Discussion: Problems with shipping companies?

Trading Outlet
1

I’d like to start a discussion on which shipping company (DHL, UPS, Fedex, USPS, etc) has given you problems. Please only post in this topic if you take precautions to protect your shipments.

Here’s my story to start off:

I was selling a stick on here to a guy 2 states a way. He paid promptly and I made sure I packed the stick incredibly well. I gave a layer of bubble wrap around the stick, and newspaper packing in the sides to keep it from moving around (keep in mind all the sticks I buy off of here come with like nothing to keep it from moving around in the box, they’re just loose with a layer of bubble wrap).

I shipped with FedEx, who I haven’t had problems with until now. I got insurance and delivery confirmation. But when the buyer got it, despite all the packing the joystick had ripped apart from the PCB and one of the buttons weren’t working. I worked at a UPS and I’ve SEEN how hard they throw packages, which is why I’ve been using FedEx. But in order to damage that stick I can’t imagine how hard they must’ve been throwing it. There’s NO reason for that kind of damage.

So how have your guys’ experiences with the shipment companies been?

(I think this is best here since this is the crowd that ships the most, but if you have to please move this to the Tech Talk if it’s not acceptable here).

2

i work at fedex (express), and our handlers aren’t much better at proper package handling. actually packages with arrows and fragile stickers are usually targets for mishandling at a lot of locations. from someone who has witnessed it first hand many times, they usually think it’s pretty funny to treat those packages the opposite of what the stickers represent.

3

apparently dyslexia does not apply to package handling. :smiley:

4

My girl went to ship something at UPS. She expected they would pack it up nicely for her and was willing to pay for it. They basically forced it into the smallest box possible without any padding. It’s been all USPS since then.

5

I found that USPS loses my packages or misroutes my packages more often than UPS. I once ordered 6 Cthulhu boards from Toodles, and the post office ripped open my package and resealed, losing 2 of them in the process, and sent the shipment about a month and a half late. Toodles was kind enough to sell me 2 more boards at cost for the USPS bumbling.

6

I worked for UPS many moons ago and the amount of damage that happened during a shift was horrifying. The belt systems that the sorters would use would trash packages on a regular basis. Not to mention the destruction that happened when people would try to build a wall in the trailers out of different sized packages. I worry every time I send something out to someone regardless of which carrier I use anymore.

7

I stick with USPS just cause it’s cheaper and most of the time they get it there when it’s supposed to. However, not too long ago, I shipped something priority and it took them about a week to get it delivered.

They sent it 5 or so states out of the way and then had to reroute it or something. The customer still got the package but I essentially paid priority price for parcel speed. :lol:

Other than that I haven’t had any problems with USPS. I used to use fedex for a little bit but the prices kept me away.

8

So basically it sounds like there’s no reliable carrier we can use without paying out the nose for shipping? Bleh. I guess I’ll go with USPS or maybe just stick with FedEx. It really stinks that these places can’t just hire respectable young adults who don’t find the need to be complete assholes with people’s expensive merchandise. I know when I worked there I treated every package as if it was my own.

9

This thread is as awesome as it is horrifying. More stories please. I don’t think anyone under 40 works at the USPS counter in my town.

10

Most people should know this but I’ll post it up anyway. If you are sending a package from the U.S. to Canada, always use USPS, never UPS/FedEx. They charge crazy brokerage fees just to bring packages across the border. The only exception to this is the air/express options which I believe factor those fees into the initial shipping charge (I’m not 100% sure on this, it’s just what I’ve read).

11

Here’s a story:

I ordered some QDs, switches, terminal strips, etc. and had it shipped through UPS. since it was ground shipping from US to Canada, I had to go clear the package myself, since I didn’t want to pay 40$ brokerage + 15$ custom fees for 80$ worth of stuff. Anyway, after waiting for the package for 2-3 weeks, I clear the stuff at canada customs, then drive to UPS office and here’s what happened:

“Ok we’ll get your package right away”

20 minutes later

“Uh, we’re having trouble locating your package, please wait. we will search for it.”

1 hour later

“Errrh… what happened is, yesterday people from the government office came and we had to put away all the packages in a trailer, because we didn’t want to look messy. I think your package is in one of those trailers. It won’t be long, we’ll take a look”

1 hour later

“We can’t find your package. Actually according to the system, it has been sent back to the shipper, but we’re not sure, the computer isn’t always right.”

and then I’m just like fine whatever… just deliver it when you find it.

I call them like 2 weeks later:

“Oh yea, we have your package. Would you like to come pick it up?”

“NO, just deliver it”

and then I finally got the package 3 days later.

Fortunately, I didn’t order anything that could break, so it all arrived in one piece.

Here’s the fun bit:

To clear the package myself, I had to refuse the package when it arrived at my door. They didn’t let me just clear it first, then have it delivered. I strictly had to refuse it at the door. I could have paid the extra 40$ and have had the package right away. I seriously think they purposely did it this way so that people would just pay the 40$ and not have to wait another 2 and a half weeks.

12

I have to transport specimens for shipping to the airport every evening. The UPS plane that ships out of my city is parked right next to where my flight comes to pick up. Every night, I see the way the UPS employees load their plane, and its frightening. The first time I saw this, I thought the employees were fighting. Nope, they were loading the plane and literally throwing every package from the back of the truck onto the plane. Some of the packages would fall to the tarmac a few feet below. I never used UPS again after I saw this…

13

well I was going to drop off of a package for an SRK’er when I heard a loud crash in the stroage room of my local FED EX…all I heard was "damn I bet that was expensive,oh well"
never went back

now my UPS charges pretty high for shipping but at least they properly handle packages
most of the times ill go with USPS instead if its a game or a small item,

14

Sounds about right. Usually the best way to ship through UPS is with the overnight/2 day air option. The packages spend way less time on the conveyor belts and are put into smaller shipping pods which have (usually) a smaller amount of packages in them. Definitely less bulk packaging. Which is anything that is 80+ pounds. You pay out the nose and ass for it, but you have less of a chance of getting your stuff destroyed by the employees/conveyor system.

15

haha probably because the usps ships all of it’s overnight through fedex

btw i use usps when possible. it’s pretty damn cheap for me to use fedex, but it’s usually cheaper to go through the post office than my cost.

16

I’ve had nothing but trouble w/ups-late deliveries and the like. Fed ex has always been great for me…but usps is always pretty solid, not the fastest but always cheapest. Of course I have a biased opinion working at usps.

17

this thread has me worried out of my mind now…

i just ordered a new 26 inch monitor and its shipping FedEx to me. O_O

18

Please keep in mind that these are the horror stories. As it stands you CAN get screwed by any of the major carriers (though I RARELY hear about USPS damaging a product, it’s usually just that they simply lose it). I’ve bought TONS of things that got shipped to me via FedEx and I never had anything broken in transit.

However, I just happened to get unlucky. Usually packing a box well will be enough to withstand the punishment that stupid-ass employees do to your shipment. But if you get someone who’s a real piece of shit, like the kind of person who stands on your fucking box to reach on top of a high wall, or someone who’s really pissed off and is throwing shit EXTRA hard just to break it, then you’ll run into problems like this. But remember, it’s the exception not the rule.

And if worse comes to worst FedEX has automatic insurance on all their shipments I believe. Speaking of which, how hard is it to claim on that insurance? Anyone have any experience with that? I had insurance on my shipment but the buyer fixed it himself so he didn’t make a claim.

19

I’m the person who bought Clembo2021’s stick. First of all, great seller :slight_smile: But I do agree, that this is probably the exception rather than the rule. We were simply unlucky. I’ve had many things delivered to me via Fedex in the past and I had no problems until this time.

Do I wish the package didn’t get abused? Of course. But I guess once in a while you’re just get unlucky.

20

I’ve had no problem with the package broken itself because with good packing, none of this would have happened, most packages are thrown into a truck and onto a plane, it’s just unavoidable, it’s just whether or not it is a hard one or not. That’s why i don’t cheap out and buy proper shipping supplies with specific measurements so there is no way my items could move at ALL. One layer of bubble wrap is not enough and the newspaper packing is even worst. It does absolutely nothing to protect your package from moving around when thrown. So yeah, don’t generalize because not all sticks you buy here are packaged like that, how many did you buy here? 2? 5? or 10? You haven’t bought from me as far as I am concerned. Anyway, the only problem i have is brokerage fee because i live in canada, but it’s been good using USPS. Fedex/UPS will kill you in brokerage fee, period. Anyway you just got very unlucky i guess, hope it works out for you two.