I learned a lesson the hard way about trying to ship something via UPS using the recipient’s account information. The shipping cost around $50. The value of my wasted time far exceeded that.
The first UPS store refused to ship the package, on the pretext that they didn’t have the appropriate forms. So I had to go home, call around till I found another store that would handle the job, then make a special trip.
But that store botched the billing information, so UPS sent me a bill that I received just today. So I had to waste yet more time calling UPS on the phone to have the billing handled correctly. However, I was sternly warned, if the recipient refused the shipping charges (though I had verified the account information and received prior authorization to use it) I would be billed the original amount plus an additional fee.
Well, I’d like to see UPS just try to collect a single red cent from me. UPS should be compensating me for my lost time.
I experienced a more general problem as well. Both the franchises I dealt with blamed all the problems on the central UPS, whereas the central UPS blamed all the problems on the independent franchises. The setup strikes me as the perfect arrangement for everyone to avoid responsibility.
In fairness, the local UPS shop has generally done well by me for services unrelated to UPS shipping, and the central UPS customer service has been pretty good. Just don’t ship using the recipient’s account number!