FED EX!!!! (and UPS, USPS, etc etc)

[ehanes7612]

and something we all know about
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/us/2011/12/20/pkg-moos-deliveries-gone-wild.cnn

 

[tocarmar]

Interesting!! Very interesting!! Seems to be happening more & more!!

 

[Marc]

Not a big surprise to me. I still recall a parcell service wanting to deliver a package at the reception of the company were I work. The delivery man was told that he needed to go to th shipping area at the backside of the company.

He got mildly anoyed and started a discussion, in the end he left through the front door and threw the package with quite some force in the back of his van.

 

[Shiva]

That is why I refuse to buy anything that is delivered by UPS, FedEx and others when I buy anything on the Internet in the US. They either deliver through USPS or the deal is off. Not only they do not care about your parcels, they charge outrageous handling fees when going through customs. Never had any trouble having things shipped through USPS.

 

[Dido]

Oh well thats happen everywhere.

I am missing a parcel from Uk.

It was send out on the 12.11 and It get lost in a sorting centre.

there was a tracking number on, and insured, but not enough...

So I am still hoping the Cyps from a friend in Uk will show up.

There were 10 parviflorum parviflorum in......

 

[Ray]

I was the global logistics manager for a $500-million chemical company, and we used FedEx and UPS to the tune of $10,000-$15,000 per week - and that's with a huge discount. First Rays uses FedEx almost exclusively domestically, averaging between $350-$500 per week with a moderate discount.

The chemical company had on average, one damaged package per month with UPS, about one a year with FedEx (I fired UPS). First Rays has had one package lost and two damaged in over 10 years. There was another occasion where a package - plants, of course - was dropped in the snow at the end of a private road, rather than at the house, 2 miles up the road.

Before going with FedEx, I shipped for about 7 years with the USPS, and I experienced more losses and delays (an important factor when shipping plants) than I ever have since. With their financial woes, I cannot see it getting any better.

FedEx Ground and Home Delivery drivers, and all UPS drivers are not employees, they are contractors who bid on the routes, and own, fuel, and maintain the trucks they drive. Bitch about service issues, and they will lose their routes. The guy in Utah who dumped the package rather than a complete delivery lost his.

When I ship to Canada, I usually use the USPS, precisely for the cost factor. As a non-resident importer, if I go through FedEx, I have to collect taxes and duties, and have a brokerage fee to deal with as well. Even with that, sometimes it's cheaper than the USPS, so I use FedEx in that case - I always run the costs both ways to find out.

Delivery times to Canada differ greatly, too. I recently sent two packages to the Toronto area on the same day - one FedEx International Ground, the other with the USPS. The FedEx package got to the gateway in two days, cleared customs the next day, and was delivered two days after that. The USPS package took two full weeks to arrive. I can also track the FedEx package en route. Can't do that with the USPS.

 

[bullsie]

At my last place of employment they purchased reams of special paper and the boxes always had plastic bands on for keeping the lid sealed and it made carrying them easier. Shipped UPS, the boxes always arrived with the ends busted up, sometimes so bad the paper was sticking out. I suspect they were using these boxes to bowl with. Got to the point the box was placed in a larger box to keep it safe.

Sad in this time of poor economics that such a mentality still exists. Everyone pays for this type of work ethic.

 

[koshki]

Ray, thanks for that bit of background information. I have noticed a definite difference with deliveries after we moved a couple years ago, particularly with the FedEx guy. He refuses to ring the doorbell when he leaves a box, which usually has plants in it. I complained once last winter, with no change, but I will pay attention in the future. It's frustrating because 95% of the time I am home, and don't need to leave stressed plants sitting in the cold/sun/wind/rain or whatever it happens to be doing.

 

[Shiva]

I certainly wouldn't use USPS for plants in Winter. As a matter of fact, I don't import plants from outside Canada anymore unless they can be put in the mail in Canada. Some sellers coming to Canada for a speaking engagement will do that when the weather permits.

 

[NYEric]

Hilarious! No surprises there!

 

[Marc]

Ray, thanks for that bit of background information. I have noticed a definite difference with deliveries after we moved a couple years ago, particularly with the FedEx guy. He refuses to ring the doorbell when he leaves a box, which usually has plants in it. I complained once last winter, with no change, but I will pay attention in the future. It's frustrating because 95% of the time I am home, and don't need to leave stressed plants sitting in the cold/sun/wind/rain or whatever it happens to be doing.

You should file an official complaint, or at least that is what I would do.

 

[Justin]

'm sure these are the exception not the rule. i've always had great experience with Fedex...but i am lucky my work is right down the street from their sorting center, so for plants i always have the package held for pickup at the facility.

 

[abax]

FedEx is the bane of my orchid life! I know the person

who had her package dropped in the snow in Utah and several of us wrote to complain. It did no good here in KY at all. FedEx still drops packages anywhere the driver feels
like dropping them. On the other hand, our UPS man is
GREAT. If I'm not home, he sets orchid deliveries in my
gh for me...bless 'im. USPS Priority is pretty good most of
the time. You can track USPS Priority packages, but usually the package arrives before the PO posts tracking info. That's my rant for the day!

 

[eOrchids]

Had no problems with FedEx, UPS nor USPS so far. *knock on wood*

 

[cnycharles]

usually shipping from the west to east coast, or east to west or along the east coast, usps priority mail has worked very well for me. unfortunately the pickup of plants by usps in nyc at the inspection station is dismal (though the inspectors at the station are very good); I also had a package I sent to myself from new mexico to wyoming which took about two weeks (I wasn't there that long) and I had left before it arrived. I assumed later that the remoteness of both places lead to the delays, since air travel at both is only achieved after long distance driving, though it should've been only one week

sometimes it depends on where you are at and the person doing the route. if it's usps and it has to go through brooklyn, fuhgettabouttit!

 

[suss16]

Personal experience - I have purchased almost my whole collection from distant sources. FEDEX has been by far the best delivery source. I have also found a great method for those that are able... have it delivered and held at a FEDEX office. It stays indoors and you pick it up when you wish. I am fortunate that I have a FEDEX office about a quarter mile from my office. Typically the package is there before 8 am and a text message tells me when I can pick it up. Otherwise this package would be on a truck the entire day and get to my office at 4 pm. On a typical two day deliver the shipper sends it late in the day and I get it 36 hours later. Never had an issue.