Charles 22

I hate it when I find that a website only offers delivery by UPS. I much prefer USPS. You would think that I have it good, considering I live within walking distance of the nearest UPS station (the national HQ no less).

I ordered the Leave it to Beaver entire collection from Barnes and Noble, and took the 1-3 day delivery. Here's UPS's pitiful excuse for their poor delivery as of now:

MESQUITE, TX, US 07/01/2010 12:46 P.M. DESTINATION SCAN
07/01/2010 4:31 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
EDISON, NJ, US 06/30/2010 5:23 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
EDISON, NJ, US 06/29/2010 5:17 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN
US 06/29/2010 11:22 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

You notice that it arrived at the within walking distance station (mesquite) just after noon YESTERDAY, and yet I still don't have it. For deliveries, that last thing you want to be is located close to the station, because they start their routes from the FURTHEREST locations and work their way inward as the day develops. So what that means, if like today you are waiting on the LAST day of the delivery's terms, they will send you your package, if it gets there then, at the end of the day, which had so much of the day already passed, it's a lot closer to a 4th day. Burns me up.

It's the same story, only worse in a way, if you order something with the fastest mail available, as I have done that several times and it's always the same story. You always get it at the tail end of the last day. I contected them about the absurdity of getting a 1 day delivery and then getting it at the very tail end of the delivery day, especially you think it would be important to reach the destination when paying the most expensive delivery terms, but they won't be shifted. I asked them if I could call them when I knew a package would be heading their way, and just have them hold it at the station so I can pick it up MUCH faster myself. They said I could only do that if the shipper would agree to put something to that effect on the outside of the box in some particular manner. Fat chance you could ever get a shipper to do that.

Any other dvd shipment nightmares? Which shipper do you really loath? Why don't companies offer more deliverer options? I would take anybody over part-time workers UPS. At least they just leave the stuff at my door (ring the doorbell) and don't make me sign anything.

MoviePhanatic00

UPS just sucks in general. I am not renewing my Amazon Prime as a result of the problems I have had with UPS over the past year. Heck Amazon has even given me $25 because of all the problems I have had. I have had about 4 of my packages misdelivered to my neighbors. Had packages go out from a hub, reach my city then go back to the hub, I have has UPS delivered after 2 day deadlines on countess occasions. And don't get me started on damaged boxes. Even having to overnight something UPS for my job is a total nightmare. What is really funny is that I have never had a single issue when Amazon uses FedEx. UPS is just sloppy and they have the worst customer service who will only say I am sorry for your trouble.

Still its not as bad as when DHL did domestic deliveries. I watched as a DHL delivery person threw a package across my yard because he was too lazy to walk 8 feet to my front door.

I don't think your UPS problems have anything to do with your location, they just suck and can't do anything right!!

What a great rant!

Charles 22

I think we both may have had great rants. I know my problems with them pale in comparison to some of the more horror stories out there, but they do really anger me nonetheless. I was being a little too kind for them though, as my last delivery to my door had one flap to the exterior box, which contained a router, completely open.

One thing that upsets me further, from all my tracking of prior shipments with them, they should have had a departure scan or at least something stating that it had been loaded onto a truck this morning (like I've seen before), and there's nothing of the sort, which makes me wonder if I'll even get my shipment late today. With those jerks I'll be lucky if I get it by tuesday, given how monday is a holiday.

jjcool

Ups works great for me. With Prime, I often get stuff the next day without paying for it. Havent had a package that went out two day get to me in more than two days.

Vlyger

I AIN'T DOWN WITH BROWN!!!

SPIDERone

For the OP, it looks like it arrived at the station too late (usually needs to be by ~5-6AM for it to go out that day). The part that really sucks is when it happens right before a weekend or holiday. Another one they like to do is put a "NOT DUE FOR DELIVERY" scan on it when it arrives a day early - they'll actually hold it until the next day before delivering it.

My biggest complaint was a package coming from AZ to CA - they routed it from AZ through TN and then finally to CA.

As much as everyone on Amazon say they hate them, I really like "Ontrac" - Amazon uses them every so often for my Prime shipments, and I always get them by 9:30 AM the next day (instead of 2-days).

Charles 22

So with Prime, do you automatically get 1 day orders? I guess a lot of people who get UPS and get it the next day after it's shipped, though at the end of the day possibly, would consider it a one day delivery, but here I am so close and they put the damn thing on the truck no matter what and I don't see it all day. You would think with somebody paying extra for priority mail, when you have used it, they could run by those places "on the way" to their furtherest destination. It don't take them 5 minutes to get to my house. I can understand them waiting till the end of the day when ordinary shipping is used, but when paying extra, it reaks. Seems USPS deliveries are always around mid-day and usually before the last of the possible delivery dates. I guess UPS must be the new monopoly, because I so rarely get a chance to choose Fedex or USPS.

Other than the last delivery being badly bound, and the fact they wait till the end of the day to deliver practically next door, and for all practical purposes won't set something aside and not put it on the truck, I've had no problems with them, unlike MoviePhanatic00, but what problems I do have gripe me a good deal.

Charles 22

I haven't actually seen one of my packages get a not due tag, but it's apparent they're doing it anyway. I suspect very strongly they load the trucks up in the morning, and won't send anybody out around noon (though my package arrived probably too late even for that) for anything, so I wasn't really expecting I would see it 7/1, but here it 5:32pm and the last day of delivery, and I still don't have it. It's been raining a good deal the last hour or so, so they can probably use that as a convenient excuse, that is, if monopolies care about excuses. My deliveries are so late, often enough, it's even after the end of business day, just like today; just pitiful. I wonder if the chumps deliver on saturday or not; I can't recall. Seems they would have to.

Despite your Ontrac success, I have never received anything through UPS before the last day of delivery. Funny how my USPS shipments almost always come in before the last day. Of course, some of the merchants must be to blame, for it was B&N that claimed my package could arrive as early as the next day, but I knew that wasn't going to happen anyway. What I ought to do is order something that ships from Dallas or Mesquite itself, and see if the chumps can pull it off, because that is the situation I guess UPS would say they could pull a one-day with the sort of shipping I used this time. I didn't use the fastest this time, but next to the fastest. Hmm, seems to me that it may well be that it's not B&N which sets the possible shipping times, but UPS itself. Maybe if nobody used UPS anymore, and I were using the same delivery in the same city, then maybe they could pull it off (end of day regardless)?

Charles 22

5:59pm - It finally arrived. They made up somewhat for the shoddiness of the outside box's flap being completely open on the previosu delivery, by this time putting something that looked like clearwrap that goes around suit coats (though the package in much smaller) around it. This is probably the 1st time I have ever got a package at my doorstep during the rain, so it was nice to see that protective layer as a good deal of water gets up on my shallow porch. I didn't look real good either time, but it looks like the last 2 deliveries were made by the same guy.

Charles 22

The shiping label on the package said: UPS 3 day select. So why did the B&N website claim the delivery time was 1-3 days? One has to wonder how they would come up with that, or UPS, if the statement that is 3 day on the box makes them slow down the delivery to be the third day.

sandman007

I don't get the complaint here. You selected 1-3 delivery and it was delivered within the timeframe. Am I missing something here?

SexualPudding

He's bitching because he could have theoretically received it a day earlier, even though it still came within the specified time frame. The way I see it, if the op was going to be that overzealous about getting it so fast, he should have just bought it at a local store. I'm assuming he was able to get that really good deal Barnes and Noble had on the set a while back and that's why he ordered it online, but beggars shouldn't be choosers, imo. At the end of the day, it still arrived within the stated time window.

Spottedfeather

I hate when things I order are shipped by the USPS. They're just horrible. A while ago, I got a packaged that was extremely crushed. Even the box of the item I ordered was smashed. Luckily, the thing it's self was fine. I have never had any problem with UPS except once. A box was sent to the same address...just on another street. I got it a day later. I've never had a crushed box with UPS. So what if it takes a little longer. As long as it's not a present for a birthday or Christmas, then what does it really matter how long it takes ?

Charles 22

Perhaps you should read what I wrote and you would see that there is more to it than that, but yeah, that's the primary complaint. Just very sick of VERY end of the day service amounting to what pretty much is another day, that is, unless you are in the habit of waking up about the time they deign to make deliveries. Besides, I was naive enough to believe something arriving before the very tailend of the last day may had been possible, but knowing UPS that was really dumb on my part. I do find it rather deceptive that either UPS or B&N would put 1-3 days shipping terms on the website, yet the shipping sticker on the box states 3 days specifically. I'll know better from now on, as only USPS and maybe Fedex actually believe in delivering things before the latest possible time it can be delivered.

Charles 22

I did entertain that it could had been delivered a day earlier, that is if it were with another shipper, as it's apparent anything arriving there after 8:30am is shot for that day.

I wasn't overzealous about getting the merchandise all that fast, as I probably wouldn't had chosen the 1 day delivery not only because of unreasonable expense but also because I knew how dissatisfied I was from previous shipments I had with UPS's one day delivery. Like I said before, their always delivering to me at the very drop dead last moment of the last day of the shipping terms, isn't as bad in this case, but when you have 1 day shipping and get it way past end of business day, it's just unforgiveable that you pay all that extra and they don't even dream of delivering it as they drive out, or bring it around noon. Funny how my service is much beter with Fedex and USPS. Still funnier that they cannot help but be located further from my location and yet give the better service.

USPS and Fedex may both practice the same thing for their routes, that they start at the furtherest points and work inward, but regardless of how they work it, there should be some apparatus in effect where the likes of UPS, for one, would actually deliver 1 day delivery, at least at random if nothing else, to places enroute to the furtherest destination and not alwasy making the closer locations to the station wait so long.

I didn't buy it at the store for fairly apparent reasons:

1. I was interested in somewhat quicker delivery, but not so fast it would cost me big. If I had 1 day shipping and I knew there was a good chance they would actually deliver at noon that day, or top of the morning (assuming it was received the prior night) I may had chosen 1 day service.

2. Ordering while it was in pre-order was much cheaper. I had actually cancelled a prior order with somebody else because B&N was that much cheaper.

3. Getting it from a store not only would had been taking my chances it would not be available (unless they would let me pre-order - BTW, if you want a copy of Avatar, everybody and their dog have it advertised) when I went to buy (and I'm not one of those losers who sit in front of a store for hours just to make sure I get tickets or whatever is being made available) but also that their prices would be sky high. The only store I can think of around here that would probably be stocking it would be Best Buy (Circuit City closed down), and with very rare exceptions, you don't ever want to buy dvds from them due to very high prices. I had coincidentally been to BB a couple of times recently, and though I didn't look for it, I saw no hint that they even knew LITB was being released. IOW, I'm sure they knew about it, but didn't make it leap out enough, if at all, to show me they were willing to try to sell it at competitive prices.

I didn't get the really good deal people spoke of from B&N, where it was reported to be under $100. Instead mine was $113 by the time I signed up. Not that much later the price kept rising. Originally I was with gohastings who had it like at $149. I simply wouldn't pay the $179 Amazon was asking.

smurr05

No offense But I ordered from B & N as well but chose free standard delivery and got mine in 3 days via DHL and USPS!

Charles 22

It figures! I didn't see any option to have any carrier but UPS and had I seen a USPS option, and chose standard delivery I probably would had got it the 3rd day, and around noon as well. Your story doesn't surprise me in the least, though I've never done business with DHL. Heck if I saw an USPS option I probably would had chosen priority or something and got it at least a day and one half earlier. I would had goine for USPS in a heartbeat whatever the shipping options. There's something I don't understand though. I didn't even consider free shipping in the first place, but maybe it was only with that option that you got USPS and/or DHL?

smurr05

I'm not sure but tracking it found that it shipped out on 6/29 via DHL and by Weds. it was in Orlando Fl. and handed over to the USPS and I had it in my mailbox on Friday 7/2. I was really surprised to get it that fast as B & N stated it would arrive in approx. 4-9 days in their shipped email notice.

jjcool

I guess where I ive, most of the stuff I buy ships out of Harrisburg, PA, which is one day away from me. they send it the usual 2 day route, and it gets to me in one day. Most of the time they just send stuff ground, and it gets to me in one day anyway. When they ship it out of the kentucky warehouse, it takes two days.

When it is actually delivered to your residence is a different story. Thats dependent on the driver and how his route is setup. If your driver has business stops as well as residential, most of the time they do the business stops first and the residential later. My driver at work has a route like this, and we get out deliverey between 10 and 12 everyday. The driver at home delivers between 2 and 3 everyday.

jjcool

Theoretically he could have, but the shipping he selected garantees delivery by the end of the day on the third day. The package was delivered in this time frame. He doesnt seem to understand that if a package arrives to the local terminal after the trucks have been loaded and left, it costs UPS extra money to put it on another truck to deliver that day. Money that they are more than willing to spend, if the package is due for the delivery that day. Of course if they have another day to deliver the box, as they did in teh OPs case, they will hold it for delivery the next day. It really isnt as close to rocket science as the op is making it out to be.

SexualPudding

I also fail to understand how delivery at the end of the last day on the specified time window constitutes "basically an extra day", as the OP stated a couple times now. What's the latest they even deliver every day? 5 pm? How in the hell is that almost another day?

SexualPudding

I was not arguing in his favor or supporting his stance in any way. I'm in 100% agreement with you.

Charles 22

I don't think I have ever tried UPS standard before and kept track of it. usually I expect standard to arrive so late I couldn't care less, but if UPS keeps up the habit with me, they would deliver it day 9 (to take your case) after business hours. It always seemed that USPS delivered standard at least 2 days before the last day.

Charles 22

I actually talked to UPS over here about this pretty recently. They told me they deliver as I described earlier, fartherest point and working toward the station, which means I always get mine stuff pretty much dead last. They did deliver shortly after noon on one delivery, so I guess that driver had a pretty empty day. I've at least a dozen UPS shipments here and that's the only exception, otherwise it's late day.

Charles 22

Because there's not many waking hours left. You clearly havent' been reading my posts, as I said before they're ALWAYS delivering well after 5pm. Had I been running a business here it would be the next day simply because the business might had closed at 5pm. If I worked at an office in this area for example, and I had pickup there, I would never receive my package the day of delivery because they delivered it so late. Now it's not their fault I was off for the rest of the day, but it does show how late in the day it is can make a difference. This sense of "extra day" is even more profoundly felt when you order 1 day delivery (which I did not in this case) because their delivery is so late, in terms of waking or business hours that it's a lot closer to the 2nd business day than the first, and in the case if I were having pickup as the scenario described above, it would be 2nd day before it could be picked up. That's one of the main reasons why I won't ever use 1 day shipping with UPS again. If I worked 2nd shift, say having to be at work at 3pm, I could never get such pickups that day either, and considering UPS rings the bell and leaves immediately, my box would be sitting out there, until some thief decided to relieve me of it's contents until I got home around midnight. In the present case, I have no problem with them leaving immediately if there's no answer at the door, but put me on 2nd shift and it's a significant problem.