Atten: If you use Fedex-read this

Kinda funny me reading this today as I'm waiting for DHL to deliver a new cell phone to me today. My wife had a "senior moment" last saturday and threw my coat in the washing machine without checking my pockets. Needless to say the phone wouldn't work after the rinse cycle. It's 1:30PM now and I have to stay here cause I have to sign for it and can't be here tomorrow. (The instructions say they will try to deliver it twice before sending it back.)

 

I'm ***uming I didn't read something correctly with my most recent shipment when I asked for a quote from fedex on their godawful web service, I was quoted $9.50 to ship a 13 lb package and they charged me $14.30. They added $3.50 for requiring an adult signature. I can't figure out how to get an accurate quote and be sure they aren't going to change the price after they deliver. I hate UPS but I will use them next time and hand them cash over the counter. I quoted both before shipping and FedEx was cheapest, after the upcharges I didn't know about UPS would have been cheaper and more convenient. I blame myself at least partially, but never again. A small complaint compared to most but I don't appreciate them giving me a wishy-washy quote. They do it to us at work all the time to the tune of $2000 a shot at times for overnight freight.

 

I ordered a 3 point hitch for my tractor from a company in Kansas. They shipped it UPS. Apparently the shipper bundled the parts and strapped and taped them together and all was good until the package arrived in Greensboro. For some unknown reason some flunky there took it upon him or herself to cut the pieces apart and seperate them. My 93 lb package weighed 11 lbs when it arrived. Needless to say I didn't get the whole hitch, I got very little of it. I made a claim and UPS did a tracer. Kind of odd they couldn't find these big loose pieces of heavy steel painted bright red. A month later the replacement arrived also now missing parts as a result of being p***ed through the Greensboro facility. A second claim and tracer and 3 weeks later a box arrived that was supposed to have the missing linkages. Key word...supposed. The box was sealed with a packing list enclosed but otherwise quite empty! It took 2 1/2 months to do a 1 hr installation. The USPS is another animal. The Post Offices here have their paychecks delivered by UPS! Have you ever used the USPS tracking system? What a joke that is. No estimate of delivery time is ever given. The tracking system only acknowledges receipt of your package. They could care less about ever delivering anything. The service decline is directly proportional to fee increases. If the price of delivering a first cl*** letter suddenly jumped to $50, 99% of our mail would be misdirected and the only fix would be to raise rates. Ain't a monopoly the greatest thing?

 

I have shipped out over 2500 items in the last 5 years. I mostly use the US post office. I ship parts all over the world, where ever there are old cars...even Bolivia and United Arab Republic wherever that is. I have had ONE package come up missing.. and I believe that guy was a rip off artist and he got it and lied. I have had one package get broken. it was a long skinny piece of trim and in hindsight I admit I did not use a strong enough box for it. these were all shipped via the post office.

for heavy or large items I use FED EX or Greyhound. doors, fenders, inner fenders on and on. FED EX has never lost or damaged anything in somewhere around 75 shipments. shipped about 6-7 items via greyhound with the same results.

am I just incredibly lucky? I don't think so. you need to pack this stuff like it's going to be kicked around a bit. pretend it's an egg and you are going to drop it off the roof. that's why my junk makes it and others do not... with the exception of the thieves stealing your stuff. it has been my experience that lost or damaged items are a rare occurance. if you have multiple problems shipping you really need to rethink your shipping practices.

 

the tracking system only acknowledges receipt of your package

that is called delivery confirmation. it is not tracking at all and does not claim to be.

 

I strictly use Canada Post and The US post office. Lots of mailing - Zero problems.

 

The local old car place where I get 49-51 Ford parts has stopped shipping hoods. The last three they have shipped ended up destroyed. They ship stuff everyday and used wood crates to ship the hoods. One of the hoods was bent nearly double and the crate looked as if it had been run over by a large tractor.

They have used DHL, UPS, USPS and FEDEX and all of them mess up from time to time.

 

I have had huge issues with UPS and a few with USPS/Canada Post.

One was they arbitrarily decided that a inexpensive set of used connecting rods was worth $500 and tried to charge me $90 to receive them! They also lost a rare isky 241 dodge camshaft.

UPS however charged me over $600 to overnight one box halfway accross the country (fully insured), and then it sat in the local depot for two weeks before they got around to delivering it - AND they would not give us a refund! There was a reason we paid so much to overnight it!

After we cancelled our account with them (several hundred thousand $$$ a year), they finally decided they would look into a refund to try to lure us back.

 

I've been a UPS driver for over 14 years. 20 with company next month. I'll have to agree too many packages are damaged, mostly from low paid inside package handlers. It's been my experience that every shipper will have a package damaged at some point, but if it is damaged every time something isn't being packaged right. Here is the scenario I'm seeing with your package. People ship fairly heavy metal objects think they don't have to pack it super tight because it can't be damaged if dropped anyway. What happens is when these heavy objects move around inside the package they beat the hell out of the box from the inside out up to the point where they eat their way out of the box.

When you package anything for shipping you have to consider that your package is going to travel with everything else in the system. That curve or chute in the belt system can't read the fragile sticker or up arrow on the box. It doesn't care that the expensive chrome horn ring shipped in a pizza box is being chased down the belt by 70lbs of plastic pellets.

 

If I'm paying $20 for a package to be delivered to ME, I want it delivered to ME!. UPS Is always wanting to drop off my packages at my work (a school). I'm not a total ***. It's convienent for me, I may take it. Just don't EXPECT to leave it there. Our ups person was leaving stuff at the post office. Don't know how she did that.
j

 

BTW, sometimes in the summers, our shipping bill may be $200 a DAY. We are a mom & pop (literally) operation and we are paying more money for worse service. Man you guys got me on my soap box!!
J