So...UPS is basically useless?

[jnewmark]

Its really the way things are with all the delivery services these days; I can tell delivery story nightmares with all of them. And there is no rhyme or reason to any of it. Most of the time I get things ok, maybe a day or two after " delivery date ", but its always a wait and see process. The latest was Fedex saying they " delivered " my item with a photo, left at " my front door". Photo was not my front door or my item. Wound up getting a refund, as package was " lost ".

 

[Dana R Gregory]

I have had Fedex pull the "unable to deliver-no one to sign" stunt a number of times. I got on the phone and was actually able to talk to a person. I put in a complaint saying that I was home all day and the driver did not even come onto the property. The package showed up the next day. Fedex in Central FL is very poor. UPS, on the other hand, is fine and surprisingly dependable. I guess it depends on where you live.

 

[CryingBass]

So I know this is blasphemy but - maybe we should just stop buying and shipping so much xxit?

I use a UPS store to receive all of my shipments. Everything from Everywhere all the Time the stuff seems to get there. Worth the annual fee, IMHO. YMMV

So I have to make 1 trip a few blocks to collect a lot of shipments. Better than making no trips and NOT receiving shipments. Just sayin'...

 

[jbl71004]

In my experience, when their established infrastructure works as designed (most of the time), UPS is fine. If something goes sideways and research/service is required, good luck.

 

[nonohmic]

Last time I shipped a bass they charged me $210. Nunca mas.

 

[Ralph Manak]

i dislike piling on ("look on the bright side of life" is now playing on my speakers... ) but since it happened two days ago, i'll vent.

had a scheduled delivery on saturday between 9:45 and 1:45. did chores around the house and kept an eye on the ups delivery map to see where the brown truck was presently at in my neighborhood.

i live in a gated community but all a visitor needs to do is raise their party on the gate's intercom to open the gate.

at around 1pm, the truck was about two blocks away so thought i'd meet them at the gate just in case.

i get to the gate to see the ups truck drive by. soon after, i receive the "sorry we missed you" email.

didn't even try...

oh, well. it's back out for delivery in a couple hours so, should be ok in a few...

This happens with FedEx as well. I can see the truck stopped long enough for the driver to code in the sorry message, then drive on. It was explained to me that these drivers are contracted, not employees. I suppose if there is satisfaction in a job well done, there is also satisfaction in a performance affected by unresolved issues, a kind of malaise.

 

[Gluvhand]

I haven't had what I would consider any issues or even inconveniences with UPS or FedEx.

 

[bikeplate]

Ive used them for years.

 

[SunByrne]

Mostly UPS and FedEx do fine. It's not like one is flawless and the other is terrible. Generally it's about even, and the bulk of the time things go smoothly.

But sometimes not.

My favorite recent story is that I had a rather expensive iPad (paid for by work) shipped to my house because it was a break and campus was closed and wow can the delivery services not handle when campus is closed. Anyway, I was waiting for it—signature required, it was an expensive iPad Pro—and UPS said "delivered" and showed a signature from "BRYAN." My name is not "Bryan" and nothing was delivered to me.

So I filed a claim immediately.

A bit later (maybe two hours? not sure) the UPS guy comes to my door with it. Turns out he had delivered it to the wrong address, and the here's the kicker: HE SIGNED FOR IT.

WTAF?

Anyway, he saw the message from UPS that I didn't get it and went back to the house where he mis-delivered it and luckily it was still there. But it could just as easily not have been there.

Utter nonsense that he signed for it—that's absolutely indefensible.

Not that FedEx has a completely clean track record for me, either, but I don't remember the FedEx driver ever signing for me when delivering to the wrong house.

 

[mikewalker]

I'm not a UPS fan (mainly due to their usurious brokerage charges on incoming parcels!) so I always try to get USPS shipments if possible. FedEx or even DHL is my next choice...

 

[almadillo]

I live in a cul-de-sac on a corner lot. UPS can not be bothered to drive into the cul-de-sac and leave packages on the front stoop under a large overhang. Instead they stop on the main road and leave packages exposed leaning against the garage door (rain and visibility to drivers going by).

We hate UPS

 

[Jogobass]

They didn't even bother to ring my doorbell. Had to pick it up at a delivery point. They said I wasn't home. Been using DHL ever since.

 

[USAJO]

If you paid an extra premium for time specific delivery you have a legit complaint.

Otherwise you get it when you get it.

 

[BigJohnAZ]

I'm in an East Valley Phoenix suburb, been here 23+ years. I have been ordering from catalogs and online for 40 odd years. I can count on one hand the number of times UPS has been an issue for me. I lived in the Chicago suburbs before I moved here. I guess I've been one of the lucky ones (knock on wood).

I used to drive a delivery truck in the late 80's. I know what it's like out there, so I cut them some slack if my delivery is a bit later than initially quoted. It doesn't take much to make it a bad day out there when you have over 100 stops or more to make in a day.

 

[Bass Momma]

I have a UPS delivery scheduled for today.

Yesterday, they informed me that they would deliver between 12:00 and 3:00PM. Fine; we have a previous commitment around 5:45PM. No problem.

Today, when I can no longer change delivery options, UPS informs me that delivery will occur before 7PM. Oops.

I try to contact a human being. Not possible. AI is 100% dysfunctional. No information on options there.

I sign up for My UPS. But wait; when I select Change Delivery Options while signed in to My UPS, the website just asks me to join My UPS again. Try different devices, new login etc. Same result.

I guess this company is now wholly unaccountable with no human interface, a completely dysfunctional web site, and just lets their drivers / schedulers change delivery at their convenience.

I can see why previous posters have gone to Will-Call only. Maybe the web site will let me do that after a failed delivery.

Clearly, UPS sees the shipper as the customer, and the recipient as something beneath dirt, and to be ignored.

I get it that humans cost money. But, one might expect just a little bit more from the web site programming. Pathetic. My grandfather would have referred to them as "no-accounts."

Edit: the saddest part is that both I and the delivery folks are losers in the picture; because the delivery folks may now have to make other arrangements, which means costing UPS more resource time to deliver the same thing. The only winner is some highly paid jerk sitting in an office in a high rise who just doesn’t want to be bothered to figure it out.

UPS smashed my Fodera. Completely ignored my insurance claim. Luckily Fodera raised it from the dead, and our Music insurance paid. No questions asked. I HATE UPS!!!

 

[Alkali Ike]

I can never resist clicking on one of these threads even though I know in advance exactly how it will play out.

 

[MingusBass]

I’ve had better luck with UPS than FedEx, and since I get really great rates on UPS on pirateship.com, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

 

[57pbass]

I’ve had good success with UPS.
Fedex Ground has been problematic for me. Signature required deliveries are always a day later than promised. Lots of wasted time waiting for delivery.

 

[Topkat13]

They might be brown for a reason.

 

[p12bassnut]

We have a UPS Depot here in town and I have the option of calling them early in the morning on the day of arrival to request a package hold for will-call. Never an issue with that.
I've had some freak issues with both UPS and Fedex. It's a toss up.