Criminals use FedEX COD service to rob its Customers

Criminals can easily use Fedex COD service to exchange fake checks for delivered merchandise, because there is no security procedure during check collection. Fedex COD "Secure" payment collection service does NOT check authenticity of Cashier's Checks or Money Orders. Fedex does NOT obtain any identification from person giving them the check, or write down driver's license information on back of check.

FedEx COD delivered my merchandise (declared value $1,700) in exchange for a clearly bogus cashier's check when I used their "SECURE" cod payment collection service. A true cashier's check is guaranteed funds backed by the bank, but obviously, if the check is fake, then no bank can back it.

A FedEx operations manager, claims manager, the assistant to the vice president of the call center and the customer advocate all told me as to why they do not request any identification from the person giving them the check, or why FedEx does not check for the watermarks or those VOID pantographs that are clearly printed on cashier's bank checks, the answer given to me, to paraphrase, was "because we are too much in a hurry to check for those things."

FedEx could have easily seen the "so called check" was fake if they took two seconds to check for the watermarks/pantographs that was stated to be on the Cashier's check, or at least get some form of ID.

What protection does the FedEx COD customer have against FedEx COD giving away their customer's merchandise in exchange for bogus pieces of paper, and not convincing ones at that?

How many thousands of people have been robbed by criminals who regularly use the FedEx COD "SECURE" service?
At the very least, FedEx should state their collection procedures on their Web site, so the customer is not mislead to how safe there "Secure" service actually is. I actually had to pay extra, and now I am wondering what exactly was it that I paid "extra" for.

But I can only imagine with the seven days of runaround given to me by FedEx Reps for the past week of being passed around from rep to rep who did not put me through their security department or managers until I demanded on the third day to be transferred through. And then another six days of waiting for FedEx Claims to get back to me, instead, to have to call back again and again and demand to be transferred to Claims, and also have to demand to speak to managers because no one wanted to transfer me. When I asked why the Claims agent assigned to my case never called me back, I was told because she was "on vacation".

With this lack of cooperation from FedEx, I can easily imagine how many FedEx Customers who have been ripped off by counterfeiters using FedEx COD, have not followed through on holding FedEx liable.

I have already filed a police report with the NYPD.
If FedEx was not able to collect "specified instrument", then FedEx was supposed to return the merchandise to me, but they cannot, because they already gave it away. According to the fine print on the Fedex COD Airbill, Fedex is liable for $100, or the DECLARED VALUE (NOT COD AMOUNT), in event of failure to collect "specified instrument". But still, Fedex refuses to reimburse me for the Declared Value(different from COD amount).

The piece of paper Fedex collected for me was CLEARLY not a Cashier's check. Since it was clearly a fake, it seems that Fedex was not tricked but accepted the fake due to apathy and gross negligence.

I feel that advertising "secure" collection of ONLY GUARANTEED FUNDS, is misleading to consumers who are not made aware of the risks involved with Fedex's collection procedures.

If you are a Fedex COD Cashier's check victim, a news reporter, or have information or suggestions on how I can resolve this with FedEx, please email me.
FedexCODfraud@Yahoo.Com

Below are some useful links:
FEEL FREE TO REPOST MY STORY VERBATIM TO EDUCATE OTHERS!
Below are FEDEX COD CASHIER'S CHECK FRAUD cases:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/12/prwebxml95541.php

my own story here:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/3/prweb114161.htm

write your own review here, as I did:
http://www.epinions.com/content_134412340868

A FEDEX EMPLOYEE SPEAKS UP!
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/delivery/fedex_ground_insider.html

check fraud website:
http://www.ckfraud.org/carriers.html

Fedex COD Fraud Victims and Fedex Employees JOIN our Yahoo Group!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fedexcodfraud/

Fedex "SQUASHES" legitamate claims, but refuses to pay. This man SUED and won! FEDEX PAYS $1.6 MILLION IN CLAIMS SUIT
http://www.eyefortransport.com/index.asp?news=35554&nli=freight&ch=

Link to Fedex COD service
http://www.fedex.com/us/services/express/addservopt/cod.html?link=4

Fedex Terms and Conditions for their COD service
http://fedex.com/us/services/express/termsandconditions/us/cod.html
(see Letter's D and G as I previously referenced in Epinions Review Link)