So this past sunday I place an order for a stack of DVDs. In case anyone is wondering, they were:

DEAD ZONE-2ND COMPLETE SEASON
RESERVOIR DOGS (SE)
PITCH BLACK (UR)(DC)(WS)
DEAD LIKE ME-1ST COMPLETE SEA
KIDS IN THE HALL-BRAIN CANDY
DEAD ZONE-1ST COMPLETE SEASON

I ordered them under the 20% off deal, with 2nd day delivery (I really needed them yesterday for a series of gifts). Yesterday happened to be a day off, so I was home all day.

The package never arrives. I call DDD for a tracking number because their email system never sends one out. The UPS website says that the package is undeliverable, because I've moved. Which I haven't.

So I call UPS, they apologize, and tell me I can pick up the package at a local depot (in this case, Baldwin Park CA). About an hour later the depot calls to confirm that the package is there and ready for pick up.

I drive 20 minutes there, only to have the mensa candidate employee (who's reading a paper and never gets out of the chair) call the warehouse. I wait 45 minutes. Finally the supervisor comes out and says they can't find the package, and asks me if I've moved.

I explain, never getting too upset, that I REALLY needed those discs, and they apologize but say they can't find it. Their attitude is really odd, so I leave, but as I'm walking away they burst into laughter. Nice.

I know this isn't strictly DDD's fault, it's UPS'. But since DDD offers only two options (wait a week or more for the post, at which point the box is usually beaten silly and thrown at my door dented, or use UPS which in my area is spotty at best). I can't see myself using DDD anymore until they offer a more reliable shipper ... hell, I'd pay several dollars more to avoid UPS.

This UPS problem isn't a rare event either. Out of the dozens of DDD orders I've placed, I'd say a good eight arrived already open, with the DVDs loose and outside their cases and covered in fingerprints. I've called DDD about this before, but the hassle of having to use UPS to ship the discs back always outweighed the obvious negatives (plus the DVDs always worked after being cleaned off).

I've had UPS deliver other people's packages, routinely lose packages, and rarely hit their promised delivery times. Honestly, I'm curious about what their "guarantee" really means. There were about 7 people from my general neighborhood who had to drive out for packages (just while I was there waiting), several of whom had been home only to have the driver list that they weren't.

In large part it's my fault for spinning the UPS roulette again for some DVDs that I really needed by a set date, and which now looks like I won't get until next week. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but from now on I'm going to have to stop using DDD (despite their great prices) until they offer a more reliable method of shipment.

Nothing is guaranteed.

My company switched *to* UPS from FedEx because FedEx was the one losing packages all the time. You are apparently in an area where UPS isn't that good.

It isn't DDD's fault. They most likely have a deal set up with UPS to get lower shipping rates, which in turn help keep the costs of DVDs down. If enough people were to complain that their packages didn't arrive in time (and therefore request shipping charges refunded), DDD would switch shippers from losing so much money. That hasn't happened, so I'm sure UPS has been pretty reliable for them.

Even companies that offer multiple shipping couriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc..) will have a system that finds out the cheapest way to get a package to it's destination. Some areas it's UPS, some areas it's FedEx. So even then you aren't guaranteed a different delivery company, although you could probably request FedEx.

I know it's not DDD's fault, but I'm just not going to order from them again until they offer a better method of shipment. I've called them each time this crap with UPS happens, and every time they say they can't ship with anyone else. That's the reason I won't order from them again, because they don't give us the option of a better carrier. And I'd gladly pay more for Fedex or DHL, which I've never had a problem with before, so DDD's costs are irrelevant ... the shipping costs are passed along to the consumer, and they simply don't offer enough choice.

Sounds like you should be filing a formal complaint with UPS. They have investigators who handle these kinds of things (particularly open packages).

It seems to me that DeepDiscountDVD kept their end of the bargain and shipped out as promised, so I don't know how you could blame them.

Your problem is with UPS and not DDD. If 8 of the 12 packages you ordered from DDD had problems, why are you ordering from them again anyway? If you have had that many troubles with them - is all the stress worth the 20% you are saving?

You should stick with the USPS Free Delievery with DDD. Never had a problem with it.

Guys, I said in my original post it's not DDD's fault.

I know that.

But the fact remains that DDD doesn't offer an alternative.

USPS usually takes too long, and when I do get the package it's usually dented and thrown at my door.

UPS is a disaster in my area. And "Guarantee" is a big part of their marketing, and it's plastered all over their stores. I'm just idly wondering what that means.

Fedex is amazing, I use them all the time, and DHL has been great.

The problem is DDD only ships via the two worst carriers in my area, and until they offer the choice to use someone else I can't order from them again. UPS might be the cheapest carrier, but that's not DDD's cost, it's mine. Even if Fedex cost $15 an order, I'd use Fedex every time ... if only DDD would offer that as an option.

1) Yeah, you said it in your post, but your thread title was designed to give just the opposite impression.

2) Move to a better area

Well, since everybody has pointed out that (in this situation) you don't have a beef with DDD, I just wonder why somebody who needs something yesterday would order off of the internet? You already said you would have been willing to pay extra, so why not go pick them up at a store?

Agreed with the others, contact UPS -- NOT your local office.

Fire off a friendly e-mail to DDD and explain to them that your area has problems with UPS and you wish that they would offer more shipping options. You are right that you are paying for the shipping, but they are still making money off it (they negotiate a bulk rate but don't lower their charges).

Just order from another website and pay the extra money.

Problem solved.

Just go to the store and pay the extra money.

It would be nice if DDD gave the option of which
shipping company to use.
I would not mind paying the difference for
my choice, if needed. But sadly its theirs.
So I live with it. As many others do.

I agree its nots DDD's fault though.
You knew exactly what you were possibly going
to have to deal with if any problems like
you stated did happen. With that said....

DDD should have provided tracking info on
your shipment. But I guess thats another thing
now to take into consideration when
placing a order with them.

Get in your car and go to a local B & M Store. They will have the dvd's waiting for you,but it is up to you to provide the "Speedy" pickup & delivery to your home.



I buy from them because never had a problem with ddd and very patient
I can wait up to 3 weeks for a dvd ( I can do other things in the meantime)
and I am cheap ( I meant I am a cost saver)!

OMG.. call up UPS main office and complain about those lazy ass and incompetent idiots in your area who doesn't know what they're doing! Get the employers to investigate and fire them! Hopefully, that their next set of employees will do their job right.

Shouldn't the thread title be changed to "Never using UPS again" since it was already stated that DDD was not at fault

What the hell did DDD do wrong here? Talk about barking up the wrong tree.

I've never had problems with DDD's shipments, and I just use the free delivery method (media mail?). Of course, I live in Illinois so the shipments are in-state (~ 200 miles), so they should be quick.

Dead Like Me is a pretty good series, by the way. I'm on Disk 3 of the 1st season now, renting them from a nearby Hollywood video that charges just $1 per disk for all new and old releases.

My recent DDD order was for 5 DVDs (Salesman (Criterion), Arachnophobia, Targets, Last House on the Left, and the Jamie Kennedy Experience - Season 1), all but Targets were shipped on Thursday. I expect to have them by Tuesday.

The title of the thread should've been "Never Using UPS Again." I think UPS on average is a pretty bad shipping company (or at least in southern CA). I've never had a problem with FedEx at all...the package arrives as scheduled and in tip top condition. With UPS (especially ground) my packages look like they've been handled by some disgruntled employees by the time it hits my front door.

Luckily, the USPS is very good in my area and I have never lost a shipment--even with no tracking number.

I guess your mileage may vary depending where you live. FedEx doesn't seem to get a lot of complaints though, from what I've observed.

UPS has it's good and bad days I guess, just like DDD. Whoa to the guy who catches both on bad days.

i.e. I waited over 50 days for my first DDD order before they finally reordered my items and sent it to me. All the while they kept asking me to "wait a couple days" for the first shipment which never came. WTF?

ie. last month my regular UPS guy went on a break and the new UPS guy delivered my package to the wrong house, wrong street, wrong neighborhood. When I called to find out about my package. He said he left it with the rental office! I'd never heard that before since I live in a house, and there is no rental office!!!

I'm very pleased with DDD, so far.

I work at UPS here in Omaha, NE and I can comfirm that, due to flow, lack of help, the physicalness of the job, unfortunately, packages due tend to get hurt-but mostly business ones.
Little packages like dvds and the sort, tend to be put in bags so the chances of them being damaged are reduced.

Sorry, to hear, but if your dvds ever get shipped my way, I'll take care of them.

Just to be flippant...

Maybe you should move if you want decent UPS deliveries. I know your area and the UPS service there sucks. I'm lucky. The UPS service in my area is very good and the drivers are very courteous and friendly.

Luck of the draw...

I agree with Neil Bruce. Although his problem is with UPS, not DDD, online shippers should have an option on how they send their packages. I've got a PO Box, so I always want USPS. I stopped buying from buy.com because they didn't have an option and kept trying to send stuff to my box via UPS (who won't deliver to PO boxes.) Amazon won't send UPS or FedEx if your shipping address is a PO Box, but I won't upgrade my shipping from media mail from DDD because sometimes they send it UPS. All Neil Bruce is saying is there should be a way to specify on how you want it sent.

I'm in So Cal, and I've never had a problem with UPS.

I have, however, had a serious problem with FedEx, and I try and avoid that company because of it.

It was 1998, and I was making my first online order. I ordered a CD from CDNOW, and I wanted it in time for release day, so I chose the fast shipping option they had, which was with FedEx.

So on the release day, I was in the shower, and FedEx shows up. I don't hear the guy, so he leaves a note on my door. The note says that my package will be taken back to their distribution center, where I can pick it up, or they'll attempt to deliver it again the next day.

I didn't want to wait, so I went to the distribution center. I get there, and they can't find the package. They end up finding the delivery guy, and he says "Oh, I gave that package to your apartment manager." What the hell?!?!

I was livid. Why would he leave a note that said I could pick it up somewhere else on my door, and then give it to someone who is practically a stranger? I had gone out of my way to go pick it up, only to find out it was dropped off back at my complex, with someone who was now not there. The whole point of paying the extra for shipping was to get it ON THAT DAY, and FedEx made that impossible because of this moron.

I ended up buying the CD at Target, and later returning the one sent from CDNOW because of this screwup. I've never had that kind of problem from UPS.

Got them today (Monday). Three days, via media mail.

Yeah, I always use the free shipping option with DDD, and have the package delivered to my post office box. It ships media mail and I usually get it in a week. It's always a risk if you want something by a certain day when ordering from the internet, or any where. There are too many variables that can cause shipping problems.