Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

[waterinthefuel]

I've always used UPS, never had a problem before now. We've probably had a hundred items delivered to our door over the last 10 years via UPS, and the last 5 items, 2 got lost or damaged. My father ordered a very expensive part for a backhoe, we receive an empty taped-up box. It ends up taking a very long time to get resolved, but he eventually got another part in.

I ordered a 5.1 speaker system for my computer for xmas. It was ordered on Dec 27th, shipped on the 28th. It's been sitting in Illinois for 10 days, without moving. I contacted the Ebay seller and they said the package has been lost, and they will send another. I'm upset for them and me. I've waited 2 weeks for this to come in to no avail, now I have to wait another week for the replacement to come in. They're out two items now.

I've never had this kind of trouble with a shipper before. I always thought UPS and FedEx were pretty much the same as far as reliability with one truck being brown the other white. We've never had a single issue with FexEx. I wish more people would start using them. They seem very reliable, much moreso than "the brown truck."

You guys have any similar experiences?

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Where I live, UPS has NEVER been reliable! They won't deliver in the winter and half the time they loose packages or it arrives damaged when it does.. This last episode with them broke the bank, I have a PO Box address, which is normally not a problem and UPS actually has a transfer system that it can be transferred to USPS for deliver to a PO Box, BUT NO, they deliver it to my 7 year old address and I have to pay an extra $10 to pick my item up from the UPS Store!

I have simply got to the point, I don't buy from companies that insist on using UPS!

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I've had crappy luck with them also. Lots of damaged packages. We use them daily unfortunately. They are affectionatly referred to as U People S*ck around here.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I sell on eBay and buy a lot online, my order of preference when shipping or receiving:
Rated by price and service
USPS Their tracking isn't the greatest, but it ALWAYS gets there
UPS (excellent tracking, more likely to be rough handled, but gets there)
FEDEX Ground ---sucks, these are sub-contractors, Expidited is a little better, but still a crap shoot

 

[j_martin]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Once I flew to Philadelphia to install some parts in a System/38 computer for one of our maintenance customers. My shipping guy looked up the equipment for the flight (DC9) and put the parts in a box that would fit in the overhead, emblazoned with fragile stickers just in case I was forced to check it.

At the sight, I was shown a systemic problem on the system. I ran some diagnostics which generated about a 100 page (14" pin feed) report. I put the report in the now empty "fragile" box, taped it up, and headed for the airport.

I missed the flight. Substitute flight was on a 727, which had smaller overhead bins. To make it fit the curved bin, I set the box on the floor and stomped it into shape, stowed it, and sat down.

When I was leaving the plane, I heard one little old lady whisper to her companion, "I think he works for UPS".

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

For a 'side-jack', remember this guy?

I think he handled it well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Here, UPS can't be beat. Our delivery guy is SUPER and will deliver a package addressed to my house to the office if no one is home. He goes out of his way to be helpful, and I have his personal number if I need something in the morning instead of the afternoon when he usually arrives. He will re-route his day to get it to me when I need it.

FedEx, on the other hand, stunk up the joint. However, recently a new driver was hired who also goes above and beyond in delivering packages. Up until 6 month ago I would only use UPS, now I don't care, both are equally good ... because of the drivers that deliver here.

 

[texasabil]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Yeah I get all my blood pressure and diabetic medication through them the last few times it has been 3 to 5 days late they said it was due to the holidays I hope that's the reason!!!!!!!!!!but until now they have been great!!!!

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I haven't noticed any problems myself. Ordered several items delivered around Christmas, all without incident. Fed Ex, UPS, USPS, never have problems with any of them. Knock Wood.

 

[nlain]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I have always had good luck with UPS, good driver, he will take the package to the back porch and put it in there out of the weather, he likes my dog too. Fedx will not go in the yard because of the dog, they put package in plastic bag and tie it to the gate or throw it on the ground. USPS it just depends, one person will put on porch the other takes back to PO and I have to go get it when ever I can. My preference of course is UPS.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Once I flew to Philadelphia to install some parts in a System/38 computer for one of our maintenance customers. My shipping guy looked up the equipment for the flight (DC9) and put the parts in a box that would fit in the overhead, emblazoned with fragile stickers just in case I was forced to check it.

At the sight, I was shown a systemic problem on the system. I ran some diagnostics which generated about a 100 page (14" pin feed) report. I put the report in the now empty "fragile" box, taped it up, and headed for the airport.

I missed the flight. Substitute flight was on a 727, which had smaller overhead bins. To make it fit the curved bin, I set the box on the floor and stomped it into shape, stowed it, and sat down.

When I was leaving the plane, I heard one little old lady whisper to her companion, "I think he works for UPS".

vry funny tale.

i've had good luck with both UPS and Fed ex here. order mostly car or bike parts and they always get here on time and in great shape.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I don't mean to be sour grapes, but I find UPS to be very expensive, especially when shipping stuff to Canada. USPS is much more convenient and cost effective.

 

[mscher]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Maybe it's just the world we live in.

More and more items are being purchased on-line and shipped, while shipping Companies are cutting workers, pooling even expedited freight, with competitors, hiring independant contractors, etc. The drivers work their butts off. We had a UPS dleivery at 9pm during xmas season.

Sometime it's good to realize how many packages, you DO receive promtply and without damage.

I second using only USPS to ship to Canada. Fedex charged me $28 "customs" charge on a small package, where $20 of it was a "processing fee", meaning someone had to key in 10 numbers. Also if the consignee does not pay this charge, which they usually won't as the package, is dropped at their doorstep, the charge gets put back on the shipper, who will give you a call - to pay it.

USPS and then Canada Postal would only charge the $8 and the consignee would have to pick up the package at the post office and pay the customs fee.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I've always used UPS, never had a problem before now. We've probably had a hundred items delivered to our door over the last 10 years via UPS, and the last 5 items, 2 got lost or damaged. My father ordered a very expensive part for a backhoe, we receive an empty taped-up box. It ends up taking a very long time to get resolved, but he eventually got another part in.

I ordered a 5.1 speaker system for my computer for xmas. It was ordered on Dec 27th, shipped on the 28th. It's been sitting in Illinois for 10 days, without moving. I contacted the Ebay seller and they said the package has been lost, and they will send another. I'm upset for them and me. I've waited 2 weeks for this to come in to no avail, now I have to wait another week for the replacement to come in. They're out two items now.

I've never had this kind of trouble with a shipper before. I always thought UPS and FedEx were pretty much the same as far as reliability with one truck being brown the other white. We've never had a single issue with FexEx. I wish more people would start using them. They seem very reliable, much moreso than "the brown truck."

You guys have any similar experiences?

My sister was trapped in the Chicago area for 5 days because of the storm and she was just trying to fly South to FL....... I would suspect the storm had something to do with it.........

 

[royal0014]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Around here, it's USPS when possible, and UPS otherwise. The @$%*%& at Fredex can't even find the COUNTY I'm in!! :facepalm:


<<)))(((>>

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I have never paid a customs fee to Canada when I ship USPS and I have shipped hundreds of packages over the years go Canada..

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

U P S stands for Uniformed Package Smashers

 

[Chris-R]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

We had a UPS account for many years. On a daily basis, we ship overnight envelopes containing documents and big money all over the United States and Canada. We had too many problems with UPS. For example, we overnighted documents to an address in Florida. They delivered the package to a "neighbor" three streets over from the destination. We shipped documents to an address that was only 45 miles from us. They lost the documents but found them about 4 weeks later. They said the envelope got stuck in a conveyor belt. The one that finally got us to fire UPS was this: We were overnighting money to a courthouse in order to stop a woman and her 3 kids from losing their house and being thrown out on the street in the middle of the winter. We had a big snowstorm so I personally called UPS to make sure that our overnight package would get picked up on time and delivered on time and I stressed the urgency of the situation. The CSR at UPS told me there would be no problem. UPS dropped the ball and the overnight package did not get picked up by them as requested and it therefore did not get delivered to the courthouse on time. Since then, we use USPS and they have NEVER lost anything nor have they ever dropped the ball.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

Good sevice here from UPS, FEDEX, and the USPS. Hope I didn't jinx it.

 

[mscher]

Re: Do you guys find UPS a bit less reliable lately?

I have never paid a customs fee to Canada when I ship USPS and I have shipped hundreds of packages over the years go Canada..

Customs fees for USPS to Canada, are paid by the consignee, when they pick up the package.

All the shipper has to do is fill out the customs forms, or the USPS clerk does it for you.