Business ProfileforSoutheastern Freight Lines, Inc

We have a business in ********** ** - ***** **** *** *******. We received a shipment sent via Southeastern Freight Line (SEFL) on 12/14/23. It was palletized, shrink wrapped and labeled for top load only. We had an employee receive the shipment at the store. As she was unpacking the shipment, there was a damaged box which contained concealed damage to the products being shipped. We have never had to file a claim against an LTL shipper so I contacted the local hub and they directed me to file the claim on line. I filed it with pictures included. Their first reply denied our claim minutes after the submittal. I called to speak to the person, Lydia E****, in order to try to understand why they had denied it and she claimed that this is their standard practice and the start of the "negotiating" process. She asked that I put my rebuttal in the form of a reply to her email. I did and again, she denied my claim. Despite my pictures, she claims that there is no evidence that SEFL caused the damage. She claims that internally, no one reported damage to the goods either. Does not make sense to me as packages damaged during transit can only be damaged by the carrier. And the fact that no one at SEFL reported damage to the pallet means that someone in the organization didn't want to take blame / punishment for their mishap. I have 3 products that cannot be sold at my store due to the damage. The total wholesale value is $24.00. I am simply asking for reimbursement for those products damaged by SEFL.