convulated shipping: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Dec. 22, 2011 8:55 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

Present for my girlfriend is going to arrive tomarrow (hopefully) and it should have arrived on tuesday, but got lost in Harrisburg pa.

In looking at the tracking, I am surprised at the convoluted course this package has taken. Usually most of them seem to arrive at the main hub, and then to the local and then to my door... but this poor box has gone from:

Cadillac Mi.

Wyoming Mi.

Maumee, Oh.

New Stanton, PA.

Harrisburg, PA (where "an exception in the sorting process has occured")

South Charleston, WV

Roanoke, VA.

Harrisburg, PA.

and now Horsham, PA.

Did I add that I live in New Jersey?
Dec. 22, 2011 9:01 p.m. fasted58 SuperDork

well I'm glad New Stanton came through at least

SW Pa guy here
Dec. 22, 2011 9:59 p.m. 81cpcamaro Reader

Sounds like UPS to me. A guy at work had a part he ordered accidentally shipped to him instead of just picking it up at the counter. He only lived 12 miles away but the package ended up in Spokane, Washington before someone at UPS realized their mistake. Only took almost two weeks to get the part.
Dec. 22, 2011 10:58 p.m. Streetwiseguy Dork

Most of the time, the UPS/Fedex central didtribution/whatever system works. You should see some of the routing to get stuff to Canada- scariest spot is when its in Winnipeg waiting to clear customs...
Dec. 22, 2011 11:10 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

oh, I know it does.. for some reason, this box went to the wrong hub, on the wrong truck, at the wrong time. Usually packages to me have about 3 stops before getting to my door
Dec. 23, 2011 2:52 a.m. curtis73 Dork

Statistically, one in every 1207 packages with UPS gets the "oops" treatment. That's an older stat from a shipping comparison website that doesn't exist anymore. I just happen to remember that number because it was the same as the last four digits of my phone number at the time.

Last year UPS couldn't deliver my Christmas gifts from my parents. My mother spent crazy money to send a large box full of gifts to me, and it never showed. After nearly a month it made it back to my Mom. For some dumb reason (although the package clearly showed my residential address on Deer Falls Dr) they kept attempting to deliver it to the FBI building on 7th street. Not sure how they mistook that.

They all mess up. In my experience, USPS is a crumbling dinosaur that shouldn't be trusted with a birthday card. UPS is a very inexpensive way to make sure you will be treated like sh!t when your package gets hopelessly lost, and FedEx is an expensive way to make sure your package gets there on time with a smile.
Dec. 23, 2011 3:02 a.m. EvanB SuperDork

curtis73 wrote: and FedEx is an expensive way to make sure your package gets there on time with a smile.

Yep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhmjJCBQ-cA

Content: FedEx driver throws monitor/tv over fence

Disclaimer, I know all FedEx deliveries are not like this but it is still a funny clip.