FedEx, UPS and/or USPS for USA shipping

[John Roberts]

Re: FedEx, UPS and/or USPS for USA shipping

A couple months ago I had shipped a package and after watching the tracking for a couple days it just stopped, no information, updates, anything. After four days I call FedEx to check on whats going on, after getting handed off to a few people I find out the truck caring the package was in an accident and all packages were being written off as un-salvageable. They said there was no way I could get the package returned to me. Depending on the severity of the accident the package was probably still OK as it was packed well and the items were not really that fragile. They told me all packages had been inspected and declared damaged. I had to file a claim as if the package had just been lost in shipping, wait for it to be approved and the check to arrive. In all the conversations I had with FedEx I got the feeling that if I had not looked into what happened to the package they would have never contacted me saying the package was lost due to their trucking accident.

Some sharp pencil type working in administrata figured that it was cheaper to just discard the damaged packages and rely upon insurance/replacement. Imagine the time/cost to negotiate value for each damaged package in full truck. They have insurance to cover such things so they use it.

Another frustrating weirdness I experienced with UPS was that they would always send undeliverable (label fell off) packages to some dead letter destination, even if you could identify that it was your missing package from the weight, size and where it showed without a label. In fact they should know every piece that went on a truck so if one comes off the truck without a label it's simple deduction. I never lost a label, but had a shipment of raw PCB from a vendor that got lost in the system for way too long.

JR

 

[Craig Hauber]

Re: FedEx, UPS and/or USPS for USA shipping

It's like sending stuff as luggage. I had the fortunate experience of looking out of the window of a plane just as the first pieces of luggage came out on the conveyor belt. It was the rack lids for the bands multitrack playback/recorder, followed by the recorder itself still in the rack. Luckily I had the HDDs in my cabin luggage.

That's probably because he TSA opened it up for inspection, didn't see anything they could easily steal and didn't bother latching the lids back on properly.
I've found that rack cases are trouble-magnets with air baggage and have had flawless results in the last few years just flying gear in conventional suitcases (dime-a-dozen at thrift stores) or pelican type cases. Even though "ATA" is what we consider proper roadcases, it's just too "shiny-cool-expensive" for normal bag check -use normal luggage or send the ATA cases using air-freight with proper insurance.

 

[Helge A. Bentsen]

Re: FedEx, UPS and/or USPS for USA shipping

That's probably because he TSA opened it up for inspection, didn't see anything they could easily steal and didn't bother latching the lids back on properly.

I doubt it, this was a domestic flight in Norway

Then again, some people claim that our dealings with the US is so close that we are a de facto US state, not a independent country. Maybe it's already a done deal but nobody told me

 

[Tim Padrick]

Re: FedEx, UPS and/or USPS for USA shipping

IME UPS stores have a substantial upcharge, and are thus to be avoided. Get Worldship PC software and get a daily pickup. (It does work on a Mac under Parallels.)

Dunno if there are FedEx stores. The FedEx PC software is way behind Worldship. When I have to ship FedEx (client want's shipping billed to their FedEx account), I use the on-line thingy.

Where I worked a decade ago, both FedEx and UPS were equally reliable. Now I work out in the sticks (but right by a US highway), and UPS is better - and the disparity is greater the farther into the sticks one gets. Plus, many of the deliveries I get from FedEx are covered with a very fine black dirt.

A supplier on the west cost refuses to use any but USPS. Deliveries are fast and the boxes always look as though they were handled with care. eBay purchases sent via USPS have mostly been speedy as well. On the other hand, I've seen it take four days for a letter to travel 15 miles.