The problem (as explained to me) - is that they load the trucks based on the load - sometimes via container. Such that to receive your 'package' - they would have to move/unload everything in front of it. That is why you can't just 'meet the driver somewhere'. And - think if every self-entitled person (I'm not saying thats you) - decided they 'needed' their dress or spoon set by 10:30
As a lawyer, it would seem you should know the answer here - is to get a refund of the premium you paid for 'priority shipping'. I assume you read the contracts that Fed Ex has in place - and the remedies that they offer if they are late. You seem to be asking for 'special treatment'- and are angry that you didn't get it. Perhaps just follow their policy. I've looked into this quite extensively - and though with UPS, its at the drives discretion as to whether they will 'meet a customer', most responses on the various sites say FedEX will NOT. FedEx's remedy for live animals is to ask for the delivery to be left at a secure location rather than be put out on a truck. That allows the customer to go pick up the item (such as living fish, or something they need at a certain time). Maybe try this option next time?
Try reading the posts before responding. Fed Ex DID NOT allow me to pick up at the facility. The moral truth of it is that Fed Ex is fine making money shipping animals,, including a premium for "priority shipping," and is also fine with pets suffocating in boxes rather than making minor adjustments to a delivery to save a life and prevent the needless torture of an animal.
99.9 percent of my deliveries from both are excellent. Like I said - I get all sorts of deliveries from Amazon, etc - and most of the time there are no issues - the tracking information, etc is totally accurate. I think most of the complaints here seem to relate to priority delivery timing - and because the sooner the better - with live animals - people tend to get worked up about it. The reality is that most companies and drivers are trying to do their best. I remember there was a big thread - about this same issue - around the holidays last year - with multiple people saying - I don't understand my package arrived late. Yet - on the national news everynight - there were stories explaining the massive volume of shipments were resulting in delays - yet people keep ordering fish and wondering why they arrived at 1 PM instead of before 10AM.
I think you are missing the point. I am not into ordering animals to die a pretty miserable death in box and believe the proper "remedy" is to take measures prevent the loss. I literally offered $1000.00 to make my delivery a priority (it was 5-10 minutes away on delivery van yet was taking hours to get to me). If a company is so bureaucratic that it won't take $1000.00 to drive ten minutes--they are incompetent.
How do you know what was on the truck before your shipment? Life saving Insulin, grandma's medication?
I'll concede it was possibility that between the five miles between the sorting facility and my home that there could have been 4 hours of "Life saving Insulin, grandma's medication"--but i sincerely doubt it. Regardless, truly life saving things for hospitals are air lifted. Medicine for grandma if needed in an emergency is given at the hospital. What was an emergency and which you seem to diminish the point on--is fish--what i consider a pet--suffocating in a bag and being needlessly tortured.
Since you're employed by FedEx, you would know that you have to arrange that ahead of time for overnight shipments. Before the truck is loaded. So - since at least from my reading, its Fed Ex policy, I would just follow that next time.
I think this is an overly broad statement - and I think you're being a little over-dramatic to make a point perhaps? UPS has the same problems as FedEx. They are no different - except perhaps if you live in the middle of a city - as compared to elsewhere (like a small town). My guess is there will be more 'delays' in the small town. For example - I happen to know your area pretty well. If I were ordering 'Live animals' - I might ask to pick up the animals at the FedEx terminal at Sea-Tac, as compared to waiting for them to get to Gig Harbor. PS - I know you're switching to UPS - if I were you - I would try to make the same arrangement there. Its only my opinion - that this is one of those things that you should take up with FedEx - via letter, twitter, Facebook, etc - as compared to taking a one-off situation (according to you - you have never had this problem before) - and making it seem like its a common occurrence. I think (not sure) that FedEx and UPS have both changed their policies about delivery times (UPS was the target of the last thread similar to this one). I personally am surprised - that if delayed - Neither takes any responsibility for any 'living thing'. Probably because pet owners and pet sellers order/ship things at poor times.
Perhaps - its a new policy. I know I had $1000 worth of discus arriving (supposedly by 10AM) priority overnight. I called Fed Ex - they said 'its at the facility' I said - can I come out to the facility. They said 'Sir, you don't understand - when the shipments come out of the plane, they are in shipping containers, your shipment is still in the shipping container', they cannot search through the container to find one package'. They offered to re-route the package to the pick-up location at the airport, but I did not have any way to get over there. Then I asked - is there any way to get a better idea of when the package will arrive - they just said - sometime today. They refunded the entire shipping fee to the sender. I got nothing but a headache waiting for the package. But - out of maybe 100 packages - this has only happened this one time. A couple months ago I was shipping probably 80,000.00$ worth of art to a dealer (By UPS overnight priority delivery). I got a notice that said 'delivered'. The driver sent the 'proof of delivery' (initials). The initials did not match the initials of the person to whom I was sending. 1 minute later the person I was sending the package to asked - where is the package. I said - I got a notice that it was delivered. As it turns out, it was delivered, to the top of a trash can, 4 doors down. The initials were the initials of the driver who said 'no one was at home, so I just initialed it'. I called UPS they said sure the drivers can do that... So - IMHO- there is no perfect shipping company nor will there be. Sorry you had such a problem - it is certainly frustrating.
Yeah, maybe no one is perfect. The note from Extreme Corals that literally says they refuse to use Fed Ex now--is enough for me to realize that Fed Ex is the least perfect of the bunch. Moreover, the Fed Ex corporate bureaucrats not caring in the least when i called--is what has made me stop using Fed Ex.
I have read all of your posts. I was trying to help by offering a different perspective. After all - (at least I think I read it correctly) - the title of your thread was "Opinions of Fed-Ex". Thats what I was trying to do give you my opinion. Maybe I'm incorrect - but - after reading your posts - it seems like rather than wanting others opinions of Fed Ex, you seem to be using your one example as a way to shame an entire company stating they "do not care about animals". in my OPINION, the thesis is somewhat silly.
