I hate FedEx

[Cougar]

So I ordered a, uh, package (which will remain mysterious ) that shows a "label was created" two Fridays ago, on July 22. Then the package was "received" by Fedex last Monday, July 25, in a city in Pennsylvania. OK, could take some days to get here from there via ground. Tracking shows it arrived at another city in Pennsylvania the next day, July 26. Good, it's moving. But then tracking shows no movement after that, like it's been sitting in Pennsylvania for the past four days!

Thing is, tracking has consistently said, and is still saying, that the package will arrive today, July 30! It's now about 5:00 pm here in the Pacific time zone. I guess they have until 9:00 pm to make that delivery (it's actually still fairly light here at that time) but I have my serious doubts. I will certainly be pleasantly surprised if it arrives, but.....

Regardless, I hate Fedex's whole special "system" of labeling and sticking the address slip in their special little plastic "window" that doesn't even close securely. I hate Fedex in more ways than one!

 

[PreacherBob]

Wow! I’m saying a little prayer for you, I hope it comes tonight. Mine sometimes comes right at 7. Though most of mine have come by UPS 2 day shipping On schedule. If I ship I do 2 day UPS or USPS. Really doesn’t cost much more than 5 day. I just worry about guitars out about too long. Plus at 97 degrees here, out in the rural area, the boxes are covered in dust because their doors stay open, and the boxes are HOT as fire. I let them sit 12 hours in the box, then 24 hours in the case Before I open it. Not sure if it helps but it eases my mind.

 

[richardp69]

I've had good luck with Fed Ex and use them often. I do however, use the UPS mailing pouch. Much better than the Fed Ex type.

 

[Cougar]

Oh great. Instead of Saturday, July 30, now tracking says scheduled delivery date "Pending."

Did I mention I hate FedEx?

 

[GGJaguar]

Ugh, hang in there. I have that happen at least a couple of times and the packages arrived, albeit very late. Hoping for the best!

 

[Triangle Going Sick_OG]

Ahh Fedex, brings back some good memories.

Had a Mk3 Sound City 200w head arrive smashed into pieces.
This was double boxed into heavy gauge box and double high density foam lined. The head surround foam was custom made to suit.
Had pictures of all this as well.

So somehow the box was perfect but the head looked like someone had pulled it out, inspected it with a crow bar and then repacked it.

Cut a long story short, Fedex insurance must have a rubber stamp DENY for everything that runs through that department.
I'd given up so gave one last phone call with nothing to lose; whinged, complained, abused the company, told them every social media outlet would know they automatically deny all claims etc etc and then hung up. Had no intention of actuall doing that By the end of the call I didn't even like what I had become haha!

2 weeks later (no phone call, no email, nothing) a cheque magically appears in the mail for the full amount to cover repairs!

 

[Cougar]

No delivery. Still pending.

Coincidentally, there's an article in today's NY Times titled

To Enjoy Life More, Embrace Anticipation​

"Looking forward to something can be almost as good as experiencing it."

LOL!

“Imagining good things ahead of us makes us feel better in the current moment,” said Simon A. Rego, the chief psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who has written extensively on the effect of anticipation on mood. “It can increase motivation, optimism and patience and decrease irritability.”

Well, that's one way to look at it. I'm certainly full of anticipation!

 

[fronobulax]

So I had an order that wasn't expected to even enter the system until this coming Monday. I got an email that it had been packed and shipped on Friday with expected arrival on Monday. I then got an email yesterday that it was arriving on Sunday (today). FedEx delivered it about 1:00 PM. I figure FedEx is more afraid of the wrath of cat owners than guitar players because the prescription cat food arrived so quickly that it beat the tracking updates

 

[wileypickett]

You may be onto something Frono! Identifying the contents of a box as a guitar may be the wrong approach.

What woud REALLY prompt the delivery people to get a move-on?

"Contains Body Parts"

"Caution: Live Cobra"

"Handle With Care: Whale Blubber"

"This Side Up: Termite Colony"

 

[bobouz]

Mr Rego is off his rocker. Not once has anticipation come remotely close to increasing my patience - while it does work wonders on sending my OCDness into supersonic hyper drive!

 

[dreadnut]

I always use USPS, for guitar shipments as well.

 

[fronobulax]

You may be onto something Frono! Identifying the contents of a box as a guitar may be the wrong approach.

What woud REALLY prompt the delivery people to get a move-on?

"Contains Body Parts"

"Caution: Live Cobra"

"Handle With Care: Whale Blubber"

"This Side Up: Termite Colony"

Airlines allow firearms in checked luggage but they are very cautious about it. So if you have high value items that you need to check but cannot afford to replace, you buy a starter pistol (which is classed as a firearm) pack it with your cameras or electronic gear or golf clubs and then declare a firearm as contents when you check it. The procedures vary from airline to airline but in general they will hand carry it everywhere or never let out of sight of a designated handler. You will pick it up from a human, not teh baggage carousel.

 

[richardp69]

I always use USPS, for guitar shipments as well.

I used to as well but they are not even close to being price competitive these days.

 

[Cougar]

Well, now at least delivery is rescheduled for tomorrow.

 

[dreadnut]

I shoulda said I always used USPS, because I haven't shipped one in a couple of years since I sold all my friend's lefty guitars.

 

[DrumBob]

I've grown to despise FedEx also, since they broke three guitar on me.

 

[Guildedagain]

Though I rarely use it anymore I've had a FedEx account for 20 years. Can't think of a single horror story.

 

[geoguy]

I generally use FedEx exclusively for work shipments, but recently had a problematic experience with no explanation given by FedEx.

Shipped two boxes to a customer. Both should have arrived the next afternoon . . . but only one was delivered. The second box appeared to have arrived at the local FedEx station, but wasn't delivered to the customer for an additional five days!

The station personnel claimed it wasn't at their facility, during the period when it was MIA, but it was never scanned anywhere else . . .

 

[HeyMikey]

This is why I try to have packages held for pickup.

Got the FedEx notice my package is arriving today for signature. Then mid morning got a notice delivery was attempted but no one was home. Complete B.S. Three cars in the driveway, my window faces the walkway and door. No one heard anything and no slip was left. God and the driver only know where the delivery attempt was made if it even was.

Called FedEx to request someone contact me to assure they know the location or for me to pick it up. However only the shipper can make the hold request. Called the shipper, but no one there that knows how to make that change. They will “try” to get hold of the manager. I have very low confidence that this will turn out well.

 

[Cougar]

This is why I try to have packages held for pickup.

Yeah, I used to do that with UPS. It works well if you put in the request soon after it's shipped. (I guess you have to have a [free] registered account, too.) But no more since we moved to live in the forest, far from any pickup place....