Trying to figure out what the... with shipping.

I've generally had good luck with shipping. My favorite was a replacement camera battery charger. It cost $8, with free shipping from China. It showed up in 3 days.

On the other hand, I ordered decal paper from Florida, I think. It was shipped USPS Priority Mail, which seemed overpriced because it wasn't time critical, but it was the cheapest option. Guaranteed 2-day delivery. I watched it plod its way up the east coast, and then there were no updates for 3 days. I went online and asked for an update. No response. Finally it showed up a week later, and then I got an email asking about how satisfied I was with their response to my tracking request, which they'd never replied to.

The last 2 FedEx packages we got were not for us. Reading the number on the house is apparantly not a required job skill.

 

Package delivery isn't the only ones that don't deliver on time. This discussion was started on the 2nd and I hadn't received it until today the 4th. I've had voice mails on my cell phone , Verizon, delayed up to a month.

:startled:

 

Well as suspected the package arrived today via the USPS. Now I had anticipated that considering the handling it went through and the miles it covered that the package would resemble something that had been in the middle of a NFL scrimmage with 275 pound plus linebackers falling on it. Was amazed to actually find the box with only a couple of minor dents. Of course considering it's size and shape It wasn't any use as a door stop or soccer ball. About the right size and shape for an 18 wheeler wheel chock though although I found no tire marks.

I do have to comment on the perverse soul that wrapped the metal components for my Dremel stand though. He or she used enough plastic wrap and tape to secure an M1 Abrams tank. It took a good 20 minutes with a sharp penknife and a few colorful words like nottafingga to get it unwrapped. I didn't even have any bubble wrap to take out my frustrations on by popping the bubbles just thick plastic and lots of equally thick tape. The other components in the box managed to survive the trip also even though some were plastic.

So all ends well the equipment is now installed on my workbench.

 

I think modern shipping is being misunderstood. If you have planes, trains and trucks moving to numerous locations everyday... the route a package takes doesn't make that much difference. All they're doing is adding those onto routes that are already carrying packages anyway. They just fit it in where they can, which is why the routes are backwards. But that's why it's cheaper. Those routes are still going to run, ie: The gas is still being spent. It's like, if you had a bus straight from LA to Chicago. Or a bus that ran to San Fran, then another to Salt Lake, then another to Phoenix, and then one to Chicago. They reserve the one that goes straight there for the people who paid full price, but if you don't care how long it takes, they'll fit you on all those others when they can, for less. Either way, all the buses are running. The airline works the same way. So it's not like one person is getting in a truck and driving to all those places, just for your package. They would be doing it anyway.

Sorry, I run an online business, and so I get more sensitive about this than others. Had a customer order something a while back, which was out. That same day they were emailed and told that it was out, and when it would ship... and if that wasn't good enough, we'd be happy to give them a refund. We got no response. Today I get an angry email from the customer, saying it had been "2 1/2 weeks" and they hadn't gotten any notification on what was happening. The order came in on the 28th. This is the 4th. That's just over one week... and we did contact them immediately. Meanwhile, this person will probably tell this completely false story on a forum somewhere and kill sales for us. This is the kind of stuff you deal with when you sell stuff for a living.

 

Odds are your e-mail to the customer went into their "junk" folder - which they probably never checked.
Likewise, if that folder is set to automatically purge its contents after a short period of time, your e-mail could have disappeared without a trace never having been read.

 

All the handling? It went to the originating facility in NJ. Was loaded on a trailer to the facility in Martinsburg WV that handles the service area in which you live. Then to the bulk mail facility since you have no local post office to delivery parcels to. From there out for delivery. That's about par for the course for any shipment weather LTL or small package. Origin, breakbulk sort, destination. NJ, WV, USPS. It doesn't get any simpler than that unless you have a full truck load or pay for dock to door service with a specialized carrier or hotshot service. Just because the package did not take the route you would drive does not mean it's not efficient. There is an economy of scale in trying to build up density over a certain route and service area. It's quite simple really.

 

Package went to the FedEx to be sorted in NJ. Then went to MD where once again it was sorted and loaded, then to West VA. At West VA it was sorted and loaded and sent to Northern VA regional sorting for USPS then to the remaining Falls Church VA USPS where it was sorted by route and loaded for delivery. And yes again all that handling.

 

At least they gave it to USPS I had some parts delivered to the local restaurant by FedEx the driver walked in and asked if anybody knew me and gave the package to the first person that spoke up luckily it was my neighbor. then sometime latter my cousin sent me a package which was delivered by throwing it on my porch after ringing the doorbell needless to say it was broken. I will take any other option over FedEx always

 

Hmm. I live in a trailer park with a town mailing address, but it's actually in an unincorporated part of the county.

I kid the drivers from USPS, UPS, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Service that I single-handedly keep them all on the road. That includes UPS SurePost and FedEx SmartPost, which keep two of the three on the road for one delivery.

I've rarely had problems, but if I do, I report the tracking number to help[at]ups[dot]com or FacebookCS[at]fedex[dot]com (I'm too "young" at TrainBoard to post real links just yet.).

It's a bit more complex to complain at USPS, but when once I got no satisfaction from the local postal station, I wrote to my U.S. Senator and the postmaster got slapped from HQ in Washington.

Usually I ask if they started hiring monkeys that were fired or escaped from the zoo and suggest that maybe the monkeys would do better than the driver who [insert details of stupidity here without resorting to bad language] and that if they can't fix it, I'll simply stop buying from companies that ship using them as the carrier.

I've gotten them straightened out to the point FedEx correctly delivered a package sent to 19 instead of 919 (while there is a 19 in the park, it's not on the same street). The vendor lost a customer by charging my Trust Fund $11 to correct the address, which as far as I can tell, said correction didn't get to FedEx.

I can tell you that these companies take action; once I complain about a driver, I never see that person again!

 

Yep... someones got some special handling

then again you find a bargain of the year - and they wont ship to Australia.. $234 is better than $279 online, or $440 locally here..
http://www.trainmastermodels.com/product-p/wal9332616.htm

 

The stop in MD was most likely a relay point for line haul purposes. We never sorted parcels in Md when I was there before FedEx. So I've no real answer for that. I can't imagine it was sorted as the time spent there was not long enough unless it was timed perfectly. This package was sorted 4 times most likely. NJ, WV, Bulk mail center, local office. 90+% of packages were only sorted 3 times during my tenure. I googled and located Falls Church(I only think I know everything). I am a little puzzled as to why this would not have went to the local post office as it appears to be a large metro area. That would eliminate the stop at the bulk mail center. You mentioned your local station closed that might be the reason. I can only guess. Anyway, this amount of sorting, or handling, is pretty standard industry wide. Shipments get handled at a origin terminal/facility. They are loaded to a break bulk or a hub. Sorted and loaded to a destination facility to be sorted one last time on a local run. The location this happens depends on the carrier. This does get a little more complicated for more rural delivery area and small towns. I am not quite sure what you expected in terms of how many times this would be transloaded. As for other comments on questionable deliveries. In every industry or business, there are those who do their jobs correctly, and those who don't. And trying to get them to do as the rest is managements task. At least the majority of the folks I worked with were on the positive side making my job easier and I still thank them for that.