UPS

[Ivan in Mich]

Has anyone ever had a problem with UPS? Had something happen yeasterday and it has me wondering about it. We were gone all day and when we returned home there was a package on the porch delivered by UPS. I never ordered anything and when I looked at the package it had a different name an address on it not even close to our address, no big deal just a mistake, but what happened next floored me.On the caller ID was a message from the UPS driver that said he delived by mistake a package to use as he could not find where it goes and could we take it to the right person as they lived not far from us.I have never heard of this before and to make matters worse it was shipped by next day air so big bucks were paid on shipping. I reconized the name of the company that sent it as a company that makes tractors. I looked the peoples phone number up and they lived about 15 miles away from us so I called them and they had been waiting all day for this parts and came and picked it up as there only tractor was down. I called the UPS driver off the number left on the caller ID and lets say my people skills became know to him and this morning to his boss. Is this the way things are going now and has anyone else had this happened to them? I am still in disbelif that after someone paying big bucks for shipping that they expected someone else to deliver the package. Rant over

 

[caseyc]

Not professional at all on the drivers part, but at the same time I call that a "ray of hope" as you must be in a remote enough place that the driver felt comfortable doing that. I have a shop in town and UPS and FEDEX both leave packages here often for my surrounding neighbors as our roads are less than desirable around here. I either deliver on my way home or call them and they come pick up.

Casey in SD

 

[Anonymous-0]

Guess they are trying to out-do the Fed-X driver that threw the flat screen TV over the fence into the yard. Close is good enough.

 

[Mike M]

They screw up all the time !!! Packages to the wrong places,damages,and lost items from shipments galore.

As much as they move as fast as they do it it's a wonder anyone gets anything.

 

[Wile E]

I have never heard of that but I know that the UPS drivers really dont give a S**t when it comes to doing their job.
It seems like it is all about how FAST you can get the boxes dropped off, even if the boxes are dropped on the floor 5 times, wrong address...Hurry, Hurry, Hurry....So I can get home. I guess the UPS company doesnt care if its right as long as there are no boxes left in the truck at the end of the shift.

 

[Puddles]

That is a classic!
But as good looking as my UPS girl is, I'd do anything she asked of me! :lol:

 

[RayP(MI)]

Wife sent a package of angora wool to a lady in California via UPS. They delivered it to a similar address about 2 miles south of hers - to a migrant labor camp. Never surfaced again - UPS ended up paying for the contents. But that's another long story.

FedEx delivered a package today - dropped it right in the middle of the driveway. Not even on the sidewalk or the steps. Mot the least impressed.

 

[Tom in TN]

Ivan,

I live out in the sticks of Tennessee. My driveway is 1/3 mile long from the road to my buildings.

I recently ordered something via the internet and specified UPS shipping. A few days later, I arrived home from work and found a package sitting on the ground next to my mailbox at the road.

Sure enough, it was the UPS shipment. On the ground? At the end of my driveway? Next to the road in front of my farm?

Hmm. Wasn"t expecting that.

Tom in TN

 

[JMOR]

Well, they are not all bad.........often Fed-X and UPS drive 1/2 mile up our gravel driveway & deliver.

 

[retired farmer]

Sounds like a case of driver laziness on the driver's part. Getting paid to not do their job.

 

[HillsofTn]

I guess I am the lucky one - out of several hundred packages delivered to me by UPS over the last 3 or 4 years, I have never had one lost or delivered to the wrong location or damaged or even left in the rain. In fact, when my disabled brother had packages, the UPS man would make a special effort to see if my brother was in his shop behind the house and take the package to him where he knew he would want it.

Maybe it is because we are a small town and very rural. He has driven this route long enough to get to know most of the people.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Last FedEx girl had butch haircut, covered with tatoos, and had an attitude. Drove that truck awfully hard. Didn"t last long.
Mentioned that to my UPS guy, and he said they had to keep all tatoos covered - long sleeves, bandaids, etc.

Seems however that there"s been a rapid turn over in both companies lately.

 

[David G]

They all have their issues, I am happiest right now shipping UPS or USPS.

Fed Ex has gotten really expensive.

 

[730d se]

This appears to be a combination of issues. One, the driver was behind schedule and made a poor decison leaving someone else's package to be delivered. He obviously knew he could trust you.
Another issue is accountants running the business. They lose sight (if they ever had it) of reality and only see the "numbers".
Delivery companies driven by greedy big bosses looking for large bonuses, stock holders looking for large profits, etc. that are pressing delivery drivers for more and more and there are only so many hours in a day. They do not account for logical delays such as traffic, mechanical breakdowns, etc.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Never had a problem with UPS.
Heck they loan our military aircraft.
Sounds like you have a rogue delivery guy.

 

[CAROGATOR]

Some years back, there was a rash of rapes by UPS drivers and policy changed such that they only have 6 minutes per delivery. If they take undocumented longer times, all h!ll brakes loose.

 

[Lazy WP]

We have the best UPS guy in the country!! He delivers right to the door, even with the dogs that aren't the most friendly. He just tosses a treat the other direction. The FED X is something else. Takes 4 days longer then UPS, then asks if we can meet him in Valentine, 40 miles away. What a JOKE!!!!
For us its either UPS or USPS!!

 

[CAROGATOR]

My driver can leave a package wherever, I'll even go meet the truck.

 

[Todd Hovick]

Our UPS driver who is nice delivers everything addressed to me, my girlfriend, my business and my mother to the Town Municipal Building where he has a key. He has never asked, but we expect it now. The subsitutes deliver at our address.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Does she check your package to make sure it's all there?

 

[Puddles]

CAROGATOR we must live in the same area! That is my UPS girl, but I've never seen her in a ball cap! But who looks at her head? :lol:

 

[Anonymous-0]

Does she handle your rod package better than the post office?

 

[Puddles]

Oh she's great, about the only real professional in this county! She always parks her truck in the parking lot walks between the garage and house, and places all the packages on the back deck. Wish I could get the guys to do that!

 

[Leroy]

Just had a package delievered yesterday. Was heavy and asked me if I could handle it or if he should put it someplace. Just said set it in drive. Took both be and my wife to handle it. Said steel and he said that explanes it. Good to be able to get used parts when can. Think he has seen the machinery I rebuild before. 2/10 mile rough drive with trees that dought if clear the truck.

 

[wisbaker]

My Dad worked for UPS for 13-14 years, about 11 of that on the package car. When he hired on they (the driver)could be made to pay for some damages or losses. Now not so much, heck some states have passed laws to make it difficult to impossible to collect from an employee for their mess ups or even theft. When dad was with UPS everyone started on the package car. If you had a college degree and wanted to be a UPS manager you hired in to drive a truck, if you were good you'd be offered a management job, if you weren't you'd be stuck on the truck. He claimed changing that made a big difference and started their downfall. Dad said their contract did allow them the driver not making rate to tell their manager to "get your browns out" meaning the manager had to ride with you and provide training to you to increase your productivity, if they couldn't get your speed up after a week they had to accept your speed. For a while they were paid piecework not hourly. As a driver you learn tricks, one of my Dad's, swing by the High School and stuff packages in the appropriate car and write the tag# down on the sheet for delivery address, Deliver homebound packages to the addressee at their place of business or if you knew where they had lunch hand it off at the restaurant. Another of his tricks to drive down one long driveway and cut across to the neighbor's, sheet packages (write on the delivery sheet, this was pre-computer) while waiting for a train, park your truck on a jack with one tire up while eating lunch with the truck running- running up the miles and giving you more time. Swap packager with REA or the postman so you both don't make the same trip. Seriously with GPS it's stupid that they can't find an address sounds like they've gotten lazy.

 

[Spook]

Our guy is great. Never had a girl delivery person. I know UPS hires a lot of ex military guys. Our guy is a Iraq vet.

 

[Mark6005]

My ups guy is great known him for years. Ask him about how the fish are biting He"s going to tell you and not worried about ups on his azz. He visits and still gets the job done

 

[Goose]

I once had a tenant who was on the road for days at a time. He would also order wine to be delivered by UPS. The UPS driver would simply leave the package on the front steps when he found the tenant not home. In zero weather the wine would freeze and bust the bottle by the time the renter came home or I checked the house.

Once when the snow melted in the spring, I found a package in a snow bank on the edge of our lawn. It was a sweatshirt my wife had ordered for herself before Christmas, and in the Christmas rush forgot she ordered. Apparently the UPS driver simply laid it by our door and the wind took it from there.

Funny part was, the sweatshirt was in a sealed plastic bag and was not damaged.

 

[Pops1532]

I collect gas pump globes. I now specify to sellers that they ship any way except UPS. My first bad experience with UPS was when the driver backed up to my drive then KICKED the box containing a $2000 globe out of the truck. The box was clearly marked FRAGILE GLASS in several locations. I had a "chat" with the driver over that incident. Thankfully the seller had done an excellent job packing the globe and it didn't break.
The 2nd bad experience was when a different driver threw a box containing a gas pump globe out of the truck. The body broke but the lenses survived. By the way, that box was clearly labeled FRAGILE GLASS also. I had a chat with that driver and his supervisor.

I have a friend that also collects gas pump globes. He had bought several globes from a collector that was selling out. It was raining when the UPS truck showed up. The driver backed up to his shop door, put six boxes containing globes (marked FRAGILE) and crawled over the boxes to avoid going out in the rain.

Another friend bought some electronics. They were shipped in three boxes. When he checked the tracking numbers they showed they had been delivered. He called UPS to say he hadn't gotten the packages. They traced the deliveries to THREE other towns! Two of the boxes were delivered to towns 2 1/2 hours away in different directions.

Now they're on a kick where they won't cover a damage claim unless the item was packaged by a UPS store.....most of which don't have a clue how to pack fragile items.

The OP's story doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[JDseller]

You will see more bad service from UPS. A very good friend worked there. He just retired in the last year. He was making good money, $20 and bennies. The guy they replaced him with gets $11 & zero bennies as he is "part time". He works 30 hours each week. He even is not really paid by the hour either. UPS has a fancy computer system that figures the time needed to deliver a package by size,weight, and address. So if the computer says it takes six hours to run the route that is what he is paid. So if it takes longer then he is loosing money.

Another neighbor works for UPS at night sorting packages. He has done it for 14 years and is still just making $12. He is part time as well. He has to be at work at 6 PM but he only works until all the packages are sorted. Some nights he is home by 9PM. He stays as he watches his kids while the wife works a good job during the day. He started the sorting job because at that time that was the only way you would get a route job. Plus UPS gave the part time guys first shot at the better jobs. Not now. He has to apply just like some one off the street. He also has been turned down because his boss says they can get route drivers easy but sorters are hard to get so they keep him on the sorting.

Long story short is that what was once a good company is slowly being ran into the ground by "educated" pencil pushers that never have done the job.

I only use FEDEX as they usually give better service around here.

 

[DaveK(IN)]

As mentioned by Pops they now don"t pay insurance claims unless they packed it. What a scam. they don"t tell you that as they gladly take your money for "insurance". Complain to your state insurance regulator.

 

[Dick L]

I have had UPS daily pickup for over 30 years and ship UPS most every week day. The problems I have had over the 30 years have been so small I could not complain. However the post office makes me want to fly off the handle. Problem with the post office if you complain to them they get back at you in some way or other. I just keep still and use UPS rather than the post office as much as I can.
I have had three regular drivers over the 30 years and they are real nice people. Because we are at the far end of there route they get to our place around noon. If we get late orders that our customers need shipped that day the driver will come back to get the packages before he heads in to the center.
You can find a bad apple in about any barrel.

 

[mkirsch]

Most of the problem is cost-cutting done by UPS corporate.

They pay the drivers ***t money, and give them X packages to deliver in Y hours. What do you think is going to happen?

Even so, the number of problems is surprisingly small compared to the number of successful deliveries. It's cheaper to pay off a few squawkers than it is to do the job right. If you didn't opt for the insurance, even better.