Fed Ex experience

[hermithollow]

It is my understanding that Fed Ex uses contract drivers for it's local deliveries. They bid on the route and the low bidder gets it. The "locals" are paid to load their truck and drive and deliver the packages. If no one will take the route then they will hire a driver until they can find some sucker to take it.
I have had Fed Ex leave packages all over town. Luckily it's a small town with honest people - they call us to come get our packages. The UPS driver always leaves our packages at the neighbors - doesn't want to drive up the washed out two track the town calls a road.

[llew]

My only problem with FedEx is their "local" hub is actually in a different city 70 miles away for ground delivery. So if I re-direct the guitar to my local FedEx Office Store for pickup, as I always do, it adds an additional day to the shipping. Not so with UPS. If I re-direct with UPS it still comes on the same day as originally scheduled. Np problem other than the extra day delay.

[guitar12]

My feeling is that most of the comments here are going to be about actual deliveries and most times those go well for any of the big 3 delivery outfits.. However, I think the real value of a company is when things go off the rails or if you just have a question or concern and in that regard my only comment is good luck getting thru to a human at UPS. In my recent experience the phone tree is intentionally set up to channel you to do everything on the website. It is in incredibly frustrating going round and round thru the menus trying to speak to an actual human. I don't ship much but I now ship with Fedex and I'm always easily and quickly able to speak to a human if/when I have a question/problem.

Rob

[gmruegg]

My experience is that UPS uses route drivers that are dedicated to a specific route. My driver Hector knows me and my wife by name and always waves and knows when we are home and when he should deliver to our neighbors.

FedEx on the other hand are seemingly random drivers who ring the doorbell and literally run back to their truck because actually interacting with people will cost them time. If I know a shipper is sending me a package via FedEx I reroute the package to a FedEx store near me. That way I know when it gets delivered, I can just show an ID and get the package in a secure environment. Just my experience in a major city neighborhood.

[Tico]

Yet another reason I only use Craigslist, in person, no shipping, cash only.

[Photojeep]

While I've had issues with all delivery services, my local USPS office is by far the worst imaginable.

1. I was at home expecting a package delivery when I saw the truck stop at our mailbox. It's one of those with a dozen boxes in it and we all have our own unique key. It's right in front of my house and I didn't want to run out to bug the driver so I waited. I saw the truck head back out so I went to the box but no delivery. I had a notice it was to be delivered that day so I got in my car and went to the next street where I saw her sitting and sorting through some mail. I approached and asked her if I had a box. I did and when I asked her why she didn't deliver it she said she didn't see a car in my driveway and figured I wasn't home. I guess she didn't see my open front door because of the screen door. She handed me my box as though I was intruding on her private time. She had no problem with the fact I was home and couldn't have cared less if she tried.

2. The mailbox I mentioned above was recently replaced and when I tried my key in what used to be my box number, it wouldn't open. I called the post office but they didn't answer. In fact, in the entire 20+ years I've lived in this house, they have NEVER answered the phone or returned messages. I drove to the post office and stood in line for about 10 minutes only to be told I was in the wrong line. After spending an additional 15 minutes, I explained about the new mailbox and how my key didn't fit. When she told me the neighborhood had been mailed notices about the new box and how to get a new key. And yes, they were all sitting in the box that no one had a key for...

3. Before we got the new mailbox above, our mail carrier would drive away and regularly leave the back open after putting our mail in (normally the wrong box.)

And then,

FedEx once lost a $4,000 lens I had sent in for repair that was on its way back to me. It simply was not in their system for a week. Just as I was beginning to fill out the paperwork to make a claim, it suddenly showed up without explanation.

5. UPS once sent a package to me from Los Angeles to Las Vegas: via Seattle, Anchorage, Cleveland, and Phoenix.

Yeah, they all suck from time to time.

Best,
PJ

[Mandobart]

Well this is timely. I ordered a guitar about a week ago and got the email with FedEx tracking info. The tracking was basically "picked up. Arrived at facility. Left facility. Scheduled delivery 9/23/20 (today) by the end of the day." The last update was Friday, 9/18.

The FedEx facility is in Orlando. I'm in Washington state. You'd think somewhere on its cross country journey there might be an update between there and here. Anyway, about an hour ago (on the day its supposed to be delivered) the update changed to "scheduled delivery : pending. No scheduled delivery date available at this time."

Its encouraging to read that most of you noted you received delivery a day or two after the originally scheduled date, but I'm not totally comfortable.

[tadol]

I ship quite a lot thru FedEx - never had a serious problem - UPS has been the most difficult delivery scheduling I could imagine - for the third separate time, I am waiting for a delivery that was supposedly out for delivery for 3 days now - I finally called and asked them to just forward it to their UPS pickup place, since I don’t want to sit in my warehouse for any more 10 hour days waiting to see if they’ll actually show up and ring the bell. I have let my overseas suppliers know that if they use UPS to send me any more goods, I will find alternate suppliers -

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by Tico

Yet another reason I only use Craigslist, in person, no shipping, cash only.

That’s great if you live in a big, metro populated area. Not so viable for those of use in semi-rural areas...

[Tone Gopher]

Re “off the rails”:

Unless they have recently changed their policy, the guidance in the FedEx handbook is that they do not accept liability on musical instruments greater than 20 years old for more than $1000.

Shipper beware.

Originally Posted by guitar12

My feeling is that most of the comments here are going to be about actual deliveries and most times those go well for any of the big 3 delivery outfits.. However, I think the real value of a company is when things go off the rails or if you just have a question or concern and in that regard my only comment is good luck getting thru to a human at UPS. In my recent experience the phone tree is intentionally set up to channel you to do everything on the website. It is in incredibly frustrating going round and round thru the menus trying to speak to an actual human. I don't ship much but I now ship with Fedex and I'm always easily and quickly able to speak to a human if/when I have a question/problem.

Rob

[Mark L]

A lot of problems with both fedex and ups can be diminished by shipping to and/or receiving from an official company owned shipping or customer service center. This cuts out the local delivery truck variable entirely.

You get a notice it has arrived and 5 days to pick it up on your schedule. It stays indoors on a shelf until you get there. You get to open it up right then and there and check it out in front of the company that shipped it.

Imo it’s the only way to go. Ditto for GC stuff, for that matter. Have it shipped directly to the store and go get it yourself.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Mark L

A lot of problems with both fedex and ups can be diminished by shipping to and/or receiving from an official company owned shipping or customer service center. This cuts out the local delivery truck variable entirely.

You get a notice it has arrived and 5 days to pick it up on your schedule. It stays indoors on a shelf until you get there. You get to open it up right then and there and check it out in front of the company that shipped it.

Imo it’s the only way to go. Ditto for GC stuff, for that matter. Have it shipped directly to the store and go get it yourself.

Just as Rev Roy said in another post this doesn't work very well if you live far away from a UPS or FedEx center ... or if your car is in the shop .... or you don't drive, etc. I mean that is part of the job I think of UPS and FedEx ...they bring the item to your home ... not to their home where you have to go and make a visit.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

That’s great if you live in a big, metro populated area. Not so viable for those of use in semi-rural areas...

True of course.
There are pros and cons to every location.
I love many things about rural areas, but I don't get to enjoy them.
Overall, where I live is the right place for me.
I hope the same is true for you.

I choose to give up X, but get to enjoy Y.
You choose to give up Y, but get to enjoy X.

In a free country we all are free to weigh the pros and cons of where we choose to live.

[rmp]

I must be lucky, I've never had a problem with any Fed-Ex deliveries.

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

FedEx is the only shipping company I've ever used for guitars and never had a problem. They were always easy to deal with and everything was on time. Different strokes, I guess.

That’s my experience also but I have to say I’ve not had any issues with UPS either in my guitar shipping adventures. I typically ship with Fed Ex and receive from both dependent on the shipper’s choice.