Prized $10K Rolex vanishes from package, lawsuit filed against Bluffton UPS store
A Bluffton man whose $10,000 Rolex watch vanished from its package is suing UPS and a local franchise for damages, alleging the shipping giant wrongfully denied his insurance claim after painting a deceptive picture of the insurance plan’s benefits.
Filed Friday in Beaufort County civil court, the lawsuit names The UPS Store, Inc. and a franchise location in Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place as defendants. It accuses both of “unfair and deceptive trade practices.”
The case is part of a larger pattern of mail delivery issues in the Hilton Head Island area, including a recent UPS service hiccup on Daufuskie Island and a rise in checks being stolen from letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service. Last year, both a UPS assembly line worker and USPS carrier working on Hilton Head were criminally convicted of stealing from residents’ packages and letters.
Court documents say the 68-year-old plaintiff Thomas Simms shipped the “luxury Rolex watch” in early April from the UPS franchise at 7 Venture Drive. He paid about $250 for shipping insurance to cover the wristwatch, which was valued at $15,000 for insurance purposes. In an incident report filed later with Bluffton police, Simms estimated the watch was worth $9,500.
When the package arrived a few days later at a Florida jewelry store, where it was scheduled for repairs, it was only an “empty shipping box” with no clear signs of tampering.
Simms immediately filed an insurance claim for the missing watch, which he believed had been stolen. But UPS denied his insurance claim, according to the civil complaint, saying the company “would not be responsible for the missing item or its replacement value.”
The lawsuit alleges a violation of South Carolina’s Unfair Trade Practices Act, claiming Simms was “misled” into thinking that UPS’ shipping insurance would cover the value of any missing or stolen items.
Simms and his attorney, Bluffton-based consumer law advocate Jannine M. Mutterer, are asking for $15,000 in actual damages stemming from the lost watch as well as “treble damages,” calculated as three times the amount of actual damages.
“The lawsuit was filed to protect Mr. Simms’ interests and recover the lost value of a unique and meaningful item he purchased for his wife,” Mutterer wrote in an email. “While we respect the legal process and will allow the court to determine the outcome, this case highlights the importance of accountability when consumers rely on businesses to handle valuable property.”
Reached for comment, a UPS spokesperson said the company does not comment on ongoing lawsuits but added that the “vast majority” of UPS packages are delivered safely and reliably.
“We have no tolerance for theft or other criminal activity,” the statement from UPS said.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 3:40 PM.
