Fed-Ex vs. UPS

[sps]

My vote is for Fed-Ex for shipping time. I shipped an item from California to Florida via Fed-Ex ground. It took 4 days including the weekend. The company I shipped the item to sent me a replacement and sent it via UPS ground. UPS is taking 8 full days to get it back to me. That is unacceptable in my book if Fed-Ex can do it in half the time. :frustrat:

 

[AmberSunrise]

Half the time half the price...

 

[Bifferwine]

FedEx isn't so great either though. There are horror stories on here about FedEx losing boxes of livestock, or leaving them outside for days to boil or freeze. The LFS that Yote works for won't use them anymore (if I remember correctly). One time, they left $400 worth of corals that I ordered on a truck for 4 days at the distribution center here in Tucson, and refused to open the truck to get the box out, because the one person that had the key to the truck was out sick or something. They told me that no one else had a key to this truck, so all the packages that were in it had to sit and wait, even the giant box marked "LIVE ANIMALS" with my name on it.

I don't think there's a good shipping company out there! They all suck.

 

[sps]

Hmmm... pretty much animal cruelty there.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep. My fiance and I were on the phone with FedEx locally and all the way up to the corporate level, yelling at them that there were live animals on that truck, and there is something wrong if only one person has a key to a truck, and all the packages on that truck have to be delayed for four days because of that.

It didn't do one bit of good. They were not helpful at all. They didn't give a shit. Christian said he'd go out there with a pair of bolt cutters and a new lock for them if that's the only way to get the box off the truck. They said he'd be arrested for trespassing. :lol:

 

[sps]

As the big wigs count their money, you are losing lives on that truck.

 

[OhNoNemo]

Well,i worked for UPS,as an unloader and sorter .....None of these companies could care less about what comes through either... we had to do whatever it took to get the boxes off....which usually meant climbing the box mountain ,rolling the belt up to the doors and heave ,push,kick ,throw(not toss,throw!) till it was empty ....the only time we were aware of a package being marked fragile is when it broke,or leaked....we looked forward to that,because that was a break, while it got cleaned up....one of the hardest jobs i had too...it was non stop go,go,go like a machine...
So i think if you do get your fish/corals alive ,be thankful

 

[karisfish]

I got some discus and they were delivered by fedex and they all arived great and by 9am the next morning.

 

[sps]

Nice to hear some good news from shipping companies.

 

[BL1]

I try to never order anything through UPS anymore. Everytime UPS delivers a package I end up having to drive 45 minutes to the distro center to pick it up. I was waiting for a package a few months ago and took the day off to stay at the house and get it. Well my roommate got home at 4 pm and there was a note on the door saying they had been there at noon. They never knocked/rang bell or anything. I go to the pick it up at the distro center and tell the people there what happened and she just laughed, and told me that it happens most drivers don't bother knocking ... ARE YOU KIDDING ME, it was so hard for me not to rip her head off right there while she was laughing about it. As long as I can help it I will never use that company.

 

[14 gallon nanocube]

all good arguments for supporting the lfs

 

[sen5241b]

I wish I had the time to tell you all of the stories about Fed-Ex just losing packages. They advertise a lot but they lose packages! I've seen several fortune 500 companies that used Fed-Ex for all their shipping only to get rid of them after packages got lost.

I have also had to drive to the distro center with Fed-Ex more than once and the distro center is a long drive. If you think Fed Ex is better than UPS then you have not been using Fed Ex for very long.

 

[vonjankmon]

I think people should post where they live when telling these stories as I imagine the quality of Fedex vs UPS will vary significantly on your local UPS and Fedex and how they are run.

For instance the UPS in my area is TERRIBLE, like OMG what is wrong with you people terrible. They leave boxes uncovered in the rain, mark packages delivered at 7PM when they don't show up till 8-9PM because they are supposed to have everything delivered by 7PM, packages are just ripped up.

Now Fedex is the total opposite around me, packages are pristine, if there's even a chance of bad weather they're wrapped in plastic, never even a dent in the box let alone the ripped boxes I get from UPS all the time.

Now having said that I have coworkers that live in way south of me (I'm in Maryland, they live in Virginia) that tell the same stories but in reverse.

Both companies are probably just as good for getting packages across the country/world it's that last 50 miles where I think things diverge greatly.

*Edit* Haha, after I posted this I noticed that sen5241b lives in Arlington, VA. See that's what I'm talking about. ;)

 

[bjohanson1234]

Around here, they are both about equal. Only problem with fed ex is they dont leave the package by the front door. It is a new policy they implimented last year because of "high theft rates" in the area. Since we are never home when they come by, I always have to go pick it up from the distribution center.

 

[dcantucson]

I favor Fed-Ex here in my area, however I hate it when they don't even ring the bell when they drop off my livestock. Can't they read? "Livestock. Duh. Maybe I should let them know the package is here." :frustrat:

 

[motorcyclereefer]

Yes, you are correct Biff. They do not use Fed ex now, They have let too many boxes ruin.