Frustrated by UPS
Posted by marshall Wed, 26 Mar 2003 19:00:00 GMT
I really don't like UPS. They make it virtually impossible for a working person to have anything of value delivered.
Like most delivery companies, UPS only delivers during the day, and only on weekdays. Unlike FedEx and Airborne, however, they are perfectly content to leave expensive computer equipment sitting in front of the house, completely exposed to passers-by and the weather. And with "THIS SIDE UP" down.
FedEx and Airborne require a signature, so when I receive the notice that they've come and found no one home, I simply call them up and tell them to hold the package for me. They're both open late (around 10pm), and they're both fairly easy to drive to. I drive to the office, sign the paper, and pick up the package. It's simple and safe.
Now, UPS packages can be specifically tagged to require a signature. In that case, they'll do what FedEx and Airborne do: try the next day. And like FedEx and Airborne, I can call them up to have them hold the package for me. The problem is that UPS (at least the local office) for some inexplicable reason only allows pick-ups between 1:30pm and 5:30pm. Lara and I both get done at 5:00pm, and there's no way we can make it to the UPS office by then. So I either have to take time off from work to drive to their office, or have them leave it sitting in plain sight. Both of these options, in my mind, negate any advantages that I might have had by having the package delivered.
So no more UPS for me. If I'm going to order something, I'm going to specify that it be sent using a carrier that makes sure my equipment gets in my hands.
(As a clarification: FedEx Ground -- formerly RPS -- is in the same category as UPS, and my experience with them has in fact been worse. They seem to operate as a separate entity from the "real" FedEx, with different tracking numbers and lower standards. And on the subject of tracking numbers, FedEx and Airborne allow you to enter numbers from the main page of the site, while UPS requires you to click to a separate page and check a box saying you agree with their terms before you can track anything. A minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.)
