What's wrong with UPS?

[Dennis_Wood]

UPS and Fedex don't even knock any more ...they just dump the
packages on teh ground and leave. If I didn't live in a complex
that is about 50% college students, I wouldn't care ... but I do.
I've had to hunt down packages that students took off my door step
before (and I DID find them).

Beyond that, the whole signature-required aspect is completely
arbitrary ... it seems like the cheapest things have to be signed
for while my $1500 DLP projector was just sitting on the front step
(in it's retail box I might add).

Fedex is my least favorite. I've noticed that they let packages
sit for huge periods of time in warehouses ... that's why their
regular ground delivery will always take them the full allotted
time to deliver (even if it is only a mile away). At least UPS
makes an attempt to keep things moving.

All three shippers are worthelss when it comes to protecting your
items. I've learned to seal EVERYTHING to protect from impact,
crushing, and the elements (rain). I've had electronics left in
the rain, fragile items crushed, etc. Despite attempts to make
damage claims, they all make you jump through hoops and then don't
honor it in the end. Their requirements are absurd. UPS required
a new box packed inside of a new box with appropriate peanuts or
foam between the two layers, etc. Even when I did that, I was
screwed because their district manager claimed that they couldn't
insure the safety of electronics? WHAT!?? Boy was I mad that day.

After hundreds of Ebay packages, I've learned that USPS is the best
by far. They are surprisingly cheap (I was saving $200-500 per
week at my Ebay peak compared to UPS), they always deliver on time,
and not one item has been lost or damaged. I'm not saying it can't
happen, but they are just better at it than UPS or Fedex for some
reason.

If I had to rank them, it would go like this: 1.USPS 2.UPS 3.Fedex
Who knows, mabe DHL will figure things out and make everyone happy.

I won't swear to how FedEx or others do their signature required business, but I had a long and initally confrontational conversation with the Manager of my local UPS hub, and the explaination I received was that the carrier (UPS) does not decide what packages require signature confirmation. That is the decision of the sender and is specified at the time they ship the package. If the package is marked signature confirmation the driver MUST get a signature at time of delivery or reschedule, and leave a note. You can also leave them a note if you have a willing neighbor who will sign for and accept your package, but a note asking them to leave it without someone's signature won't work.

I've had the FedEx lies of "attempted delivery" while I was home also, and there were never notes left.

Remember, FedEx ground used to be Roadway, one of the absolute worst carriers in the country. When FedEx bought them up, they bought up all the problems along with the company, and they've not really gotten much better under the FedEx name.

And DHL is the absolute worst. The guy in our area who drives for DHL is so fed up with the company he's quitting. If you want to find out how these shipping companies are really run, talk to the drivers, they're for the most part good people stuck in what's turned into a crappy job.