Flip-Pal - A WARNING!

What I Bought:

Image of Flip-Pal Scanner from https://flip-pal.com/product-category/include-a-scanner/.

What I Got:

Merry Christmas to Me 2017

15 Dec 2017 - Ordered a Flip-Pal scanner, case, AC power adapter, and sketch kit.  So excited to get this for Christmas!
 
17 Dec 2017 - Received an email telling me my order was on its way and was estimated to arrive 19 Dec 2017 - 20 Dec 2017.
 
21 Dec 2017 - The order was delivered to my address.  BUT, there was a problem, so I emailed support@flip-pal.com immediately and included several images:

Hello,
 
I placed an order for a Flip-Pal scanner and accessories and you shipped it via USPS Priority Mail.  It was delivered this morning, however, they placed the package either against or outside our garage door (as compared to the covered porch at our front door where 99.99% of packages are left).  We had NO knowledge that a package was there, and proceeded to open the garage door, get in our car, and back out of the garage and down our driveway.  In doing so, the package was run over and pretty much destroyed.  While the contents look somewhat OK, they are all crushed, and the Flip-Pal scanner sounds like it is in a million pieces.  I am somewhat heartbroken, as this was my husband's Christmas present to me, and had really been looking forward to getting it.
 
I attempted to call you a couple of times, but kept getting your voicemail.  What is the next step?  How do I get my order replaced?
 
Please let me know.

​21 Dec 2017 - Called the Lebanon Post Office to relay what happened and was told verbally that packages being left like this had been a problem and that he would check into it and get back with me.  In spite of numerous phone calls and even a personal visit to the office, I never heard from this person again.
 
22 Dec 2017 - Received an email at 10:41 AM telling me my Flip-Pal items had been delivered.
 
22 Dec 2017 - Received the following email at 12:15 PM

Hi Jo,
I'm very sorry the scanner got smashed. What a disappointment that must be - your husband is very thoughtful to give you a Flip-Pal mobile scanner for Christmas.
You took ownership when the package was delivered by USPS.  The damage is not covered under the Flip-Pal warranty since it is not a defect in manufacture. You could file a claim against USPS.
If that is not successful, I am willing to give you a coupon for a replacement scanner at a 33% discount. Enter coupon tce33 when adding the scanner to the order.   
Kind regards,
Gordon
Flip-Pal customer care
970-221-7223 Mon-Fri 9-5 MT

​26 Dec 2017 - Received a sales email from Flip-Pal asking "Did Santa Forget to Bring Your Flip-Pal for Christmas?"  Ummm... 
 
26 Dec 1017 - Submitted an online claim with at USPS.com explaining the situation and provided images.
 
27 Dec 2017 - Contacted my credit card company to begin the process of filing a claim with them if the USPS did not come through.  After spending a lengthy amount of time with them on the phone giving them all of the information, they sent me forms to fill out that asked for the EXACT SAME INFORMATION.  I held off completing these until I heard back from the USPS.
 
31 Dec 2017 - Received an email from Gordon Nuttall - CEO of Flip-Pal "checking in on your recent order" to ensure that my expectations were met.  At this point, I admit it, my response was less than kind, and certainly not polite.  But really?  I'm sitting here with a bunch of useless crushed items and a pile of broken glass.
 
My response, which was sent 1 Jan 2018 at 8:16 AM:

Hello,
 
While I appreciate the follow-up email, it feels like salt in the wound.  As I let you know, my Flip-Pal order was delivered by USPS Priority Mail and they left the package outside the garage door.  Not knowing it was there, we opened the garage door, got into our vehicle, backed out of the garage and crushed the package.
 
Your response was that it was the responsibility of the USPS.  I contacted them, and was told during the first phone call that they should not have left it there and while he (Jerry Scherle) knew they had been doing it prior to this, he did not know it was still happening.  He asked me to email him photos and the details.  Since then, he will not respond to any of my attempts to reach him.  I guess admitting culpability was a bad thing.  
 
I filed a claim online with the USPS, and it is "pending."  Speaking with a representative, she candidly told me that they NEVER pay the claims.  Basically, I'm just wasting my time here and going through the motions.
 
I contacted Discover to find out if there was any coverage there.  We began the claim process and they have now sent me a claim form to complete that asks for exactly what we covered over the phone.  Yay, more busy work and documentation to provide.  Then it goes to an adjuster.  The process to get my money back will take weeks, if not months.  One person advised me just to contest the charges and have them run a reverse charge.  Given the circumstances, that was obviously not the correct way to handle this.
 
So, after a couple of years spent debating whether I really needed this, my husband offered to give it to me for Christmas.  I was very excited to try it, and even included the fact that I would be able to come to others and scan in family photos in my annual newsletter.  Guess that's not happening now.
 
You were kind enough to offer me a discount if I wanted to purchase another scanner.  Let's see, I'm out $236.66 already.  Do I want to spend even more?  In a perfect world, my package would have been left on the porch, and I would be spending the day scanning photos.  Next best thing would be that the organization responsible for it being destroyed would cover my loss and I would be able to place another order for the exact same things I originally ordered at that price.  Instead, I am faced with the tedious task of proving that I have a loss to my credit card companies insurer.  Merry Christmas to me.
 
So, no, my expectations were not met.
 
Jo Roth
 
P.S.  It really doesn't help that the "receipt" you emailed is formatted in a way that makes it impossible to print.  This seems like a basic thing that customers would want for their records.

Gordon's response, sent at 11:36 AM the same day:

Hi Jo,
What a shame that you are having to undergo a tedious process caused by USPS's mistake that destroyed your package. I am hopeful that they will cover the loss that they are responsible for and you will be able to order a replacement using the coupon I provided.
Kind regards,
Gordon

​3 Jan 2018 - Received a check for $100.00 from the USPS, which was a lesser amount than the $236.66 that had been requested.
 
10 Jan 2018 - Submitted an appeal to the USPS for the amount I was still out on the items that were destroyed during delivery due to their mistake. 
 
12 Jan 2018 - My appeal to the USPS was denied.  "Payment reflects the limit of insurance purchased."  SUFFICIENT INSURANCE WAS NOT PURCHASED TO COVER THE VALUE OF THE PACKAGE THAT WAS SHIPPED.
 
11 Feb 2018 - Emailed Gordon one more time, although at this point, the Flip-Pal fiasco was pretty unimportant to me:

Hello Gordon,
 
Attached are the letters I have received from the U.S.P.S. regarding the claim I filed about my package being destroyed and the photo I sent with my appeal.
 
One of the first two letters included a check for the $100.00 that is mentioned in the letter.  I filed an appeal, providing them with another photo of the scanner and more information.  However, as the last letter indicates, my appeal was denied because insufficient insurance coverage was obtained for the package.  The $100.00 they paid was the limit of their responsibility.
 
I respectfully request that you refund the remaining $136.66 that I paid for my order, which was destroyed and cannot be used.
 
My apologies for the delay in requesting this.  My mother was taken to the emergency room January 17, and diagnosed with metastatic (Stage 4) cancer January 23.  As you might expect, my time and attention have been spent on that, and I am behind in handling paperwork.

12 Feb 2018 - Gordon's response:

Hi Jo,
I am sorry for your mother's illness.  I've heard many encouraging reports about modern treatments and cures. 
That's too bad that USPS only gave you $100.
I suggest you have your garage door adjusted. It should have stopped as soon as it encountered the package obstructing its descent.
Although the scanner was not defective at the time it was delivered to you, being sympathetic to your circumstances I am willing to do a warranty exchange. I will send you a replacement base part and you send the damaged one back.
Gordon

Summary and Conclusion

The USPS paid $100, which was the limit of insurance on the package.
 
Discover has closed my claim because I did not get them the documents and forms required within the time limit.
 
Gordon / Flip-Pal did not purchase sufficient insurance coverage for the value of the package they shipped.
 
Gordon has a complete misunderstanding about how the package was damaged, which was not crushed by my garage door, but by my vehicle.
 
Gordon did not send a replacement part, and even if he had, it did not address the other crushed items in the order.  Being sympathetic to my circumstances has nothing to do with conducting business in a responsible and ethical manner and ensuring customer satisfaction.
 
Today I am throwing the package with all the crushed items from my order in the trash.  I had been hanging on to it in case I needed it for one of the claims or to return to Flip-Pal.
 
I am still out $136.66.
 
My mom passed away April 2.  As Mother's Day approaches, I feel her loss all that much more.  So I choose to focus on what is truly important, and celebrate the people and things that are positive and right in my life.  But not without warning others and relaying my experience first.  BUYER BEWARE!