UNITED PARCEL SERVICE

[Flatland Shooter]

The short story. Scheduled a pickup of a package for Next Day Air. They gave me a 4 hour window of pickup between 3 PM and 7 PM.

I spend the entire afternoon waiting for the buffoon to show. The window is open and both dogs are in the house. If the doorbell goes off or someone knocks on the door, the dogs go nuts. I sitting at my PC with a complete view of the street.

The entire afternoon is quiet and no one comes to the door.

About 8 PM I call UPS to see where the driver is. Advised that the "pick up was attempted and unsuccessful". Since the package needs to be there tomorrow at the latest, I raise a stink. Customer service will call me within the half-hour. No call. I call again. Now customer service will call me back within the hour.

Bottom line, my package will not be delivered on time because the driver either went to the wrong address or didn't bother to even try to make a pick up. (i.e. either incompetent or a liar) Either way, I'm screwed and they are still in business.

At least they will not get any future business from me.

[Pat Miles]

Demand to speak to a manager. If you get no satisfaction with him/her ask to speak to their manager. Whatever you do get names. I did this once with a company who serviced my company with equipment and tech support. Fourth call back I explain the whole fiasco to the gentleman. He listened and then asked how I was transferred to him I told him and he politely explained that a tech would call me back in five minutes. By golly I had a tech call in about three minutes eager to help me. Turned out the gentleman was the vice president of the company. I never had a problem after that. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Fortunately my UPS guy is a good man who takes his job seriously. No problems here.

CYa,

Pat

[Seth]

Not that it helps at all, but UPS guarantees overnight packages and if you call them AFTER delivery, you'll get the shipment comp'd. Its no consolation for poor service, but at least you're not eating the expensive shipment AND not getting your stuff.

[Steve J]

Sorry you had a bad experience. UPS is the only reliable delivery service here in Central Texas. I wish my mail carrier had a fraction of the drive my UPS driver has.

[Supermoto]

I had the same issue. I was home the whole day. No UPS, I check online tracking and it showed delivery attempt. I called UPS, told them the story, what was in the package and threaten to call the ATF, UPS sent the driver out again.... torn into the driver for being a liar

ETA:

I had a driver sign my name but not deliver the package, I had to argue with CS about whether or not I remembered signing my name. Did I somehow forgot getting the package, signing the board and spell my name wrong.

or

If you show at my house at 8:30pm driving a Uhaul, dressed like a gang banger, I'm going to ask who the F are you from a 2nd story window, Leave the package. I'm not coming down, if I do, I'll be carrying something too

Edited May 19, 2009 by Supermoto

[bbbean]

Wow. we get great service from our UPS guys - In fact, I've had them stop by a cafe when I was eating lunch and offer to put a package in my jeep. Sorry you had a bad experience.

FWIW, there are a bunch of UPS drivers who host a shooting podcast: http://www.gundudes.com/

[Rolex]

Have had the same problems!

Went with FedX and aint looked

back

[EkuJustice]

I have had mine leave a package outside that had an adult signature required sticker on it ( multiple stickers actually). This was left outside my apt in the hallway. I went off on them for that stunt. Its not like it was a house where you wouldnt have seen it as easily which would have been bad enough or something small. This was a 13k dollar Krieghoff shotgun left in the middle of an apt complex hallway.

I only found out about it when I checked status when it showed it delivered. It had my name forged on it also.

[Jack Suber]

UPS left a gun on my front porch (Adult Signature Required) for 2 days once. Two years ago, ATF arrested several employees at their hub for stealing guns (Glocks) destined to Ellett Brothers. Their guys were unloading them from the trucks and throwing them over the fence to their buddies. Not hard to figure out where the problem was as the guns were loaded at the Ga facility but never arrived at the Columbia hub?

Anyway, I started to rely on FedEx because of UPS's incompetence. Then, 3 weeks ago, I placed an order with Brownells. The order was submitted at 2:00 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. I needed it Monday so I decided to pay for two day shipping (I figure Friday transit with delivery on Monday afternoon). I was aware of Brownell's policy about orders placed after 1:30 p.m. not being shipped until the following day. Anyway, I get the email confirmation that FedEx picked up the package Friday morning. Monday morning, I check FedEx online and see that the package arrived in Columbia at 3:45 a.m. Monday morning. Perfect! I was going to have the parts that afternoon and be able to use them the next day. Well I get an email stating that the package would not be delivered until Tuesday? WTF?!?!? So I call FedEx and inquire. I am told that the "pickup" day does not count as one of the days for delivery. The person explains to me that 2 days apply after the pickup day...so the pick-up day + 2 days. Three days total. So, I ask how that works out to 2nd Day. The response - the pick-up day does not count. So, I ask why it can not be delivered since it is already here in Columbia (at the time I called it had been in Columbia for 8hours). The person told me that yes, it is in the Columbia facility, but that it would not be scanned for "delivery" until after midnight to ensure that it is delivered consistent with 2 day delivery. So, my package arrived Tuesday afternoon.

So now, I am back with UPS since their 2nd Day is in fact 2nd day. I had ordered parts from Brazos the same day and had them Monday morning with UPS. I at least know that I have a competent delivery guy. He is a shooter and a hunter. He is sharp and looks out for things.

Edited May 21, 2009 by Jack Suber

[Jim Norman]

We have had good and bad service from

UPS, Fed-Ex, RPS, USPS, DHL

Not one of them is perfect. if you have a good driver, you are better off than if you have a schlubb.

I ordered heads from PD to ship to my office. (I have a forklift and people to handle) the PO called said come and get'em so I figured, if that is the case, I might as well have them ship to my home since I'll have to go get them anyway. Well, I have a different PO at home. Two guys show up and proceed to stack about 30 heavy boxes of bullets in my garage exactly where my wife asked them to. Not a problem, just part of the service!

Same "Company" different office. Go figure.

UPS left a custom handgun on my back porch, signature required, I WAS HOME! no knock, nothing, I heard the truck pulling a way!

On the other hand, the new guy always knocks loudly to let us know he is there and so far hasn't left things where and when he shouldn't.

Damage occurs from all shippers and is most often attributable to crappy packaging. I have had a 1/2" x 2-1/2" x 8 foot steel bar shipped to me and arrive unusable for anything other than a large horseshoe! Also received poorly packaged items that were repacked and handled with kid gloves.

No rhyme nor reason to any of this and not arguing the point of UPS over Fed-ex or anything else. They all do good and they all suck. Just depends upon your individual karma for the day.

Jim

[Tom S.]

UPS left a gun on my front porch (Adult Signature Required) for 2 days once. Two years ago, ATF arrested several employees at their hub for stealing guns (Glocks) destined to Ellett Brothers. Their guys were unloading them from the trucks and throwing them over the fence to their buddies. Not hard to figure out where the problem was as the guns were loaded at the Ga facility but never arrived at the Columbia hub?

That is why UPS went to Red Lable shipping - they couldn't control the theft of firearms, so they made us pay. That's what Brown did for me...

[scirocco38s]

My company ships hundreds if not thousands of parts daily, We used fedex and had very few issues as long as parts where in stock in the memphis warehouse.

Then 1 of our great financial genuis vp's decides that ups can service us better. Nothing has been further from the truth.

The old warehouse and shipping facility was manned by our companies employees and then fedex picked up the parts and shipped them. I could order parts up til midnight eastern time and have them the next morning by 9am. Now with ups we cannot order parts after 10pm eastern.

The new system is manned by ups employees in louisville, there is not 1 employee from my company to watch over these clowns. They dont ship or ship the wrong part or ship it to the wrong location. My latest fiasco was 2 identical parts shipped at the same time to the same address overnight. 1 made it to the address on time the other is sitting in colonge, germany right now and ups cannot get the part back as it is now international and no paperwork was filled out for it. This is a $50,000.00 part, and they cannot get it back, plus they really act as if they dont care.

Every shipper has problems, but how they resolve them is the difference. Ups being union(Teamsters) just could care less what happens and the effects it has on you. just pay them and shut up. If you dont like it too bad.

I ahve other incidents with ups but this is the most recent.

The arent the tightest ship in the shipping business, they are clowns that arent funny.

I will never use them for personal use.

Edited May 22, 2009 by scirocco38s