Annoying FedEx situation (long, whining, angry)

[cthomer5000]

So I order up a wireless adapter for my home network last week, based on the recommendations of a few guys here. It's scheduled to arrive here sometime this week.

The tracking number becomes available to me sometime on friday.

I'm happy to find out it's already made it's way to the local facililty by Friday night.

Saturday at 6.30 AM the package is listed as "on vehicle for delivery."

No delivery attempt is made on saturday. I think "no big deal, at least I'll definitely have it on Monday!"

I check the status a few times on Monday, and there is absolutely no update at all. When I get home at 7pm, I make a phone call inquiring about the package. It seems a bit strange to me that no delivery attempt would be made on 2 consecutive days, when the facility is 20 minutes away.

customer service: "Oh, uh..., ummm... Sorry you haven't received your pacakge yet. We'll send a message to the service center and have them call you regarding the status of your package."

Naturally, the remainder of the evening goes by with no phone call. I'm now pretty ticked off, and wondering what the deal is.

Before I leave for work today (at about 7am) I again check the status of the shipment online - no change at all, still listed as "On FedEx vehicle for delivery" the same status since Saturday morning.

Deciding I'll wait a few hours before calling to see why I never got the call I was promised, the whole episode slips my mind while I plow through work in the morning.

Around 11am, I check the status of the package. It now says it's been delivered! Ehhh, ok... it says it was delievered the previous night at 9.59PM. Well, who cares about the details as long as I have my package, right? Luckily grand-ma is in town and at my house. I give her a call, and ask her if I've received a package "Nope, just a letter-sized enevelope." I explain that it was left at the front door (or signed for by mr "F.Rontdoor" according to the FedEx tracking software). No dice, absolutely no package to be found.

Thinking grandma just might be slipping a bit, I decided to hold off on any calls to FedEx. If the package isn't there, I want first-person knowledge of that. Of course when I arrive home tonight, there is certainly no package to be found anywhere. I thoroughly check everywhere conceivable the dude might leave a box, and it's not to be found.

Now I'm downright pissed, and fully conscious that this whole situation has a real "package just disappaeraed while the guy was making his rounds sort of feel."

Problems with the FedEx timeline:

First of all, the bit about it being delieverd was posted between 7am and 11am Tuesday - a bit strange for a Monday Night delievery.

If indeed Mr. Driver did actually arrive at my door at 9.59 PM, why not check to see if someone was home? 6 people were home, and the lights and noise coming from the living room (in plain view/earshot of the front door) would have made it really easy to knock/ring to get someone's attention. As far as I know, it's not standard practive for FedEx to drop it on the first delievery attempt - you always have to give them that OK via that little form they leave when they miss you the first time.

So I made a call tonight, and they're sending a message to the driver to verify the accuracy of the shipment details and have someone get in contact with me. Of course I won't receive a call until tomorrow (as per FedEx), even though the mystery deliveryman supposedly makes routine delieveries up until 9.59 at night.

sigh. The whole situation stinks, and I am firmly convinced that delievery was completely fabricated. If indeed the box was deliverd (I'm setting the chances at about 1%), the chances of someone seeing a small box 30 feet recessed from a house shrouded in 6 foot tall hedges and stealing it are about .01%. I just think the driver lost the box, and made up the delivery to pass the buck to the company rather than himself. Some other schmuck probably got a free linksys USB adapter along with his porn, clothing, etc...

Anyone have any experience on a lost package? How long do you think it will be until a replacement is in my hands?

[Flasch186]

6 foot tall hedges. a side lamp, 6 paces north of the street to the gate, a quick step over the ditch, (shhhh, make sure no ones near any windows) AND whoops, gotta run, need to go hook up my new wireless adapter. YES

[McSweeny]

i don't have anything to add, just that was going to start a similar thread. I work in a warehouse and FedEx is by FAR the worst carrier that we deal with. Water damage, crunched boxes, drivers tossing boxes marked "glass" off the truck, are all waaaaay too common. And on top of it all we get the surly, rude, chain smoking, asshole driver... bah

And it is a stark contrast with our UPS carrier

[TargetPractice6]

Well FedEx doesn't deliver on Saturday (at least they don't here) so that was unusual.

However I have had some frustrations with FedEx. I ordered a computer online a few a years agoI sign the card, but they don't leave it during the second delivery (we get home shortly after FedEx runs so I didn't mind if it sat behind the bush for an hour). So I decide to make the drive to the FedEx place which is conveniently on the complete opposite side of town. When I get out there they don't have it. Evidentally they left my expensive computer with somebody they saw in the neighborhood. Of course there was no problem getting it from the people they left it with, but I didn't even know these people, and if they were going to sign for my expensive package you'd think they'd have come over to tell me when I got home. I guess all is well that ends well though...

[JonInMiddleGA]

All I can tell you is "good luck".

Over the past 2-3 years, and some 3000-4000 packages shipped, I've become convinced that the USPS beats the hell out of both FedEx & UPS (and don't even get me started on the piece of crap that is Airborne). UPS can't bill correct to save their lives, FedEx has botched over half the packages sent to me in the past year (most often due to a "misthrow"), meanwhile USPS Priority Mail has blown only one delivery in the past year and only 3 in the past 3 years.

(And no, I'm not bitter, not just because another botched FedEx delivery week cost me some $600 in penalties/fees because their "next day later" delivery to me this afternoon meant I didn't get important paperwork in time to get a postmark of the 15th).

And they most definitely have drivers who will flat out fake delivery of an item in order to cover their ass. I've got a lulu of a story about that some time, the single most absurd thing I've ever encountered in 20+ years of work.

[Draft Dodger]

I've had GREAT experiences with both FedEx and UPS.

a few years ago, I was due to get a new computer on a Friday via FedEx. It was an Alienware, so I'd been waiting for some time for it. I was still sleeping (did the overnight then), but my wife was watching for the driver. of course the one time she was out of earshot of the doorbell, the driver came and figured no one was home.

if it wasn't going to be a weekend, I wouldn't have worried about it, but I was anxious to use the time off to get it all set up. to make a long story not so long, basically we called fedex up and the driver was close to the warehouse, so he met us there and gave us our package - very cool for him to do that, IMO.

our UPS guys took it on themselves to start leaving packages in a shed around the side of the house if we aren't home, which is very helpful and convenient.

[Draft Dodger]

And they most definitely have drivers who will flat out fake delivery of an item in order to cover their ass. I've got a lulu of a story about that some time, the single most absurd thing I've ever encountered in 20+ years of work.

we mostly use Airborne at work, and man are they fucking useless. their drivers more than anyone will fake deliveries - it's really incredible how bad it is. everyonce in a while, I have something shipped to me via Airborne (as in, I have no other choice). it's always a complete horror show.

[JonInMiddleGA]

our UPS guys took it on themselves to start leaving packages in a shed around the side of the house if we aren't home, which is very helpful and convenient.

Addendum to my original rant: virtually all of the UPS guys I've ever dealt with are good to downright fantastic. Their problems (as most of the drivers will readily admit once they get to know you) are at the organizational level, where the Peter Principle is on full & constant display.

[JonInMiddleGA]

we mostly use Airborne at work, and man are they fucking useless. their drivers more than anyone will fake deliveries - it's really incredible how bad it is. everyonce in a while, I have something shipped to me via Airborne (as in, I have no other choice). it's always a complete horror show.

One quick Airborne story, from a brief stint I had in warehouse work -- Contract deal made at the corporate level, so we're stuck with 'em no matter how bad they sucked. Still, the warehouse manager had been pretty effective bitching about problems & getting temporary improvements. One day though, awaiting pickup of some 2000 packages (samples being shipped to opthamologists), no sign of the driver for the 2 o'clock pickup. 230pm. 300pm. 330pm & a phone call to HairbrainExpress, "he's on his way". 400pm, still no driver. 430, another call, another "umm, he shouldbe there by now". Yeah, no shit. 445pm. Finally, we figure we'll see if we can catch the FedEx or UPS guy outside, maybe they've seen this guy along their common route. And then we see the truck ourselves. Parked, not running. Take a little stroll down to see what's up. And the mystery is solved.

Driver, drunk as a m'fer, passed out in the back parking lot.

Okay, maybe two quick Airborne stories ;)

Long story short, about 3 months later, similar set-up to the one above. No-show, they say he's on his way, blah, blah, blah. So, leaning from our previous experience, we decide to take a little stroll through the business park. And there's the truck. But this time, no driver. We wait a while, still no sign of the driver. Call Airborne. They'll "umm ... we'll send somebody right over".

Turns out the guy decided he didn't want to work there anymore. Parked the truck, took the keys with him, along with quite a few of the packages still to be delivered. Last we heard, they never did turn him up, neither did the cops.
He just kinda "poofed", but had told a few buddies that he'd had all he wanted of it & was gonna see if he could screw 'em over by stealing some stuff out of the back as his parting gesture.

Blech, Airborne.

[Buccaneer]

I've had great experiences with FedEx. But then again, my wife and I are shareholders in the company.

[Draft Dodger]

I've had great experiences with FedEx. But then again, my wife and I are shareholders in the company.

so, now that my wife bought me stock in Dominoes, my pizza is going to get better? AWESOME!
:p

[Rich1033]

I have had problems with both FedEx and USPS. For lost packages it seems that the shipper is the only one who can do anything about it. Your best bet is to call them(the shipper) and let them know you never recieved it. They will have to take it up with FedEx. You just have to hope they believe you and/or dispute it with your credit card.

[ISiddiqui]

Airborne is absolutely horrible! When my Dell laptop started not working, Airborne was the shipper Dell used. Pickup was ok, delivery, not so much. They lost my damned laptop! Never had that happen with UPS, USPS, or FedEx, and of course they acted like it was my fault. At least Dell sent me another computer (better one! :D). A month later, guess what happens? Airborne FINDS my lost package and sends it back to me, which I sent back to Dell.

[Bee]

I once had a computer delivered by FedEx and the driver left the huge box under my welcome mat. He basically picked up the mat and put it on top of the box and then left me a note on the door that my delivery was under the welcome mat....I thought it was pretty funny.

[Blackadar]

I'll 2nd (3rd, 4th) that Airborne is by far the worst. I used to have to use them (when working for someone else) and when it absolutley had to be there overnight, it never was. We're talking about a failure rate of about 75%.

But the cheap-ass people who ran my company got a little off Airborne rates and wouldn't spring for the extra buck for FedEx.

As for USPS, you should ask someone on this board about them sometime. I bought a computer from someone a couple of years ago (I forgot who) who was/is a member of this board. It was raining the day of delivery....and when it was delivered, the box was so wet that it was almost disintegrating around the PC. I'm not saying that they left it outside my house to get wet - we got it at the door when they delivered it. I'm saying the damn thing felt like it was thrown in a pool before delivery.

In addition, the box looked like it was just destroyed and the PC within was broken - pieces were coming off it was so badly abused.

Needless to say, I never got the PC working and sent it back - I hope the guy got his money back.

[cthomer5000]

Anyone want to guess on if/when I receive my phone call from FedEx today?

I'm guessing I get no call at all.

[VPI97]

Every time you don't ship via UPS, you're taking food out of my children's mouths.


Shame on you.

[cthomer5000]

Still waiting for that phone call, FedEx. http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_annoyed.gif (javascript:emoticon(':annoyed:'))

I've now contacted the company to let them know that I didn't receive it (and have already let FedEx know that).

[rkmsuf]

Doomed!

[Glengoyne]

we mostly use Airborne at work, and man are they fucking useless. their drivers more than anyone will fake deliveries - it's really incredible how bad it is. everyonce in a while, I have something shipped to me via Airborne (as in, I have no other choice). it's always a complete horror show.
I used to joke that Airborne must have just flown past our local airport and kicked our packages out the door.

[cthomer5000]

the plot thickens:

no phone call yet, and now the tracking information has completely changed. It now was listed as being at a different facility the whole time, and now say "signature not required" in the signed for by box.

[gstelmack]

My favorite UPS story was a hard drive I ordered. The tracking log was hilarious as it bounced back and forth between 2 facilities. Apparently one facility could read the shipping label and sent it out, but then the receiving facility couldn't read it and kept sending it back. There were like 3 or 4 looping entries showing this over a 2 week period. At one point it looked like it had returned to the shipper, so they sent me a new one. A week later, the poor abused drive showed up.

Yes, since it wasn't the store's fault, I shipped the original back to them.

[rkmsuf]

the plot thickens:

no phone call yet, and now the tracking information has completely changed. It now was listed as being at a different facility the whole time, and now say "signature not required" in the signed for by box.

You should change your address. That will throw them.

[cthomer5000]

highlights from my phone call to them just now

me: so it's normal for the tracking information to completely change after the fact?
them: yes.

--snip--

me: But I will receive a call today about the status of this, right?

them: You may receive a call today.

me: but they will call me at some point, right?

them: they should.

Yeah, no shit they should. One of the most worthless conversations I've ever had.

And for the record, info that has changed on the tracking page since last night:


signed for by
weight
location the original package data was transmitted from
the FedEx sort facility the package came from
the truck location the package came from
Luckily, I have a printed version of both the old and new tracking info pages.

[Alf]

Well, I am in the same boat as you cthomer. I ordered some CDs from UK 1 week ago. My credit card has been charged. The guys said the box in the the hands of the delivery company but I have yet to hear from anyone. I should have received it last Monday (or Tuesday at last).

[cthomer5000]

And the story ends with the package showing up on my porch sometime between 6pm and 10pm tonight.

No apology (no phone call at all, actually), no updated tracking info, and no checking to see if someone was home first.

Now that's service! :rolleyes:

[Draft Dodger]

I don't know who you ordered from (or if you even paid for shipping). but if you did pay for it, you should call the vendor and bitch - they should be able to refund at least some (if not all) of the shipping price. likely to be a small amount, but it's the principle

[cthomer5000]

I don't know who you ordered from (or if you even paid for shipping). but if you did pay for it, you should call the vendor and bitch - they should be able to refund at least some (if not all) of the shipping price. likely to be a small amount, but it's the principle
I'd already been in contact with them, so I likely will talk to them again to let them know I do have it, and what a miserable process the shipping was. I don't even remember if I paid for shipping (have to check),

I'm guessing the guy dropped it to the wrong house on monday/tuesday, or it was a "fell between the seats" kind of deal.