Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What can brown (UPS) do for you? Absolutely nothing.
Vanity ^ | 2-5-10 | Vanity

Posted on 02/05/2010 6:19:59 PM PST by dangus

So I'm trying to get a dear present delivered, and I call UPS. It's supposed to be delivered Tuesday, but supposedly there's an accident in Jacksonville, FL, so it's late. It doesn't show up on Wednesday. UPS tells me that it missed its shipment, so it didn't make it... even though it had a whole extra day to get it there. Thursday, it "didn't leave Richmond fast enough." So, Friday (today, when it absolutely had to be here) I was nervous about the arriving snowstorm.

At 1 o'clock: "No problem, it's on the truck, and it'll get delivered."

At 6 o'clock: "We'll get it to you; It'll be there by 7."

At 7 o'clock: "With the weather, maybe some of the trucks are a little slow, but it'll get there." Are you sure? Maybe the storm is preventing it? "No, if we were having weather troubles, we'd have scanned it and reported it; it's coming. The trucks won't come back until they've made all their deliveries" (The snow is just starting to stick.)

At 8:30, my wife spots that the delivery has been updated to "emergency status." They can't tell me why it can't be delivered, because yup, all their contact centers closed at 7... when I called them and they said there was no problem. So now, I'm waiting until Monday to find out where it was.

Mind you, UPS delivers air mail on Saturdays. And the package has already arrived at their local center. But because I didn't pay for Saturday delivery, they won't deliver it on Saturday. Even though I paid to have it delivered LAST Tuesday.

What about all those ads you see promising about being able to track your package? Well, turns out they can't tell me anything about where it is. What they really mean is that if you don't get your package on time, you can call them or go on line to find out that your package is late. It doesn't mean you can find out what "Emergency" means. Gosh, that's helpful. I have to wait until Monday to find out where it is. I'm presuming I'll be told that they can't deliver it because of all the snow on the ground, though.

From UPS, a private enterprise grown so fat and bloated and mismanaged that it might as well be a government enterprise.

If this helps you by letting you know to avoid UPS at all costs, great. If it doesn't, sorry, but I promised them I'd tell everyone I could about the incompetence, disdain for their customers, and horrible service. I keep my promises, unlike UPS.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: ups; usps
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last
To: dangus
Interesting discussion. My conclusions:

Fed Ex is the best, especially for Europe.
USPS is fine for basic transactions.
UPS seems to make things more complicated than necessary.
DHL has good service but repulsive managers who treat inferiors like objects.

I admire USPS for its consistently good work with basic transactions.
61 posted on 02/05/2010 10:50:38 PM PST by Falconspeed ("Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Big Giant Head; Darth Gill; grame; muawiyah; raccoonradio; rman04554; Route797; Taffini

Postal Ping


62 posted on 02/05/2010 11:16:57 PM PST by ASA Vet (Iran should have ceased to exist Nov 5, 1979, but we had no president then either.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fieldmarshaldj
Intergalactic wormholes hadn't been invented yet.
63 posted on 02/06/2010 3:17:00 AM PST by One_Upmanship
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: moehoward; svcw
The UPS "management" thing may be beautiful, but USPS Headquarters had a fire many years back (1983) that burned out the main floors where they kept the lawyers and the personnel people.

Now that truly was a most beautiful thing!

64 posted on 02/06/2010 4:32:33 AM PST by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Falconspeed
I've had a small business the last 15+ years and routinely ship internationally (importing) and domestically (US distribution) very high value items. I initially used DHL who did a great job on both sides until they merged with Airborne and changed to UPS and FedEX.

Both UPS & FedEx have performed well for me but my primary carrier is UPS. On my incoming shipments, they clear customs for me even as package is in the air as my shipments typically arrive 3 days with door-to-door service.

Shipping is always chancy and from time to time there will be problems. I've had only 1 claim with UPS who took care of it fairly and in a timely manner.

65 posted on 02/06/2010 4:46:17 AM PST by newfreep (Palin/DeMint 2012 - Bolton: Secy of State)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: dangus
If this helps you by letting you know to avoid UPS at all costs, great. If

Lets see, I've boycotted FedEx because they lost a package being sent to me, the USPS is just as incompetent, now I have to boycott UPS.

That's just great, now I can't send anything or purchase anything that requires a delivery svc.............that really sucks.

66 posted on 02/06/2010 4:54:00 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (I want a hoochie-mama for Christmas, only a hoochie-mama will do............)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fester Chugabrew
If you read the fine print you may find a disclaimer regarding Acts of Obama.

That's funny right there, I don't care who y'are.

67 posted on 02/06/2010 4:59:24 AM PST by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: upsdriver

I’ve been dealing with UPS since the late 90s, usually from Amazon or other online retailers. The only problem I ever had was indeed of my own making when I fat-fingered in my own address.

The drivers around here are very professional and considerate and near as I can tell, don’t have any time for trouble.

I hope you’re having a good retirement.


68 posted on 02/06/2010 5:08:33 AM PST by PLMerite (Ride to the sound of the Guns - I'll probably need help.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: dangus

I’ve heard all the horror stories about UPS, but my recent experience with them has been very good.

I have been ordering occasional car parts from a place in California (I am in PA), and have been getting deliveries typically in 2 days, even with the cheapest shipping rate. The most recent package arrived at my doorstep in just over 24 hours from the time it was logged in at UPS (Tuesday delivery on a Sunday night order).

Beat that, USPS!


69 posted on 02/06/2010 5:11:18 AM PST by Fresh Wind ("...a whip of political correctness strangles their voice"-Vaclav Klaus on GW skeptics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PLMerite

Thank you! I am enjoying retirement, looking forward to spring so I can get out on the golf course.

The delivery driver is so important in making the system work. The better we do our jobs, which includes catching customers mistakes at the point of pickup, the better our service is on a whole. Service is key. One of the things we have to contend with in winter is the weather. Bad weather can cause more delays and service failures than anything else on time sensitive deliveries.


70 posted on 02/06/2010 8:15:29 AM PST by upsdriver
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah

......nice........


71 posted on 02/06/2010 9:17:46 AM PST by moehoward
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: MCH

Don’t forget what Small Claims Court is for!


72 posted on 02/06/2010 7:45:49 PM PST by B4Ranch ( "Where's the birth certificate?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: One_Upmanship

One question; Was the shipping label hand written or typed?


73 posted on 02/06/2010 7:48:22 PM PST by B4Ranch ( "Where's the birth certificate?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch
Sorry. Dunno.
74 posted on 02/06/2010 10:09:26 PM PST by One_Upmanship
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: One_Upmanship

As America dumbs down further, things like this will increase. My first guess is that there was a spelling error on a hand written label.

I don’t know how many times I have seen people write Anchorage, AL. when they mean AK.


75 posted on 02/07/2010 8:42:35 AM PST by B4Ranch ( "Where's the birth certificate?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: dangus

UPS is the most reliable, efficient delivery service in the US. It may be one of the best businesses us schlub consumers ever get to use. Too bad about your package, you put yourself in this precarious position by having a package that absolutely positively had to be delivered by a certain date with no back up plan. What? Were there eyeballs in that package waiting to be transplanted?

The 50 million or so other UPS packages delivered this week got there just fine.


76 posted on 02/07/2010 8:48:38 AM PST by anton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch
I don’t know how many times I have seen people write Anchorage, AL. when they mean AK.

Speaking of which, headline on Yahoo Finance for an AP article posted today....

Jury: Bayer must pay $1.5M to AK, MS rice farmers

77 posted on 02/07/2010 8:49:30 AM PST by willieroe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: willieroe

Eskimos are growing rice. Yahoo!


78 posted on 02/07/2010 9:05:30 AM PST by B4Ranch ( "Where's the birth certificate?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: american colleen

I’ve had good luck with all three — UPS, FEDEX, and USPS.

We are truly blessed in this country. The level of competence is incredible just about everywhere you look.


79 posted on 02/07/2010 9:16:06 AM PST by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: CharlesWayneCT

Hmmm... I’m starting to see a pattern here. See my post #53. Guess where my sister lives, mentioned in the post. Chantilly, VA!


80 posted on 02/07/2010 2:11:05 PM PST by watchwoman (Under the planes at DFW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson