I really hate Fed Ex.: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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July 16, 2008 4:54 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

For a while they were placing my packages down the street on a Neighbor's porch. As I live in a semi-rurual area, our mailboxes are clustered in groups of 4, he was placing the box on the porch closest to the boxes.

I called and complained and the nice later on the other end said she would do something about it.

Today I was expecting the Throw out bearing for my Saab so I can button up the transmission replacement.. I happened to be outside when the Fed-Ex truck drove by, but he only slowed slightly as he went down the road.

Going inside to check the tracking later.. I noted there was a delivery "exception" and that the driver could not locate the street name.. it's only one the pole right across the street from me! (I live on the corner) How hard is this? UPS has no difficulties in delivering to me. I have even had RPS (notorious for never delivering) and DHL have no problems in finding my address.. why can't the morons at Fed-Ex do it?

Yes. I did call them. I gave another very nice lady the description of my place, where it was located and even that my Bimmer was sitting outside.. but I never got my throwout bearing. Now I have to wonder what is going to happen with it.
July 16, 2008 5:51 p.m. scotaku New Reader

I live in the 'burbs and have had this trouble. It's not the organization, but the driver. Brown was my problem child...

It took catching him one day and just asking if he wouldn't mind considering the alternatives. I'd already tried leaving notes asking for delivery to a neighbor, leave it on the front step, etc... I even played the "it's more expensive to drive back here again and again" card.

When I got the guy's ear for a minute, I explained to him I know I have neighbors at home. Two have homemakers at home during the day and another two run home businesses. If I'm not home, could he give them a knock and deliver to an adult if a signature really is required? Sure. Thank you for that. No problem, sir. Thank you for asking.

Now the only time I see a 'sorry we missed you' is when my regular guy (Doug Heffernan?) isn't driving our route. The substitutes never seem to be interested in taking the boxes off the truck.
July 16, 2008 6:32 p.m. cwh Dork

I have many customers in the Caribbean. One in Trinidad ordered a circuit board. You know, little 6"x4"x1/2" thingy. FedEx wanted 85.00 to ship to Trinidad. My favorite forwarder did it for 2.50. Now ask me what I think of FedEx, Brown, whatever.
July 16, 2008 8:46 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

Actually, I begin to hate my life. Lost my phone somewhere out and about today. Tried calling it, but it goes right to voice mail.. that means it is either destroyed or turned off as it had a full charge before I left.

I do not have a home phone.. I rely on my Cell for everything. I also work on demand and tomorrow is when all the places I work for call me to see my availibility. Tried getting my old nextel working, but the payphone I was doing it from kept hanging up on me if I spent more than a minute on hold without music..

Definatly a bad day.. especially when you consider I have only had this phone 2 months, and now, even with the insurance, I am going to be out at least $35 if I can get my old phone working again.. I will be out hundreds of dollars in lost work if I can't
July 16, 2008 11:19 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

I was in charge of shipping for a few years, and overall, FedEx was WAY better than UPS and the others. It must be a local/driver issue. Hope things turn around soon!
July 17, 2008 9:28 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

well, I happened to get both issues resolved today. I got home from work JUST as the FedEx driver pulled up. I had left a sign for him pointing to my location.

He apologized and said that having the mailboxes clustered like they were was confusing, but now that he knew where I was, there would be no more issues.

As for my phone, the guy who found it called the last number I had talked to.. which was one of my employers (borgata). He got the guys name and number and then called one of the other places I work at (Harrahs) and left a message for me.

I now have both my throwout bearing and my phone
July 17, 2008 10:36 a.m. Jerry From LA Reader

A couple of months ago, my wife sold an irreplaceable etching to a couple in PA as part of her eBay business. FedEx lost the shipping tube almost immediately and was more interested in paying the insurance than looking for a piece of art by a dead guy who wasn't making any more. They did not interview the driver of the truck ( the package was never logged in at the first distribution center). They did not review the video tapes at the Kinko's where we dropped it off. Every time we spoke to them, we had to update every new person we talked to so nobody over there was telling anybody anything.

At first, we refused a settlement. We said, "Make an honest effort to find the irreplaceable artwork that you lost." They really showed a callous disregard as a company so I don't think one can blame any individual. We even brought up the possibility that someone stole the etching but they wouldn't hear it. They acted like their E36 M3 doesn't stink.

As soon as we were able, we stopped doing business with them. It wasn't about the money. It was more about their attitude and the corporate posture of "deny, deny, deny, settle, settle settle." We can't trust them anymore. It's one thing to lose some widget that can be replaced by re-shipping another widget. It's another to lose something irreplaceable and refuse to act.
July 17, 2008 10:55 a.m. DirtyBird222 Reader

I can't f'ing stand FedEx. Whether it's the a$$holes working at FedEx Kinko's or the drivers themselves. Whenever someone sends out a package using them I can only imagine when and where it will be delivered along with the condition of the package. I've had one good experience with them and that is when they actually delivered the latest set of rims on my car from Sarasota to Orlando in one day. God must have been on my side for that one.

Then there are the people who work in the delivery stations such as FedEx Kinkos. They act like they are freakin' god, rude as all hell, and try charging you for using your own box. I had to ship a small HVAC panel and window switch controls for an F-Body to Puerto Rico in an bubbly envelope and they wanted $75 and that was with my moms business account discount.
July 17, 2008 4:54 p.m. Tommy Suddard

Our old UPS driver was great. If you wanted him to, he would drive his truck over your obsolete printers!
July 17, 2008 5:14 p.m. cafcwest HalfDork

Tommy Suddard wrote:

Our old UPS driver was great. If you wanted him to, he would drive his truck over your obsolete printers!

Tommy, you always have the coolest things to say! Between comments like the above, and making me a sandwich at VIR last summer, you are one cool little dude in my book!
July 17, 2008 5:26 p.m. fiat22turbo SuperDork

DirtyBird222 wrote:

I can't f'ing stand FedEx. Whether it's the a$$holes working at FedEx Kinko's or the drivers themselves. Whenever someone sends out a package using them I can only imagine when and where it will be delivered along with the condition of the package. I've had one good experience with them and that is when they actually delivered the latest set of rims on my car from Sarasota to Orlando in one day. God must have been on my side for that one.

Then there are the people who work in the delivery stations such as FedEx Kinkos. They act like they are freakin' god, rude as all hell, and try charging you for using your own box. I had to ship a small HVAC panel and window switch controls for an F-Body to Puerto Rico in an bubbly envelope and they wanted $75 and that was with my moms business account discount.

Have you seen the Chapelle show where they deal with the "kinko's" type shops? Absolutely hilarious, and in some cases true. Go look it up, you might find it on the internets.

After working for UPS in their IT, and seeing the culture from the inside, I can safely say that unless you're a driver you aren't e36 M3 in their books. Most of the management within UPS came up through as drivers. Of course the driver's lives while at work are timed to the second and their procedures are configured for the ultimate in efficiency. In my view, all shipping companies are the same, as they all copy from each other and many of the drivers and workers have moved between the companies over time. Sometimes you get a good experience, sometimes you get a crappy one. Sounds like the OP sorted it out properly.