FedEx, Can I Have My Art Back?
Michael Grills
In 2022, I applied for and was accepted into a group show at DAB Art Gallery in LA. Since I’m in Canada, I had to ship my work south, and DAB requested that we use FedEx. I’m sure after what happened to my art, they won’t insist on it again.
Since I’d never shipped my art before, I figured I should listen to them and go to the local FedEx distribution center. It was in a post office box rental place, so it all made sense.
The lovely lady at the distribution center insisted that I get insurance for the painting. Since the work at that size went for just $2200 CAD, I thought it was a good idea and paid the extra.
This is the insurance Form.
packed my art in a Box and used corner protectors to ensure it wouldn’t bounce around, but I didn’t account for the fact that somebody would put an actual hole through the box.
A week later I get an email from the gallery. They don’t know what to do because straight somebody at FED EX had cut a hole right through the painting.
They also tried to cover it up. They put a sticker on the box right where the hole was. It’s an address correction, but if you look at the correction — it says the exact same thing as the original address.
So, I sent my request to FED EX for the insurance money.
DENIED!
- No reasons.
- No explanation.
- No person to contact.
My only option was to hire a lawyer and sue.
Life is too short for that kind of antagonism, so I figured, “When I get the painting back, I’ll fix the canvas.” I can pretty much fix anything. I was up for the challenge. Plus, it would give the painting a good story.
So, I patiently waited for my piece to return. The Gallery sent the tracking number, and we were on our way.
But I never got the piece back. It's out there somewhere in the USA, just before making it across the border or onto the plane.
I sent my request to FED EX for the insurance money.
DENIED again.
- No reasons.
- No explanation.
- No person to contact.
Again, my only option was to hire a lawyer and sue. And again, life is too short for that kind of antagonism.
But I’m not going to lie. I took it a bit personally and felt that FED EX was out to destroy my art. I mean, how does it happen on the way there and back?
This fellow Walead Beshty did an art show showing the dangers of using FedEx. His art was of the boxes, at the size of FEDEX’s copyrighted volumes and sizes, and he shipped them via FedEx to the galleries where they were to be displayed. But he did this, knowing they would break them. I wish I’d known Beshty before I’d shipped mine. You can read more about his show here:
Artist Walead Beshty Shipped Glass Boxes Inside FedEx Boxes to Produce Shattered Sculptures
I can’t imagine running a business where people know you don’t give a shit as much as FedEx doesn’t. I mean your only job is to get it there safely, we pay insurance because, mistakes happen and yet you take no accountabilty for it.
So, after spending over $400 dollars in shipping and insurance, I’m out $400, and FedEx will never ship anything from me again. They will never get zero business from me again, and I will go out of my way to tell this story to anybody who brings it up.
This blog post is really my only way, other than suing, to get any catharsis at all.
- I know I’m a small potato for this company.
- I know that this post is a drop in the ocean of who gives a hoot about your problems.
But at least I can tell the story, and maybe someday, but I doubt it…
FedEx, Can I have my art back? It looks like this:
