Question for Americans* who work normal business hours: how do you receive UPS, FedEx and other deliveries? Have them delivered to work? Have them leave it at the door (do they even allow that?)? Or pick up at the local depot?
*In Japan it was simple - major delivery services allow you to specify delivery time, including the “late evening” option (7-9pm or so, depending on carrier).
Depending on the delivery service, they usually just leave it on the doorstep. If the package requires a signature, they’ll just leave a note that says when they will try delivery again. Some even have the option of signing the slip they leave and they’ll use that as their signature. After a certain amount of failed attempts at delivering the package, they’ll leave it at the local office and you’ll have to pick it up there. There is also the option of trying to order the package so that it’s delivered on Saturday, but that’s a bit tricky.
In addition to what xgxlx has said, the “depot pickup” option is almost always available, too - they will usually have someone manning the desk into the evening and on weekends.
It’s tricky. In the apartment building where I live, I try to arrange for USPS delivery if at all possible (for various reasons, I don’t really want to rely on the superintendent to receive packages for me). We had new mailboxes installed a year or so ago, and the box is surprisingly large, so a reasonable number of the stuff I order will actually fit in there. Failing that, I have a standing “no leave” instruction with my local Postmaster, so if it doesn’t fit in the box, I get a notice, and I go to the local post office to retrieve it. That isn’t as inconvenient as it sounds, as the post office is just around the corner from me, and they’re open until 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
If it’s been shipped by UPS or FedEx, my options are to have it redelivered to my office (I very rarely do this), or to my Mom (where either she or my sister will be able to receive it). Kinda limits online shopping options when you have to worry about deliveries (Amazon uses UPS for practically everything, and doesn’t offer an option to use USPS exclusively).
I’ve been wondering about those local UPS Stores where you can rent a “box” to receive packages, but I don’t think the monthly rental fee would be worth it for me.
I have packages delivered to my workplace, as do most of my coworkers. Obviously, this wouldn’t be appropriate for every workplace, but a lot of places would be OK with it…
I have to have UPS and FedEx parcels delivered to my workplace. They’ll come to my house when we are at work, and leave a note saying they were there but no one was home. So they’ll come for two more days in a row, during the day when no one is home. Then, the only option would be to take off work a couple of hours early to go to the main depot before 5 to get my parcel, which costs me the money I wouldn’t get paid for not being at work.
Somebody should tell these people that thousands of homes are empty during the times when they deliver. You’d think that it might inspire them to do evening deliveries, but no, that’s too obvious a solution.
I have a front porch that you enter from the side; since it’s significantly above the sidewalk, and has a low wall rather than an open railing along the front, stuff left by the front door isn’t visible to a passer-by. I’m thus comfortable having packages left there. If something is particularly valuable or urgent, however, I’ll use my work address as the shipping address.
Thanks for the responses. I live in an apartment so leaving at the doorstep probably won’t be a good idea. I guess I’ll just have to drive to work or a depot to pick it up… (Normally I use a bike but not everything fits easily on one.)
We do offer evening deliveries, as well as appointment deliveries, as well as deliveries to alternate addresses, as long as you specify that to your shipper and they pay the extra fee. Do you really expect me to know the work schedules of my 140 customers per day?
I really will do the best to get your package to you, because every time I go to your apartment and can’t leave it, I don’t get paid. A successful delivery address is win/win for you and me.
Having someone available to sign for packages was a big influence in my getting a box at Mail Boxes Etc. instead of a PO box. The 6-month wait time for the PO box was the kicker, granted, but I’ve kept it for about 4 or 5 years now because they’re so nice and they sign for packages while I’m at work.
In my area, UPS won’t leave a package at an apartment even if you sign the waiver, but they will leave one at the front doorstep of the house 100 feet away. The depot is also not open on weekends, and only until 7:00 during the week. They wouldn’t send the package to the depot down the street from my place of employment so I could get it during lunch break. They were so unresponsive to my needs a little over a year ago that I will almost always pay the extra money to have my packages sent FedEx, even though I can just have them sent to me at work now.