Whats up with UPS and FedEx? rant, USPS is looking good now

[Michael Weber]

Anyone else have delivery problems lately? Four times (that I have been associated with) in the last few months packages were delivered to incorrect address's on the street. Twice I received a neighbors package (one next door, one way the heck down the street and on the opposite side). Now, twice in the last week UPS and FedEX both delivered my packages to the wrong address. Again one next door and no idea where the other one was delivered. It turned up 5 days after delivery beside my porch (on the ground and OPENED). Now I have a very visible address sign (white with black letters 6 or 8 inches tall) on a post that is at right angles to the street. I found the latest package by my neighbors front door that they never use. Could have stayed there for days. Even if delivery had required a signature for delivery, the notice they tape to the door wouldn't have been found. I just can't believe the drivers don't make some kind of effort to ascertain the address is correct. I guess they're in such a hurry that a WAG is all the effort they're going to give. I'm just peeved right now and needed to rant. USPS is looking better all the time. Might take a little longer but at least they go to the proper address.

[Mike Henderson]

If you ship priority mail, it will be quite a bit faster than either UPS or FedEx ground. And I'm guessing the shipping charges would be close to the same. The only advantage of UPS is you get $100 insurance included in the charges. With the USPS you have to pay extra. But the PO doesn't lose many packages.

Mike

[Mike Cruz]

Actually, I have found USPS to be cheaper than UPS on a number of instances. One reason is that UPS charges extra for rural addresses (ones that are a bit out of the way), where USPS doesn not. I think where UPS might have an advantage is if you are shipping to a business...sometimes the rates seem a lot cheaper, then.

Michael, boxes may be showing up on your doorstep because the driver either can't find the other houses, or no one was home and he didn't want to take it back with him. So he leaves it on your door step to let you deliver it. Don't know... just a possibility...

[Horton Brasses]

Doesn't explain everything over the last few months-but this time of year there are a lot of temporary drivers for both companies. Things tend to get a little crazy because of that. Otherwise it could be you just have a lousy driver. That said, I have had three or four packages damaged by UPS recently.

[Larry Frank]

I have nothing but good luck with UPS this year. I have done most of my shopping online and have free shipping with most stuff at Amazon. I get stuff in 2 days with with the Amazon Prime service. The UPS have delivered a lot of packages and have not lost anything. I must be fortunate to have a good driver. I have had a problem in the past and reported it to UPS and they did investigate. A driver had reported that he tried to deliver a package and nobody was home. I was at home and sitting at my computer 10 feet from the door. UPS called me back a couple of days later and apologized and said they had corrected the problem.

[Dave Lehnert]

UPS and FEDEX have helpers with them right now. I noticed them at work last week.

As far as UPS insurance goes it is basically worthless. If it gets damaged, they say it is not covered because it was not packaged good enough. If it were, It would not have been damaged.

[Jim O'Dell]

I don't know about USPS...we get mail for people that aren't even on our street!!! I mean, there are only 2 houses on the street my house is registered to (long story, the side of the house faces the street we are suppose to live on according to the PO. I think the house that was here before that burned must have faced this side street, they rebuilt facing a different street--corner lot).
I have had a delivery fom McMaster-Carr go next door, but seems like it was DHL...are they still around? UPS is usually pretty good.
And I'll be the first to say, the subdivision we live in is laid out pretty weird. Jim.

[John Coloccia]

I use USPS a lot these days. It's been very reliable for me. Then again, so has UPS and Fedex. Everyone has bad days. About the only I absolutely refuse to use anymore is Fedex freight. I've been inside all three at various times (some use our equipment, and some I just know by other means), and I can tell you that all three are VERY serious about getting it right, at least from what I've seen. I don't know what's up with Fedex freight. I consistently have had problems with them and I won't sign for anything without thoroughly inspecting the package inside and out. I'm not the only one either, by the way.

I'm not trying to make excuses. Screw ups are screw ups, but it really does seem like they're all doing their best to get it right. If you knew how many packages they handle each day, and how many things have to go right to get any one package to the right place, you'd be shocked and amazed they're not 10 times worse than they are!

[Eric Larsen]

I make a point of getting to know my USPS, UPS and FedEx carriers. I know all three by name. One of them is an amateur woodworker, so we've talked shop. Occasionally, I'll get a substitute carrier, and I'll get to know that person, too.

I've yet to have a delivery problem. In fact, I have received notes reading, "It looked like it might rain, so I put the package against the north wall by your gas meter." (Rain almost always comes from the south around here.)

During the holidays, everyone gets a bottle of wine and a box of pecan brittle. ($5 Trader Joe's champagne (Blanc d'Blancs, actually) and home made brittle.) Delivery drivers, trash collectors, my newspaper guy, meter readers, everyone. It costs $50 per year to take care of EVERYONE who comes to my door on a regular basis. It is well worth the cost -- both in service and in general.

[Horton Brasses]

I should clarify a bit. I ship anywhere from 60-100 packages per day with UPS. I am very familiar with the ins and outs. There are issues with any carrier this time of year: UPS, FedEx, USPS. We choose to use UPS as our primary carrier. In our experience they are the most reliable carrier for the cost.

In our experience FedEx home is about the least reliable. Most drivers are very good of course, but out in the rural areas it can be a struggle. They are paid by the package so if you live 6 miles out on a dirt road they can become a little snippy. Doing things like leaving the package at the end of your street/dirt driveway in a ditch, etc. Or just not going to your house on schedule because it is too far out and they don't want to lose money.

FedEx express service is fantastic, those drivers bend over backwards to get packages to the customer-but the cost a lot more and they actually take longer to deliver locally. IE, you pay for 3day service and you are in a neighboring state it takes 3 days whereas ground is overnight at no extra cost.

Just my .02.

[Dave Lehnert]

I make a point of getting to know my USPS, UPS and FedEx carriers. I know all three by name. One of them is an amateur woodworker, so we've talked shop. Occasionally, I'll get a substitute carrier, and I'll get to know that person, too.

I've yet to have a delivery problem. In fact, I have received notes reading, "It looked like it might rain, so I put the package against the north wall by your gas meter." (Rain almost always comes from the south around here.)

During the holidays, everyone gets a bottle of wine and a box of pecan brittle. ($5 Trader Joe's champagne (Blanc d'Blancs, actually) and home made brittle.) Delivery drivers, trash collectors, my newspaper guy, meter readers, everyone. It costs $50 per year to take care of EVERYONE who comes to my door on a regular basis. It is well worth the cost -- both in service and in general.

I was talking to the UPS guy at work (different route\driver than home)
Where I lived and such. He said "You are that guy always ordering tools"