MDC_Ophiuchus
StudentoftheReptile
So I shipped some critters out this past Wednesday evening through UPS. I have used UPS before with decent success, so I figured I'd try them again. Needless to say, I was vastly disappointed with the service I got. For some reading this, you're probably thinking, "Man, shoulda used FEDEX." You're right. I should have, shame on me, lesson learned, etc. Trust me; after the holidays, I'm getting certified with Fedex.
This thread is mostly for those who perhaps still use UPS. I have seen the light, and I hope you do, too. UPS sucks.
This is my latest, and final experience shipping through UPS.
--------
The following is an email reply I got from UPS after initially complaining, and my subsequent response, all of which accurately depicts the events. I have yet to hear back from them.
---------
ME: on 12-15-2010, I booked a package to be shipped Next Day Air to Irvine, CA. I feel that I was over-charged, and the package was not delivered on time. According to the tracking history, I see nothing that indicates a good reason for the delay. Your customer service calling system yielded in unsatisfactory results, I would very much like to speak to an actual UPS representative to get this issue resolved (either via email or phone). Thank you for your time.
--------
UPS Customer Service:
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your email. Our tracking records show that your shipment was delivered late due to adverse weather conditions.
Our system indicates that your shipment was delivered on 12/17/10 at 3:00 PM to the following address:
[recipient's address here]
Your shipment was released at the following location:
PLANT
For future use, UPS shippers can obtain immediate Proof of Delivery (POD) information by using our online Signature Tracking service at ups.com. Signature Tracking provides the complete delivery address, as well as an image of the delivery signature when a signature is obtained. For more information on how to use this free service, please visit the following web page:
https://www.ups.com/myups/info/sigtracking?loc=en_US
I am truly sorry that you received a less-than-satisfactory experience with our company. Please contact us if you need any additional assistance.
Vicky Y.
UPS Customer Service
--------
ME:
Dear Vicky Y. and whomever else it concerns,
You are correct in that the tracking history lists adverse weather conditions during its transit. However, among other things, I believe the package was destined to be late BEFORE adverse weather conditions were an issue. I will address this and all else below:
1. I weighed the package myself at home at 2 lbs, and according to UPS quote calculation feature on your website, the estimated cost for Next Day Air was listed as $59.02 (see first attachment) . At the UPS store where I dropped off the package, they weighed it in at 1.85 lbs. However, the total cost came to be $81.00 with a “billable weight” at 6 lbs (see second attachment). I was in a hurry that evening, and needed the package shipped regardless, so I did not address this issue at that time. Nevertheless, I would like to know why this is so.
2. According to the tracking information (see third attachment), my package did not leave Louisville, Kentucky until 11:19 am CST. Accounting for the time zone difference in southern California, this means the package left KY at 9:19 Pacific ST. Now, unless UPS has employees from the planet of Krypton, I feel it was unrealistic for your company to assume that the package could fly from KY to CA, leave the airport to a UPS facility, then get loaded to a delivery truck, and reach its destination in Irvine…all within an hour and 11 minutes (I am reasonable, and would understand a margin of 30-45 minutes, but still!). It is at this point that I feel UPS failed its so-called “guarantee” to get the package delivered even close to the expected time, even in favorable weather & traffic conditions.
3. At 12:37 pm (I’m assuming PST), the tracking history lists “adverse weather conditions” in Ontario, CA. An unforeseen and uncontrollable factor, I admit. However, when I looked up the weather on www.Weather.com as well as www.Accuweather.com , it says it was 56ºF, sunny with a few clouds and a 10% chance in precipitation. Personally, I’m not certain how these conditions qualify as “adverse.” [At the time, I did not have the presence of mind to do a screen capture of the weather report. I later did one at around 3 pm (see 4th attachment) which implies the weather was similar. I am working on acquiring a report of the weather in that region for that time period.]
4. Apparently, those few little clouds floated far enough away to resume the package’s transit, because at 12:58 pm, it officially arrived in Ontario, CA, and at 3:14 pm, it was scanned at its Destination facility. Upon a search, I discover that Ontario is approximately an hour from the package’s destination in Irvine, CA. I thought to myself, surely it will be delivered soon, most certainly by 7:00 pm. I was wrong. For nearly 6 hours, my package circulated in an area that was only a mere hour away from its destination before UPS apparently called it quits and brought it back to the facility that evening (eventually to be scanned in at 2:18 am on Friday morning). The alleged “adverse” weather conditions notwithstanding, your company failed even to meet a Next Day guarantee.
5. Ultimately, the package did not get delivered until 3:00 pm on the third day. Even after its late departure from KY, and so-called “adverse” weather, I still find it inexcusable that it took that long for the package to reach its destination. Surely, at some point, a UPS employee would realize the package was Next Day, already late, and would make it more of a priority to get it delivered as promptly as possible. But I can only surmise two scenarios at this point.
a. UPS did indeed try its best to get the package delivered as soon as possible. If this is the case, then quite simply, your best is not good enough. I’ve dealt in customer service for over a decade, and from a business standpoint, it is not well to advertise a service that you cannot provide.
b. The other scenario is that at some point, UPS decided that my package was not the priority that I overpaid for, and simply did not care when it got delivered.
I am a reasonable man, and again, I admit there sometimes circumstances that are out of mankind’s control. Nevertheless, after looking at this evidence, I am fail to see why my package did not get delivered Next Day. An experience like this makes one wonder exactly how packages are prioritized during transit (I’m not naïve enough to believe mine was the only package booked as Next Day). It is my honest opinion that your company failed its guarantee when the decision was made to ship the package so late from Louisville, KY. Even accounting for time zone differences, it was unrealistic to think that the package would reach its destination in time, even if weather conditions were ideal. I find that the service provided for the price I paid was unsatisfactory and from a professional standpoint, unacceptable.
So first, I would at least appreciate an explanation as to why my package ended up costing $20+ more to ship than it should have. Secondly, I am demanding a refund for the full amount of $81.00, since UPS clearly and utterly failed to meet its Next Day Air guarantee (or second day guarantee!). I have shipped Next Day Air with UPS before with favorable results. This latest experience has made me wary of your company’s quality of service, and I do not plan to use it again until this matter is rectified.
Thank you for your time,
Michael Crabtree
This thread is mostly for those who perhaps still use UPS. I have seen the light, and I hope you do, too. UPS sucks.
This is my latest, and final experience shipping through UPS.
--------
The following is an email reply I got from UPS after initially complaining, and my subsequent response, all of which accurately depicts the events. I have yet to hear back from them.
---------
ME: on 12-15-2010, I booked a package to be shipped Next Day Air to Irvine, CA. I feel that I was over-charged, and the package was not delivered on time. According to the tracking history, I see nothing that indicates a good reason for the delay. Your customer service calling system yielded in unsatisfactory results, I would very much like to speak to an actual UPS representative to get this issue resolved (either via email or phone). Thank you for your time.
--------
UPS Customer Service:
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your email. Our tracking records show that your shipment was delivered late due to adverse weather conditions.
Our system indicates that your shipment was delivered on 12/17/10 at 3:00 PM to the following address:
[recipient's address here]
Your shipment was released at the following location:
PLANT
For future use, UPS shippers can obtain immediate Proof of Delivery (POD) information by using our online Signature Tracking service at ups.com. Signature Tracking provides the complete delivery address, as well as an image of the delivery signature when a signature is obtained. For more information on how to use this free service, please visit the following web page:
https://www.ups.com/myups/info/sigtracking?loc=en_US
I am truly sorry that you received a less-than-satisfactory experience with our company. Please contact us if you need any additional assistance.
Vicky Y.
UPS Customer Service
--------
ME:
Dear Vicky Y. and whomever else it concerns,
You are correct in that the tracking history lists adverse weather conditions during its transit. However, among other things, I believe the package was destined to be late BEFORE adverse weather conditions were an issue. I will address this and all else below:
1. I weighed the package myself at home at 2 lbs, and according to UPS quote calculation feature on your website, the estimated cost for Next Day Air was listed as $59.02 (see first attachment) . At the UPS store where I dropped off the package, they weighed it in at 1.85 lbs. However, the total cost came to be $81.00 with a “billable weight” at 6 lbs (see second attachment). I was in a hurry that evening, and needed the package shipped regardless, so I did not address this issue at that time. Nevertheless, I would like to know why this is so.
2. According to the tracking information (see third attachment), my package did not leave Louisville, Kentucky until 11:19 am CST. Accounting for the time zone difference in southern California, this means the package left KY at 9:19 Pacific ST. Now, unless UPS has employees from the planet of Krypton, I feel it was unrealistic for your company to assume that the package could fly from KY to CA, leave the airport to a UPS facility, then get loaded to a delivery truck, and reach its destination in Irvine…all within an hour and 11 minutes (I am reasonable, and would understand a margin of 30-45 minutes, but still!). It is at this point that I feel UPS failed its so-called “guarantee” to get the package delivered even close to the expected time, even in favorable weather & traffic conditions.
3. At 12:37 pm (I’m assuming PST), the tracking history lists “adverse weather conditions” in Ontario, CA. An unforeseen and uncontrollable factor, I admit. However, when I looked up the weather on www.Weather.com as well as www.Accuweather.com , it says it was 56ºF, sunny with a few clouds and a 10% chance in precipitation. Personally, I’m not certain how these conditions qualify as “adverse.” [At the time, I did not have the presence of mind to do a screen capture of the weather report. I later did one at around 3 pm (see 4th attachment) which implies the weather was similar. I am working on acquiring a report of the weather in that region for that time period.]
4. Apparently, those few little clouds floated far enough away to resume the package’s transit, because at 12:58 pm, it officially arrived in Ontario, CA, and at 3:14 pm, it was scanned at its Destination facility. Upon a search, I discover that Ontario is approximately an hour from the package’s destination in Irvine, CA. I thought to myself, surely it will be delivered soon, most certainly by 7:00 pm. I was wrong. For nearly 6 hours, my package circulated in an area that was only a mere hour away from its destination before UPS apparently called it quits and brought it back to the facility that evening (eventually to be scanned in at 2:18 am on Friday morning). The alleged “adverse” weather conditions notwithstanding, your company failed even to meet a Next Day guarantee.
5. Ultimately, the package did not get delivered until 3:00 pm on the third day. Even after its late departure from KY, and so-called “adverse” weather, I still find it inexcusable that it took that long for the package to reach its destination. Surely, at some point, a UPS employee would realize the package was Next Day, already late, and would make it more of a priority to get it delivered as promptly as possible. But I can only surmise two scenarios at this point.
a. UPS did indeed try its best to get the package delivered as soon as possible. If this is the case, then quite simply, your best is not good enough. I’ve dealt in customer service for over a decade, and from a business standpoint, it is not well to advertise a service that you cannot provide.
b. The other scenario is that at some point, UPS decided that my package was not the priority that I overpaid for, and simply did not care when it got delivered.
I am a reasonable man, and again, I admit there sometimes circumstances that are out of mankind’s control. Nevertheless, after looking at this evidence, I am fail to see why my package did not get delivered Next Day. An experience like this makes one wonder exactly how packages are prioritized during transit (I’m not naïve enough to believe mine was the only package booked as Next Day). It is my honest opinion that your company failed its guarantee when the decision was made to ship the package so late from Louisville, KY. Even accounting for time zone differences, it was unrealistic to think that the package would reach its destination in time, even if weather conditions were ideal. I find that the service provided for the price I paid was unsatisfactory and from a professional standpoint, unacceptable.
So first, I would at least appreciate an explanation as to why my package ended up costing $20+ more to ship than it should have. Secondly, I am demanding a refund for the full amount of $81.00, since UPS clearly and utterly failed to meet its Next Day Air guarantee (or second day guarantee!). I have shipped Next Day Air with UPS before with favorable results. This latest experience has made me wary of your company’s quality of service, and I do not plan to use it again until this matter is rectified.
Thank you for your time,
Michael Crabtree
