Rant on shipping

[bunchgrass]

Purchases instantly marked "Shipped" as soon as the order is placed is for the purpose of being allowed to instantly bill you for the order. Technically, many sellers ship on FOB (Free On Board) basis, which in short, means as soon as they place the goods with the carrier, the title and responsibility is yours - not theirs. Fortunately, the most retail sellers do not.

My opinion as to how it should be doesn't seem to jive with the real world.

I HAD one vendor who seemed to have an item in stock that others did not (backordered) so I ordered through them at a higher price. AFTER the whole transaction was complete, they notified me that my order would ship when they received more from the manufacturer. Backordered!

 

[ultrarunner]

I HAD one vendor who seemed to have an item in stock that others did not (backordered) so I ordered through them at a higher price. AFTER the whole transaction was complete, they notified me that my order would ship when they received more from the manufacturer. Backordered!

It seems to be rampant with online orders…

 

[goeduck]

I saw a cop pull over a Fedex truck yesterday. I bet the Fedex driver ranted about that. Probably was having a hard time finding an address, maybe the cop was there to help.

 

[newbury]

Or maybe he was expecting a package.
I've personally followed and questioned Fed Ex and UPS drivers (after they stopped for another delivery) in rural areas when online tracking showed the packages to be out for the second attempt at delivery. And I was successful a few times.
On the other hand I had a memorable DHL delivery that they could not find my house in my suburb development for weeks.

 

[BravoXray]

I recently sent an envelope with a vehicle title to a friend in the UP. I figured since it was pretty important that I should send it certified, and to postal clerk agreed. I mailed it on a Thursday in Goshen, IN, from there I tracked it's progress and it went to South Bend, then to Ft. Wayne, sat there for 4 days, then back to South Bend, back to Ft. Wayne and back to South Bend. This took 11 days. She finally went to her local P.O. and they did something, a trace maybe, and finally on the second Friday after I mailed it, 15 days later, it arrived in Lake Linden, MI. An envelope of miscellaneous mail and paperwork I sent to her a week later arrived in three days.
Mysteries of the mail system.

 

[newbury]

Mysteries of the mail system.

That's Dejoy of the mail system.

 

[goeduck]

I recently sent an envelope with a vehicle title to a friend in the UP. I figured since it was pretty important that I should send it certified, and to postal clerk agreed. I mailed it on a Thursday in Goshen, IN, from there I tracked it's progress and it went to South Bend, then to Ft. Wayne, sat there for 4 days, then back to South Bend, back to Ft. Wayne and back to South Bend. This took 11 days. She finally went to her local P.O. and they did something, a trace maybe, and finally on the second Friday after I mailed it, 15 days later, it arrived in Lake Linden, MI. An envelope of miscellaneous mail and paperwork I sent to her a week later arrived in three days.
Mysteries of the mail system.

I gave a letter to the postman
He put it in his sack
Bright early next morning
He brought my letter back
Return to sender, address unknown
No such number, no such zone

-Elvis

P.S. I hope Elvis get a chance to play a tune in your Nova

 

[BravoXray]

I gave a letter to the postman
He put it in his sack
Bright early next morning
He brought my letter back
Return to sender, address unknown
No such number, no such zone

-Elvis

P.S. I hope Elvis get a chance to play a tune in your Nova

I doubt it, I'm not much of an Elvis fan.

 

[tallyho8]

I gave a letter to the postman
He put it in his sack
Bright early next morning
He brought my letter back
Return to sender, address unknown
No such number, no such zone

-Elvis

P.S. I hope Elvis get a chance to play a tune in your Nova

Ask a teenager what a zone is.

 

[goeduck]

Ask a teenager what a zone is.

They don't even know what a 50 Cent Piece is

 

[Oaktree]

Ask a teenager what a zone is.

I'm a boomer, and postal zones were pretty much a thing of the past by the time I'd hit my mid teens, replaced by zip codes.

 

[ultrarunner]

Isn’t he the Rapper 50 cent?

At least I contributed my 2 bits…

 

[goeduck]

I'm a boomer, and postal zones were pretty much a thing of the past by the time I'd hit my mid teens, replaced by zip codes.

It just doesn't sound right now...

I gave a letter to the postman
He put it in his sack
Bright early next morning
He brought my letter back
Return to sender, address unknown
No such number, no such zipcode

 

[bunchgrass]

They don't even know what a 50 Cent Piece is

Isn't that a rapper?

 

[MattB4]

I am going to make an effort to avoid anything shipped FedEx Ground and especially anything of value/fragile. The UPS and the USPS drivers have always been great and they call me when something comes up. Or I call them.

This recent Saturday I got a call from a person I know that lives 3.5 miles from my home. They had found along with their FedEx packages one for me. This was a replacement 200w solar panel (#4th try the other 3 came broken in shipping one after another) and I had to drive to get it. It was completely shattered and worthless. Previous to this run of broken panels I have received over 24 panels (1 or 2 at a shipment) over several years and not one broken, though at times with package damage I would have thought so. The Seller is now refunding me the price rather than trying a 5th time.

FedEx Ground never seems to keep a driver long enough to learn where people live and each new one delivers Helter-skelter depending on individual ability to find the rural addresses. Considering the times I have bailed past drivers out with them getting stuck in snow or mud, fixing flats for them and even meeting them places to allow them to avoid extra driving you would think some better treatment of my packages would be warranted.

I had to post a old non-occupied Hunters cabin about a mile from my place because it was a classic FedEx drop place for my packages.

 

[bunchgrass]

I am going to make an effort to avoid anything shipped FedEx Ground and especially anything of value/fragile. The UPS and the USPS drivers have always been great and they call me when something comes up. Or I call them.

This recent Saturday I got a call from a person I know that lives 3.5 miles from my home. They had found along with their FedEx packages one for me. This was a replacement 200w solar panel (#4th try the other 3 came broken in shipping one after another) and I had to drive to get it. It was completely shattered and worthless. Previous to this run of broken panels I have received over 24 panels (1 or 2 at a shipment) over several years and not one broken, though at times with package damage I would have thought so. The Seller is now refunding me the price rather than trying a 5th time.

FedEx Ground never seems to keep a driver long enough to learn where people live and each new one delivers Helter-skelter depending on individual ability to find the rural addresses. Considering the times I have bailed past drivers out with them getting stuck in snow or mud, fixing flats for them and even meeting them places to allow them to avoid extra driving you would think some better treatment of my packages would be warranted.

I had to post a old non-occupied Hunters cabin about a mile from my place because it was a classic FedEx drop place for my packages.

In our area, FedEx Ground final delivery drivers are not FedEx employees per se but are independent contract workers who show up in all sorts of odd vehicles to deliver --- 1980s/90s Astro van, 1980's pickup, old Subaru wagon, all unmarked and driver not in any identifiable uniform.

We've seen strange and awful delivery service from all of the big 3 - USPS "delivered" a digital camera to my FIL who never received it. USPS stood by the claim that the sketchy contract worker said he delivered it so it was delivered.

 

[Oaktree]

In our area, FedEx Ground final delivery drivers are not FedEx employees per se but are independent contract workers who show up in all sorts of odd vehicles to deliver --- 1980s/90s Astro van, 1980's pickup, old Subaru wagon, all unmarked and driver not in any identifiable uniform.

We've seen strange and awful delivery service from all of the big 3 - USPS "delivered" a digital camera to my FIL who never received it. USPS stood by the claim that the sketchy contract worker said he delivered it so it was delivered.

Around the holidays I'll see UPS/Fedex delivery drivers using their personal vehicles, but not the rest of the year.

Our post office uses GPS scanners on packages. It has helped me more than once when a package was mis-delivered.

 

[mjonesnh]

Ordered generator parts Jan 18. Shipped the 19th from las vegas, arrived in Memphis Sunday evening the 20th. That is far as they have gotten, tracking shows running late, moving in network. Never made it out of distribution facility according to tracking. Priority mail package cannot make it 200 miles to my house in 4 days . Just contacted USPS but have doubts it will do any good. Probably lost in transit or walked out of building on its own.

 

[newbury]

I just got a package from HDepot. They usually ship free some small items and I decided to buy a few outlet boxes and covers, screws etc. that were not in stock locally.

One box came (9x9x4) and I thought it was empty, ends up it only had a 4" outlet box cover in it (1) and it had slid under the flap where the tape stopped it from falling out.

Not sure how they make money sometimes...

HD has been messing up on me recently.
My local HD (~2miles) has become terrible on stocking. So I'm in the habit of looking online, then going in.
Latest escapade:
I needed some plumbing parts to hook up my sump pump:
1-1/4 in. PVC Schedule 40 Female S x FPT Adapter
1-1/4 in. Barb Insert Polypropylene x MPT Adapter Fitting
1-1/4 in. PVC Flexible Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps

All were shown online as available at the store.
So I go in on Jan 21'st:
1-1/4 in. PVC Schedule 40 Female S x FPT Adapter-none there, a bunch of other fittings in the box
1-1/4 in. Barb Insert Polypropylene x MPT Adapter Fitting-none there-
1-1/4 in. PVC Flexible Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps - 3 partially there, none with clamps
So I come home, order them online (Jan 21'st):
1-1/4 in. PVC Schedule 40 Female S x FPT Adapter- 3 day delivery
1-1/4 in. Barb Insert Polypropylene x MPT Adapter Fitting - next day (Jan 22nd) delivery
1-1/4 in. PVC Flexible Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps - maybe a week
Then yesterday (Jan 23rd) get message 1-1/4 in. Barb Insert Polypropylene x MPT Adapter Fitting -

"Unfortunately, your delivery is running late because some of the items in your order are experiencing shipping delays. Late shipments typically ship within 5 business days."

And these were the critical parts, so I go to order elsewhere (heavy rain due, need sump pump pipeline fixed).
Then today (Jan 24th) reality:
1-1/4 in. PVC Schedule 40 Female S x FPT Adapter - out for delivery
1-1/4 in. Barb Insert Polypropylene x MPT Adapter Fitting - out for delivery
1-1/4 in. PVC Flexible Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps - out for delivery
So maybe I'll get it done before the rain.

 

[Oaktree]

It just doesn't sound right now...

I gave a letter to the postman
He put it in his sack
Bright early next morning
He brought my letter back
Return to sender, address unknown
No such number, no such zipcode

Well, there was this song a couple years later.