This is very enlightening and goes right along with my experience and post. It appears the answer is to do what Fedex says, pack up the bike and send it back.
Joe
> I shipped a frame to a fellow listmember I had done business with
\r?\n> before
\r?\n> via FedEx Home Delivery. He e-mailed me after receiving and
\r?\n> unpacking
\r?\n> the frame at his home Wednesday, January 11, to say the left seat
\r?\n> stay
\r?\n> was dented in as if it had taken a significant blow from a heavy
\r?\n> object.
\r?\n> There was no damage to the 1" foam pipe insulation, but was a small
\r?\n> hole
\r?\n> in the side of the bike box where the stay would have been located.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I sent an on-line claim to FedEx that Wednesday evening. I then
\r?\n> called
\r?\n> them and they gave me a pick-up number, saying they would pick up
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> package from the buyer the next day.
\r?\n> The next day, Thursday January 12, I faxed FedEx hard copies of the
\r?\n> claim, FedEx shipping pick-up record, proof of value of the frame,
\r?\n> and
\r?\n> additional shipping information. FedEx picked up the frame at the
\r?\n> buyer's home (the buyer was very helpful in getting the frame back
\r?\n> in
\r?\n> the box just as he received it) that day, just as they said they
\r?\n> would.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Monday January 16, I received an e-mail from FedEx Claim Service
\r?\n> indicating they were settling the claim with me for the sale price
\r?\n> of
\r?\n> the frame and fork, albeit only their actual shipping cost. They
\r?\n> don't
\r?\n> reimburse for packing time or materials, eBay or PayPal fees, etc.
\r?\n> The
\r?\n> next week I received my refund check as promised, plus they also
\r?\n> returned the damaged frame to me.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> My experience with FedEx on shipping had been, to this point,
\r?\n> perfect. I
\r?\n> have never had any of my many shipped frames arrive late or damaged
\r?\n> in
\r?\n> any way. My opinion of FedEx after this claim is not diminished one
\r?\n> bit.
\r?\n> Their on-line claim service was easy to follow, their response to
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> claim was quick, and the settlement was fair.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I understand damage can occur during shipping from any number of
\r?\n> sources, which is why I pack the frames I ship as carefully as I
\r?\n> do.
\r?\n> That said, I am not sure any packing method could ever 100%
\r?\n> guarantee no
\r?\n> possibility of damage under any circumstances. All I can do is pack
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> frames to the best of my ability and expect the shipper to do the
\r?\n> best
\r?\n> they can to safely deliver them. In the rare occasion they fall
\r?\n> short of
\r?\n> undamaged delivery, a response such as I received from FedEx on
\r?\n> this
\r?\n> claim makes the situation almost pleasant, especially in light of
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> stories I have read about unpaid claims and uncooperative shippers.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I and am glad this claim went as professionally and quickly as it
\r?\n> did. I
\r?\n> wish the frame had arrived safely but, since it didn't, the way
\r?\n> FedEx
\r?\n> dealt with me certainly made the negative situation a positive one
\r?\n> in my
\r?\n> mind.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Frank Phillips
\r?\n> McAlester, OK