Bicycle frame classified as 'lost' by shipping agent after being held for customs clearance.

8valve

Hi all, I have a sad tale to tell…

A good friend of mine is an avid Colin McRae fan, and mentioned a while back that Kona produced a McRae bike a few years ago.

I managed to source a frame from a gent in the UK, a price was agreed and the frame was shipped with tracking.

The plan was to build it up as a gift for my friend. It made it as far as the UPS warehouse in Finglas, according to the tracking information....and then vanished into thin air. Just prior to this, I was requested to supply information so it could be released by customs clearance, which I immediately did upon their request. Within the hour, to be precise!

Both myself and the seller, who is understandably upset, have been chasing this up via phone calls and emails with UPS since mid-May. After their investigation and physical searches, they are officially classifying the package as "lost".

What makes things even more disappointing, was the seller had included some items, which Colin McRae autographed, as a gift for my friend. Obviously these are irreplaceable. I'm posting here, and elsewhere, on the off-chance that this frame shows up and someone is offered it, as we are struggling to see how a 3'x2' box can simply vanish.

I'm not casting any doubt on the integrity of any company's employees but this frame has gone somewhere in Ireland. If it's sitting on an incorrect warehouse shelf gathering dust, then it will be discovered someday.

But if it was taken, I would like to make it too hot to handle, as the saying goes. If anyone comes across it or is offered it for sale, I would appreciate it if you could contact me.

Thanks all.

P.

easygoing39

Thats actually a very cool bike,am a big Ford man myself so if I come across that somewhere I'll remember it.Hope you get it back.Have UPS offered compensation??

fiacha

If there was a serial number on the frame (and you have a record of it) then contact your local Gardai and ask them to add the details to their bicycle database. Might even be worth talking to them if you don't have a serial number as it's probably unique enough for them to record it.

There is a dedicated team that go out and mark frames with the owners Eircode. Worth tracking down a contact for them and discussing it directly in the event that the local station isn't familiar with their system. Your local community Garda should know about it.

I saw them at some of the Bike Week events this year. The event organisers are on X/Twitter and may be able to point you in the right direction.

magicbastarder

any update on this? still radio silence from UPS?

extra-ordinary_

I have wondered how UPS are still a global business when their customer service is so atrocious.

8valve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123594278#Comment_123594278

no, unfortunately.

vanished into thin air.

seller has raised a claim and refunded my buddy who bought the frame.

Nigzcurran

I had a package that went missing whilst in customs at the start of June and then showed up at my door a few days ago so hopefully its found by them eventually

10-10-20

There's a chance that it never left the UK, might have been scanned-in incorrectly and left over there or sent elsewhere, but tagged as being in a particular shipment to Ireland. Annoying I know.

1971bsb

Has there been any further developments regarding this?

8valve

Vanished into thin air. Seller sent a refund and last I heard he was chasing a claim with USPS.