Grousing about UPS

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Sep 2017 8:45 am

Do we need a new Forum section called "General Grousing"?

Here's my latest peeve:

Ordered a used amp from Guitar Center in Sarasota, FL, about a week before the storm hit. They shipped it out by UPS still a few days before the storm. So far so good.

On the scheduled delivery date, I get a text message from UPS saying that, due to an error in the address, they are sending the amp back to the Sender in Florida! Whaaa? So I check the address on my purchase confirmation and GC did have it correct; but UPS says that what should have been an "8" was showing as a "9" in their system. So I called UPS and tried to correct the address; they wouldn't take it as they said the amp was already on its way back to Florida (now in the middle of an impending hurricane!) I tried calling GC to see if they could correct the address and do something about it, but they said they could not. And the amp had made it all the way up to the UPS facility about 6 miles from my house before being sent back into a hurricane. It is now in limbo somewhere since there ain't much moving through Florida right now. Aaaarrrggghhh!

Forget that amp. I don't want it anymore...

David Gertschen · Post by **David Gertschen** » 12 Sep 2017 9:22 am

Well, that's a new one on me! Sorry to hear your struggle with UPS, Jim. The only guitar I have ever had smashed was courtesy of the big brown truck...

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Sep 2017 12:43 am

Keep the amp when it arrives ! Don't blame the amp for what UPS did .

Some of these shippers are downright out of their ever lovin minds. Fed Ex as well.

Last year , way ahead of holiday time I ordered something off the net, paid for FEX EX delivery probably two weeks before Christmas. Scheduled delivery per FED EX was like 3 or 4 days max. No problem ... WRONG.

I tracked the package all the way to a Fed EX hub about 20 miles from the house ,that was like 2 days, maybe 3 days after shipping. Then nothing, like a week. I called, they very bluntly told me they passed the package off to the Post Office because it was very small. This is very common they told me. They gave me a number to call for tracking, which I did, and whoever answered the phone told me the package was delivered to the hub a week ago..Uh yeah ! I already knew that. I told them of the situation and they said they had no way of tracking it after the PO picked it u because I didn't pay for PO tracking ! WHAT !!!??? I ( just shy of yelling) told her I paid for FED EX not PO , of course I didn't pay the PO ! earth to brain dead ....

She then said well you just have to wait it out. So basically the package arrived Dec 24th late in the day, I think I ordered it on the 10th.

regarding Jims UPS thing, whats really interesting is they have a phone number on each of the packages, I wonder what thats for ? Probably because they have a spot for one.

I think some of these FED EX, UPS and Postal workers are part timers, their main jobs are Doctors.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 13 Sep 2017 2:22 am

I had a (late) UPS delivery scheduled for Friday. They cancelled it because of Irma, that wasn't going to hit our area until Sunday night/early Monday morning. There were no evacuations Friday in our area. Who knows when I'll get it. Also, it was a M/F order that was shipped Monday so it should have been here Wednesday or Thursday at the latest (the usual 3 days from KC to Florida) so a Friday delivery was late.

Comparing UPS/FedEx, I get better service from FedEx. I get two day delivery and even Saturday delivery from them. FedEx usually delivers mid day. UPS delivery at my home is usually at the end of the day (5 to 6:30PM). UPS does not deliver on Saturday unless its a paid extra for Saturday delivery. Another location, UPS may be better.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Sep 2017 5:28 am

Tony Prior wrote:Keep the amp when it arrives ! Don't blame the amp for what UPS did.

It's not going to arrive, Tony. They cancelled the order and sent it back. I would have to re-purchase it and try again if it ever shows up back in the store in FL.

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 13 Sep 2017 7:44 am

I hate to hear stories like yours........it just burns me no end.

Having dealt with various delivery firms....I remember well the trepidation/anxiety of praying the lap steels I commissioned would make it to me in perfect condition. Luckily, they all did.

The prayers were just short of beseechments to particular saints. If you are Catholic, you know exactly what I am referring to. If you aren't, consider the aforementioned prayers to be the original mojo hand.

For example, to sell one's house, especially if you are having trouble selling it...
http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com ... house.html

I can't begin to tell you how many people I know that did this...and Voila, their house sold within a week.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Sep 2017 7:47 am

What's especially maddening is that they DID have my phone number and even sent me a TEXT to tell me that there was an error in the address and they were sending it back to FL. If they had my phone/cell #, why didn't they bother CALLING me to get the corrected address?? Or, if they didn't want to trust me for the answer, call GC in FL? Because that would require human intervention, I suppose, whereas the rest is all automated...

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 13 Sep 2017 8:48 am

Unfortunately, you are at the whim of a HUMAN. Some times you strike PAYDIRT, other times POOP.

It is maddening though. I might suggest that perhaps in the future, you might call a second time.....in the hope of getting someone who doesn't mind exerting themselves a tad to help a person out.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 14 Sep 2017 1:57 am

Jim Cohen wrote:What's especially maddening is that they DID have my phone number and even sent me a TEXT to tell me that there was an error in the address and they were sending it back to FL. If they had my phone/cell #, why didn't they bother CALLING me to get the corrected address?? Or, if they didn't want to trust me for the answer, call GC in FL? Because that would require human intervention, I suppose, whereas the rest is all automated...

AHHH Jim, evidently to someone, the purpose of the phone number is NOT to call to verify the shipping address but rather to call and tell you they don't have the right address and they are sending it back.

Jerry Seinfeld

- The purpose of the reservation is to HOLD the car

- I know what the purpose of the reservation is

- Evidently you don't because there is no car !

- The purpose of the phone number is to...

Even Jerry S had no idea what he unearthed !

Bob Metzger · Post by **Bob Metzger** » 18 Sep 2017 10:42 am

The great thing about the internet is that NOW the customers know about the incompetence of the businesses they deal with because we (as customers) all get to talk with one another. I had a similar bad news situation with Fed Ex last month. The problem is that they are all too big and too impersonal (do you remember a old phrase called personalized service?) and the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing and these companies many times in many instances work at cross-purposes. They don't really get 'customer service'.

My advice: keep the pressure up. Maybe someday they'll hire some CEO that will begin to listen.

My worst story: I bought a guitar from a store in Minneapolis (a G&L legacy - nice guitar and strangely enough, I'm using it alot lately) where my wife's family lives. The store ships the guitar to my L.A. home via USPS. I can't remember but I think this is before the age of tracking numbers. Well, I'm an attack dog on knowing exactly where my package is (I guess via the telephone) and I tracked it myself to a large USPS facility/warehouse about 5 miles from home in California. I went there and started making lots of big noise. Of course, they said they lost the paperwork - it had been over 2~3 weeks by this time since it was shipped. I kept pressing, talking with the 'higher ups' and finally found out some fork lift driver ran over a guitar case and he was so embarrassed/disgusted with his action that he made the paper work go missing. After a couple of hours, they eventually produced this guitar case (the shipping box was history) but only the corner of the case had been run over but completely flattened (one of those hard plastic moulded cases that in its dreams thinks it's an ATA case). I opened it up and the smashed corner of the case was where the string pocket used to be, completely missing the neck/headstock. The guitar was fine, still in tune - what a stroke of luck but the case was destroyed. USPS did buy me a new case. I bought the most expensive one I could find that fit this guitar and they reimbursed me.

So - Fed Ex = Fed Excess, UPS = Untied Parcel Service. Anybody got a good suggestion for USPS?

Bob M.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 19 Sep 2017 2:32 am

I had a UPS shipment from M/F delayed and blamed on Hurricane Irma. It was shipped on Monday, Sept 4 and should have been delivered the Thursday BEFORE the hurricane. It was marked as delayed due to hurricane. It wasn't delivered until this past Thursday (14th), days after the Hurricane.

In relation to M/F, they advertise that they now deliver shipments (trailer loads) directly to UPS regional centers which decreases shipment time. However, in my case it adds another day to the shipping to Florida.

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 19 Sep 2017 7:44 am

I sent a guitar to Australia thru a broker using FedEx awhile back for about $500. 3 weeks later it was returned to me because of a wrong address. They didn't try to contact the recipient nor me even though both of our phone numbers were clearly on the label. It would have taken less than a minute to straighten it out but noooooo- they sent the guitar back to me and charged me for the return shipment as well as the cost of shipping it back. Ouch!

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 19 Sep 2017 8:10 am

Bob Metzger wrote: "The great thing about the internet is that NOW the customers know about the incompetence of the businesses they deal with......"

It's not the business itself that is incompetent.
It's the people working for the business.
And they are incompetent 24/7, whether they are at work or not.
And it's not just the businesses or people that we happen to deal with.
It's everywhere.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Sep 2017 8:27 am

[deleted repeat post]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Sep 2017 8:29 am

But wait! There's more!

After they sent the amp back to Florida I told them to forget the whole thing, I don't want it anymore. And they said don't worry the sale gets automatically cancelled anyway and you won't be charged anything. Okay fine. I wash my hands of it. They keep sending me notices telling me when it's going to be delivered back to Florida and that it's being held up because of the hurricane. Well, okay. What do I care when it gets back to Florida?

Now, today, I get get another update from UPS telling me that it's scheduled to be delivered TO ME tomorrow!! WTF?? Do you mean, rather than call either of us to double-check the address they sent it all the way back to Florida in the middle of a hurricane, told me the order was cancelled and now have taken it upon themselves to un-cancel the order and send it back all the way from Florida to me again?? I have half a mind to reject it when it arrives at the door...

Bob Metzger · Post by **Bob Metzger** » 19 Sep 2017 9:26 am

These examples of bad situations that Jim Cohen and Jim Palenscar ran into are not the fault of individuals but rather some really bad guidelines built into their system (that employees must follow). As Jim Palenscar pointed out, things could be resolved quickly, efficiently and in a less costly way for both of the customers with a phone call or two. But the company sees a way to make a little more money on this transaction because there was some minor and easily correctable anomalies in addressing. In my view, with the facts presented, this is exploiting the customer(s), both sender and receiver. My little recent problema with Fed Ex was of the same type, where both the sender's and receiver's patience were stretched pretty far and a lesser quality and timeliness of service was delivered for a higher price. A refund was warranted but not forthcoming.
Of course, there are many times where individual employees do screw up and it's really no fault of the company. Both of these types of situations happen way too often as all know who use these businesses frequently.

Bob M.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 21 Sep 2017 4:39 am

OK, so the amp arrived yesterday. I'm withholding judgment on how I like it until I can fiddle with it some more.

Interestingly, the Guitar Center website shows me as having placed no orders at all during the last 2 months... Hmmm... so I wonder if they decided to just send it back to me as a gift? I'll have to see whether it shows up on my next credit card statement... Stay tuned (and mind your temper...)

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 21 Sep 2017 10:02 am

Perhaps a New Year's Day gift from GC?

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 21 Sep 2017 10:27 am

UPS is so busy delivering items that they don't have time to deliver items themselves. Many of the small orders sent to me, contracted to UPS, are delivered by the USPO mail truck.

I never send anything UPS and always request FedEx from the store/seller if I have a choice.

Recently, an order from Parts Express came UPS. It was in 3 or 4 different cartons and was manifested as all being on the truck. The driver spent his precious minutes rummaging through his load but could not find 2 of them and said they would be delivered when they found them at the depot. Took 2 more trips to get it all, but the tracking showed it all delivered with the first trip.

I was lucky that it all showed up within a couple days, but what if it didn't? I would've had no recourse because they showed it all delivered. I asked the driver for some evidence that it was short if I needed evidence, but he said he didn't have anything to give me. Everything was all electronic, no paperwork.

When I started buying product from Parts Express, the order would be delivered the very next day by FedEx Ground. Even Saturdays That's one of the reasons I used them. If I needed something in a hurry, I knew it would be here the next day.

They went to using UPS and now everything takes at least 7 working days...sometimes longer.

I ordered an instrument from Elderly a while back on a Fri. morning and it too was delivered the next day on Sat. by FedEx Ground. No special handling, no overnight just regular ground service. UPS can't touch that.

All UPS deliveries I get show some evidence of rough handling no matter how they're packed.

Like Jim's example, their routing and handling is convoluted and you can't make any sense out of it.

UPS has a huge facility here and I have many friends and acquaintances that work for them. They bought out half the city's south/southwestern area and keep expanding, so they must be pleasing somebody.

I wouldn't hire UPS to ship anything personally. Until FedEx gives me a reason not to trust them anymore, they're my go to shipping agent for large items.

Part of the problem is their system, another part is the human element and the level of give-a-damn. That issue is a universal one no matter the agency, service, distribution center or manufacturer and it's only getting worse. It's just getting harder and harder to find workers with any sense of urgency and care to.

Anyway Jim, be interesting to see how your situation turns out.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Sep 2017 4:44 pm

Ok, so here's the final chapter.

Got my credit card statement yesterday, and the amp WAS charged on the statement. (Even so, GC's website still says I had no orders in the past 2 months...)

Nevertheless, after working with the amp for a few days and finding some reasonable settings for steel and lead guitar on the two channels, I took it to rehearsal last night and, in the end, decided to use two separate amps for steel and guitar rather than trying to get one amp to serve two masters. So I returned the 112 Plus to my local GC today. Told them the long saga of this amp. Guy couldn't believe it; just shook his head in disbelief.

Oh well...

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Sep 2017 12:33 am

oh well !

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 29 Sep 2017 4:18 pm

In UPS defense (even though they really piss me off at times!) - I have been in their warehouses, and humans don't handle 90% packages except at pickup, Semi-truck loading (and only about 25%), delivery and in case there is a physical handling problem.

Nearly all packages are "read" in the warehouses by computer scanners, moved by computerized "forklifts",, sorted on conveyers by more scanners and automated ramp sorters and loaded on air shipment, truck and rail containers via more auto-loaders.

Nobody except drivers sees "fragile, "this side up" and other stuff written on packages either. The warehouses handle hundreds of thousands to *millions* of packages a day.

When you call all they can do is provide updates. They have no way of going to "find" a package to change anything, and the error was picked up by a scanner - not a person.

Their system checks addresses for validity and if there's an error the package gets kicked back to the sender - there's no "place" other than a container on some sort of vehicle ,or a zillion-square foot warehouse (wiht no specific location in it) where someone can go dig it out, take the label off, print a new one etc etc.

And it's the same for FedEx. It's the way they work now. I get the complaint and had few similar ones myself until I saw several UPS warehouse operations in LA and San Diego (when I was managing some building projects) and the system was explained.

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 10 Oct 2017 9:05 pm

What does it cost to send an electric guitar across the USA? A poor devil on Reverb.com living in Maine had the misfortune of having me, here in Southern California, decide I would love to have a '90s CIJ CAR Fender Jaguar in a gig bag. I offered a lower price; he countered with the same price + the same $100 shipping and that he'd refund any shipping overage.

He sent it UPS Ground--25#--and the final tab (to him) was $153 because of dimensional weight (45#--and perhaps they computed the mileage starting from Maine, east across the Atlantic, Europe, Asia, the Pacific, twice around the rings of Saturn and finally to greater LA?)

It only cost me the predetermined $100, but still--when the Senator from Massachusetts finishes dismantling the bank of grifters named after a stage coach line, she can turn her attention to vaporizing UPS.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 11 Oct 2017 9:24 pm

What does it cost to send an electric guitar across the USA?

It depends on both weight and how it was packed. Many that don't sell regularly don't know the dimensional or weight packing limits, use a box an inch or two oversized and the price jumps as you noted. If size is over it trumps weight; if weight is over the limit for the size *it* trumps size.

All the info is available on line, but many sellers just guess.

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