Caution about using FEDEX for shipping! my story

[Gary from Seattle]

On September 23rd I purchased an EM-1 II (my second) from B&H. That camera was delivered in a reasonable length of time. But after about two weeks with that camera it was obvious it was defective - would not register an attached lens. So, B&H authorized return and exchange and received my return on October 17th and shipped a replacement errantly on October 21st via FEDEX. The tracking number showed a delivery date of October 25th. I stayed home for delivery to sign. But it never showed up. Each day after the tracking showed "Package delayed". Each day the package via the tracking number showed that the package would be delivered the next day "between 12:40 and 5:03 PM" And each day it did not show up. So.....October 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, November 1st, November 2nd. Now there is no promised delivery date.

Is FEDEX incompetent and has lost my package, miss-delivered it, or do they know the package is damaged and they are dishonest in not admitting their errors? I don't know.

But after calling B&H last Friday and being promised delivery with no results. I called again today and said it is clear FEDEX has either lost the package or are being dishonest and requested that the October 25th package belong to FEDEX and that B&H send me a replacement for the replacement.

B&H's only error in this incompetent shindigg is using FEDEX as a carrier. B&H now must follow-up to compensate for FEDEX's incompetence.

By the way, I had another shipment coming and because of what, at that time, appeared to be a minor isssue; I asked Mailbox inc. if they were aware of problems in shipping by FEDEX, UPS, or the USPS. The woman said she had heard of other problems only with FEDEX. That shipment is not coming via FEDEX.

 

[TomFid]

I'm not sure it's any better on the other side of the fence. I recently had a similar experience with UPS. The package was delayed for quite a while, without any explanation. When we finally pressed a little harder, they admitted that it had been damaged in transit, and that they'd simply thrown it out (there were some perishables inside, so presumably they backed over it with a truck and made a mess, or something like that). Then, adding insult to injury, they insisted that we wait two weeks for the insurance claim to clear, on the off chance that it might arrive by some miracle.

Fortunately this sort of idiocy is fairly rare. Good luck!

 

[bmoag]

Shortly pre-pandemic I had legal papers that absolutely had to go across country, the state required the original papers with notarized signature. Electronic transmission not allowed.

I paid a small fortune to FedEx with a guaranteed delivery date deliver to get four pieces of paper from here to there.

You can guess the rest. I think it was something like 10 days late with anxious calls from relatives about settling an estate involving a property sale.

When I asked for a refund FedEx said because the item was delivered, and they admitted it was delivered later than their guarantee, no refund. No explanation for the delay. No apology. Just like an airline: if they get you there alive, regardless of other snafus, they did their job.

I will not voluntarily use FedEx. If a vendor like B&H is stupid enough to use FedEx that's their problem.

 

[JakeJY]

I'm not sure it's any better on the other side of the fence. I recently had a similar experience with UPS. The package was delayed for quite a while, without any explanation. When we finally pressed a little harder, they admitted that it had been damaged in transit, and that they'd simply thrown it out (there were some perishables inside, so presumably they backed over it with a truck and made a mess, or something like that). Then, adding insult to injury, they insisted that we wait two weeks for the insurance claim to clear, on the off chance that it might arrive by some miracle.

Fortunately this sort of idiocy is fairly rare. Good luck!

Yeah, I've heard stories of the same thing with UPS losing a huge shipment and then magically found it again, it's definitely not isolated to FedEx.

 

[JakeJY]

Shortly pre-pandemic I had legal papers that absolutely had to go across country, the state required the original papers with notarized signature. Electronic transmission not allowed.

I paid a small fortune to FedEx with a guaranteed delivery date deliver to get four pieces of paper from here to there.

You can guess the rest. I think it was something like 10 days late with anxious calls from relatives about settling an estate involving a property sale.

When I asked for a refund FedEx said because the item was delivered, and they admitted it was delivered later than their guarantee, no refund. No explanation for the delay. No apology. Just like an airline: if they get you there alive, regardless of other snafus, they did their job.

I will not voluntarily use FedEx. If a vendor like B&H is stupid enough to use FedEx that's their problem.

The Money Back guarantee is being suspended for Covid, but back before the pandemic, if you used any of the FedEx Express services with guaranteed delivery date, if they are late, they refund your shipping fee no questions asked (in my experience). This does not apply however to others like FedEx Ground which does not guarantee a delivery date.

https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-guide/money-back-guarantee.html

 

[shinndigg]

B&H's only error in this incompetent shindigg is using FEDEX as a carrier. B&H now must follow-up to compensate for FEDEX's incompetence.

I resemble this remark! :-D

 

[plantdoc]

I have also experienced delays without any reasons. Tracking showing no movement for several days. Fortunately, all the packages were finally delivered, but tracking delivery estimates are not reliable.

Greg

 

[Regor250]

Add UPS to the list. An increasingly frequent occurence it seems, and I'm guessing linked to an increased used of 3rd party carriers to cope with volume due to COVID.

--
Roger

 

[Alex Ethridge]

The common carriers that operate in the US deliver tens of millions of packages every year. It is not possible for any entity to do any operation, regardless of the kind of operation, tens of millions of times and get it right every one of those tens of millions of times.

If everyone swore to not do business with a carrier because they screwed up a few times, there would be no UPS, no USPS, no FedEx, no J. B. Hunt, no freight lines, no railroads, no airlines, no taxi services, no food delivery services, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

Life happens; get over it.

Last year, I upgraded my computer with parts ordered from B&H and delivered by FedEx (I think). A package was torn open, big hole in the box and 64 megs of memory missing. I reported it to B&H, replacement was shipped right away.



I still use all carriers except, when I have a choice, not USPS and it's not because their packages don't get here. It's because their tracking is the poorest and least reliable and sometimes I need reliable info on delivery date.

 

[Phocal]

The common carriers that operate in the US deliver tens of millions of packages every year. It is not possible for any entity to do any operation, regardless of the kind of operation, tens of millions of times and get it right every one of those tens of millions of times.

If everyone swore to not do business with a carrier because they screwed up a few times, there would be no UPS, no USPS, no FedEx, no J. B. Hunt, no freight lines, no railroads, no airlines, no taxi services, no food delivery services, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

Life happens; get over it.

Last year, I upgraded my computer with parts ordered from B&H and delivered by FedEx (I think). A package was torn open, big hole in the box and 64 megs of memory missing. I reported it to B&H, replacement was shipped right away.



I still use all carriers except, when I have a choice, not USPS and it's not because their packages don't get here. It's because their tracking is the poorest and least reliable and sometimes I need reliable info on delivery date.

I couldn't have said it better.

 

[MNE]

I've had problems with FedEx myself. After worrisome delays, I tracked the package to my local FedEx office. It never left there. I called and nobody could tell me where it was. Stolen by an employee I believe.

The merchant wrote off the loss and replaced one of the items.

I only had one issue with Amazon and it was the fault of the merchant, not Amazon delivery.

 

[NorCalAmPhotog]

I had a very similar experience with FedEx earlier this year (paid a large premium for an overnight guaranteed delivery time that was not met) and FedEx was unhelpful, unapologetic and unwilling to do anything to recompense for the much lower level of service they actually delivered. I sent a formal complaint and never received a response. I have avoided using FedEx since that time and do all that I can to limit my need for overnight delivery service as it is much less reliable than it was pre-COVID.

 

[ColdEd]

On September 23rd I purchased an EM-1 II (my second) from B&H. That camera was delivered in a reasonable length of time. But after about two weeks with that camera it was obvious it was defective - would not register an attached lens. So, B&H authorized return and exchange and received my return on October 17th and shipped a replacement errantly on October 21st via FEDEX. The tracking number showed a delivery date of October 25th. I stayed home for delivery to sign. But it never showed up. Each day after the tracking showed "Package delayed". Each day the package via the tracking number showed that the package would be delivered the next day "between 12:40 and 5:03 PM" And each day it did not show up. So.....October 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, November 1st, November 2nd. Now there is no promised delivery date.

Is FEDEX incompetent and has lost my package, miss-delivered it, or do they know the package is damaged and they are dishonest in not admitting their errors? I don't know.

But after calling B&H last Friday and being promised delivery with no results. I called again today and said it is clear FEDEX has either lost the package or are being dishonest and requested that the October 25th package belong to FEDEX and that B&H send me a replacement for the replacement.

B&H's only error in this incompetent shindigg is using FEDEX as a carrier. B&H now must follow-up to compensate for FEDEX's incompetence.

By the way, I had another shipment coming and because of what, at that time, appeared to be a minor isssue; I asked Mailbox inc. if they were aware of problems in shipping by FEDEX, UPS, or the USPS. The woman said she had heard of other problems only with FEDEX. That shipment is not coming via FEDEX.

There is another possibility, that happened to me when an item was shipped via OnTrac.

Every day, for 2 weeks, it was shown as "Out of Delivery", and at end of every day, it was shown as back in the warehouse. Then out again the next day for delivery. Except I never received it.

Turn out that due to a software error, OnTrac was correctly loading the item on the delivery vehicle, but was never placing the delivery on the driver's route sheet, which directs them along the most efficient path to each stop. Consequently, the driver never came near my house and never delivered the package.

Left unexplained was why they scanned it back in every night but never noticed their error.

I got this sorted out by - and I don't remember how I did this - iby getting n touch with an actual supervisor at OnTrac. There they figured out was happening. The next day, they had a warehouse supervisor drive the item directly to my house first thing.

One more example - we were out of town and had our mail held at the post office. On Oct 2nd, they scanned an envelope from our daughter, containing a check to us. The scanned showed it made it to the Post Office. After that, it disappeared. 'Our local PO is unfortunately badly understaffed now (the usual staffing shortages, I guess). Some carriers are handling 2 routes each day and working quite hard.

Anyway, I spoke to a very friendly (really) postal worker at another post office and they followed up and eventually found the missing letter somewhere in the local post office. It was delivered about 3 weeks late But it did arrive!

 

[Off The Mark]

I've had problems with ALL the carriers.

I actually prefer USPS, despite the fact that their tracking status is often update much slower than the tracking status of other carriers.

 

[grsnovi]

So, I ordered a camera on Wednesday evening (11/10) and paid EXTRA to ensure expedited delivery. Got the FedEx tracking number Wednesday night and checked Thursday morning which said that delivery was going to be Friday. On Friday morning the shipment showed as being in Portland. By Friday night, no shipment and the FedEx delivery status showed that the delivery was delayed but still showed Friday as the delivery date. Sometime later Friday night the status tracker showed delivery delayed and the new delivery to be Thursday (11/4). As of today FedEx has been by but nothing for me (yet).

I'm going out of town Tuesday (and wanted to take the camera with me) but if it doesn't show by mid-day Monday I'm hoping to call FedEx and have the shipment held until I return.

Not sure why I paid extra for expedited shipment.

If the package really was in Portland Friday morning I could have driven to pick it up myself.

I'm wondering if it's lost or damaged.

 

[spencergf]

FedEx stinks. I had an order coming from New York to the California bay area. The package sat across the bay in a warehouse for five days past the delivery date.

 

[Atho]

UPS (useless postal service) has left me very reluctant to purchase from OMDS online after repeatedly lying that they had attempted delivery when they hadn’t . Amazon deliveries lie eg handed to resident when left on doorstep. DPD can give barely 1 hour notice of delivery.

 

[3pinner]

I've had problems with ALL the carriers.

I actually prefer USPS, despite the fact that their tracking status is often update much slower than the tracking status of other carriers.

I generally agree except for my experience earlier this year ordering a $15.00 reducer ring from Adorama, and in 2 days it was shipped to my post office, then to California, then 2 other post offices in other parts of California, to the mid west, to Maryland, to Washington DC back to my local post office, and after nearly a month, I finally got it.

A friend that used to work for USPS explained that with the recent destruction of several mail sorting machines, the system just cannot keep up with the mail anymore.

 

[Gary from Seattle]

The common carriers that operate in the US deliver tens of millions of packages every year. It is not possible for any entity to do any operation, regardless of the kind of operation, tens of millions of times and get it right every one of those tens of millions of times.

If everyone swore to not do business with a carrier because they screwed up a few times, there would be no UPS, no USPS, no FedEx, no J. B. Hunt, no freight lines, no railroads, no airlines, no taxi services, no food delivery services, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

Life happens; get over it.

Well, if you don't give a dam, that is your issue. I guess on the box below you got what you expected........

Last year, I upgraded my computer with parts ordered from B&H and delivered by FedEx (I think). A package was torn open, big hole in the box and 64 megs of memory missing. I reported it to B&H, replacement was shipped right away.



I still use all carriers except, when I have a choice, not USPS and it's not because their packages don't get here. It's because their tracking is the poorest and least reliable and sometimes I need reliable info on delivery date.

 

[Gary from Seattle]

The common carriers that operate in the US deliver tens of millions of packages every year. It is not possible for any entity to do any operation, regardless of the kind of operation, tens of millions of times and get it right every one of those tens of millions of times.

If everyone swore to not do business with a carrier because they screwed up a few times, there would be no UPS, no USPS, no FedEx, no J. B. Hunt, no freight lines, no railroads, no airlines, no taxi services, no food delivery services, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

Life happens; get over it.

Last year, I upgraded my computer with parts ordered from B&H and delivered by FedEx (I think). A package was torn open, big hole in the box and 64 megs of memory missing. I reported it to B&H, replacement was shipped right away.



I still use all carriers except, when I have a choice, not USPS and it's not because their packages don't get here. It's because their tracking is the poorest and least reliable and sometimes I need reliable info on delivery date.

I couldn't have said it better.

Or worse.