Ahhh Fed Ex

[gflat65]

Okay, I'm about to quit whining about it and finally just tell Fed Ex to find business somewhere else since they can't seem to ship three consecutive shipments to me without destroying or losing something. Once again, another overnight delivery isn;t going to make it. Apparently, it was checked into Memphis at 1:00AM this morning, but no updates on the package (that should have been here by 3:00 at the latest), so it looks like all the nice fun LE's pookstreet sent me are not going to make it. A few months ago, they delivered a opackage of clams and th ebox was in pieces. The delivery lady was writting up a report on the damaged box, I pulled out the clams and she documented the number of bags with no water, etc. Turns out, Fed Ex refuses liability on the services they provide at cost... Since they were live animals, they are not responsible for anything their employees do to it in shipping, and even refused to refund the shipping costs. I know the work ethic in America has been down the pipes for years (paritally from the fact that everyone is entitled to everything they want because it is owed to them for being alive or something along those lines), with more and more companies not providing any customer service (or useful cs, anyway), but when one of the big ones (and internationally recognized) starts saying, hey, pay us to ship something so we can kill it/destroy it/lose it/steal it and tell you to buck up little camper, welcome to big business. No different than the cable companies that want to charge you for service, even though your service has been out for 3 weeks, and it will take another 3 weeks before they can send someone out, and then treat you like you work for them. The relief valve just popped, but I don't think I'm done venting. I've been looking forward to this shipment for some time, so I'm extra ticked right now. I guess I just need to learn my lesson... Castor oil it is.

 

[oceanparadise1]

wow sorry to hear that bro!

 

[Poseidon]

Sorry you had trouble! I just sent a box of frags via FedEx to my friend in Montana, and luckily there was no problems this time.

 

[FateX8]

i just sent a box of acans to a friend in ny
i hope he got it alright, if he ever responds maybe ill know!
sorry to hear your losses

 

[gflat65]

And then when you get them on the phone, they can't change anything about the delivery unless th eperson who shiped them calls them. They were shipped on my account number which has the ship to address for the package tied to it in the system... They said they could try to put in a rewquest for them to hold it at the station tomorrow... We'll see. I was supposed to be going out to town tonight, but looks like I do work for Fed Ex now, just don't get paid to wait around for them to not do the job they said they'd do. I wonder if the shipping charges will be refunded. I know better, but I like to make noise every once in a while. Can you tell I'm sitting happily on cloud 9? This year, they've screwed up more packages for me than all other years combined.

 

[Reef Pets]

I ship over 20 boxes of coral per week. I would never consider using FedEx. I keep track of the shipments that I send and document any issue. I have found USPS to be the best, UPS the second best and FedEx the tthird worst.

 

[pookstreet]

Sorry G. I hope you can salvage something. Hopefully they can track down the package and you can pick it up tomorrow. I got a 60 hour heatpack in there so they should be nice and comfy. To tell you the truth, I've had the most success with USPS, of all carriers. Percentage wise, their success rate is much higher than my experience with UPS. I haven't used FedEx much myself though.

 

[JGoslee]

I hope they survive the trip for you Gary.

 

[pookstreet]

I just got off the phone with them. The package is still in Memphis. I asked them to have it delivered tomorrow. If you want it held for pickup instead, please LMK and I'll call them back.

 

[gflat65]

It looks like they shipped it back to Ca, then back to Memphis... Almost exactly 24 hours after it first arrived in Memphis, it arrived again in Memphis. At least it will be a well traveled box? I figured it was lost, but I guess not;).

Thanks Kenny. If they can deliver, that will be great. The person I spoke with said she didn't think they ran deliveries in this area on Saturdays, so she requested them to hold it. She took my number, so I'm guessing that if they held it, they'd call. If I haven't heard anything by about 10, I'll swing by the facility if it shows having arrived via tracking. If it's in the area tomorrow, I'll be able to get it one way or another. It's been getting pretty cool at night, but hopefully, everything will be okay (not freezing yet). If it gets in early enough, we may be able to still get out of town for the weekend (Jenn's birthday). Hopefully, I'll be pleasantly surprised tomorrow...

 

[talon4x4]

This is why you never tell them what's in the box, its unfortunate but you have to lie. I can understand why they won't insurance live animals, but when the box is misrouted, lost, mishandled, etc. they should have to pay. If they would have delivered the box by the 10am guaranteed time nothing would have been dead, but when they don't and something ends up dead, their not responsible. Enough complaining from me.

G....hopefully everything works out for you!!!

 

[gflat65]

Thanks everyone. The biggest thing to my drama is that I've been anticipating this shipment for a while now, and Kenny really hooked me up. This was going to be one of the best single shipments I've ever gotten. A lot of it may still be fine, as long as I get it soon. A few pieces are likely not going to be happy, or will be gone, but I'll give everything a chance (probably a character flaw...). That has made the frustration worse.

Yeah, when I mentioned what was in the box to the lady I spoke with yesterday, she immediately got side tracked. "Did you tell them it had animals in it, cause we don't ship animals. Have you ever done this before? There's no classification for animals, well, maybe perishables, but that's not really right either." Blah blah. I told her that one only one occasion has anyone taking a Fed Ex package from me asked what was in the box. The USPS sometimes asks if there is a liquid in the package, but IME, only about 30% of the time. If I get someone's attention at the local Fed Ex Kinko's, I've been standing at the counter for 25 minutes and someone had to come from the rear section to do something by the register and finally decided to take the box from me (I won't leave until someone there puts hands on the box). As to the, 'have you ever done this before', well, yeah. Most of the people I buy from ship Fed Ex. I don't make claims on dead animals when they arrive as expected (roughly on time and not shredded). I accept that corals can just be lost from shipping stress. If I pay for a service, I should receive the service. It seems like I get an argument to that when I mention it to customer service. No one has ever asked me what was in the box from Fed Ex Kinkos in Montgomery. In Nashville, I had one lady ask me once, get concerned, then her boss said, "Hey, it's no problem as long as it doesn't leak". I assured him it was triple bagged, with the stryofoam in a bag, as well (an linerally taped shut) and he was fine with it.

I hope it arrives in Montgomery, soon. If so, I'll put Mr. Pess E Mism to bed and see what makes it. Being cool is better than being too warm, so maybe they won't skip a beat.

 

[ofblong]

I just got my heater core from them an hour before scheduled. Im not complaining considering its snowing right now and my heater is apart and not working in my van.

 

[gflat65]

1:07 and no new updates since In Transit at 4:32AM in Memphis. Memphis to Montgomery is 5-6 hours depending on how you drive. It should have been checked in by now. The tracking info makes absolutely no sense to me...

Date/Time
Activity
Location
Details
Nov 8, 2008 4:32 AM In transit MEMPHIS, TN 3:10 AM In transit MEMPHIS, TN
1:01 AM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Nov 7, 2008 7:12 PM Left FedEx origin facility ONTARIO, CA
1:09 AM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Nov 6, 2008 7:31 PMLeft FedEx origin facility ONTARIO, CA 3:09 PM Picked up UPLAND, CA
Tendered at FedEx Kinko's location

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

That tracking info doesn't look right. Looks like your packages traveled in a circle. Did you ship FedEx Priority Overnight or Regular Overnight?

P.S. I hope your stuff comes in okay.

 

[gflat65]

I think Kenny said it was guaranteed by 10:30 yesterday. Looks like it will be MOnday at the earliest. I just called back, and apparently they missorted it in Memphis, so it missed the truck to Montgomery today. It'll head out sometime between now and Sunday to head to Montgomery for a Monday or later delivery... I don't need any more proof that they have absolutely no clue what they are doing. The tracking information is one clue, but the fact that they have to find a lost overnight package, then lose it again in the same facility (or did they actually ship it back to California, only to have it shipped back to Memphis yesterday afternoon???). Growing up north of Memphis, I had a built in pride in Fed Ex. I guess they are just as bad or worse than everyone else in terms of services/customer services... I guess I should know better than to expect to be able to pay for a service and have the service completed without several hitches...

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

You should at the very very least get the shipping money back. I know i shipped out a fish to Canada via UPS and they literally ran the box over. They wouldn't give shipping money back nor take a claim. I have learned that if you pay for insurance on live stuff it's a waste of money.... Keep us posted.

 

[reefermadness]

Thats why I use UPS....You are allowed to insure the box for up to its worth. Sending my wifes 20K ring for repairs is always nerv-racking you know?!?

 

[FaviaFreak]

FedEx has screwed me over too many times to count, I pretty much can't stand them, they cost me so much money in coral losses it is pathetic

 

[AlexStinson]

Yeah I HATE fedex, I had a package say it was delivered at 10am and never showed up till 7pm that same day (seems like a dishonest employee trying to fit more deliveries in t make more money) It's sad how fedex works, with drivers getting paid per package, in my opinion this makes them much more sloppy, just throwing boxes wherever to get an extra dime