Fed Ex rant...

tawood

tawood

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Tim
I've got a new NAV/COM coming, and the Fed Ex tracking said it would be delivered on Thursday. I take Thursday off of work, because even though I live in the sticks, have a long driveway on acreage, live on a dead end street, know/am friendly with all my nice neighbors, and never had crime issues in my neighborhood, Fed Ex refuses to leave a package at my door.
I wait all day, and no Fed Ex package arrives. I check the tracking, and it says "delivery attempted, customer not available". Because of my long driveway, I have a driveway alarm, as well as cameras...so I KNOW that no Fed Ex truck came Thursday. They have done this before, and I guess "shame on me" because they fooled me again. In the past I've called to try to complain, and they literally refuse to take the complaint...its like talking to a wall: "The driver said he tried." Your driver is a liar.
End rant.
 
Typical. Had on say he could not make the delivery due to rain along his route on a day it did not even rain within two hundred miles of here. How can rain effect your driving on asphalt?
 
I can do better than that, FEDEX employee, bought a Aeronca Champ to restore, The Champ was in a sea land container, Claimed it was all their. I visited the project in Memphis, and made a deal. Fed Ex gave me the CD FAA records of the aircraft.thats when I realized the Champ had not been registered in 35 years. Just bills of sale had been submitted to OKC. I didn’t really think that was an issue. I was wrong! Fed Ex had owned it a year and never registered it. All this came to light, after FedEx told me he just did not have the time to finish the project, LLPOF I think the real reason was about the registration, and had nothing to do with the project.
 
It's the USPS too. Early this summer I had been waiting for an important package to be delivered that I needed before a trip I had scheduled. Everything proceeding to plan, followed tracking, all was good. Then tracking said "package delivered". Went to post office next morning and got into a who's the liar discussion, and left disgusted. The next day, the day before my trip, a neighbor from about two miles away showed up with the package that had been delivered to their house. The address wasn't even close. USPS can suck pretty bad too. Oh, and, after my trip, I returned to the post office and confirmed who was the liar. I knew it wasn't going to do any real good, but it made me feel better. I later found out that the carrier had a history.
 
I receive both Fedex and UPS shipments 5 days a week. Both offer excellent service. For you guys with the repetitive bad luck? Ship to a commercial address instead of your low density neighborhood with your long driveway. Your problem will be resolved. And you won’t have to take a day off since there are peeps to sign for the package and nobody will steal your packages off your porch.
 
Most FedEx Drivers are independent contractors. They vary in their reliability and dedication. Out in the sticks, they also have been known to put off deliveries if an addressee is too far out of the way. FedEx doesn't seem to care unless the complaints are numerous; and because a lot of times they refuse to accept complaints from addressees, they tend not to get numerous. The best tactic in that case is to have the shipper make a complaint. The shipper is their actual customer. They listen to the shipper. A little.

The driver I have now isn't bad other than that she's not strong enough to handle the heaviest packages on her own, which is no problem as long as I'm home. I had some heavy-duty shelving delivered last week, and she told me she was glad I was home because she didn't think she would have been able to unload it by herself without damaging it. (In fairness, it was a very heavy package. I had to use a hand truck to move it.)

The driver before her was pleasant enough, but not very bright. I doubt he got more than half his packages delivered to the right addresses. After enough complaints, FedEx terminated him.

The one before him was okay. I don't know what happened to him. He was an older guy, so he may have retired. Or worse.

The one FedEx service that universally sucks is SmartPost. I have canceled my relationships with companies that insist on using SmartPost. I don't care what other method they use, and I'm willing to pay whatever costs are involved. But I don't want SmartPost.

The first problem with SmartPost is that FedEx gives SmartPost packages lower priority than FedEx Ground packages. So when they run out of room on a plane or a truck, the SmartPost stuff gets left behind. The second problem with SmartPost, if you live in the sticks, is that they won't send a truck to your Post Office until it's full enough to be worth their while. I've had packages sit on the FedEx loading dock in Edison, New Jersey for more than a week waiting for enough other packages to fill a truck.

The only exceptions seem to be SmartPost packages from really big companies like Sam's Club. Those packages seem to get priority, presumably because FedEx doesn't want to pizz off their big customers. Mom and pops, on the other hand, FedEx couldn't care less about.

Fortunately, most smaller shippers are amenable to alternative shipping arrangements if the customer is willing to pay the difference. Those who aren't willing to accommodate my shipping preferences lose my business.

Rich
 
We have no issues with our FedEx driver. Packages are always delivered on time.

No complaints about UPS here, either.

Oh wait, we're in Kansas. People actually work here. :D
 
FedEx refused to leave a package at my Mom's door because it contained a bottle of wine and needed to be signed for. I guess that might be law, not FedEx's fault but anyhow my sister was at home but way in the back in her office and didn't hear the knock on the door. The driver left a note saying the package - it was a gift basket - was at the FedEx store such and such, and could be picked up. They would not attempt a second delivery.

My sister went ballistic. The pickup location was on a busy university street with no good parking, and she worked til 5:00 and was not about to drive to that place in rush hour traffic. Mom comes home from the senior center at 1:00 pm and sits in the front and can answer the door, so my sister wanted them to attempt to deliver again after 1 pm.

I called FedEx and asked if they can attempt delivery again. They said "No, not unless there are hardship circumstances," I said, "There are hardship circumstances, my mother is 91 and doesn't drive and cannot go get this package." Mom was the addressee in fact, not my sister. The person on the phone said she would call the driver and request re-delivery. She did and he did.
 
FedEx could crash all their planes, burn all their trucks and all employees quit and I still would not use UPS. I will not order from any company the uses UPS, and if they won't tell me who delivers, I tell them I will refuse the order if it comes UPS.

Actually my first choice for shipping is USPS, if it fits.
 
Stewartb said:
Ship to a commercial address instead of your low density neighborhood with your long driveway. Your problem will be resolved. And you won’t have to take a day off since there are peeps to sign for the package and nobody will steal your packages off your porch.
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I tried that...shipped it to where I worked. The GM thought it was important for him to a) open everything, and b) sit on the invoice for two weeks, then put it in my mailbox with a note asking which customer it got billed to because it needed to be billed out NOW.

I started having things shipped to the FBO that maintained my Maule, and there were no further problems.
 
When I was dealing with shipping I absolutely hated UPS and loved FedEx and RPS. RPS is now FedEx Ground. That was about 25 years ago. Things change. Now, UPS is my favorite with FedEx being a distant 2nd. UPS will drop stuff off in my hangar, every time.

FedEx overnight isn't bad, but they won't drop off in the hangar, they just drop it at the door, and won't even ring the doorbell. They used to drop it off in the hangar, but that fellow retired about 3 years ago.

FedEx Ground is pretty much useless. They have a revolving door of people and can never seem to pass things on to the next guy (like how to get into the gate). They see the gate and drive on saying the package was undeliverable.

I absolutely hate SmartPost for the reasons stated by Rich. The post office will not deliver packages, so I have to drive into town to get it. Whats worse is that when tracking those packages, they initially look like a regular FedEx package. So there you sit, eagerly expecting your package and it doesn't show. Then it does show the next day. Or the next. Finally you look it up and see it's sitting in the post office waiting for you. (I don't check my mail very often so those delivery notes don't get seen.)

Funny USPS story: I had a package coming, got the email alerts for it. Saw it was going to show up at the local post office in the morning and made plans to pick it up shortly after they opened. As I was leaving the house, I got an email alert that delivery had been attempted. I continued down to the post office and got the package. The lady that delivers my mail was still at the post office. Guess that was a quick trip for her. (BTW... The mail lady tends to show up in the afternoon.)
 
Zeldman said:
FedEx could crash all their planes, burn all their trucks and all employees quit and I still would not use UPS. I will not order from any company the uses UPS, and if they won't tell me who delivers, I tell them I will refuse the order if it comes UPS.

Actually my first choice for shipping is USPS, if it fits.
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I agree...Except when I pick a shipping carrier, I feel just like when I'm voting: "This guy is a douche, and this guy is a turd sandwich...guess I pick the turd sandwich." USPS is my turd sandwich.
 
I'm in an area where packages from Amazon have at least a 50% chance of being shipped by Amazon delivery. So far, no missed deliveries, but driving in or out of the neighborhood, I more than occasionally see them tossing packages at the porch from 5 feet away, and they clearly were never were close enough to knock or ring the doorbell. The one I am waiting to have burn me is that at least 80% of the time, our deliveries are marked handed to resident. I think that happened maybe once, as I was walking up to the house at the same time. Otherwise, I think they are just lying to protect themselves from misdelivery claims, as I rarely hear a knock or doorbell, and rarely manage to see them as they drive away. The best delivery status I got was "left in mailroom". I still wonder when and where a mailroom was added on my house.
 
Here in semi-rural Oregon, all 3 seem to do acceptably well, they're even mostly trained to leave the packages on the covered porch instead of putting them in a plastic bag(when raining) near the obvious front door, even though it means a 20 foot longer walk.
 
Anymouse said:
Funny USPS story: I had a package coming, got the email alerts for it. Saw it was going to show up at the local post office in the morning and made plans to pick it up shortly after they opened. As I was leaving the house, I got an email alert that delivery had been attempted. I continued down to the post office and got the package. The lady that delivers my mail was still at the post office. Guess that was a quick trip for her. (BTW... The mail lady tends to show up in the afternoon.)
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One time I was waiting on a UPS delivery and I checked the site and it said package delivered (I knew it wasn't there yet). So I see that and go to the window and see the UPS truck outside. I had just happened to check the site right when he was sitting in the truck checking delivered, but hadn't got out and brought it to the door yet.
 
I hate the last mile USPS amazon deliveries. Half the time the guy that delivers them is not our normal rural route person. He drives a typical USPS truck so he’ll just toss whatever package it is some where in front of your house. I’ve learned from neighbors if you complain he’ll either not deliver and pink slip you or throw it in the ditch.

We’ve also gotten a notice saying there ending house to house rural routes due to funding and dangerous conditions for drivers. So we have to either relocate our boxes to grouped areas or on our property if we have circle drives for multiple homes. Apparently my developer friend said USPS new rules call for neighborhood boxes.
 
I'm with ya. Fortunately for me I have the slow, unreliable, and cheaper USPS to deliver to my hangar.

Just this week I had a transponder delivered. It came on Monday while I was away, and it was securely tucked away in the "large box" area of the kiosk. The key was in my little bitty kiosk space. Package completely dry and safe until I got it Thursday.

Had it been FedEx they would have parked it by the hangar door, potentially without rain protection, and I'd be relying on the neighbors to hold/dry it for me.

it's an annoying thing to have to schedule the arrival of stuffs.
 
Fedex ground and home delivery are contracted to third party companies. My buddy owns the area thru the middle of Atlanta. The crap he has to deal with is crazy. Lots of employee problems and truck issues.

I think fedex overnight is still company owned.

I us the USPS when i can.
 
I had an UPS (pronounced "oops" here) driver literally throw a package containing $3k avionics from the bottom of my stairs onto the front door step. I was hurrying to get to the door. But, wasn't fast enough. When I pointed out what he'd just done, he said, "good luck with that!" I tried to complain, found out the guy that threw the package is the local manager. Emailed UPS corporate, ZERO follow up. Later, I learned that unless the person who is listed as the sender (shipping payer) files a claim, they won't even acknowledge a complaint.
 
wilkersk said:
I had an UPS (pronounced "oops" here) driver literally throw a package containing $3k avionics from the bottom of my stairs onto the front door step. I was hurrying to get to the door. But, wasn't fast enough. When I pointed out what he'd just done, he said, "good luck with that!" I tried to complain, found out the guy that threw the package is the local manager. Emailed UPS corporate, ZERO follow up. Later, I learned that unless the person who is listed as the sender (shipping payer) files a claim, they won't even acknowledge a complaint.
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If he sets it down gently in view of a recipient, he’s being a phony.

He knows that by the time it got to you, it had already been thrown and dropped at least half a dozen times already.

One more toss isn’t going to make a difference in the content condition.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
If he sets it down gently in view of a recipient, he’s being a phony.

He knows that by the time it got to you, it had already been thrown and dropped at least half a dozen times already.

One more toss isn’t going to make a difference in the content condition.
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That's pretty funny. I used to haul everything from eggs to missiles, including expensive avionics. And, we did it in all kinds of conditions, in all kinds of weather. And, It was pretty rare that we threw expensive equipment around like that.

2340937772_95f3e75292_b.jpg
 
wilkersk said:
That's pretty funny. I used to haul everything from eggs to missiles, including expensive avionics. And, we did it in all kinds of conditions, in all kinds of weather. And, It was pretty rare that we threw expensive equipment around like that.

2340937772_95f3e75292_b.jpg
Click to expand...

Most cargo companies have a "no airtime" policy for their packages. They either get handed to another person or placed where they need to go (conveyor belt, cargo pod, door step, etc.). It's typically at the end of the delivery chain that packages get abused from what I've seen.

When we were doing Christmas time contracts in Alaska, both UPS and FedEx were downright draconian about that with us.

When I was hauling APO mail, not so much. It was typically us that were draconian with the military mail handlers. They were out there for their six months and most didn't seem to care.
 
Some of you guys should pool your resources and start a worldwide express package delivery service. You’re obviously more qualified than the big two in the business.
 
The one FedEx service that universally sucks is SmartPost. I have canceled my relationships with companies that insist on using SmartPost. I don't care what other method they use, and I'm willing to pay whatever costs are involved. But I don't want SmartPost.

The first problem with SmartPost is that FedEx gives SmartPost packages lower priority than FedEx Ground packages. So when they run out of room on a plane or a truck, the SmartPost stuff gets left behind. The second problem with SmartPost, if you live in the sticks, is that they won't send a truck to your Post Office until it's full enough to be worth their while. I've had packages sit on the FedEx loading dock in Edison, New Jersey for more than a week waiting for enough other packages to fill a truck.

Amen. I too hate SmartPost. Totally despise it.
 
For every crappy delivery driver, there are a few good ones out there.

Get a call one day..."Hey this is Dan a UPS driver up in Discovery Bay, I have a package I was about to deliver but didn't you move? Where do you want it re-routed to before I make a delivery attempt?

My phone # was on the package label as addressee and he had taken the time to make the call.

I had moved 3 years earlier.
 
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