A mysterious sounding reader known only as “sonic boom” emailed the tipline today, asking for advice on how to get UPS to stop forging his (?) signature when leaving packages with the local florist. We say Mr. Boom should consider himself lucky… we can’t even get UPS to ring our doorbell. Ever.
I have a question about UPS it seems might be up The Consumerist’s alley:
Can they leave a package addressed to me with a third party, yet write my name in the Signature line as though I had received it?
This isn’t high on my list of world problems to tackle, but on the other hand, my polite requests haven’t yielded any results so far. To explain:
Like countless New Yorkers, I live in an apartment building. As must be the case for many who are at work during the day and don’t have a door man, UPS sometimes leaves packages with the building’s Super or, more often, at the florist’s on the ground floor of the building. This has been going on for years and seems to work for everybody; easier for the driver, convenient for us residents.
Recently, however, a new wrinkle has appeared. The driver is leaving my packages at the florist’s while I’m at work, but the tracking website each time indicates they’ve been mysteriously signed-for by me even though I wasn’t there to receive them. When I call UPS, they tell me, “Yes, I see here your package was delivered and signed for by [MY NAME] at 1:15 PM today…”
“Wha? Huh? At 1:15 PM I was at work, and couldn’t possibly have been there to sign for it…”
“Well, that’s what our system shows, sir.”
The first two times this occurred, it didn’t really bother me since I received my packages same as always and it didn’t seem worth complaining about. (I should say here that in the past, packages were always signed-for by the Super or somebody at the florist’s.)
After the same thing happened a third time, I decided to ask a few questions. The CSR at UPS said he had no idea why this was the case and agreed my name shouldn’t appear in the system when they leave a package with another party. He assured me he would forward a message to a local Supervisor, who would call me back. The Supervisor called within an hour and I explained the situation. She said she understood my concern and would “have a talk with the driver.”
When I ran into the UPS driver on my block a week or so later, I asked him about the signature. He was friendly about it and told his Supervisor mentioned it to him, but said he hadn’t entered my name on the signature line, but that it had something to do with “The System.” He didn’t elaborate. The System. I thanked him and dropped it, thinking it was over.
Until it happened again the 4th, 5th, and just today, 6th times. The same cycle repeats: I track the package online. It’s delivered to the florist’s but mysteriously appears signed-for by me. I call UPS and the CSR informs me the only option is to forward a message to the local Supervisor. When he or she calls me back, I explain I have absolutely no problem with UPS, the driver, or the delivery arrangement, except for the part where my name falsely appears on the signature line. Each time, a different Supervisor claims to understand and says they’ll address the issue with the driver.
I’m just wondering what I might do here. I mean, is it even legal to sign someone else’s name like this? Is this a candidate for the dreaded EECB?
Thank you,
sonic boom
All joking aside, we could see how this would be a little annoying– particularly if someone decides to start stealing your packages after you’ve “signed for them.” Here area few email addresses for some UPS executives so you can launch your EECB.
Good luck to you.
(Photo: zyphbear )
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I lost a package due to some POS postal carrier who forged the name of the guy I was sending it to. I put the name of the package’s recipient as “A. Carter” (written in print). The recipient even had a note on his back & front door saying NOT to leave packages. The recipient contacts me wanting to know where his package was as it never arrived. I called the USPS & they sent me a slip they say the recipient signed…. it was signed “A. carter” (it wasnt actually signed… it was printed). And said they couldnt do anything since they had a signed slip.
I guess what happened was that the lazy postal carrier didnt want to have to redeliver & signed the slip himself & since it didnt have the full name…. he signed it “A. Carter”. DOnt know if he actually stole the package himself or the package was stolen off the recipient’s porch. (note: this was in New jersey…. so who knows!)
Miserable SOB.
I’ve always signed for packages as “Wrong House.” No reason, just thought it was funny. No one has ever noticed, and recently they’ve all been dropping it and running like its an FBOC.
Get it delivered to your work, then you don’t have to worry about it.
i once had an amateur radio valued at $1500 just left sitting on my steps…..we were away for the day…..luckly we were living in a decent neighborhood…..someone coulda copped the radio and i wouldn’t have known a thing about it…..
To throw this out there, I have had the problem with FedEx and DHL.
Once, as something sensitive was lost, I placed a tracker and eventually turned out that the signature was forged. Amazingly the envelope was found on the loading dock at night, but after the deadline! The office admin. managed to get partial refund on that and another package.
I have a slightly less sinister and more probable possibility. I don’t work for ups but for a franchise ups store so we we obviously deal with them all the time. Here in Texas there service is really second to none but i suppose it differs from location to location. That is beside my point though. It is more likely that the physical receiver, the florist in this case, is signing for the package and the driver is typing in the addressee’s name instead of asking what the name of the signer is. Most signatures are nowhere near legible. So i’d say its more likely the driver pulled up said he had a packer for NAME and the florist said he’d take it and signed. The driver then typed in NAME instead of asking for the florists name. It’s not a good move by the driver but much less sinister than out and out forgery.
I’m guessing your driver is not asking for the name of whoever is signing for the package. I used to get a-lot of deliveries and knew the drive quite well and he said if they don’t ask for a name and let someone else sign for it, the system automatically inputs the name of whoever the package was address to. Sounds like a lazy drive or perhaps he just does not know any better. I would think he would though, seeing as it usually takes about 10 years before you make it out of the warehouse and onto a route.
I don’t accept shipments from UPS. I find FedEx works fine, and will keep a signature release on file. USPS is great, DHL not so bright. UPS has a more than 50% error rate – not delivered, not ringing the bell when I am home, once the guy brought me some golf clubs in a crushed box with a tire mark on it and became annoyed when I told him I wasn’t accepting it.
Most companies can send things the way you prefer, amazon appears to be the exception, but after the sixth time I refused something by UPS they finally stopped trying to send things UPS and now just mail them.
Failing that get a post office box. There certainly are 24 hour post offices in the city, so have your packages sent there. It forces the shipper to use USPS, and while you are required to pick it up, the package is safe and dry in the interim. It is not at some warehouse in Queens.
When I lived in the city I had a box at the one near MSG, it was open 24 hours to pick stuff up and if it was a package or certified letter you can still get it all hours.
UPDATE ON PACKAGE #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you read my comment above (HERE) you will see that I refer to the possibility of UPS spanking its 0% success record with me with the second package due tomorrow.
I just checked the tracking number, and I’m happy to report they used the very same lie, “adverse weather conditions.” I checked the weather for today and I want to point out that in New Stanton, Pennsylvania it is a cool, sunny 75 degrees Fahrenheit and in Vernon, CA it is a sunny but hot 85 degrees Fahrenheit. There was absolutely NO adverse weather in either area or anywhere on the flightpath. I’m ONE HUNDRED PERCENT certain they are lying. Here is the tracking info:
VERNON,
CA, US 07/01/2008 3:00 P.M. ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
NEW STANTON,
PA, US 06/27/2008 1:21 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
NEW STANTON,
PA, US 06/26/2008 8:18 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
PITTSBURGH,
PA, US 06/26/2008 8:17 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
06/26/2008 6:07 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN
US 06/26/2008 4:45 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
UPS Successful Packages to Gilbert: 0/247, 0%.
have fun not receiving your packages
@willray411: Indeed.
I am currently in the middle of having a trace investigation conducted on a package I still have not received, for which I paid $15 extra for 2nd Day Priority last Wednesday!
I ordered a dress from Kohls.com and had it sent 2nd Day Priority because I want to wear it to a wedding July 6, and wanted enough time if it didn’t fit to return it and try to find another dress (I also have a lovely kudos story about Kohls customer service, which almost makes up for this aggravation, if the Eds wish to hear about it).
I tracked it online and on Friday afternoon, it showed that it was delivered at 12:55pm to the front door. Hrmmm … we were home at that time, no one knocked or rang the bell. There were several people at the house at the time as well. We went out and looked around the house, by the garage door and so on. No package to be found. Now this house is at the end of a driveway that is shared by five homes, but each is clearly marked with an address in plain site from the driveway. But packages have made it here before via UPS, but others have also gone astray, usually to one of the other houses.
I called UPS to see if I could find out where the package went, to call the driver and see if he could tell us which house he dropped it at. I was curtly informed by the CSR that as the recipient, I would have to contact the shipper, Kohls.com, and have them initiate an investigation. Lovely. So I did so, Kohls CSR was great, refunded my shipping costs and took the info.
The next day, my boyfriend and I stopped by the other houses to see if they perhaps had received the package. No dice. But they also reported missing packages that turned up mysteriously days later, on the mailbox or on the porch. We went on about our errands, and I called UPS again to see if they had anything to report. While this CSR was not as rude as the first, she definitely was not interested in helping at all. I was told that the investigation would take 3 – 5 business days and the only thing I could do is wait.
Not an option. I called Kohls and had another order placed with explicit instructions on the location of our house. Again, Kohls was great … no charge for shipping and I got the same sale price as the week before, all without my having to ask! UPS still sucks though!
@Corydon: Those windows are ridiculous. I ordered a bed frame once. I don’t even recall what redelivery window UPS gave me, but I waited the entire day before UPS came, at like 6. The driver was nice though–he seemed relieved to be able to make the delivery instead of his having to schlep the package back to the warehouse.
I also prefer USPS. My local post office will just hold any packages that couldn’t be delivered, and it’s only two blocks away. Then again, it’s never lost one of my packages, and I’ve seen people storming out of there after their packages couldn’t be located.
Oh my word … we have a totally retarded UPS driver here. With explicit instructions to deliver the 2nd order to “The last house at the end of the driveway, at the top of the hill” it still did not arrive correctly. I called 1-800-PICKUPS and insisted they have the local dispatch office call me after contacting the driver. They did and said the driver left the package at “The trailer between the first house and the 2nd trailer.” *blink blink*
I asked the dispatcher, “Does that sound like the ‘last house at the end of the driveway’ to you?” Then she wanted me to go to that trailer and see if they have it. I told her no way, that she needs to make the driver do his job, and do it correctly.
We shall see …
FAILURE CONFIRMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As my comment above suggested, UPS has indeed rescheduled my delivery to compensate for their collective idiocy.
Gilbert……why don’t you go to http://www.ups.com and read about the flooding in the midwest. Your packages are surely to come via railroad and with the flooding, hundreds of thousands of packages were slowed down. You complain just to complain without any knowledge. When you went to the website you should have read the bold letters that talked about the flooding. Either that or turn on CNN. I would think towns with over 30 foot of water would be worthy of using adverse weather conditions.
I might have missed it – but as indicated in comments, “signed for” doesn’t mean that it was “signed for by recipient”, per se. I’ve signed for packages addressed to my boss when they needed confirmation that it was received, ditto for family members. Maybe the florist/super is signing their name and that’s bringing up the message?
The thing I’ve run into on a number of occasions with UPS is their logs
showing that *I* requested they redirect or ship on another day, not that
THEY didn’t attempt delivery. A few months ago, I was waiting for a package
being shipped via UPS, and I was home all day every day, yet the package was
(according to UPS systems) being “redirected” to their warehouse for pickup.
Neat trick, considering I hadn’t contact them in any way other than visit
their tracking website. They redirected, claimed I did it, and wanted me to
come to them. Oddly, they weren’t about to charge the shipper any less for
having failed to deliver the box.
Bonus points: When I contacted their call center at 3pm to ask about this
redirection, they told me to wait until 8pm (Pacific) and call them back if
it still hadn’t shown up. I asked if they were open at the call center that
late, and was told “Oh yeah, we’re here until Midnight (9pm) our time, so
we’ll be here.” I called at 8:05, to find that their “night” message
claimed they closed at 9pm Eastern.
Zen Render
Well this has happened to me and UPS is backing their driver.
Even though I was at work in a completely different city when the driver claims I signed for the delivery they insist that they not done anything wrong. I escalated to corporate and was treated very harshly.
So here’s the deal: the driver can forge these signatures, keep the goods and sell them and UPS will stand by them.
And here I thought forgery and theft were crimes.