NationStates Jolt Archive

In the action packed battle of the summer, which service is the worst and why do they take the title?

Fed Ex. On more than one occasion have I paid for overnight delivery (sent the envelope out in the AM) only to find that it didn't get there till 3 or 4 days later. :gundge: (and this was not during the Xmas season)

I've found Fed Ex to be overly expensive, unreliable (except in overseas shipping), and inconveniant. For example. I can ship a 6 pack of Bully! Porter to a friend in Boston. UPS costs me 10-12 dollars depending on how I pack it, and it's there in about 3 days. To send the same package Fed Ex will cost me around 18. Granted it could arrive a day earlier, but I've had packages arrive 3 days late as well. For my money I'll take the solid and reliable brown.

UPS may suck, but it's better than Fed Ex, DHL, Airborne, USPS and every other mail service.

I've found both to be reliable for the little ordering and shipping that I do. UPS is cheaper, though, so they edge out Fed Ex. Also, the hardware store a couple blocks from my house also acts as an intermediary for UPS, so shipping with them is more convenient for me.

I refuse to use Fed Ex after they lost a package for me damn near twenty times.

I've never had any problems with UPS.

Fed Ex, on the other hand...

I ordered something online while staying with my girlfriend for several weeks. It was to be delivered by Fed Ex Ground service. There shouldn't have been any problem, because she orders things by Fed Ex all the time.

I followed the Internet tracking... and on the appointed day, waited eagerly for my package to arrive. It never did, and when I checked tracking later it said "incorrect address."

Now, the address was right there on the screen -- entirely correct. So, I called the 800-number.

First off, they make it almost impossible to get in touch with someone at the actual branch location that has one's package. Customer service reps at the 800 number took down directions, put notes on the file for the driver to call the house if he got lost. (The number was on my file anyway... why he didn't call the first time he got lost is beyond me.) Only after being transferred around five times did I finally get someone to transfer me to the local office.

Now, I was talking to someone who actually had my package in front of her. I told her that Fed Ex delivers to this location all the time, so I couldn't see what the problem was. It was here that I discovered the most ridiculous kind of inefficiency in the Fed Ex company. Apparently their "Ground" and "Express" services are run as completely different operations. Although their Express service had delivered to Erica's house many many times, it involved different drivers from the Ground service... and worse, the two could not even compare notes with each other.

At that point, I offered to drive down to the station to pick up my package. It was a little out of the way, but not really a long drive at all. I was informed that they could not let me pick up the package until after they had made three unsuccessful attempts to deliver it. That, of course, meant I had to take my chances the next day... and the day after that... before finally getting to drive down for my package.

Jerks. I now use UPS whenever I have the option.

I happen to work for UPS... We suck. However, we suck less than the others.

IPS - those green uniforms really freak me out! (And their driver should lose a couple of pounds...) :D