packed by UPS ,with 1,500 insurance , they are trying to decide what to do , I said give me the 1,500,and I am keeping the damaged king sting , it came smashed in the rear , any comments appreciated . I told them to settle my case , or my lawyer will get involved and it will cost them more than 1,500,thanks for any support or wisdom , Walter branche


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## BFGforme (Jun 30, 2021)

Good luck, usually get screwed on there claims


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## mrg (Jun 30, 2021)

UPS did the packing?, who's ( or what ) box?


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## higgens (Jun 30, 2021)

I just went threw a two month nightmare trying to get them to cover the damage they did to my bike   I payed for 1000 dollar insurance and they said they could only give me 250 even know the replacement racks I sent them off eBay was 700 and I payed for 1000 dollar coverage. I was gonna make my own thread and post our emails back and forth so people can see for them self how they treated me


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## fordmike65 (Jun 30, 2021)

I dumped Bikeflights as soon as they switched to UPS. I've used Shipbikes(FedEx) ever since & never had an issue.


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## falconer (Jun 30, 2021)

Yes, I switched to shipbikes also, when bikeflights went ups. I think much better and cheaper


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## Farmboy1895 (Jun 30, 2021)

Mr. Bozo,  Unfortunately I hate to say this, but, I recommend that you bend forward, grab your ankles and kiss this deal goodbye.


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## hm. (Jun 30, 2021)

bikebozo said:


> I .had a nice bike shipped by bikeflights , it was packed by UPS ,with 1,500 insurance , they are trying to decide what to do , I said give me the 1,500,and I am keeping the damaged king sting , it came smashed in the rear , any comments appreciated . I told them to settle my case , or my lawyer will get involved and it will cost them more than 1,500,thanks for any support or wisdom , Walter branche



ok well lets see it...


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## catfish (Jun 30, 2021)

Sorry to hear of your bike loss. I hate shipping bikes. But when I have too, I use ship bikes . com


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## BFGforme (Jun 30, 2021)

Either company always claims packing error and won't pay poop, even after driver says it fell off convier belt...


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

Thanks ,we will see ,it was packed by ups in Mountain home ,Arkansas


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

mrg said:


> UPS did the packing?, who's ( or what ) box?



There packing =4 pieces of 1/4 inch styrofoam,  there box , they are totally in the situation of quilty


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

Farmboy1895 said:


> Mr. Bozo,  Unfortunately I hate to say this, but, I recommend that you bend forward, grab your ankles and kiss this deal goodbye.



Not the way I play, I have been fighting for 3 years about a case with an auto accident , they offered 40, 60 ,120,000 to settle me , my arm operation cost 179,000, my court is September 13 , the insurance is using my facebook against me , because I wrote , insurance is white collar organized crime


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

Farmboy1895 said:


> Mr. Bozo,  Unfortunately I hate to say this, but, I recommend that you bend forward, grab your ankles and kiss this deal goodbye.



No


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## Jay81 (Jul 1, 2021)

I've thankfully never had a claim for any bikes I've shipped, or had shipped to me. But, I could see them either paying the full insured amount, or letting you keep the bike and settling for a lesser amount. I don't see them giving you the full insured value, and the bike. Although I don't know what they would do with the bike if they didn't let you keep it. 
Just thinking about how full coverage auto insurance works. You get into an accident, you do not get the full value of the vehicle plus keep the vehicle. But if they pay out a total loss, you can buy it back. Thinking your claim would go something like that. The value of the insurance, minus the value of the damaged bike that you want to keep, is what they should realistically give you.


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

I would agree , if I had packed the bike . They packed it and shipped it , it is on there shoulders , , one thing I will say is do not use bikeflights for any reason


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## hm. (Jul 1, 2021)

Smashed in the rear? Whats the damage? So you have a king sting with a bent rim?


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## 1817cent (Jul 1, 2021)

I have had 2 claims and both were with Fedex.  One was using bike flights and the claim was paid, though a minor one.  The other was more costly and through ship bikes and not paid.  Ship bikes was supportive but ultimately passed me ditectly to Fedex.  Their claim was that i didnt use enough packing material, even though i wrapped the bike in bubble wrap and used newspaper inside along with most everything else i could get in there.  They finally paid me 1/2 the claim about 2 months later after several unanswered calls to them and multiple emails.

Today when i ship i completely fill the box with packing and then force in some more.  I also stand the box on end and rotate and if i hear anything move inside, i open it up and add some more.  Dealing with claims is a pain in the ass, so if i have to ship a bike, i do it carefully and dont cut any corners.  I also take pictures at various stages during the packing process.

I am far from an expert packer but really hate dealing with those guys during a claim so do everything i can to cover myself.  Once was enough for me!


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

bikebozo said:


> There packing =4 pieces of 1/4 inch styrofoam,  there box , they are totally in the situation of quilty, this is the packing and box


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## SirMike1983 (Jul 1, 2021)

1817cent said:


> I have had 2 claims and both were with Fedex.  One was using bike flights and the claim was paid, though a minor one.  The other was more costly and through ship bikes and not paid.  Ship bikes was supportive but ultimately passed me ditectly to Fedex.  Their claim was that i didnt use enough packing material, even though i wrapped the bike in bubble wrap and used newspaper inside along with most everything else i could get in there.  They finally paid me 1/2 the claim about 2 months later after several unanswered calls to them and multiple emails.
> 
> Today when i ship i completely fill the box with packing and then force in some more.  I also stand the box on end and rotate and if i hear anything move inside, i open it up and add some more.  Dealing with claims is a pain in the ass, so if i have to ship a bike, i do it carefully and dont cut any corners.  I also take pictures at various stages during the packing process.
> 
> I am far from an expert packer but really hate dealing with those guys during a claim so do everything i can to cover myself.  Once was enough for me!




I had one Bikeflights claim, also a small one for damage to a wheelset. Fed Ex totally refused to pay, but BikeFlights paid in full for it. That was in maybe 2017, 2016, somewhere back in that range.

Something with Bike Flights went off the rails in 2018 or 2019. Fed Ex tended to beat up the packages, but Bike Flights also was better about covering loss. In 2018 or 19 they went over to UPS and at the same time adopted a harder line against paying claims. Their price also went up substantially as well. It cost me less to Bike Flights ship a full-sized Raleigh 3-speed in 2018 than it did to ship a small Raleigh Twenty folder in 2019.

I hate the feeling of seeing those holes in the box when it arrives. I get a kind of sick-to-the-stomach feeling because I know the bike was handled roughly and it's a roll of the dice to see if they damaged it.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jul 1, 2021)

bikebozo said:


> Not the way I play, I have been fighting for 3 years about a case with an auto accident , they offered 40, 60 ,120,000 to settle me , my arm operation cost 179,000, my court is September 13 , the insurance is using my facebook against me , because I wrote , insurance is white collar organized crime



Usually, rule of thumb for monetary compensation is double the medical costs.


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## bikebozo (Jul 1, 2021)

I still have my hip, knee and left toe for surgery , 5 bulging discs etc , also my arm impacted my heart,  and I have heart pain , I have good ekg and all other test , my left ear rings like a Gong,  my legs feel numb or dead it is a very big problem


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## CycleTruck211 (Jul 2, 2021)

Immediately file a suit in your local small claims court, against both companies. They would have to pay lawyers to represent them. You don't. It usually brings them right to the table. Settle for what you want, plus court costs.


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## Freqman1 (Jul 2, 2021)

I see UPS (the packer) as the responsible party here. Not seeing hw you think you should get full value and keep the bike. Like others said if you want full value the bike is theirs. I hope it works out for you but this can be a long, draw out affair. V/r Shawn


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## New Mexico Brant (Jul 2, 2021)

fordmike65 said:


> I dumped Bikeflights as soon as they switched to UPS. I've used Shipbikes(FedEx) ever since & never had an issue.



I shipped a bike a couple months ago with Shipbikes.  FedEx punctured the box and caused a big dent on the seat mast.  With Shipbikes you need to file the claim directly with FedEx.  There was $300 insurance.  They so far have denied the claim 😱


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## Freqman1 (Jul 2, 2021)

I've shipped a lot of bikes without insurance figuring I would just wind up paying or accepting the return. I only had one bike supposedly get damaged and the buyer wanted me to compensate him. I told him I'd just send a return shipping label and refund his money--that was the last I heard. V/r Shawn


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## SirMike1983 (Jul 2, 2021)

Freqman1 said:


> I see UPS (the packer) as the responsible party here. Not seeing hw you think you should get full value and keep the bike. Like others said if you want full value the bike is theirs. I hope it works out for you but this can be a long, draw out affair. V/r Shawn




Going by the pictures here, I would tend to agree. I don't see padding or anything around where the hole punched through. Fed Ex and UPS love to fall back on the "improperly packed" excuse for not paying a claim, but let's see if UPS will pay when they did the packing and the shoe is on the other foot, as they say.


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## bikebozo (Jul 3, 2021)

We will see what they will do ,. I told them it would take me 15 hours to disassemble the bike , set up my frame jig, fix the frame ,and reassemble , and the bike would have diminshed value because it was not all original , I figured 100.00 an hour for me to fix it , I thought that was fair


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## Ernbar (Jul 3, 2021)

It all comes down to the shipper’s carelessness in handling the boxes being FedEx, UPS etc.

Not bike related but I shipped a built scale aircraft model with FedEx in a sturdy box marked FRAGILE in bold red letters.  The box arrived crushed and one corner ripped.  Thank God there was no damage whatsoever to that very expensive model thanks to my packing method. I couldn’t believe the pictures of the damaged box the buyer sent me.
It sure looks like it was deliberate damage specially being marked fragile.


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## WES PINCHOT (Jul 3, 2021)

WHAT SOME PEOPLE (FEDEX UPS, ETC.) DO FOR KICKS!   
"FRAGILE" NOTATIONS ARE LIKE TARGETS FOR SOME IDIOTS.

THE USPS DOES VIDEO OF PACKAGES BEING PROCESSED.
ONE SHIPMENT THEY SHOWED A PART OF THE BOX HAD BEEN DESTROYED WITH THE LABEL STILL ON IT.
THE CONTENTS A SPEEDO WAS NEVER FOUND.  FORTUNEATLY IT WAS INSURED, BUT I STILL HAD TO CREATE
PAPER WORK AND DOCUMENTATION AND TIME LAG BEFORE I WAS REIMBURSED.


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## schwinnbikebobb (Jul 4, 2021)

Just as a FYI if this was packed at a UPS store those are franchises not UPS themselves.   As with everything it all depends on the person who packs it.   I can't envision the scenario that 4 pieces of styrofoam would be anywhere close to adequate.

  I 've only had 3 bikes shipped to me. One was packed by a bike shop where they taped paper a few places around the frame, that was all the packing!!.  One of the rear stays was bent and the fork punched through the box closing up the axle slots. Luckily I was able to fix both.   The bike store charged $75 for that packing(?) job.  Shipping cost was on top of that.


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## Robert Troub (Jul 4, 2021)

bikebozo said:


> Thanks ,we will see ,it was packed by ups in Mountain home ,Arkansas



If it was packed by UPS, aren't they responsible to cover damage?


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

Bike Flights has settled with me , and I am keeping the bike , just like I said , from the beginning ,. I had to raise hell everywhere , finally KENT ,from bike flights contacted me ,and said my money will be deposited into my pay pal , Friday afternoon , thank you BIKE FLIGHTS ,


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

Farmboy1895 said:


> Mr. Bozo,  Unfortunately I hate to say this, but, I recommend that you bend forward, grab your ankles and kiss this deal goodbye.



I told you , I would get the money and keep the bike ,and it happened , I am very much involved in making things happen correct


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

catfish said:


> Sorry to hear of your bike loss. I hate shipping bikes. But when I have too, I use ship bikes . com



They paid ,and I am keeping the bike , thanks, it was amazing that they paid , see ya in a few months


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

BFGforme said:


> Good luck, usually get screwed on there claims



They paid and I am keeping the bike


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

BFGforme said:


> Either company always claims packing error and won't pay poop, even after driver says it fell off convier belt...



I won , I got reimbursed and am keeping the king sting , thanks to Kent at bikeflights


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

mrg said:


> UPS did the packing?, who's ( or what ) box?



Ups packed it in there box , I got reimbursed and keeping the bike


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## saladshooter (Jul 7, 2021)

Is it Friday already?


bikebozo said:


> Bike Flights has settled with me , and I am keeping the bike , just like I said , from the beginning ,. I had to raise hell everywhere , finally KENT ,from bike flights contacted me ,and said my money will be deposited into my pay pal , Friday afternoon , thank you BIKE FLIGHTS ,


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## Maskadeo (Jul 7, 2021)

They like taking the money for the insurance… not so much paying it out. Let’s see what Friday brings!!!


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

It is all  in an email and phone conversation , from both ups, and bikeflights.com ,why doubt that ,! Tough crowd on the cabe


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## saladshooter (Jul 7, 2021)




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## Maskadeo (Jul 7, 2021)

We’re all rooting for you! It’s just that most of us that have had to deal with a claim are skeptical until the money is in hand.


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## BFGforme (Jul 7, 2021)

They always claim any holes in box is packers problem! We shall see if you get any money, same happened to me then on day money sposed to be sent claim denied again and said had to start claim over again, did that with same results! Hope you are special and some how get it! I only gave up on the claim because person I sent bike to started parting it out, so was on him from there on out as far as I'm concerned!!!


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## BFGforme (Jul 7, 2021)

Not a tough crowd, we're all just speaking from experience!


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## bikebozo (Jul 7, 2021)

I appreciate all comments , I try to stay positive , I usually can tell BS , the thing is the guy in charge is a collector,  and knew exactly what was happening ,. I submitted every document they requested ,along with photos and transaction receipts . They admitted it was not packed well . I sent ads from ebay showing 2 different ,king stings and a photo and price , . I am not worried . Everyone has written me and said they are happy they could settle this quick , it usually takes 2 or 3 months , always remember Kent from bikeflights ,took care of the situation . It was a tough few days  , I think it shows 60 emails to them .


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## bikebozo (Jul 12, 2021)

Bikeflights , payed the claim , be patient , they are good folks trying to do what is right , thanks for everyone's replys and comments , we have to stick together to make things proper , for all of us , now , it is time to play with my 37 super streamline , I just got after 15 years , I brought my distraction with me , because it is a room full of rare parts


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## Farmboy1895 (Jul 12, 2021)

Yea Buddy, You the man.  Post like this is gratifying. Keep um cummin.


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## stoverix (Oct 26, 2021)

When it comes to any kind of insurance, you have to really careful in order to avoid getting scammed. I was actually talking with a friend about this the other day. He was telling me that we had got an expensive bike and that he was looking for different kinds of insurance. Eventually, he had decided to work with https://sundaysinsurance.co.uk/cyclist-insurance and I'm thinking about doing the same since I want to not have to worry about damaging my bike. Even though that this is not cheap at all, it's 100% worth it in my opinion. Make sure that you'll be getting one!


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## vincev (Oct 26, 2021)

I will stay with pickup only when buyimg


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