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Greyhound

The Missing Tuba

Greyhound • Accidents • Lost Luggage • Lost Freight • Reckless Drivers • Sleepy Drivers • Scheduling Foul-Ups • False Arrest • Fare Disputes • Abandoned • Stranded • Illegal Smoking • Hostile Employees • Individual Sagas

M. Paul of University Place, WA, writes (6/25/02):
This letter was sent to my congressman and the President of Greyhound.

I have recently had an experience which I feel should be brought to your attention. I am the principal tubist with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra in Tacoma, WA. On April 18, 2002, I shipped my instrument to a buyer in Rochester, NY via Greyhound's Package Express. In the past, I have generally shipped instruments via Amtrak which has a reliable musical instrument shipping service. Due to weight constraints, however, Amtrak in Tacoma was unable to handle my package.

Greyhound advertises its shipping service to students and the elderly as an inexpensive alternative to companies such as Fed Ex, major airlines, etc. and I paid the fee and turned my liveliehood, such as it is, over to their keeping. My tuba and the gigantic flight case I sent it in have not been seen since.

I am writing because I believe that your constituents need to be warned of the terrible service of Greyhound Package Express. As soon as I learned that my tuba had turned up missing, I called the local Greyhound station where I shipped the tuba and was told I had to wait 15 days before a claim could be filed and a trace could be put on the package. I later filed the claim and was promised a trace which I later found had never happened. The declared value of the package was set to $0.00, I was told that they couldn't declare any value over $300 and was never offered insurance.

I also later found that Greyhound has no way to track a package in its system. They will apparently send a package on the first available bus headed in the general direction of the addressee. Had I known this I NEVER would have shipped via Greyhound and certainly never will again. Although I have called all over the country and to the headquarters in Dallas, TX, I have not been able to find anybody at Greyhound remotely interested in my problem.

I am told that their total liability to me is $100 for my $10,000 instrument and case. This pains and angers me deeply. Any action or advise that your office could extend to me and to your constituents in Washington state concerning this manner and the inept practices of Greyhound Package Express will be greatly appreciated.

We are out near $10,000 worth of musical equipment. It will cause the loss of income and we are financially unable to replace it at this time.

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