When Hurricane Melissa took aim at Jamaica, she knew her family was going to need all the help they could get. She packed up a generator and shipped it to the island. Weeks went by, no generator, and no word from the shipping company. So she called Help Me Howard with Brandon Beyer.
Keisha Oates-Little has fond memories of growing up in Jamaica.
Keisha Oates-Little: “It’s beautiful, it’s tranquility, you know, all the beautiful beaches there, people there, you know friendly.”
Now she lives in Hallandale Beach. A good thing because last fall, Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm.
One-hundred and eighty-five mile per hour winds. The worst storm the country’s ever seen.
Keisha Oates-Little: “A lot of people lost their houses, it’s a lot of downed trees, downed power poles, and lots of lives, I think, and power outages everywhere. So it’s really bad.”
And getting help to those who need it hasn’t been easy.
Keisha Oates-Little: “Most people go by plane, some go by ships. With everything coming in, it’s like chaos.”
Keisha has lots of family still in Jamaica, including her brother.
Keisha Oates-Little: “He says, ‘Sis, it’s bad.’ He said it’s really bad. This one took them really bad and they were pretty scared.”
Keisha had a brand new generator she wasn’t using, and decided to ship it over.
Keisha Oates-Little: “He was telling me the situation with the lights, so I said, ‘OK, I have a generator. I’m going to ship it to you.'”
She paid a shipping company $100 and was told her brother would have the generator in just a few days.
Keisha Oates-Little: “They told me that they ship on Fridays, and it would get to Jamaica by Monday or Tuesday.”
Weeks went by, the generator never showed up.
Keisha says she called the company, they told her the generator was in Kingston, not Montego Bay where her brother lives. Then she says, she didn’t hear anything at all.
Keisha Oates-Little: “I’m here, in the waiting game, and they’re there, frustrated, and don’t know what to do.”
Howard, when you ship something out of the country and it disappears, are you out of luck?
Howard Finkelstein: “Usually yes. Because in this case the shipping company says in their contract they are not responsible for lost goods, and making it tougher? You have to find the thief in another country and sue them. Good luck with that. The best solution? Buy insurance if its cost effective.”
We called the shipping company too, and sent a couple of emails. We didn’t hear back, but a few days later, Keisha got a phone call.
Keisha Oates-Little: “He told me that the generator is there and that my brother could pick it up from the Montego Bay office.”
After weeks in the dark, finally some light.
Keisha Oates-Little: “I’m so happy I called Help Me Howard and Brandon to help me, you guys really helped me out a lot.”
Keisha says that’s the last time she’s gonna risk it. Next time, she’s getting the insurance, which you can buy right from the shipper.
If you’re shipping something expensive, spend a few extra dollars and protect yourself in case something happens.
Hey, got a problem? You need a hand? Here’s how to reach us. It’s Help Me Howard, I’m Brandon Beyer, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: [email protected]
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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