Fedex is a joke

[Maggot Brain]

Just curious what others think of FedEx.

The last 4 out of 5 package I've received via FedEx have not arrived on the schedule delivery date and usually didnt arrive until a week (7 days) after the initial scheduled date. They seem to always get hung up at one facility for a number of days along the way and then spend another 2 or 3 days at the destination facility.

Every other postal service I've used the past 2 months (even past 5 years besides UPS) have arrived not only in a timely manner but on the scheduled delivery date. I just sent my son a big 25lb box of Christmas gifts via USPS ground shipping and it arrived in 3 days flat. I bought a speaker that came from Florida (I'm in WA) that arrived in 3 days via USPS ground. I've had DHL deliver a package from the UK in 2 days this month. How is it that FedEx can't even make shipments a few states away arrive in less than a week?

Am I confused and FedEx is just the bottom tier for shipping? I get that it was the holidays etc etc but that didn't effect any shipments besides those via FedEx.

It's usualy just whatever but this is package 4 of 5 that has gone into pending and sitting in at destination facility. I did a Google search and it seems MANY people have this issue especially with the Redmond Wa facility.

Are they always incompetent? I just can't wrap my head around how they stay in business.

Incompetence just grinds my gears especially when I've received packages from all major shipping services (USPS, UPS, DHL and Amazon) and FedEx is the only one that can't get a package somewhere in less that 7+ days.

Hopefully right after I post this it will be scheduled for delivery

 

[junk notes]

Yes, of course.
It does become an issue if you paid for a service that they are falling short of. Such as paying an extra fee for 2-day shipping arriving a week late. An adjustment credit or refund is in order, and when that fails, just simply quit using them. Do not continue the aggrevation, and speak with your dollars. 2 cents to save your sanity.

 

[Maggot Brain]

Yes, of course.
It does become an issue if you paid for a service that they are falling short of. Such as paying an extra fee for 2-day shipping arriving a week late. An adjustment credit or refund is in order, and when that fails, just simply quit using them. Do not continue the aggrevation, and speak with your dollars. 2 cents to save your sanity.

Yeah I will never use FedEx nor UPS personally but unfortunately some sellers and stores only offer to ship via them.

I've tried to deal with FedEx's customer service and they legit just run you in circles until you "give up". I've debated calling them regarding the package I'm waiting on but I know it will do absolutely nothing but waste my time.

I'm just venting and also curious if this is just how FedEx operates or if I just have extremely bad luck with them.

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

I’m a nervous wreck anytime I have to use fed ex or ups…

 

[steveb63]

Just curious what others think of FedEx.

The last 4 out of 5 package I've received via FedEx have not arrived on the schedule delivery date and usually didnt arrive until a week (7 days) after the initial scheduled date. They seem to always get hung up at one facility for a number of days along the way and then spend another 2 or 3 days at the destination facility.

Every other postal service I've used the past 2 months (even past 5 years besides UPS) have arrived not only in a timely manner but on the scheduled delivery date. I just sent my son a big 25lb box of Christmas gifts via USPS ground shipping and it arrived in 3 days flat. I bought a speaker that came from Florida (I'm in WA) that arrived in 3 days via USPS ground. I've had DHL deliver a package from the UK in 2 days this month. How is it that FedEx can't even make shipments a few states away arrive in less than a week?

Am I confused and FedEx is just the bottom tier for shipping? I get that it was the holidays etc etc but that didn't effect any shipments besides those via FedEx.

It's usualy just whatever but this is package 4 of 5 that has gone into pending and sitting in at destination facility. I did a Google search and it seems MANY people have this issue especially with the Redmond Wa facility.

Are they always incompetent? I just can't wrap my head around how they stay in business.

Incompetence just grinds my gears especially when I've received packages from all major shipping services (USPS, UPS, DHL and Amazon) and FedEx is the only one that can't get a package somewhere in less that 7+ days.

Hopefully right after I post this it will be scheduled for delivery

Went to shit right around "pandemic" times. In my experience.

Imo of course, ymmv etc..

 

[Maggot Brain]

Little update,
I was able to get ahold of customer service (weird) and they opened a "case" to locate the package. About 15 minutes later a representative called me back and informed me they are unable to locate the package right now (great! Haha) and that they are dealing with high volume and it may be amongst other packages waiting to get loaded and delivered. She informed me if it doesn't arrive by January 3rd to have the shipper open a lost package claim.

This is the 4th package in 2 months to miss it's delivery date and second to have gone "missing". The last package was never located so I don't have high hopes on this one being found.

Pretty lame as it's my 2nd Scumback H55-PVC I've been anxiously awaiting, so the wait continues.

I highly recommend everyone avoid using FedEx especially if it's something unique or irreplaceable etc. 4 out of 5 packages delayed or lost is not acceptable imo and I have no faith or trust in FedEx. I'll never use them again and plead that any seller that does use them to please use another service for my package.

Wah wah

 

[Dblgun]

I have had issues with all, FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL and OnTrac in the past year or so. Recently had a package tracking say that it was "out for delivery" that never arrived that day. Tracking the next day stated that the package was being held at the depot "at the receivers request" which certainly wasn't true. I went down to the depot that afternoon and found that they were wanting additional payment because the shipper had not been charged enough. I told them if that was the case to get it from the shipper and left with my pakage. This is getting bad!

 

[Matthews Guitars]

The last package that I had any involvement that was sent via fedex went as follows:

Package sent via 2 day air service. On time for delivery.
Next day, shipment was marked as arriving early. Expected delivery by 4:30 PM.
Early delivery did not occur. Around midnight, package status was changed to
"delivery not scheduled". The following day, the day that it was originally scheduled for delivery,
delivery status changed to scheduled to arrive that day, around 3 PM.
Around 3:30 PM, the package was delivered.

The package contained a firearm. Delivered to my local gun store for me to pick up.

I got a bit nervous about the shenanigans that occurred. But it turned out all right.


Last year, or very early this year, I sent a Marshall 1966B speaker cabinet via fedex ground,
going a fairly short distance, from Florida to Georgia.

It took over TWO WEEKS for the recipient to get the cabinet and he had to drive 2 hours to the
distribution center in Georgia to pick it up.

When tracking the package it became evident that they were calling it lost...then found...then
"delivery not scheduled"....they must have the laziest of lazy ass workers you can possibly get,
but being as it was Georgia, and near Atlanta, no less, that is very clearly a possibility.

Other times I've had great results with fedex service. I shipped two very expensive cinema anamorphic
lens assemblies with motorized sleds, in custom built packing crates, and those arrived no problem.

 

[Geeze]

One of the issues with Fedex - I was a long time shipper with $15-20K worth of shipping costs per year with them all over the world - was 7-8 years ago they ditched the employee ground delivery drivers in favor of contractors bidding on routes. They relaxed the delivery window back then for the drivers to add up to three days. We never had the same driver for more than a month as they would quit - getting paid a flat fee no matter if they worked 8 hours or 12 hours doesn't lead to retention.

The express drivers are still Fedex employees.

I suspect the stockholders and execs thought it was a great money saving move but their customers didn't. We dropped them for UPS who have their own issues.

Russ

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Don’t get me started on FedExLax !

I am a member on the My Les Paul Forum. After reading stories and seeing all of the great Japanese guitars folks were importing from Japan, I decided to give it a go.

Found a cool Les Paul copy. Used one of the proxy services to buy it. Everything was great and super efficient. The guitar went from Japan to the FedExLax Main Hub in Memphis, TN in 24 hours. It then sat in Memphis for a few weeks. All of my emails to FedExLax were not returned. You could NEVER talk with a live person. Finally, I looked up the CEOs email through a business contact. Sent an email, within a few hours, someone from his “inner circle, “circle of trust” called me. I had to describe roughly how big the package was, approximate weight and what it contained.

I looked on the website, my package was moving !! Approximately 2 days later I heard FedExLax pull up to my door. Went out to get my guitar. I was handed a 12”X12”X12” box with my tracking number affixed.

Someone in Memphis got a nice guitar and I got a box of hair care shit and plastic bowels!

I was reimbursed by the Proxy service.

Never again, if I can it at all help it!

 

[Gunner64]

It's the whole world fellas. Most people are shitheads anymore, and don't care about anything. Including FedEx and ups.

"F you for making me work" type attitude is abundant. It's like they don't make the connection that if you weren't using the service they wouldn't have that job.

It used to be people took pride in what they did, and providing good service was the goal, and the source of that pride. No more. It's pathetic. It's everywhere.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I think everywhere will have issues at times. Maybe depends on shipping speed?

When I ordered my R0 Les Paul from Wildwood, in CO, I paid for Fed Ex shipping but no idea how long it would take internatoonal to Canada.

They shipped it out at 4 PM ish on a Wednesday.

On Thursday afternoon I would have had it here except it was hung up in customs for 1 day. I got it Fri afternoon!

I cannot imagine there are loads of flights from Colorado to here and there wasn't. It went from CO to Memphis amd Memphis to Calgary AB overnight. Calrgary is a 1 hr flight from here but all the logistics and aircraft?
Incidentally this isn't a huge major Canadian city.

Crazy fast good shipping. I couldn't believe it went to all those stops overnight and ready to get here the next day.
Incredible, to me.
Personally I have nothing but good things to say about Fed Ex.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

I've had the worst service with UPS (don't ask about the small claims case in 2008), then USPS, and the least with Fedex. The holiday season is always a crapshoot, I'm the first to admit it. MaggotBrain has a speaker coming from me and it's 4-5 days late already (12/22/22 delivery date). Unfortunately it's a choice of the "the lesser of several evils" with shipping

Watit till I finish the USPS damage claim to Finland that's been going on since 9/16/22. You read that right. I just got my claim forms for reimbursement in the last 4 days. They think loudspeakers are lithium batteries at JAL Cargo and Finnish customs.

You can't make this shit up.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

One of the issues with Fedex - I was a long time shipper with $15-20K worth of shipping costs per year with them all over the world - was 7-8 years ago they ditched the employee ground delivery drivers in favor of contractors bidding on routes. They relaxed the delivery window back then for the drivers to add up to three days. We never had the same driver for more than a month as they would quit - getting paid a flat fee no matter if they worked 8 hours or 12 hours doesn't lead to retention.

The express drivers are still Fedex employees.

I suspect the stockholders and execs thought it was a great money saving move but their customers didn't. We dropped them for UPS who have their own issues.

Russ

my experience is that they keep changing things trying to get better bottom lines.

I've had fedex express come via USPS. fedex does the main part of travel, then drop off a bunch of parcels at the local PO...

During the holidays, like now, they are scrambling to get everything done as cost efficient as possible & also trying to meet deadlines.

seems I've also had funny stuff where a truck got delayed, so everything on the truck was stuck wherever the problem happened. The problem is they aren't very transparent about the issue & because of that, they are scrambling for a story, which doesn't always come out right, nor help the situation.

I used to work as a supervisor for a mfgr / distribution outlet. I always hated when my suppliers would tell me whatever they thought I wanted to hear, rather than what I actually wanted to hear - the truth. I'd call & they'd say, it's on the truck, on it's way... Except it wasn't on the truck, nor on it's way. &... in turn, the gal in my office would tell our customer that it was on the truck, on it's way & that they could have it next day, when after 5-7 days of hearing it's on the truck, from our supplier & my office telling the customer tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, it just pisses everybody off - especially when your customer is hiring a crew to install said item, day-by-day.

If these "logistics" services would simply tell you the truth & do their job, it would stop a lot of complaints. I mean, nobody likes delays, etc., but we also understand that things happen, & if they would just be honest & up front about it, it would save a lot of problems...

 

[mcblink]

If these "logistics" services would simply tell you the truth & do their job, it would stop a lot of complaints. I mean, nobody likes delays, etc., but we also understand that things happen, & if they would just be honest & up front about it, it would save a lot of problems...

Yep. This caused me to quit trucking. I actually enjoyed being on the road, but the lies you're constantly being told, just like the situation you were describing, nah, F that. I quit driving, and made sure that I'd never fall back into it by letting my Class A license lapse. I don't want the damn thing. Never again.

If I have an appointment to make a delivery or a pick, and have to be there on time, then they had better have their shit ready to go.

Once, I had to sit at a fruit warehouse for 2 days, to pick up 4 pallets of cherries. Not uncommon, but I live 30 minutes away from this warehouse, they wouldn't let me leave once checked in, and I had to be there at my appointment time, lest they stick me in the back of the line. It's just rude, disrespectful, inconsiderate and frankly, unnecessary, if they'd just tell the truth. Found out that I could get pizza delivered to my truck on that load though. Didn't bring any food that day, I was only 30 minutes from home lol had to do something! Didn't figure I'd be there for 2 days...

Oh but then there were warehouses affiliated with one another....I'd be scheduled to pick up a load at one warehouse, only to find out that it was actually coming from an affiliate warehouse.....that I was scheduled to be at next. Why can't I just pick it up there? I would have to wait for the other warehouse to stick my load on one of their trucks, drive it a few miles to the warehouse I'm waiting at, wait for them to unload THAT truck, sort the load, and then finally get the load in my truck. Just retarded. I was absolutely pissed off every day after work. Nope. No more of that!

....and then those sealed loads I hauled off the train that contained HAZMAT they didn't bother to let me know about...no placards, no paperwork, nothin'....

I don't miss it. "Logistics" is anything but logical.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

yep, the other thing that gets me is customs - especially LAX. I hear NY isn't much different.

They'll just sit on stuff, for a week or 2, instead of checking it in. Sometimes it can be due to the courier not doing paperwork right, or something, but, once again, they could let people know. If there's a problem, customs can let the courier know & then the courier can let you know.

Communication goes a long way for good customer relations.

 

[neikeel]

Ok -my example
BSA Gold star DBD34 engine tricked out to 600cc all the goodies (Omega forged piston, Carillo rod, pressed up steel crank, Nikasil bore etc).
Sent from Netherlands to Charles de Gaulle, Paris in 24hrs. They sent me a bill for £1400.00 Customs and VAT which I paid by return.
Then it sat in FedEx CDG for a month and apparently went to Stanstead, UK and back again, then they lost the waybill and documents before it spent 2 more months in Stanstead in limbo between FedEx and Border Force.
Multiple emails and calls from both myself and the builder and the builders shipping agent. Could not get to speak to any human being anywhere close to the point where it was. They too asked for pictures of what it looked like (fortunately it was a Fed Ex case and the builder had already sent me photos of it with the original paperwork on it, he also stencilled our respective addresses on the woodwork.
Finally I had a half day in which I went from HMRC (via Stanstead Police and local council) and UK Customs and Border Force. Eventually got through to a lady in Stanstead FedEx itself (she was surprised how I managed to get through to her!). She said that it had been through customs and Border Force but the electronic hold tag had not been released.
Less than 24hrs later it was on my drive with a bewildered FedEx driver who had no paperwork for it and told my wife that he should not really leave it there with no documentation but my wife advised him that if he did that she would have to go with it (good girl).
The packing was largely intact with only one hole punched in the side...........
Needless to say I will not be using FedEx myself (at the moment UPS seems to be working for me).

 

[Maggot Brain]

Very interesting replies and I enjoy reading other's different experiences. I'm looking into shipping and logistics more out of curiosity and realizing a lot of corners are cut for profit... You know, typical modern stuff. Service suffers for the benefit of profits and the customers are at the mercy of it. The biggest issue I have is so many big companies and corporations get away with subpar service simply because people don't really do anything about it. The whole "vote with your doller" adage is pretty true but today's society couldn't be inconvenienced to make a stand again shoddy service, atleast in large scale. Thus why it seems so many services suffer without any change or improvement. Sure the customers are pissed but they'll still use the service either out of convenience or a lack of better options.


I see part of the issue with my package is it's being handed off to a 3rd party contractor. So not only does the package have to navigate FedEx's BS but deal with the BS of the 3rd party. I imagine if FedEx is swamped then possibly double for the 3rd especially if they are handling multiple contracts (example USPS).

My tracking updated today saying it was "tendered to authorized agent for final delivery" which is the 3rd party. It was giving me a delivery date of Friday the 29th but has since reverted back to pending which I'm has to do with being handed off, from what I gather they give it a 3 day buffer after handing it off.

I'm curious if my call yesterday helped get the package moving again (probably not) but I feel some better/clearer information on their tracking would help in situations like this.

 

[R.B. Huckleberry]

Fed Ex typically deliver my stuff to the other side of town, to streets that aren't even CLOSE in name to mine.
Luckily, honest folks have returned a guitar and a guitar case to me (way different addresses, so it's like they drop the stuff off randomly), but someone in this town is walking around in my pants.

 

[ITburst]

I had a replacement warranty Apple Watch due last year. They lost it. Months of phone calls got me no where and they kept blaming Apple for some reason. Apple kept saying I had to wait for it as they could not resend until FedEx admitted it was lost, which they wouldn’t do.
I finally sent an email directly to Tim Cook as I had read that he actually responds sometimes.
Lo and behold a woman who was one of the higher up managers close to Tim responded. She sent me a replacement replacement right away.

FedEx finally shows up with my watch….and the first “lost” watch. The same truck, the same delivery shows up with two watches.
F****** FedEx!!