QQ

Gee, and I was simply wondering if FedEx knows the meaning of "deadline."

I wish FedEx would leave packages without a signature in our building -- I was at work during the 3 delivery attempts they made, and even though I left a note saying it was ok to drop off the package, they didn't. It seems to be up to the individual driver to decide how to handle deliveries.

They might has well have left a big middle finger on your doorstep. That e-mail is harsh.

Sadly this is my exact experiences with UPS.

They did a drop and run on a brand-new Dell computer rather than wait for me to answer the door. All UPS does at my house is the drop and run. FedEx always waits until I open the door, no matter what the package is.

This is the exact reason I have all my packages sent to my office.

Newegg is famous among the UPS and Fedex drivers in my area since they told me Newegg requires a signature for everything delivered. Whether it's a $5 piece of plastic, or a $1300 quad core extreme gaming processor, they need a signature.

Personally, I've had the opposite problem with FedEx, at least with their ground division. They've refused to leave low-value packages in my fairly safe suburban neighborhood because the shipper required a signature. Since I'm one of those people who has this thing called a job, which means I can't sit around all day waiting for them to deliver a free-after-rebate router, I ended up having to drive to west bumblefuck (aka Dundalk, MD)to pick up my package - and had to pay tolls, to boot.

When I lived in the city and didn't trust my crackhead neighbors to not steal my shit, I would have packages shipped to work, where there was always someone to receive them.

Thats why Canada is awesome, you HAVE to sign for the pacakge, it can't be left on your porch.

FedEX refuses to listen to anything I say, I have had multiple packages that they just will not leave at the door ranging from boxes of pencils to computers, but one item I really cared about (my laptop) they chucked at the door like it was an empty box and just wandered off, they didn't even place it next to the door they left it across the hall from my door for whatever reason.

UPS on the other hand believes that I do not exist and that my packages should always be sent back too the sender, no matter how many times I give them my address, no matter how many routes I give them to my residence they just do not understand! One of the UPS representative explained too me that their software does not recognize my address and their was nothing she could do. So UPS is a total loss for me.

DHL has politely placed things next to my door and if needed allows me to sign one of their nice little tag things.

"love dealing with UPS. The package comes when they say it will, and the regular deliveryman knows when, and when not, to leave a package when nobody's home."

You're obviously dealing with a completely different UPS than the rest of us. They've left packages in snowbanks down the block from where I lived and worse. Don't even get me started on their executive complaint process.

But FedEx, sadly, is no better. Good luck on getting any money from them on the ski's damage.

Doesn't FedEx leave a door hanger that you can sign to waive the signature requirement? I know they used to, but I haven't had to deal with it in awhile. I live in an apartment complex where the office will sign for packages if you aren't there; something great if you have a job and can wait around for stuff.

I was supposed to receive a package on 12/26 but I was never given the option from the merchant of making a signature required. When I came home the next day 12/27 my package was nowhere to be seen. I called FedEx and asked them if they had dropped my package off. The lady on the phone said she would send a driver by the next day to confirm. When the driver showed up he said "did you receive a package?" I said "no" and he says "ARE YOU SURE" in an accusatory tone. I said no again and he walked away saying "ok bye" leaving me standing there wondering what happened. Now I have to call the merchant to file a complaint. Although I don't blame FedEx for my neighbors possibly stealing my package, I don't think the driver that did the follow up was very nice or professional. I am still wondering what the point of his visit was.

I worked for UPS during the holiday rush.

I know for sure that if something needs a signature we get it. In fact, once my driver forgot to get a signature for a package after we had delivered it. So we went back to the house, "undelivered" the package and put it back on the truck for tomorrow's delivery.

Of course, I don't know how FedEx does it, but "signature required" means just that in UPS-land.

What action can a consumer take when a package has been delivered to an apartment complex and it has been stolen from the mail area? (Paid with Visa check card) Do I contact the seller or UPS? Would a chargeback be a possible solution to this? It wasn't a huge loss of money as I only spent 24 dollars on the item, but I was disappointed that it even happened, as I hate to suspect the people that live in my apartment. They have always been helpful and nice.

(Going to go and google this dilemma for answers..)

@courtneywoah:
Most of the time, the shipper decides whether or not you'll have to sign for the package. The standard rule of thumb is that anything below a certain value is a "shipper release" which means the deliverer can just leave it there. That is, until some package in the area ends up stolen. Then a lot of stuff becomes "signature required".

I was furious with UPS last week, but was too busy with the holiday season to deal with a complaint. I was (luckily) outside my house working on my car. I had been awaiting the box for my new projector (Panasonic AX1000U) and I see a UPS driver pass by, I ask if he has my package, and he says hell be back later. About an hour later, he slinks past me with a box heavily marked in ink and stickers with the word FRAGILE. Literally launches it at my doorstep, it drops down 4 stairs onto a brick driveway. Each *thump* had my heart drop another inch for fear of the bulb in the projector breaking. When I ran up, he had already "released the requirement for signature so I didnt need to be there" and quickly sprinted for the trunk. Luckily the projector worked fine, but I was furious that they could ignore the labels to such a huge degree.

@othium:

It depends.

Usually UPS will require a signature for all packages in an apartment complex. If they can drop them off with a neighbor or at the administrative offices, they'll waive the signature (unless a signature was originally required).

If someone signed for your package, then as far as UPS is concerned, they've delivered it. You'll have to take it up with whomever signed for it. If no one signed for your package, talk to UPS first and then your merchant.

@v12spd:
UPS drivers are Teamster members. Putting "fragile" or "do not bend" on a package or envelope doesn't mean anything to them. They're not losing any pay if a package is damaged in transit.

@stinerman: Thanks for the advice! I will do that.

Have to add to the UPS problems...

Had a large and expensive computer server component of super fast hard drives, etc. shipped to my work by UPS from CA to the east coast. They basically dumped it at the door outside the building late on a Friday and left it sitting there all weekend long. It just so happened to be rain/snow/sleet and a toasty high of 24-28 that weekend. It was signature required, and marked fragile with a "do not drop" and "this side up" marking.

Luckily the box wasn't wet, but the hard drives were ice cold and completely frozen. Called the computer company in CA and they told me that I basically needed to "defrost" them for about 5 or 6 hours and bring them to room temperature before trying to install. Absolute nightmare.

UPS sucks more than FedEx. I have a friend who worked there for years, and she told me they basically drop-kick any packages marked "fragile." Just because they can.

@Randal Milholland: Yeah, no kidding. It's funny to see people screaming "I HATE UPS and will never ship with them, FedEx only!" and other complaints with the company names reversed but no other differences.

And then people come along and realize that it's not the companies (usually) but it's the individual idiots working there that cause problems, so company A is great in some places and B is great in others.

@courtneywoah: I'd file a complaint about that guy too. That's unacceptable.

@MonkeySeeMonkeyDo: Someday I'll ship a package with a pinhole camera in it that keeps a running record going and is triggered to save the last 30 seconds of video if there's a sharp drop. Then send the incriminating video to UPS along with a picture of the clear "FRAGILE" mark. And send it to the press too.

has anybody brought up the difference between fedex grond, fedex home delivery, and i think fedex express?

Should have called FedEx and told them that the package was never delivered. If it was, they were supposed to have a signature release (the requested proof of delivery.) Free skis!

And ... don't they charge extra for signature release?

And UPS is no better...I received an automated call last Thursday 12/20 stating that my 2 1TB hard drives from Amazon (worth about $600 total) would be arriving on Friday, 12/21 and that I'd need to sign in order to receive them. I had to work, but the message went on to say if no one was available to sign, there would be directions left as to where I could retrieve the package...no worries as UPS is only a short distance from home.

Needless to say, I arrived home from work on Friday only to find my package sitting at my door. I happen to live on one of the busiest streets in the Mission District of San Francisco. Not exactly the kind of place to leave anything of this sort just waiting outside.

A bit peeved, I immediately went upstairs to see what happened to my "required" signature only to find THIS!!! That's right, my shrubs signed for the package. I immediately called UPS to file a complaint (the second in the past year I've had to file) and the woman had the audacity to ask me if someone in my building had the last name of "Bush."

TO make it even better, my complaint was never followed up by the local UPS office "within the hour" as promised.

Yeah. I shipped something in NOVEMBER via FedEx, and I paid extra for the 'signature required' service. Result? They left the package, no signature required.

I was disturbed, since I sold something worth some good $$ to someone online. But he didn't report any problems, so I decided not to press the issue.

Still, unhappy with FedEx service, but I'm sure my complaining won't make them change their behavior nationwide.

Gosh I hate FedEx. They do this all the time at the company I work for. We ship out on average 60 packages a day. The packages are replacement PDA's. (people call for support, and if we cant solve the issue over the phone, then a replacement is sent." we always require a signature, (because of the value) and insure the packages at 800 dollars.

Every day we get complaints from at least 2 or 3 customers who say "FedEx left it at the door"
One time a package actually got stolen off a person's front door, and submiting a claim is a nightmare.

I really dont understand what part of signature required FedEx doesnt understand. This is why I always have all my packages shipped to my office, or shipped to a Kinkos. They will actually hold your package for you.

@sled_dog:

I agree with this tactic and it should become standard practice for customers to respond in this manner until FedEx feels the economic pain of having to replace the unsigned-for goods and actually starts to obtain the required signatures.

FEDEX does that to me all the time. The driver in our area comes early, so i'm usually home when he's here. but he NEVER rings the bell. he always drops the package on the front porch + runs.

the worst was when my boyfriend bought a new MAC laptop. it shipped 'signature required'. the idiot driver left it on the front porch w/o a signature! we weren't home and it sat there all day. anyone walking by could have grabbed it. thank god that didn't happen. boyfriend called FEDEX to bitch them out, but honestly, i don't think they really cared.

Here's what you all need to understand: the quality of service with which your packages are delivered are dependent entirely on who the driver is that delivers in your area. All of the major delivery companies don't seem to give a damn what their drivers do, so which company you use seems irrelevant; it's up to the driver if they do a good job or not.

In the old neighborhood I lived in, the FedEx driver sucked, leaving packages in snow, leaving a signature-required box of computer components on the doorstep in the rain without ringing the doorbell, etc. In my new neighborhood I moved to recently, the FedEx girl is friendly, on-time, and won't leave packages on my doorstep if I'm not there to sign it, often leaving notes on the door saying when she'll try again or where I can pick it up after delivery hours.

Both UPS and FedEx are famous for it here. I ALWAYS ask for signature and there are people home most of the time, however had had my ps2 (back when they were hard to get and expensive) left out in the rain as well as a laptop.

@weggles90: Not true at all.
UPS often leaves my parcels on the porch, even though they have never had consent to do so.

I've had it go in both directions. I've had UPS and FEDEX leave packages off at my house that were clearly labeled "Signature Required," and I've also had UPS decline to deliver my $20 computer mouse (from NewEgg) even after I left the driver a signed copy of the receipt stating that I waived all liability if the package was stolen. (I live out in a very rural area way out in the woods, so my packages have an equal chance of being trampled by a moose as being stolen).

It seems like the signature policy is totally up to the individual driver and nobody is enforcing the policy.

Fed Ex forged my signature twice, when I ordered things from store.apple.com.

Isn't this a liability for the driver?

Boy, I'm glad I don't use any private shipping companies. USPS FTW. Either the package is left in the package box, in the office with a notice for me to pick it up in there, or at the actual post office with a notice in my mailbox for me to go pick it up. None of this unattended business.

@stinerman: Classic. I bet all union workers do nothing all day and make more money than you do. I bet they also get to drink free beer at any time during their shift because they are all paid by the hour way too much. Think how much better YOUR life would be without unions. All that money could be funneled to the people who "really" work... like part time workers, immigrants, and CEOs.

Everything is perfect in white collar land, no favoritism, cronyism, or good old boys. Scum, being late or overpaid is not in their vocabulary. All workers are high function, and they NEVER call in sick... You don't even have to s*ck your boss' **** to get a promotion. That comes from the promotion fairy!

/sarcasm off

@othium: Get in touch with the company you bought it from. I had something I ordered from Amazon, they said it was delivered, and it never showed up. Thy couldn't say if it was taken to the apartment office and it was stolen from there, or if they left it inside the door and it was stolen from there. Either way, I explained to Amazon that I never got it, and they sent a new one, which I did receive successfully.
Oh, and to whoever stole it, enjoy season 2 of House. I know I did, you know, once I got it. =)

If you read the back of the door tags FedEx leaves, in the paragraph about required signatures, youll see that it doesnt require the signature of the person the package is addressed to. It can be anyone who answers the door, or A NEIGHBOR. yes, fedex will let your neighbors sign for your packages. Like any of my neighbors arent sketchy or old

I seem to have the opposite problem. I wish I could just tell them to leave it on my landing. My neighbors are all old and don't share my taste in music, movies, and computer hardware and they wont steal it. And if they do... no one will miss them.

In our area (Redmond, WA) UPS is awesome. They know where to leave packages and when we are likely to be home and actually care.

FedEx ground and overnight are effectively 2 companies. We will not shop anywhere that uses FedEx ground. The most recent fun was a package from Woot. I saw the truck in the neighborhood but it did not stop at my house. We were home all day. My package showed as delivered. A subsequent "investigation" by FedEx that did not involve talking to me or accounting for my being 100% sure the truck did not come to my house found that the package had been delivered to the correct address.

Of course woot to Woot who instantly refunded the the purchase when I told them I did not receive it.

@britne: It was very enjoyable... thanks!

@elislider: FedEx wouldn't leave a package for me at our apartment's management office because the shipper required someone at the address to sign for it. I even left a note pleading for them to do that... guy just left another handwritten note saying he couldn't due to the service requested by the shipper.

I do not trust some of my neighbors and I fully believe in human fallibility (regardless of the delivery company in question).

That's why my husband and I have a mail service that's open seven days a week and accepts packages and mail for us. They sign for stuff and hang onto it until we can pick it up if we're out of town or something. They are really nice, know our names and I feel completely comfortable buying production equipment online.

Of course, it doesn't help when I'm sending stuff to other people.

I've never ever had a problem with either UPS or Fedex....then again I also tip them at christmas time unlike my neighbors.

Hell, my UPS guy and my fedex guy have even come back to my house later on, to drop off stuff because I wasn't home the first time.....unlike DHL (idiots).

@sled_dog: Yep. Next time, say it was stolen.

UPS drops things in my building with no signature... I've known them to put things in our hallway without even ringing the recipient's bell to let them know it was there. Once they left a shipment intended for me on the second-floor fire escape outside my neighbour's door in the rain instead of inside, right in the hallway outside my clearly marked apartment.