UPS vs. FedEx - Page 2

rjallen · 02/15/2013, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worm5406

LOL... You must live out in the boonies of Connecticut or something.

At least it is not the mountains of Montana where they still deliver with the pony express.

LOL

I used to live in those Montana Mountains 15 miles from the nearest town. I did run a business out of my house and did get regular business shipments. Got morning delivery from Fedex. UPS was all over the place time wise. Didn't do live fish but the Fedex guy used to call if the weather was bad and ask if I needed something badly. If I did he got it to me. One time by snowmobile- it was 2 hours late but there was 20" of new snow on the ground

.

Live in the North Dakota Oil Patch now. One of the Fedex guys is a reefer! He always rings and wants to see my tank.

A_Z · 02/15/2013, 09:18 PM

FedEx is the best.

duberz · 02/15/2013, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale Cooper

FedEx if given a choice. The reason is unrelated to animals, though. FedEx is NON union. FedEx also delivers on Saturday.

Ups does deliver on Saturdays.

greg1786 · 02/15/2013, 10:11 PM

FWIW i have never had a problem with either company but i also have it delivered to my business. But after hearing all the ups horror stories i was compelled to share the following.... I own a small restaurant in baltimore maryland and mon-fri, without fail we have anywhere from 3-10 ups truck drivers park their trucks behind my restaurant and come in for lunch at 1130am and NEVER leave before 2pm at the earliest. They then decide after their 3-5 hr lunch break depending on how long they wanna "hang out" to get up and finish their deliveries. No wonder ppl dont get their shipments on time

Flame_Angel · 02/16/2013, 02:23 AM

Neither company is perfect, but from a business standpoint I have far, FAR less issues with UPS than I do with FedEx. Shipments through UPS are always at my store at 10-10:30 in the morning; FedEx typically doesn't show up until 1pm.

In addition, FedEx has, at least for me, had a nasty little habit the last couple of years of simply leaving my shipments in Memphis. Either the entire shipment will get held over in Memphis, or only some of the packages will stay there and the rest will get to me. When it's a box with $500+ worth of corals and fish in it, and you consider 4-5 boxes per shipment, that's pretty bad. Considering it happens on average 8-9 times a year, and you can see why I'm starting to hate FedEx. Once a year? Sure, stuff happens, accidents are made, okay. But when it's that many times a year, people aren't doing their jobs properly. And when only half of my packages get to me on time and the rest sit in Memphis, that means people aren't paying attention. And, I've never gotten a clear answer from them as to why it happens.

The kicker is that most companies ship through FedEx because shipping through UPS is way more expensive for them. I try to avoid FedEx when I can though, because they're just terrible.

Chriskk · 02/16/2013, 07:10 AM

I use UPS if I can, but all I get all of my orders shipped to my business. As others have said they give business priority when shipping.

jamesx0 · 02/16/2013, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pktech

Find a UPS or Kinkos & have it shipped there. I just ordered a fish online & had it sent to a kinkos - it was in my hands @ 9am. Had it aclimating @9:10.

Careful with FedEx Office. My store refused shipment because they have a no live animal policy. I lost 3 corals because of it.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

Dave Thebrewguy · 02/16/2013, 10:32 AM

I find it kind of odd to make this sort of comparison. Each location is different, 2 different areas will be served by 2 different FedEx locations and 2 different UPS locations and the service from each is bound to be different. Each fedex or UPS location is staffed by different individuals, managed by different managers and has different obstacles to deal with. I've never had a package delivered by snowmobile but that delivery guy in Montana probably hasn't had to get a truck through the kind of traffic that is normally found around Newark Airport (a major hub for both carriers).
All that being said, my own experience has been pretty poor with both of them. To the point that I don't order anything perishable if I can avoid it. I just placed my second livestock order yesterday, yes, my second ever. My first order was shipped by UPS. I had requested delivery on Mon, Wed or Fri so that someone would be home to receive it. I received tracking info on Monday evening for Tuesday delivery, I took a personal day so I could be home. When the "before 10:30" delivery didn't show up by 1:00, I emailed the vender. A few hours later I got a reply that they had not shipped it yet and that they had planned to ship it that evening to accommodate my request for Wed deliver. I must not have responded fast enough because it went out Thurs and was delivered Fri at 5pm. It was clearly marked on the shipping label "by 10:30" and the vendor had stated that it was shipped for 10:30 delivery. I don't blame UPS for the false start, that was the vendor's fault. When I asked about it I was told that they sent an email and that it probably went to my spam folder. I checked, it wasn't there, but I still get 2-3 emails per week from them and they all go to my inbox.

I general, in my area, both carriers have issues. The FedEx truck comes through around noon, it doesn't matter what time you wanted it, you'll get it between 11 and 2. UPS is worse, they'll be there between 3 and 7, if they show up at all. The good news is that they just leave the stuff on the front porch, even "signature required" stuff. The bad news is that they do it in any weather, I've had packages that were soaked or frozen many times. FedEx has put packages in a plastic bag when it's raining so they are certainly better than UPS in that respect and they actually want a signature for delivery.
UPS has managed to destroy a coffee roaster, a big hunk of metal that was encased in moulded Styrofoam and double boxed. It arrived with both boxes ripped and crushed and the rectangular door on the unit wouldn't close in the trapezoidal opening.
The worst experience was an order of home brewing supplies a few years ago. I had been checking the tracking info all day and it was always "out for delivery," I checked again right before I sat down to dinner at 6:30, no change. Imagine my surprise when I checked again after dinner and saw that it had been delivered while we were eating. I had been sitting 10' from the front door, in front of a window that overlooks the front walk and driveway but hadn't seen or heard anything, neither had the dog and he barks when the neighbors get a delivery. There was nothing on my porch.
I called UPS and was told to call the vendor, they can only look into it for them. The vender was great, sent out a replacement package immediately and called UPS. I got the feeling that this happens to them a lot. The following day the UPS guy is at the door, no package but he has to investigate a missing package and has questions, and an attitude. Was anyone home? I pointed out where I had been sitting. Could it have been left at the door and stolen? 'Did you hear the dog when you came up the walk? He didn't make a sound last night." Did you ask your neighbors if it was left at their house? "I down,t see how that's my responsibility, but I mentioned it when I saw them." He eventually said "from now on you won't get anything unless someone signs for it" and left.
When I got home from work the next day, the replacement package was on my front porch, "signature required" label and all. The original package also showed up on my porch about five weeks later, also marked signature required. I wonder who had signed for it. Live, liquid yeast culture wouldn't have survived the 4 degree weather the night it was lost, let alone the following 5 weeks without proper storage. Nothing in the box would be fresh enough to use. I tossed the whole thing in the garbage without opening it.
Everything I ship goes USPS, I've never had a problem with them. Most things go Priority Mail which takes 3 business days, even across the country, every time. UPS and FedEx ground costs more and take up to 3 times as long, if it gets there at all.
I've gotten to the point where I sometimes choose between vendors by picking the one that will ship via USPS.

02/16/2013, 02:23 AM	#30
Flame_Angel Ready For Business Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sutton, NH Posts: 596	Neither company is perfect, but from a business standpoint I have far, FAR less issues with UPS than I do with FedEx. Shipments through UPS are always at my store at 10-10:30 in the morning; FedEx typically doesn't show up until 1pm. In addition, FedEx has, at least for me, had a nasty little habit the last couple of years of simply leaving my shipments in Memphis. Either the entire shipment will get held over in Memphis, or only some of the packages will stay there and the rest will get to me. When it's a box with $500+ worth of corals and fish in it, and you consider 4-5 boxes per shipment, that's pretty bad. Considering it happens on average 8-9 times a year, and you can see why I'm starting to hate FedEx. Once a year? Sure, stuff happens, accidents are made, okay. But when it's that many times a year, people aren't doing their jobs properly. And when only half of my packages get to me on time and the rest sit in Memphis, that means people aren't paying attention. And, I've never gotten a clear answer from them as to why it happens. The kicker is that most companies ship through FedEx because shipping through UPS is way more expensive for them. I try to avoid FedEx when I can though, because they're just terrible. __________________ Operation: Rebuild:

02/16/2013, 10:32 AM	#33
Dave Thebrewguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 489	I find it kind of odd to make this sort of comparison. Each location is different, 2 different areas will be served by 2 different FedEx locations and 2 different UPS locations and the service from each is bound to be different. Each fedex or UPS location is staffed by different individuals, managed by different managers and has different obstacles to deal with. I've never had a package delivered by snowmobile but that delivery guy in Montana probably hasn't had to get a truck through the kind of traffic that is normally found around Newark Airport (a major hub for both carriers). All that being said, my own experience has been pretty poor with both of them. To the point that I don't order anything perishable if I can avoid it. I just placed my second livestock order yesterday, yes, my second ever. My first order was shipped by UPS. I had requested delivery on Mon, Wed or Fri so that someone would be home to receive it. I received tracking info on Monday evening for Tuesday delivery, I took a personal day so I could be home. When the "before 10:30" delivery didn't show up by 1:00, I emailed the vender. A few hours later I got a reply that they had not shipped it yet and that they had planned to ship it that evening to accommodate my request for Wed deliver. I must not have responded fast enough because it went out Thurs and was delivered Fri at 5pm. It was clearly marked on the shipping label "by 10:30" and the vendor had stated that it was shipped for 10:30 delivery. I don't blame UPS for the false start, that was the vendor's fault. When I asked about it I was told that they sent an email and that it probably went to my spam folder. I checked, it wasn't there, but I still get 2-3 emails per week from them and they all go to my inbox. I general, in my area, both carriers have issues. The FedEx truck comes through around noon, it doesn't matter what time you wanted it, you'll get it between 11 and 2. UPS is worse, they'll be there between 3 and 7, if they show up at all. The good news is that they just leave the stuff on the front porch, even "signature required" stuff. The bad news is that they do it in any weather, I've had packages that were soaked or frozen many times. FedEx has put packages in a plastic bag when it's raining so they are certainly better than UPS in that respect and they actually want a signature for delivery. UPS has managed to destroy a coffee roaster, a big hunk of metal that was encased in moulded Styrofoam and double boxed. It arrived with both boxes ripped and crushed and the rectangular door on the unit wouldn't close in the trapezoidal opening. The worst experience was an order of home brewing supplies a few years ago. I had been checking the tracking info all day and it was always "out for delivery," I checked again right before I sat down to dinner at 6:30, no change. Imagine my surprise when I checked again after dinner and saw that it had been delivered while we were eating. I had been sitting 10' from the front door, in front of a window that overlooks the front walk and driveway but hadn't seen or heard anything, neither had the dog and he barks when the neighbors get a delivery. There was nothing on my porch. I called UPS and was told to call the vendor, they can only look into it for them. The vender was great, sent out a replacement package immediately and called UPS. I got the feeling that this happens to them a lot. The following day the UPS guy is at the door, no package but he has to investigate a missing package and has questions, and an attitude. Was anyone home? I pointed out where I had been sitting. Could it have been left at the door and stolen? 'Did you hear the dog when you came up the walk? He didn't make a sound last night." Did you ask your neighbors if it was left at their house? "I down,t see how that's my responsibility, but I mentioned it when I saw them." He eventually said "from now on you won't get anything unless someone signs for it" and left. When I got home from work the next day, the replacement package was on my front porch, "signature required" label and all. The original package also showed up on my porch about five weeks later, also marked signature required. I wonder who had signed for it. Live, liquid yeast culture wouldn't have survived the 4 degree weather the night it was lost, let alone the following 5 weeks without proper storage. Nothing in the box would be fresh enough to use. I tossed the whole thing in the garbage without opening it. Everything I ship goes USPS, I've never had a problem with them. Most things go Priority Mail which takes 3 business days, even across the country, every time. UPS and FedEx ground costs more and take up to 3 times as long, if it gets there at all. I've gotten to the point where I sometimes choose between vendors by picking the one that will ship via USPS. Last edited by Dave Thebrewguy; 02/16/2013 at 10:41 AM.

02/15/2013, 09:18 PM	#27
A_Z Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 546	FedEx is the best.

02/15/2013, 10:11 PM	#29
greg1786 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Baltimore md Posts: 1,241	FWIW i have never had a problem with either company but i also have it delivered to my business. But after hearing all the ups horror stories i was compelled to share the following.... I own a small restaurant in baltimore maryland and mon-fri, without fail we have anywhere from 3-10 ups truck drivers park their trucks behind my restaurant and come in for lunch at 1130am and NEVER leave before 2pm at the earliest. They then decide after their 3-5 hr lunch break depending on how long they wanna "hang out" to get up and finish their deliveries. No wonder ppl dont get their shipments on time

02/16/2013, 07:10 AM	#31
Chriskk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sulphur, LA Posts: 106	I use UPS if I can, but all I get all of my orders shipped to my business. As others have said they give business priority when shipping.