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  #31  
Old 04-25-2018, 07:08 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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We live on an island, with private roads; the houses are numbered sequentially, with a sign at each street corner stating which house numbers are on that street. USPS will not deliver to our house, but UPS and FedEx will. UPS here isn't bad, FedEx is beyond laughable. Twice in the past few months we have received an e-notice (after the fact) that "the driver could not find the address." Yet, that same driver has found our house the rest of the time. It seems to happen when they are running late with deliveries, especially on a Friday... not too tough to figure out what is happening there.

"Delivery attempted - no one there to sign for the package"... total fabrication. When I have called the FedEx hub (90 minutes away), there is usually a sigh, an apology, and "I don't know what that driver is thinking..."

I thought it was just the driver for our location. Guess not.
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  #32  
Old 04-25-2018, 07:20 AM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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Fed-ex left my new amp in front of the center of the garage door. Luckily, I saw it before my wife backed the car out to leave, which would have been 10 minutes later.

It's almost like the delivery guy was TRYING to create damage.
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  #33  
Old 04-25-2018, 07:27 AM
der Geist der Geist is offline
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Fed Ex drivers are all subcontractors. Since they are technically self employed they can do what they want. I have a fed ex driver who repeatedly makes delivery attempts before my store is open. The street is almost all retail at ground level.

UPS drivers are so overworked now they actually have to pee in a jug they keep in back because they don’t have time to take a proper bathroom break. The little computers they carry track every stop and if they take too long at a stop they will get reprimanded. They are no longer taking signatures on most shipments because it takes too long and gives the customer a chance to interact with the driver slowing him down. When they stopped taking signatures they added 20 stops to my drivers route.

USPS are Gubmint employees-they just don’t care. I actually logged 15 complaints against one carrier. She refused to take outgoing mail. When I told her it was her job she told me taking mail back was a courtesy, not her job. It is almost impossible for them to fire a carrier nowadays. Carriers make huge amounts of $$$ here. I have heard some say 80k year plus Benny’s. Luckily I have a really great carrier now who will make a special trip if I have a lot of parcels going out.
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  #34  
Old 04-25-2018, 07:31 AM
ancient tones ancient tones is offline
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Neighbor had a package of pharmaceuticals thrown into the fenced front yard instead of being left under the carport by the side door. Yep, dog ate the pills. Not sure shipper in that one.

I have shipped 600+ pedals and tube amps on reverb.com mostly USPS, but 20 tube amps with UPS for no complaints with customers. Ya gotta pack stuff right
Count on everything being dropped from 10 feet up.
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  #35  
Old 04-25-2018, 08:01 AM
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Mr. Paul Mr. Paul is offline
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Default Having regular drivers helps

A lot of these stories sound familiar from my days living in Denver.

Now that I live in a rural area, it's rather different.
The regular UPS guy has given out his cell number and the FedEx lady knows my dogs name and brings her treats.

The only one I won't use is USPS as their tracking system is mostly an elaborate decoy.
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  #36  
Old 04-25-2018, 08:39 AM
Thumbwrapper Thumbwrapper is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by docwatsonfan View Post
sorry to hear this

Fed Ex has the HAL, hold at location service, which has worked flawlessly every time for me......

I'd look into it
Due to a past experience, for something like a guitar I now always request to hold at FedEx location for me to pickup. Keeps the guitar out of the hot truck in summer or ice cold truck in winter plus avoids any nefarious intentions by a courier.

Some years ago I had a guitar coming via FedEx Home Delivery. While home waiting for the delivery I received the "Delivered" email yet nothing ever arrived. I click the check signature link and there is an obvious forgery of my signature. Not only was it practically illegible but it also lacked my middle initial which I ALWAYS use. I was incensed and called the local FedEx Home facility as well as Corporate and threatened immediate legal action based on the forgery. The next morning the guitar was at my front door.

To points others made, I don't think any such problems are unique to FedEx or any single shipper. All have issues and are subject to the human factor. The difference is how the company handles a situation when one arises.
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  #37  
Old 04-25-2018, 08:39 AM
cattzap cattzap is offline
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"And they are all so incredibly stressed all the time because they are in a no-win situation"

For sure. I went into the post office here to ask about getting a passport. The lady at the window said I had to have an appointment then got out a big fat binder. After flipping thru some pages, she stood up and threw it and raked all the stuff off her desk and started hollering cuss words and walked away. There was another guy at a desk behind her that looked up and stared for awhile then said that was crazy then went back doing what he was doing. Had to go to a different post office to find someone to setup the appointment.
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  #38  
Old 04-25-2018, 08:48 AM
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stephenT stephenT is offline
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I've been shipping guitar and amps since the 80's w/ 85-90% of my business going to FedEx.

FedEx has consistently been the best shipper for me, knock on wood but no damages or loss in all that time. Until things change they are my shipper of choice.
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  #39  
Old 04-25-2018, 08:59 AM
ancient tones ancient tones is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephenT View Post
I've been shipping guitar and amps since the 80's w/ 85-90% of my business going to FedEx.

FedEx has consistently been the best shipper for me, knock on wood but no damages or loss in all that time. Until things change they are my shipper of choice.
You have to pack assuming the worse!
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  #40  
Old 04-25-2018, 09:03 AM
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stephenT stephenT is offline
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Always do, if you don't, THEN you are asking for disappointment.

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Originally Posted by ancient tones View Post
You have to pack assuming the worse!
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  #41  
Old 05-25-2018, 08:04 AM
jmoneilthe2 jmoneilthe2 is offline
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Cool It's Not just FedEx

I was waiting for my guitar that was being shipped by the USPS and as I sat on my front porch, I watched the mailman stop at my box, put some stuff in and drove off. I went out to the box only to find a notice saying "Sorry we missed you". I took the notice to the PO (30 miles away I live in a rural area) the next day only to find that the guy took the package out again instead of leaving it at the PO. I drove all the way home and found it left on my porch. Why he didn't do that in the first place I have no idea.
I later found out the original guy that left the notice never took the package out with him (i guess it was to big) and only left the notice. He was a replacement carrier.
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  #42  
Old 05-25-2018, 09:24 AM
Red_Label Red_Label is offline
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Meh... I don't buy into the "worst" shipper stuff. I ALWAYS choose FedEx Ground when shipping instruments.
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  #43  
Old 05-25-2018, 09:50 AM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cattzap View Post
"And they are all so incredibly stressed all the time because they are in a no-win situation"

For sure. I went into the post office here to ask about getting a passport. The lady at the window said I had to have an appointment then got out a big fat binder. After flipping thru some pages, she stood up and threw it and raked all the stuff off her desk and started hollering cuss words and walked away. There was another guy at a desk behind her that looked up and stared for awhile then said that was crazy then went back doing what he was doing. Had to go to a different post office to find someone to setup the appointment.
That's where the expression "going postal" comes from...
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  #44  
Old 05-25-2018, 09:58 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephenT View Post
I've been shipping guitar and amps since the 80's w/ 85-90% of my business going to FedEx.

FedEx has consistently been the best shipper for me, knock on wood but no damages or loss in all that time. Until things change they are my shipper of choice.
This has been my experience as well and I really like the Hold At Location option. I am fortunate to have a hub near my home and office location so it works out well. It is still true that no matter who you use, when the wheels come off, it is a total bummer!

Best,
Jayne
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  #45  
Old 05-25-2018, 10:20 AM
Looburst Looburst is offline
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I always do the "HAL", simply because all of their delivery services suck.
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