The Glade 4.0

I ordered a package on March 1st. I paid for expedited (2-day) shipping. The vendor really should have mailed the order on March 2nd, but they didn't until March 3rd. Which means that the 2-day shipping has the package arriving today.

Normally fine. However, I'm going out of town for the weekend. I'm not going to be there when the package arrives, as FedEx doesn't run by my house until the late afternoon. I have a carport that's covered, but not enclosed. I don't particularly want the elements to wreak havoc on my package.

So I call FedEx on Wednesday. "Why, hello there, Ms. FedEx, I see that my package is going to be delivered Friday. I won't be here Friday, so I'd like to have that package held until Monday." "Yeah, OK, whatever, we'll see what we can do." "Uh, OK. Thank you." (paraphrased but keeping in the spirit of the reponses)

So I check the tracking status again today. On truck for delivery. Well, that simply won't do. So I call FedEx again. "Why, hello there, Mr. FedEx. I am calling about my delivery, #WH4T3V3R. I requested that it be held until Monday because I don't want to risk it being damaged, but it's status says that it's on the truck for delivery today." "Well, let's see...yup, it shows that it's going to be delivered today." " ... OK, great. But I don't want it delivered today, because I'm going to be gone this weekend and I don't want it to risk being damaged." "Well, the shipper paid for 2-day service, so we have to deliver it today." "Ah, actually, I paid for the 2-day service, and I, the recipient, am asking that it be held until Monday."

"Well, we have to attempt delivery today." *sigh* "OK, but I can guarantee you that when the driver knocks on the door, there won't be an answer. What I'm asking is that when there is no answer, that he not simply leave my package by the door, that he climbs back inside his truck, package in hand, and delivers it Monday." "Well, the shipper didn't pay for signature required." *...* "I. know. that. But I am the one who paid for this, and I don't want it delivered today. Please. hold. it." "Well, I show it's already on the truck for delivery."

...

"YES. I. know. that. I requested on Wednesday that it not get to that state of delivery. But it did. Now I'm asking that the driver simply not leave the package at my house. That he returns on Monday to drop it off."

"Well, OK, but we have to attempt delivery today."

/facepalm. /repeats self again

"OK, I'll see if we can get a message to the driver and maybe we can hold the package. But it's already on the truck and scheduled for delivery today. Thank you. Bye-bye."

GRAHR!

*sigh* Meant for rants. Dang health and Heckfire boards messing up my visual assumptions. Mods, plz move. Danke.

Ouch that blows. I gave them a wrong address once and called them to correct it while the item was on the truck. They contacted the selling party (I assumed to verify the address change was legit). Instead they had requested a replacement be shipped immediately (?). The next day they called and asked me for a better address from the initial delivery since the first one was wrong... I ended up with two sets of flowers being delivered a day apart to the same address.

Is shipping really that hard?

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I fully expect to pull into the carport Sunday night and see a little brown box sitting on my steps, glaring at me as if to say "And where have you been, mister?"

Yes, its annoying, but Fedex *has* to deliver it today.

You paid the shipper, the shipper paid them for a service. And by god, they're going to provide the shipper with that service whether or not you want it.

Blame the vendor for being lazy and not shipping it when he should have, rather than the shipper who's really just doing as they're told.

Aside from that, do you have neighbors? someone you could ask to hold it so whatever it is doesn't get weathered on?

Alternatively, have it shipped to the office That's what I do for *everything*

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Holy shitsnacks!

Have a package or two delivered to your house disappear and they change your location to permanently signature required. My brother had a computer (in full company logo etc...) dropped on the front porch (in plain view, maybe 30 feet from teh street) and was (of course) never seen again. Fed-Ex refuses to leave anything at thier place un attended, no matter what size or price.

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Gorse

Oh, I do blame M-Edge, as they should have shipped it on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday. But at this point, FedEx should be listening to the words coming out of my mouth. Despite the vagaries of the shipping process, I'm the recipient, and I'm requesting that it be held. They can say "well, we delivered it today, but then we held it at the customer's request." They can make a note of that and I'll gladly back it up, were it ever called into question. I've had packages held like this before (not often, but occasionally), so I know it can be done (though maybe UPS is just plain better than FedEx, who knows?).

I'm not a big fan of our neighbors. Not that they're assholes or anything (much), just that one set is very standoffish and the other (who we do know a little bit) is a little too nosy. We've finally broken them of the habit of coming over and taking our dog at all times of the day and night to play with, and an invitation to come back over would probably break that good training. *sigh*

And lastly, I work from home. It is my office. Which is great, 'cause I get my utilities, internet, and cell phone bills comped by the office.

True, Fedex *should* listen. However, their customer said "deliver this package this way, and by this time".

I feel your pain, but that is mitigated by the fact you get to work from home.

Bastard. :p

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Holy shitsnacks!

I've paid for 2 day delivery and had the package delivered in 4... and the answer I got when I called and complained and asked what the company would do about that was "they try to meet their goals", whatever that means.

It seems "2 day delivery" is a category of delivery methods, not a guarantee of 2 day delivery.

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In time, this too shall pass.