I’ve got a package scheduled for delivery today via FedEx.
Normally FedEx delivers to my area late in the evening, my last package came about 8pm.
Tonight I’ve been on the couch, 15’ from the door, watching James Bond movies all evening. I just checked the FedUp website (witty, ain’t it?) to track my package (it said “on vehicle for delivery” this morning) and it shows my package as having been delivered “Left on Doorstep” at 6:20pm. It is 8:32 right now.
:mad: :mad: :mad:
Where is it? It sure ain’t on my doorstep. And for sure noone knocked. I’d have heard it.
My dad told me yesterday to expect a FedEx package today with information about the payroll at his church (he’s the accountant). I didn’t get a package for him. I did, however, get the iPod I ordered for my wife, which I didn’t expect would come until tomorrow. Go figure.
I wanted to order some stuff for the fiance from ThinkGeek for Christmas.
ThinkGeek is located in New Jersey. I am located in New York.
I place my order a little before midnight on December 18 and choose the 2-Day DHL option.
By December 23 I’m getting nervous so I check the DHL website to see just where my package is.
It’s in Colorado (and has been there since the 22nd) and it was routed there from Illinois. I finally get the package on December 27. Guaranteed by Christmas my ass.
So let’s recap.
DHL decided the best way to send a 2-Day package from New Jersey to New York was to first send it to Illinois, then on to Colorado, then keep it Colorado for a few days and then finally send it on to New York.
I sent my Secret Santa gift from Finland to California as an express package on December 19th. I paid 17,50€ for 4-6-day delivery. The people at the post office also looked up the information for the States and said that the package could be tracked all the way to the recipient’s front door. Excellent, I said. Wonderful, I said. It’ll make it in time for Christmas, I said.
It’s now December 30th. The last record of the package has it leaving Finland on December 20th at 4:32 a.m. After that–nothing. It has taken an express package 10 days to not reach its recipient. My Secret Santee has still not received his gift, and the package seems to have disappeared somewhere into the wild blue yonder. I contacted the Finnish Post, and they said there’s nothing they can do because the problem is at the US end.
I’m mad now. Also disappointed because I thought I had thought of a really clever and original SS gift and now I’m afraid I’ll never know what my Santee thought of it.
I sent someone 2 tickets for a show THAT NIGHT. They stayed home from work to receive them. No one ever rang the doorbell. The driver had noted “nobody home,” which was a lie. He just didn’t want to climb 2 flights of stairs. Tickets gone to waste, work day gone to waste, concert missed. Medically significant rage.
I worked for an industrial general contractor who hired guys as independent contractors to work on projects for us. Before our company began using direct deposit, we would send the guys their checks via overnight. We used to use FedEx, but then the parent company in New York decided that DHL would be a better deal, so we were forced to switch to DHL (otherwise we’d be paying rack rates for FedEx versus corporate rates).
So, one Friday, we send a check via DHL overnight to the back hollers of Tennessee. We realize that it’s not really going to get their overnight - it takes 2 days even with FedEx. What we did NOT expect was that after getting to Memphis on Sunday and sitting there for two days, they would pass it off to a third-party courier service since it was “out of their delivery area”. No one could ever tell me what courier service they were using or how long it would take because they “couldn’t” connect me to the service hub in Memphis. Eventually, John got his check - in his mailbox two Mondays (eleven calendar days and six business days) after we originally sent it. The courier service put the DHL envelope in a manila envelope, slapped some stamps on it, and sent it via the United States Postal Service.
I was picturing some carrier completely unable to find the address and saying “screw this!”, stamping it and just mailing it. I guess that’s better then “losing” it, though.
Ooo, Ooo I have one: My USPS story: Check mailed from Madison, Wis. to Arizonia. Certified US Postal Service. Mailed Dec. 17. Arrived Dec.24. I had cancelled that check and had it reissued on Friday Dec.23 and paid 12 bucks to DHL the new one. It arrived in the afternoon of Dec.24!
Deposited the new check in bank, and sent a personal check via USPS to a Credit Union in Madison(We have weird fiancial doings). Sent the check Express mail. $13.65 **guarenteed ** to be there in two days or money back. Tracked it, Missent on the second day. Finally arrived on third day. Went to PO and got my money back.
You people are spoiled. “Two-day service” for Alaska means a minimum of four days, and we pay outrageous fees for the privilege of everything being late. You’d think we’d at least get a price break since they can’t get it here in the time we’re paying for.
In addition, many companies either a)won’t ship to us or b)will ONLY use FedEx or some other high-priced air service. When you call, they will usually refuse to use the USPS, or if they will, they charge 2-3 times the postage rate. This despite one of the highest per-capita incomes in the country and a very large volume of internet/mail order purchasing. I’ve gotten into shouting matches with shipping clerks over this. Smart companies such as Lands End and Amazon try to be accommodating and they get my business.
In the past year, I have received two (2) packages carried by both the USPS and UPS that were not addressed (residential delivery) to me nor anyone residing within five (5) miles of me. In both instances, I have gone to the carrier tracking website and entered in the tracking number on the package label and both carriers show delivered confirmation. The UPS shows delivery time to the minute.
Confirmed delivery is **NOT CONFIRMED ** delivery.
All it really shows is that the carrier no longer has your item, and bitch as much as you want, you are not going to get it when they left it at the wrong house. The seller of course, has the delivery confirmation so they think you are trying to SCAM them. I mean, how in the hell can the UPS or the USPS make mistakes, they show delivery confirmed. But here I sit with items I did not order, nor want. SOOOOOOOOO now I have to enter into the delivery system, even though I am not an employee of either company.
In both instances I delivered the errant items to the correct address myself. No consideration from USPS or UPS. They go blindly on their corporate ways making commercials indicating they have perfect systems and satisfied customers.
My crude personal delivery data of 600+ items over three years time indicates a correct delivery performance of around 97% for both carriers.
Between UPS and FedEx, I get more customer assistance from FedEx. With UPS there is NO ONE and NOWHERE you can go to indicate dissatisfaction. The USPS, forget it. There is no one there even when there is someone there.
