You just can't count on UPS or FedEx

[CoachRichardson]

Sitting here, having rearranged my work schedule for an overnight shipment of over $500 of corals from Top Shelf Aquatics. I love TSA and have always gotten a great product from them. The problem is with the carriers. Two out of five times I have had shipments delayed. Seems this is the norm on everything now and it is all about excuses, COVID, workforce issues, weather, blah blah blah. The thing is we pay for the service and overnight priority by noon is what is paid for. There was an offer (the cost) and acceptance (the money paid for shipping), that's a contract. These are live animals and a company needs to deliver on the contract. I really don't care why or what your excuses are. This has sadly become the norm in society these days. In my business I deliver by what I say I will do. I will find a way to make it happen. I guess sadly this is more about society and what has become acceptable more than just my delivery not being on time. I wish I could bill for my time that I rearranged to be here for the shipment. Two out of fives times not delivering on time is 20%. That is not acceptable yet there is nothing we can do about it. I guess I am done ranting now...

 

[Reefer911]

I feel your pain and have the same frustration with how things are today. No one cares.

And to paint a more bleak picture, 2 out of 5 is 40%…worse than you figured.

 

[CoachRichardson]

I feel your pain and have the same frustration with how things are today. No one cares.

And to paint a more bleak picture, 2 out of 5 is 40%…worse than you figured.

LOL, that's true! Math is hard...

 

[His Coral Highness]

All correct. All excuses, too. The covid excuse is just laughable at this point. But I hope you get everything alive and well! A few hours in the tank and I think they will spring right back to life!

 

[bushdoc]

You are lucky that your shipment was only corals, I have lost Insulin shipment, which was literally fried in Central Valley summer heat due to UPS delay.

 

[CoachRichardson]

You are lucky that your shipment was only corals, I have lost Insulin shipment, which was literally fried in Central Valley summer heat due to UPS delay.

That's just unacceptable but what can we do. I did call FedEx and they said they would ope an investigation and I will receive a call tomorrow with an ETA. I could not make the person (not from this country, another beef on outsourcing customer service!) understand an ETA tomorrow on a package that was supposed to be here today wouldn't be of any help...

 

[steveschuerger]

I’ll throw in that I agree in general. With UPS having a worse track record overall for me. That being said, I had a Pieces of the Ocean delivery that got late to depot. FedEx. We’re going to wait til next day. I called and they sent it out on an afternoon truck. So I’ll say that sometimes they can accommodate if you reach out. The corals were fine, but in another 24?

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I'm expressing frustration at the delivery companies as well.

My mistake was ordering Saturday for delivery today...and not being able to divine that their would be a storm in Louisville, KY. My CUC coming ....FROM FL....TO FL...isn't going to make it today by the looks of it.

Not $500 worth of coral like OP...but frustrating none the less

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I had them say the Package was undeliverable at my address. Also I had UPS do this. Excuse was; “Driveway was too muddy.” Good thing I noticed, before it was Stolen.

 

[JC1977]

You are lucky that your shipment was only corals, I have lost Insulin shipment, which was literally fried in Central Valley summer heat due to UPS delay.

Was reading thread and saw you mentioned Central Valley which I can only assume is here in California. Anyhow I’m from Visalia hadn’t seen anybody else on here from my area so just saying hello lol. Sorry to hear about the insulin that's bs!

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I had them say the Package was undeliverable at my address. Also I had UPS do this. Excuse was; “Driveway was too muddy.” Good thing I noticed, before it was Stolen.

Just seems like all these companies want to do the least amount of work as possible. I understand profits...and the bottom line...but this is clearly turning into getting less and paying more for it. I understand the weather...to a certain extent. I think they could take some mitigation measures...but you can't stop the weather...and it would be costly.

Friend of mine had a "signature required" brand new model IPad not show up. Was recorded as delivered and type in name of customer (NO signature) was his name spelled wrong. Investigation...several days later...someone calls him from the front door (he was at work...but had taken time of to get the package days prior) and apologizes. IIRC...his camera showed a person not in uniform dropping it off and making a quick exit.

 

[bushdoc]

Was reading thread and saw you mentioned Central Valley which I can only assume is here in California. Anyhow I’m from Visalia hadn’t seen anybody else on here from my area so just saying hello lol. Sorry to hear about the insulin that's bs!

Any good LFS there?

 

[JC1977]

Any good LFS there?

The Ultimate Aquarium is the only one I would recommend. Besides that just Petco which I don’t really consider a pet store for our purposes lol.

 

[secret_reefer337]

I feel your frustrations and anger. Just few weeks ago I have a shipment that was delayed (FedEx) and the anemone didn’t survived. Both shipping company messed up things even before the Covid.

One thing I learned is that they don’t cover liability when it comes to live animals, this is based on what the seller told me. So, they don’t care about delays or they don’t prioritized.

 

[RedoubtReef]

Aren't you guys experiencing ice storms or something across the region?

 

[Acro76 Verified Sponsor]

Unfortunately it's a bad week to ship either Fedex or UPS. UPS does not guarantee arrival times when there is bad weather. It's in all the fine print of course.

There is a service alert today for the UPS hub in Louisville and for Texas.

 

[bvanfish]

Got one today supposed to be here by noon but said extreme weather in Louisville. Checked radars maps etc no extreme weather warnings. Hoping my fish doesn’t die… good luck with your corals

 

[fish farmer]

I had them say the Package was undeliverable at my address. Also I had UPS do this. Excuse was; “Driveway was too muddy.” Good thing I noticed, before it was Stolen.

I had some recent troubles with fed ex. Trout eggs from Montana to Vermont, Christmas week, made it through Memphis, one delivery was fine going to a very rural hatchery, assuming hub wasn't swamped. The two other boxes got delayed a day. One of those was "attempted deliver, door locked no one there". Hogwash....l bet it wasn't even on the truck. That hatchery has two shifts and there was a big meeting going on. Plenty of people around. Similar nonsense with the second attempted delivery the following week. The manager of the hatchery actually was able to call someone and get it delivered.

I'm considering in the future of having packages dropped off at the hub so I can pick them up first thing. They won't be sitting in a truck travelling all day.

I know we're getting screwed with poor service, but sometimes it is the only option.

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Had a very expensive watch delivered by UPS overnight priority with signature and he just left it at the door and ran off.

No knock on the door, no signature...

 

[bvanfish]

I have never had to sign for anything. I am now like a watch dog. I sit in front of our big windows and wait for them haha