Can I just say how much I hate Fedex tracking

[fermentedhiker]

I have an order coming today from vivid. Shipped by Vivid and picked up by Fedex yesterday. Scheduled for delivery today by 12P(it's 11:15AM currently) Tracking shows it still in CA where Fedex received it. We do have a bit of snow today which is more than I expected so I thought maybe it wasn't going to make it. My bad for not paying closer attention to the weather forecast that changed as the day progressed. So I call Fedex to find out if it's really coming today. They say yes it will be there by 12. I say I know it says that but your tracking shows it still in CA. They then say because of the snow delivery may be delayed so maybe not by 12P but no later than 8P. I ask again why it shows still in CA and not at the local hub or out for delivery. She just repeats it'll be there by 8. I have zero faith in that. If it doesn't show up 8P will be too late to call my boss and ask for tomorrow off to get the package. I realize delays and other "things" happen but tracking is useless if it isn't going to accurately reflect a delivery estimate. Grrrrrrr rant over.

 

[Humblefish]

I can commiserate, but IME Fedex is still the best of the bunch. At least you got to talk to someone who knew something. Last time I called UPS with a problem, I was talking to someone in India who told me they weren't allowed to contact anyone from UPS in the USA. what the heck!? :eek:

 

[fermentedhiker]

Yeah I've never had to call UPS so I can't comment on the customer service. I have to say that their tracking is sooo much better than Fedex. I've almost never had an issue where it wasn't updated within an hour of when it passed through someplace.

I also rarely have trouble with them delivering packages. Fedex screws my deliveries of livestock at this point pretty close to 50% of the time. If history is any indicator 8PM will arrive with no package in sight and their site will still say delivery by 12.

 

[fermentedhiker]

So I tweeted at Fedex my displeasure about the lack of updates from their tracking software. I never use twitter so that tells you how annoyed I was :). The rep looked into and confirmed my package didn't make the plane in CA(said it was a mechanical problem whatever that means) but would be on a plane departing CA at 3PM their time. I asked for confirmation that it meant my package was coming tomorrow. The reply was the delivery time would be updated when the package get closer grrrrrrrr

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fedex has their faults but still the most dependable shipper and best with package handling- rarely get my busted up items via them

 

[fermentedhiker]

Fedex has their faults but still the most dependable shipper and best with package handling- rarely get my busted up items via them

My repeated personal experience with them does not support that statement.

 

[Humblefish]

So I tweeted at Fedex my displeasure about the lack of updates from their tracking software. I never use twitter so that tells you how annoyed I was :). The rep looked into and confirmed my package didn't make the plane in CA(said it was a mechanical problem whatever that means) but would be on a plane departing CA at 3PM their time. I asked for confirmation that it meant my package was coming tomorrow. The reply was the delivery time would be updated when the package get closer grrrrrrrr

3PM PST = 6PM EST

There's no way you are getting your package today :(

I would tell them that unless it can be delivered tonight, have it held at the nearest Fedex ship center so you can pick it up first thing tomorrow morning. That way it doesn't have to ride around on the Fedex truck all morning.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

So I tweeted at Fedex my displeasure about the lack of updates from their tracking software. I never use twitter so that tells you how annoyed I was :). The rep looked into and confirmed my package didn't make the plane in CA(said it was a mechanical problem whatever that means) but would be on a plane departing CA at 3PM their time. I asked for confirmation that it meant my package was coming tomorrow. The reply was the delivery time would be updated when the package get closer grrrrrrrr

FedEx overnight for Maine arrives in Portland ME around 6 am. If your package is leaving CA at 3 pm today, it won't get to Portland until tomorrow morning. Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you want to hear, it's just part of living in a state that has a population smaller than most big cities.

 

[fermentedhiker]

FedEx overnight for Maine arrives in Portland ME around 6 am. If your package is leaving CA at 3 pm today, it won't get to Portland until tomorrow morning. Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you want to hear, it's just part of living in a state that has a population smaller than most big cities.

I knew it wasn't getting here tonight when I asked him. I just wanted to see if they would admit it wouldn't make it.

 

[fermentedhiker]

3PM PST = 6PM EST

There's no way you are getting your package today :(

I would tell them that unless it can be delivered tonight, have it held at the nearest Fedex ship center so you can pick it up first thing tomorrow morning. That way it doesn't have to ride around on the Fedex truck all morning.

Yeah waiting to hear from my boss that I can have tomorrow off. Picking it up is the best but of course it's 40 miles away so it'll actually only shave a couple hours off the actual delivery time. That is the one thing Fedex does better than UPS in my area. Fedex is usually here between 1030-12 whereas i'm on the end of the UPS route so it's usually after 3pm. The flip side is the UPS depot is closer(20miles) so I can have stuff floating by 8AM most times if I pick up.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My repeated personal experience with them does not support that statement.

Keep in mind, you have to take in mind area and state. I have no issues especially woth livestock

 

[jim9]

I can say the same thing about my local UPS lol. I believe it has to do with the warehouse location and or the driver. FedEX has been good to me though.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Keep in mind, you have to take in mind area and state. I have no issues especially woth livestock

You're misunderstanding my problem. This has nothing to do with the local distribution center or delivery drivers. It's the tracking system that fails to give accurate information and fails to update when there is a problem. This in spite of having checked off the button for notification if there is a problem. Anytime I have had an issue with the actual shipment it's the California hub that screws it up, not the one in my state.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You're misunderstanding my problem. This has nothing to do with the local distribution center or delivery drivers. It's the tracking system that fails to give accurate information and fails to update when there is a problem. This in spite of having checked off the button for notification if there is a problem. Anytime I have had an issue with the actual shipment it's the California hub that screws it up, not the one in my state.

Yes. I get two day notice of delivery, Night before delivery reminder and delivery confirmation. But again, I have an acct with FedEx

 

[Humblefish]

If it's an consolation, I've had Fedex take 2 days roughly half a dozen times now and no DOAs. Sometimes the fish arrive stressed, and I recommend a preemptive 30 minute Methylene Blue bath just in case the fish were exposed to ammonia in the bag water. If these are corals, you are in even better shape. Of course, the health of the animal prior to being shipped and how well it was packaged also comes into play.

 

[ScottB]

I've been pretty lucky with FedEx personally. They seem to have FL to NYC figured out pretty well and that is where I order corals from.

FedEx from LA to NYC is a different story. My LFS gets delayed, cold boxes of fish several times per year.

 

[fermentedhiker]

If it's an consolation, I've had Fedex take 2 days roughly half a dozen times now and no DOAs. Sometimes the fish arrive stressed, and I recommend a preemptive 30 minute Methylene Blue bath just in case the fish were exposed to ammonia in the bag water. If these are corals, you are in even better shape. Of course, the health of the animal prior to being shipped and how well it was packaged also comes into play.

Yeah I'm not too worried about them making it as long as I can get off work to get them. It's just coral and a couple peppermint shrimp. Once I did a big livestock order from Bluezoo and Fedex put the package on the wrong plane. Showed up in Montana that night instead of Maine :/ Which is bad enough but you figure they would just put it back on a plane and it would get here the next day. But nope they put it on a ground truck and it showed up 5 days later. I was amazed though a goby was still alive and a couple crabs made it. The nems were putrid pudding though :(

 

[fermentedhiker]

I've been pretty lucky with FedEx personally. They seem to have FL to NYC figured out pretty well and that is where I order corals from.

FedEx from LA to NYC is a different story. My LFS gets delayed, cold boxes of fish several times per year.

Yeah it's strange how that works. I've never had an issue except the next day air out of CA.

 

[GJak]

Fun story for you guys....

Last december I had placed an order with Vivid, being delivered by Fedex. It was set to be delivered on a wednesday afternoon while I was at work so I had it sent to my parents house instead. I called my father at lunch to see if it had gotten there yet and while I was on the phone with him, he could see the Fedex truck at the top of the driveway. Since their driveway is long and steep, the driver decided it was best to attempt to walk the box down instead of driving the truck down and potentially getting stuck because of the snow and ice.

He gets out of the truck, grabs the box, takes two steps, falls on his butt and flings my box of fish and coral into the woods on the side of the driveway. He slides down the embankment, gets up, finds the box, gets in his truck and leaves with it. After 3 phone calls to Fedex corporate and local dispatch, they finally get the driver on the phone and conference him in with me. He tries to play it off like he just didn't want to risk driving the truck down the driveway and decided to attempt delivery the next day. He didn't know I was on the call and the girl on the phone wanted to have some fun so she put it on speaker phone at the call center. When I informed him that my father had seen him throw $800 worth of livestock into the woods and then leave with it, everyone in the call center erupted in laughter and he quickly said sorry and hung up.

The next day a different driver delivered the package. One dead fish, everything else had survived somehow. I asked if it was him who fell down and dropped the box but he said it was the guy who normally does our route and that he had quit that morning.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Fun story for you guys....

Last december I had placed an order with Vivid, being delivered by Fedex. It was set to be delivered on a wednesday afternoon while I was at work so I had it sent to my parents house instead. I called my father at lunch to see if it had gotten there yet and while I was on the phone with him, he could see the Fedex truck at the top of the driveway. Since their driveway is long and steep, the driver decided it was best to attempt to walk the box down instead of driving the truck down and potentially getting stuck because of the snow and ice.

He gets out of the truck, grabs the box, takes two steps, falls on his butt and flings my box of fish and coral into the woods on the side of the driveway. He slides down the embankment, gets up, finds the box, gets in his truck and leaves with it. After 3 phone calls to Fedex corporate and local dispatch, they finally get the driver on the phone and conference him in with me. He tries to play it off like he just didn't want to risk driving the truck down the driveway and decided to attempt delivery the next day. He didn't know I was on the call and the girl on the phone wanted to have some fun so she put it on speaker phone at the call center. When I informed him that my father had seen him throw $800 worth of livestock into the woods and then leave with it, everyone in the call center erupted in laughter and he quickly said sorry and hung up.

The next day a different driver delivered the package. One dead fish, everything else had survived somehow. I asked if it was him who fell down and dropped the box but he said it was the guy who normally does our route and that he had quit that morning.

Ouch