UPS

[K3SAM]

Here is a good one.

A package was sent to me via UPS, it left NJ on Tuesday and arrived at the local UPS dispatch center on Wednesday just after the trucks left. #It was suppose to be a one day delivery.

I called the UPS center and requested a customer pick up so that I could have it on Wednesday. #The answer was “NO, we have to make at least one delivery attempt before you can pick it up”. #

OK, so I couldn’t have it Wednesday. #Thursday comes, I was working outside and the UPS truck comes at Noon, but did not stop. #So I continue to do yard work most of the afternoon and the truck comes back at 4 PM. #Again the truck doesn’t stop.

I became suspicious and called the UPS center. #They told me that the package was on the truck but they could not get a hold of the driver. #I know this is incorrect as they can page him, however that is ok, let them lie.

I continued to call the center every hour, and at 7 PM I was told the truck was back and the driver could not find the house ( clearly marked ).

I requested a customer pick up again since they screwed up. #Again, I was told “NO” because the first attempt was not made yet ? !

The supervisor then told me “We will TRY to deliver your package on Friday”. #TRY ?

I believe FedEx has reduced their prices so that their ground service is fairly close to what UPS charges now. #Next time, I think choice FedEx over UPS, or the USPS. #

UPS me off … enough is enough. #Bye Bye Brown !

9.11.2003

-Sam

[K9STH]

Actually, FedEx ground is substantially cheaper than UPS ground and they definitely do a better job.

I used UPS for 30 years and didn't have any problems. But, starting a little over two years ago virtually everything that I shipped and received by UPS was arriving damaged. This included things that were "triple boxed" and wooden crated! If the box wasn't damaged, the equipment had been vibrated so badly that there was all sorts of problems in the equipment. Thus, just before Christmas of 2001 I started using FedEx and haven't been sorry.

A few weeks ago someone sent in a Collins R-388 to be serviced. Then that person sold the unit to someone else who paid UPS to pickup the unit. When the R-388 made it to Florida, it had been vibrated so badly the the four rubber feet, held on by screws 1.5 inches long, had come completely loose and the mode switch had been damaged by vibration.

UPS always "claims" that the item was not properly packed and tries to refuse payment of damage claims. However, at least in the Dallas, Texas, area, since October 2001, UPS has supposedly been opening all boxes presented at their customer counters and examining them for proper packing. Not opening a package is grounds for immediate dismissal for any employee! Of course they can't open evey package when they are busy. But, no employee is going to admit that he/she didn't examine the package. When they open the package and then accept it for shipment, they are legally accepting all responsibility. But, even then, they "claim" that the package wasn't properly packed!

UPS first lost a Johnson Challenger transmitter that I shipped less than 200 miles to Louisiana. After a claim was filed, they finally found it in their equivalent of the "dead letter office". Although it was definitely well marked, their computer label had come off and they didn't know what to do without the computer label! UPS opened the package and then called me describing what was in it. They then repacked the box and delivered it. When the package got to its destination it was in shambles! Of course they claimed that the box was not properly packed!

When the person at the UPS national customer service started with the "not properly packed" bit, I calmly reminded her that UPS had opened the box at the Richardson, Texas, office and had accepted it as being "properly packed". Because of that, UPS was definitely responsible to pay the damages. The person got very quiet for a few seconds, then said that she would have to refer the claim to the Fort Worth UPS office.

I hung up the phone, and in less than 10 minutes I was contacted by the Fort Worth office telling me that the claim forms were already in the mail to me! It took 3 weeks, but UPS did not only pay the total insured amount but also refunded the shipping charges. All that it took to deal with them was letting them know that you knew what you were talking about and not letting them "bully" you. They will "bully" anyone if they think that they can get away with it. But, if you let them know that by opening the box that they accepted full responsibility they know that they do not have a "leg to stand on" and they will settle in your favor immediately!

Glen, K9STH

[KM5FL]

I live in Beaumont, TX and my experience with UPS pretty much mirrors Glen's experience.. Lost packages, damaged packages, claims of improper packing, etc.. During my last "meeting" with the local terminal manager, he admitted that UPS has "problems with our Mesquite Terminal personel".. The same driver has been delivering in my area for several years and he knows to not leave any packages at my house without my signature.. If any package arrives with even the slightest hint of damage, I refuse delivery.. The damage is noted and the package gets returned to the sender..

I cut UPS absolutely no slack, and if they were the only shipping company on the planet, I'd deliver the package myself...

KM5FL

[KB1JCY]

Brown is the color that I flush down my toilet. #

Humor aside, read this posting from Slashdot:
http://slashdot.org/article....tid=133

[W3SY]

Let me pile on.

I do not use UPS any more. They once beat the hell out of a saxophone I sent to NJ. Long story short, they eventually DID pay off the insurance, but it was a fight all the way.

FedEx is cheaper, and I have not had an ounce of problem with them. And they definitely seem to have their s#!t together more than UPS.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?

They ask that question in their commercials.

Well, I have some great answers for them!


1) Brown can cause my underwear to smell bad and make it uncomfortable to wear.

2) Brown can clog up my plumbing (internal and external) and make it VERY difficult to enjoy life.

3) Brown can be rather offensive if it is NOT handled properly and with great dispatch when it starts to exert pressure on you.

4) Brown can become quite insistent, when you least desire it to be, and DEMANDS you deal with it.

5) Brown can cause one to spend all morning on the porcelain throne due to the inability to stray far without being called back.

6) Brown can give you exceedingly painful gas pains.

7) Brown can give you racing stripes where you don't want them.

8) Brown can cause your packages to resemble the material you rid yourself of earlier in the day.

9) Brown can make your mornings miserable.

10) Brown can! Why? Because BROWN IS!

That is what brown can do for ME!

What has brown done for YOU lately?



K3FT

can you tell brown is not one of my favorite companies? Give me FedEx or DHL anyday.

[XV2PS]

I do not know for how many % private people are their customers. Sure that business companies are one of their major customers.

No surprise they do not care private people, when I see how sometimes they P... us off for bigger business. Some even show clear arrogance, which is something I barely can stand (usually happens to be to break phones).

Like in any society, big bunches of idiots, careless and unprofessional people are everywhere. You can't avoid this. But when it starts to spoil the whole company's image, then it is a management level. And this is not acceptable anymore.

What do private people can do? Not nothing. I think that Sam is right to broadcast it. After all, their major business customers are also managed by private people. Soon or later, they will pay for it

[KD7WHQ]

I've had few problems with UPS, but it seems a number of others have.

A guy in the MSA/K98k Page forum had a Mauser DSM .22 trainer rifle (getting rarer all the time) recieved with a hole in the box, bolt missing, and the stock was broken at the wrist.
A company I know of, had a box of books driven over (&#33, and at least one box delivered to the customer missing a corner outright, along with the corresponding corners of four 1/2" plywood panels.

FedEx in general is ok, but use Express.. I had a package live 30 miles away for 28 days before I got it that was shipped Ground, which used to be RPS. FedEx bought them out to compete with UPS.

I used to drive for Fleet Delivery, and then Pony Express. If I had pulled some of the stuff I have seen from both, I would have been out the door.

Airborne on the other hand, excellence..

[K9STH]

I have only used FedEx ground for the past almost 2 years. But, in that time, they have not failed to make a delivery date. Also, I have gotten in some VERY poorly packed items and every one of them arrived in excellent condition. The only thing that I have had happen with FedEx was that one receiver arrived with a broken fuse holder. But, the person who packed the radio broke it off when he slid a solid piece of styrofoam next the the radio. He failed to cut an access hole for it! I couldn't blame FedEx for that!

On the other hand, as I said before, it doesn't seem to matter how well items are packed if they go at least through the Mesquite, Texas (suburban Dallas), hub that they seem to get vibrated to pieces as well as being greatly mishandled.

Mouser ships exclusively by UPS and I get several shipments a month from them. They are located less than 60 miles from me and the shipment is "overnight". More than half of the boxes that I receive from Mouser come in damaged and virtually all of them weigh less than one pound! With the exception of one box that had been opened and resealed by UPS in which over half of the items were missing, so far, everything has made it through "OK". But, what I am usually receiving is small parts (capacitors, resistors, switches, etc.) that are pretty hard to destroy. Also, Mouser does take extra care in their packing.

Starting in 1970 when I first owned the Motorola reconditioned equipment center for the south-central USA, and until 1979 when Motorola went out of that end of the business, my company shipped from about 10 boxes to well over 50 boxes per day by UPS. Some of these were just under the "maximum" weight limit allowed at the time which was 35 pounds. With the exception of one box that they ran the tongs of a forklift through, we had no problems at all. However, they did try the "improperly packed" thing on the claim for the forklift problem! Of course, that didn't "fly"! But, even back in the 1970s UPS was trying to avoid paying of claims.

Starting around the year 2000, UPS has had some pretty extensive problems with their unionized employees. I don't really know all of the details, but the employee "unrest" has been pretty bad at UPS for over 2 years. Because of this unrest, many employees seem to "take it out" on the packages.

Now, the UPS local delivery drivers (I have 3 different ones that usually deliver to my house) that deliver my packages are extremely good. They take extra care in handling the boxes including several that were well over 80 pounds (one came in at 140 pounds - wooden crate). The transmitter in the wooden crate was damaged, but not by the way that my deliveryman handled it. This particular man is about 6 foot 4 inches tall, weighs about 270 pounds and there isn't any "fat" on him! He put the box on his shoulder and delivered it right into my dining room!

If all of the UPS employees were as good as my local deivery persons then I wouldn't have any problems with their service. Unfortunately, those that seem to work in the warehouses, docks, etc., don't seem to be as good!

Glen, K9STH

[AB9HR]

Might be a good time to see your UPS stock! :-). It has done well for me in the past.