Never dealing with Fedex again!

[drainbamage]

Yes, this is a rant post- after the experience I've had with fedex, I'm outright done with them. Read bellow and you'll find my experience in an email I sent to them to explain why I'm peeved off. First though- I need to give compliments to Kris/AlphaCorals. Been trying to ship him a few things now for several weeks, and have had a few problems, and he's been nothing but calm/cool/understanding throughout. So cheers to him for being a swell guy!

So the email I sent them:

Comments: This was all at store #2700, located in Hazard Center, Mission Valley, San Diego- California

So a couple weeks ago, tried to send out a shipment. Walked into fedex, after being ignored for ten minutes, finally got some help. Guy told me the rate for overnight shipping, found out it was $40 higher than USPS. Asked why the significant price difference- person responded with nothing more than a shrug. I decided to not ship and walked out based on the total indifference from the service rep.

Person I was shipping to really wanted fedex and sent me some money to compensate for the higher rate.

Today I went back and tried to ship again- packed up my live corals real tight, triple bagged in thick bags and sealed up tight in a styrofoam box, surrounded by a cardboard container. Standard shipping for live corals and often done by a number of business's that use your service.

Got a call later in the day that they couldn't ship as the box was leaking. Assumed it was my fault (even after the employee had told me when I paid that they didn't care if things were marked fragile, this side up, etc- they treated everything the same and I should expect them to be dropped up to 40 ft) so went to pick it up. Well, the box was sitting upside down on the table, and a few dribbles of water were indeed coming out. Besides being upside down, again assumed it was my fault, so no muss no fuss picked up the box. After being ignored for a good five minutes by the employee who was obviously too busy to help, I asked if I could get a refund. Without putting down the bag of envelopes he was working with, he punched in a few things on the register and gave me a receipt showing the
shipment was stopped.

Again, I waited a few moments (I try and be polite) before asking if I could actually get my money back. Seems I had messed up by paying in actual cash. 20 minutes later, after which the employee and the apparent manager talked to each other, ignoring me (not even a "please excuse the wait while we figure this out real quick") and joking between each other, I was led over to some other desk where they could actually get my refund.

5 minutes go by with the employee punching away on the computer, another customer actually comes in and plops her package down next to me, clearly hoping to ship it. Not a single employee mentions to her she's in the wrong place, the manager just stands behind one of the counters half-hidden from view by a shelf drinking a soda while chatting with another employee. The employee working on my refund doesn't acknowledge her one bit, nor simply point her towards the other employees who could help her out.

After another five minutes, I point out to the employee that I can just give him back the difference in change and get the $100 in bills he has laying out (which my refund is $94.07 of) so I can get on with my day while he figures out the computer.

So after 30 minutes of absolutely horrid customer service, I leave with my package and find out why it's leaking- they applied enough force to cause one of the items to rupture through it's 3 6mL thick polyurethane bags- a force that must have been either very pointed, or incredibly heavy.

Conclusion: I will never be using Fedex again, I am filing a report with the BBB, and am posting on several internet forums that deal with live corals (and a combined excess of 15,000 daily unique hits) about this experience and how I will never use Fedex, nor deal with any company that ships via Fedex.
It is incredibly apparent that only larger business's are worth your companies time, so it seems only fair to educate the other consumers I know not to deal with a company that does not value our money.

Cheers,
=Brian

I used three rubber bands on the top of the bags- and they popped the bags, not the rubber bands off. So whatever they did, was pretty dang rough! I've shipped now half a dozen packages through USPS with ZERO issues (as well as 100+ packages of non-coral stuff, again with ZERO issues.) So yea, FEDEX has lost my business permanently, and I'm sorry, but any of the sponsors on here who use Fedex? I won't be buying from you unless you can ship with a different company or unless there's a REALLY good reason to use such a cruddy service.

[btkrausen]

That sucks man. FedEx has always been second or third choice for me. I have great luck with UPS, as the main hub is like 20 min from here. I can't say that I've gotten a bad package from them, but they are still generally my last choice to ship, as they always seem higher in price as well.

Thanks for sharing your story, and adding yet another FedEx horror story to the growing list

[aquafrags]

these threads scare me everytime I think about putting a frag pack together and shipping it, even though I have always used fed ex and never had a problem!?!?!?!?

[drainbamage]

these threads scare me everytime I think about putting a frag pack together and shipping it, even though I have always used fed ex and never had a problem!?!?!?!?

where are you located? Curious if they offer better service in certain places or something? When we've gotten shipments here (scubajay has just as bad of an addiction as I do to buying corals...) typically USPS actually delivers the nicest, with fedex often bringing us busted up packages. We've gotten beaten up shipments from everyone, but fedex tends to be the worst. It's one thing if they at least compensated by maybe making the process easier than what should be the low-bar of customer service (the post office, it's government run after all, so is about at the level of the DMV in my books...) but when they don't even offer anything that makes their service better AND they charge almost twice as much?? I'd have to be literally dumb to use them, right?

[greg0385]

wow another story about fedex, sexycorals had a bad experience about a month ago with fedex. its a shame that customer service has gone down hill so bad that the customer doesn't even matter anymore. without the customer every business dies, i hope you get somewhere withe the BBB and can't imagine what your package went through to get the damage it got. thanks for sharing, will def try to use ups in the future.

[AquaWorldPSC]

Wow, sorry to hear, glad that they didn't ignore the leak and just ship it out anyways. We used FedEx 2 years ago and they were decent but UPS offered us better rates. Most of my customers send me pictures of the box and corals after they get the shipment as I usually ask for it so I know how the package was handled. When I used FedEx I noticed my boxes always had crushed corners or the box was all black and dirty like slid on the floor or something, I also had higher damage rates and DOA rates with FedEx. So I used UPS since they offered me better rates, and I have shipped over 400 packages with them in the past year and only 4 arrived damaged. (KNock on Wood) Maybe a few slightly crushed corners here and there but nothing major. I had 5 packages delayed on the same day and they were sensitive freshwater fish and some corals and they all arrived alive after a 24 hour delay in 24 degree blizzard. I think UPS overall takes better care of packages than FedEx. But again all it takes is the pick up driver having a rant or bad day and throwing the boxes around.

[Alpha Aquaculture]

Yes, this is a rant post- after the experience I've had with fedex, I'm outright done with them. Read bellow and you'll find my experience in an email I sent to them to explain why I'm peeved off. First though- I need to give compliments to Kris/AlphaCorals. Been trying to ship him a few things now for several weeks, and have had a few problems, and he's been nothing but calm/cool/understanding throughout. So cheers to him for being a swell guy!

So the email I sent them:



I used three rubber bands on the top of the bags- and they popped the bags, not the rubber bands off. So whatever they did, was pretty dang rough! I've shipped now half a dozen packages through USPS with ZERO issues (as well as 100+ packages of non-coral stuff, again with ZERO issues.) So yea, FEDEX has lost my business permanently, and I'm sorry, but any of the sponsors on here who use Fedex? I won't be buying from you unless you can ship with a different company or unless there's a REALLY good reason to use such a cruddy service.

Your all good Brian! I use fedex and have not had an issue. I'm in Madison, WI. Seems like many of those horror stories are coming out of SoCal.

[drainbamage]

wow another story about fedex, sexycorals had a bad experience about a month ago with fedex. its a shame that customer service has gone down hill so bad that the customer doesn't even matter anymore. without the customer every business dies, i hope you get somewhere withe the BBB and can't imagine what your package went through to get the damage it got. thanks for sharing, will def try to use ups in the future.

That's what boggles my mind- my package never even left their branch! I dropped it off at 3pm, their truck leaves at 6 so figured the shorter time I had the stuff bagged the better. So somewhere in a 3 hour period, in a space of maybe 40 sq ft, they jacked up the box THAT bad. Downright amazing they could do that, ya know?

[Troylee]

I hate them!!!!! Ahahahahah going with ups or USPS if I get the guts....They lost my boxes and my last go around they left them somewhere hot or something and fried everything in the 2 boxes I sent....

[Viva'sReef]

Bla...I received a package today that was obviously kicked around like a soccer ball. 2 of the 3 bags had exploded open. Water leaking and eventually pouring out. One was even triple bagged and it was 90% void of water and the coral was gone.

Yes it was FedEx AND it came from SoCal

[greg0385]

you should somehow try and get a camera back there, the employees would be using your box as a hackie-sack. better yet! like the beginning of the movie Ace Ventura Pet Detective where he is kicking that box down the hallway. so you might have already said this, but did your corals make it through all that mayhem?

[RUGDOG]

I had a delivery yesterday from fedex. Atlanta to east Alabama. I could probably walk to Atl. in 6-8 hours. Package left I believe on Fri. I find out on Mon. that its not coming till Tues. then I find out the super kind fellow that was shipping my equipment to me finally almost 3 weeks after he got my money has sent it signature required. I head home for the afternoon to await my package. fedex usually runs at my house between 1 and 4. at 4:30 when my wife gets home I head out to finish up a couple of hours of missed work. Get back home between 6:30 and 7 still no fedex. tracking says on truck out for delivery. A little before 9 I call fedex and talk round and around with their computer for a while just to be told it was on truck out for delivery. Finally got a very forgein sounding lady that finally decided something must be up on that route and I probably wouldnt be getting my package. I kindly exlain to her that I cant take another afternoon off to wait to sign for this package. After going round and round with her I find out that even if they leave a door tag and I go to retreive my 1000.$ package it is going to be taken back to a town that is of all places about 1/2 way between here and Atlanta. The only way it can be left at a hub near my house and job is for me to have the person that shipped the package call and set that up. (he is another sad story totally). SO he double tooth picks I am tired going to bed. Get to sleep a little after 9 (we get up early around here) low and behold I get woke up by my son and the doorbell at almost 9 freakin thirty at night to deliver a package that I should have driven to Atlanta and picked up 2 weeks ago.

[sexycorals]

YES YES YES GUY!!! it was a box from MEEEEEE!!!! you can ask shawn!! I triple bagged!! and still he said the bags exploded!! i mean it takes alot to blow up the triple bags!!! I HATE FEDEXXXX!!!!!!!!! LOL ok back to dinner...

Bla...I received a package today that was obviously kicked around like a soccer ball. 2 of the 3 bags had exploded open. Water leaking and eventually pouring out. One was even triple bagged and it was 90% void of water and the coral was gone.

Yes it was FedEx AND it came from SoCal

[kass03]

Over the years I've had problems with all of them and I'm just a hobbyist not vendor.
The first time I used fedex they lost my package going from Wisconsin to Illinois (which is a 4 hour drive lol). The funny part was they delerived it 3 days later which I told them but they must not of scanned it so they said it was still lost. It worked out better for me cuz I actually got to claim it being it was lost and got my money back and reshipped new corals.
Ive had UPS not be able to find the house so wait and deliver it the next day so it was delayed a day and have had a 1 day delay with USPS.

I just usually go with whoevers cheaper and cross my fingers lol.

I agree though I'd rather have them call if it was leaking than to ship it anyway.

kass

[Alpha Aquaculture]

Someone put a camera in an overnight box going to or coming from SoCal. Now that would be funny! But insure the camera lol

[drainbamage]

yea, don't get me wrong- I'm glad they didn't ship it because of the leak, and honestly as much as I was ticked when I got the call bout the leak, I totally figured it was my fault and that I screwed up somewhere. Honestly, up until I got it home to inspect it, i figured it was still just my fault and the horrible customer service was just a separate issue. Finding out the combined problems? To H E double-hockey stick with that company!

[Viva'sReef]

YES YES YES GUY!!! it was a box from MEEEEEE!!!! you can ask shawn!! I triple bagged!! and still he said the bags exploded!! i mean it takes alot to blow up the triple bags!!! I HATE FEDEXXXX!!!!!!!!! LOL ok back to dinner...

I wonder if it's the same Fedex drop off?

[drainbamage]

Someone put a camera in an overnight box going to or coming from SoCal. Now that would be funny! But insure the camera lol

LOL!

"Uhm, hey, can I finally get some help here"

"oh, fine, what do you want?"

" I want to ship this box"

"what is it?"

"a camera, can I get 2 grand insurance please?"

"fine.....*walk away for ten minutes*...ok, you owe us 100 bucks"

"it's just going to your main hub, and being held there, really?"

"*chews gum*"

"well, ok, I'll ship it anyways I guess. Can I get it insured though?"

"sure, probably a smart move, we trash stuff around here"


........I'm normally a really positive guy, but I honestly see the convo going down that way

[drainbamage]

I wonder if it's the same Fedex drop off?

doubt it! Mike's about 2 and a half hours north of me, so unless he enjoys long drives in horrible traffic in his Lambo, he's not using this branch. Plus I know the FEDEX plane flies out of San Diego to the main hub (my brother actually used to work at the exact branch I used, lol) , so it's not even like it's a processing facility locally that's doing it.

[Tabasco1]

O M G! Am I really reading ANOTHER FedEx disaster thread?? Do they not realize that especially in this tight economy you can't give any market share to competitors??

DB let us know their response to your complaint.