FedEx delivery gone astray

I agree on Fed Ex, cant find us either. But at least I have them trained to call me after trying to find me for one full day and then I can tell them to leave it at the ranch at the bottom of the mountain and I can pick it up there!~ They got all funny about a signature at first till I gave everyone on the ranch permission to hold up the fed ex truck and get my packaged signed for LOL. Ranch hands also kidnap my stuff from UPS but UPS now knows to just leave the package by the mail box and forgo the sig.!

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www.MontanaSticksAndStones.com at Goshen Farm

We occasionally have problems because we are one mile from a town with no mail delivery, so our mailing address is for the post office five miles from here. Having said that, FedEx has delivered for us to Russia numerous times with no difficulty, and in a timely manner, so who knows...

I LOVE THIS THREAD! :haha: Today, I was running a pick-up route on a university campus. I received a request to pick up a package at the School of Nursing. There were TWO room numbers supplied....I went to the first--nope, noone knew this person, and there was no package there. I tried to find the other room no. on another floor....NOPE, no such number. I asked the guard, the maintenance man, even went to the Dean's office and checked the directory. I paged my dispatcher and told her to call the person. This was just before 5 p.m. The dispatcher caught up to me while I was making my rounds at the hospital...Yep, the gal was there--go back. I told her there was no such room number, but I went back. NO GO....At 5:10 I got the message....wrong address--the pick up was at the Department of Mathematics across the campus. Different street, and different building. :no: As the office closed at 5 p.m. I asked if the person was still there. "Yes, yes, go get it." So, I finally fight my way through the rush hour traffic to the Math and Science building, walk upstairs, and guess what? Yep, this person may not know what building they are in, what day it is, or how to find their butt with both hands, but they DO know how to bolt out the door at 5 o'clock! The office was closed, and the package was not left out. Of course, this made me late for my other pick ups, and put me in a bind, but HEY--who cares? Now watch that customer call in and complain.

CONTINUE GRIPING;I'm LOVING IT! From the other side..WRONG addresses, wrong maps, mean dogs, MEAN PEOPLE, bad weather, NO NUMBERS ON THE HOUSES.....yes, go right ahead! :haha:

Airborne... I ordered a lap top overnight from outpost.com to be shipped Airborne... needed it for a trip. Problem is they only come up here once a week.... and they had just come... What a hassle that was to find out. Had a friend go pick it up from the Airboren warehouse down the hill and then I had to drive 80 miles round trip to pick it up from him...
I got a full refund of my shipping costs.

Funny this thread would come up, as I was just cursing fedex the other day. They don't seem to have a problem finding me, but they sure can't keep track of my packages. Had the royle run-around last year with two rifles that they were supposed to be delivering to me. Couldn't find them, found one but not the other, put one on one truck and the other on another truck.

System said it was in the depot (which is just down the road from me). I called and told them to hold onto the ---- thing and I would drive down there and get them. I get down there and they can't find the rifles anywhere in their warehouse. Whoopsi, must be on one of the trucks, search all trucks in depot, not there. Whoopsi, must be on one of the trucks still out. Call goes out to all trucks, one truck reports back that he has one package. The system shows another truck should have the second rifle - call goes out to that truck - he claims he has no such package. And around and around we go. Finally got both rifles, but it was a huge pia.

One thing that bugs the heck out of me is when a supplier or merchant decides on their own accord that a package needs a signature. Nothing is more frustrating then getting one of those notes on the door when you get home that you have missed a delivery. WTH? That's the whole point of ordering off the internet... convenience. Just leave the ---- package by the front door!!! If it is a very expensive item I might request a signed receipt, but don't take it upon yourself to do it and not tell me about it. I'd prefer you don't do it all unless I specifically request it.

Man, I'm wound up now! And another thing, stop with the ringing the door bell stuff when they leave a package. Is that really necessary?? Just put the ---- package by the door and go away, I assure you I will find it. My dogs go nuts when they hear you coming a half mile away, I can assure you I know your truck is in the driveway. Not only because of my dog, but you are on the video surveillance camera as well, no need to ring the ---- doorbell M'kay?

Further more, something is definitely up with fedex over the last three or so months. They have started delivering at all hours. Twice I got packages delivered at 10:00pm in the last month, and last Saturday I got a delivery at 7:00am in the morning!! Enough with the door bell ringing ok?!? You don't even want to mess with me when I'm sleeping in on my day off. It would also be very advisable for you not to come around here after 7:00pm at night or so unless my wife or I know you are coming.

Finally, I heard a story the other day about fedex changing their route drivers over from company drivers to contract drivers. Something about contract drivers having to lease the white van from fedex and buy the fedex decals from them. Fedex then gives you a route to run, and the pay is somehow tied to how many packages you deliver for them. Then fedex cuts your route down to parcel it out to more contractors, thus reducing you route money to just enough to barely cover the van lease. I have no idea if any of that is really true or not, but it might explain these jokers showing up here at 10 o'clock at night.

Wayne

When we lived in TX before our neighborhood went to street address my nonUSPS addr was "FM 98 west out of (town name), left on FM2616, right on CR283, 3d house on left" (FM= farm to market road, CR = county road) For chicks I would put my tel number on mailing address tho that was USPS.

My gripe is signature system, no guar time of delivery. DH gets a lot of computer stuff and we want sign for that or we're out a lot money if lost, I get ag stuff and don't comprehend why I need a sig for 500# of greenhouse shelving- would be a very organized thief to get that in the 5 hours it sits by my garbage bins! We don't mind TOO much getting a card and telling them a day to redeliver (and maybe skipping work that day, what a system!), and/or without sign, but once I figured out physical address for our old TX homestead never had the not finding us problems you all describe.

Now we're overseas we can only use USPS to our APO address, and a lot of companies won't do USPS- why it's unAmerican and not supporting our troops! I say. FedEx (not when WE're paying for it) to our British street address arrives beautifully, but the Brits have a kickass post code system- I give the code (the first 3 characters are a map grid coordinate that also relates to surveyor maps we use for camping and hiking all over Britain) to an English co and they say what number are you on Trenchard Road in (town) please? I use my code and house number for my return address and it works when necessary.

Time to put in a plug for the new USPS prioirty mail flat rates boxes. One size is 8.5" x 11" x 5.5". Other size has the same cubic volume, but is flatter and wider. Weight limit is 70 pounds (and I have tested it to HI) at a flat $7.70 to any U.S. address. I ship a lot of small, but heavy objects, and these are working out great for me.

(While on boxes, if you are not familiar with them ask at your grocery store for an empty banana box. They are 16" x 20" x 10". Overlapping top and bottom out of heavier cardboard. Great for shipping larger items or for storage.)

It looks like USPS is emphasizing prioirty mail to compete with UPS and FedEx. As such, expect parcel post (and other lower categories) to take longer to deliver. Only packages USPS has lost for me is parcel post.

If you ship priority mail, you can send the USPS an e-mail alerting them to a yard pick up. I just leave a note on the road mailbox I have packages and they will come in on their own. I have one of their white carrying baskets. I have a top for the pickup bed and usually leave it there with the top window up and tailgate down. If I will be gone (and it isn't expected to rain), basket is left on a 5-gallon plastic bucket in yard.

If you do eBay, last I checked they had not upgraded the PayPal/USPS link for the flat rate boxes. I have a credit-card account with USPS and create labels from there.

The counter clerk commented the Post Office will be installing point-to-point tracking equipment for Delivery Confirmation in 05.

On UPS, l get the same Brownie most of the time. Last signiture delivery he asked if it was OK for him to sign for me if I wasn't home. He just leave the packages inside the shop door.

I am extremely pleased with both USPS and UPS for the most part.

Wasn't Airborne bought out by DHL over a year ago?

Anyone had problems with DHL?

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I must be in the minority here. I switched to Fed Ex a few months ago after using Airborne for years. [Airborne is now DHL]. I ship 40+ boxes per week and this is perishable goods so gauranteed delivery is a must. When ever possible I use ground service as most places I ship is a 2 day ground. Fed Ex has yet to loose or not deliver on time and ship everywhere!

DHL was loosing 2-3 boxes per week and UPS is more expensive. Priorty mail with the post office is a joke as far as I am concerned. You are paying for a priorty service and there is no gaurantee on delivery or a way to track the box till it is delivered.

Fed Ex offers gauranteed delivery on their home delivery service as well as ground. All boxes have an automatic $100.00 insurance on them. Delivery confirmation is not necessary unless it is requested by the shipper. The only time they will not leave a package is if they feel it is not safe. If you want a package left notify your shipper that signature confirmation is not necessary and where you want the pacakge left. I have costumers request boxes to be left in garage, etc. and if you put it on your label when shipping they will do it.

Sound slike some of your guys problems my not necessarily be with Fed Ex but thet way the shipping label is generated with signature confirmation.

I have been very pleased with Fed Ex.

I'm impressed whenever anybody can find my home, as half the roads out here don't have roadsigns. (Flood in 2002, and the county never replaced them.)

UPS usually finds my place on the second try. Since Mapquest's directions are wrong and there's no street signs, that's fair enough.

FEDEX suprisingly finds things on the first try -- but their driver's a moron. He's left time sensitive financial papers requiring a signature with my neighbor's nine year old (who DID get the paperwork to me ... but the family tends to go out of town on weekends so it was lucky they caught me), and has left DVDs in my front yard where my dog promptly destroyed the box. This was particularly annoying as I had a large box hanging on my gate lableled, "UPS/FEDEX Packages" Also, the route driver leaves packages in my mailbox regularly, which is A: illegal and B: means I've had packages left on a rural-route mailbox out of sight of my house, out of sight of anyone's house, where anyone could take the package. Also, if he can find the mailbox, he can find my house ... and drop the package in the labeled box by the gate!

UPS also leaves things in plastic bags if it's raining; FEDEX does not.

Leva

Cygnet makes a good point -- the driver makes a big difference.

FedEx used to not deliver in the country here, we had to go to the filling station in town to pick up boxes. Now, though, they do rural deliveries and I've been pretty satisfied with them. The regular driver is real good and always sets things inside our garage on a table in there or comes down to my shop. Have had a couple problems with a sub. driver who couldn't find the place, but I called and complained and the manager of the FedEx location brought package out on a Saturday afternoon.

UPS driver is real good; we've had the same guy for more than 20 years. Only thing I don't like about UPS is it's hard to track down a package -- even with tracking number -- if something goes wrong and the "customer service" people are some real *ssholes. They "lost" some fab. parts I sent to customer and were very slow to track them down. Generally, though, UPS isOK.

Same with regular mail. We've had same mail carrier for 20+ years and he is real good about bringing packages up and stuff, but in winter time, he becomes a wimp when roads are bad. No such thing as "daily mail delivery" when roads are bad.

If you want to hear some real nightmare stories, these truck-ship companies are the worst. If they call at all to schedule delivery, they want you to come meet them in town. Often, they're tractor-trailers and claim that they can't get up farm driveways. My drive can accommodate tractor-trailers, and then they try to come up with other excuses. One guy refused to come up drive after we had 1" of snow (I had drive cleared) -- told his manager there was 10" of snow. I had to drive down to the road and offload everything into my pickup.

Update on astray package
I now have the package!
Did FedEx delivery it? No, a neighbor found the package at his place.
Has FedEx called as they said they would? No
Am I going to call and give FedEx notice that I have the package?
I do not think so, I am going to wait to "see" what they do.

One of my memorable experiences was with UPS. I was really into high-power model rocketry at the time, and a rocket company back east was having a sale on high-power motors and parts. I ordered a bunch of motors and 2 4" diameter nose cones made of ABS foam and coated with epoxy. Because of the motors, the whole box was covered with big orange "Explosives D" labels before it was shipped by UPS ground (obviously before 9/11).

When the box arrived, it looked like it had been repeatedly drop-kicked. One of the nose cones had its tip poking through the side of the box by 2", but was otherwise undamaged. The motors also came through fine. But still, would you really want to mistreat a box prominently marked "explosives"? The UPS inspector I showed the box to took a bunch of pictures, hopefully they did some good.

FedEx, UPS, USPS, none of these guys know where I live. I'd have to get the tractor to pull em out of the ditches if they DID try to deliver.

Heck, the sheriff doesn't even know where I live... 911 folks mapped my home a mile away from where it actually is...they couldn't get their mapping trucks down my 'lovely' road. If I have emergency problems, I tell the agency to call the constable, so he can meet em out on the pavement and guide em down...

Military movers are contracted owner-operators. Supposed to deliver and unpack. We've gotten guys who drive out and say "I have a bad back, can't unpack! Go ahead an unload my truck." As if. Really need to know tho they've contracted to unload AND unpack, and get the military's money worth from them! (And save our backs for teh unpacking/reshuffling).