Interesting Fed Ex encounter...

I had this situation with UPS last December; Our pick up and delivery man came while I was at the shop. He scanned three packages with his hand held gadget. I helped him by carrying out the $1200.00 preamp. Off he went. We use the old "book" system. This is a book given to us by UPS where we fill out a page with the appropriate information. I emailed the tracking number to the buyer of the preamp. The next day he emailed be saying that the tracking number was not good. It turned out that SOMEONE in the UPS chain failed to scan the package! According to UPS customer service phone "IF it's in their system, it will scan at a hub and show up in the system at that point". They were correct. HOWEVER none of the information I entered like VALUE or SIGNATURE REQUIRED were in the system. IF it was damaged, I would receive $100.00 default value.
I received notice online that the package was dropped off at the buyers apartment door! I started emailing the buyer for confirmation that he received it. Two hours later the buyer replied that he had it and it was not damaged. I breathed a sigh of relief. WITH FED EX YOU MAY NOT FAIR AS WELL. They are the most miserable people to deal with over the phone. Keep us posted. Joe

I agree

I recently shipped a $40,000 preamp thru Fed Ex freight.  It was a home pickup and they lost it within 24 hours.  It went to the terminal where I live, was scanned in and scanned out the next day. It never arrived at the next destination.  After 3 days of angst, ignored phone calls and general indifference I put it to them clearly.  Either you still have the shipping container and have not found it yet, or somebody stole it.  That is grand larceny.  If you don’t find this within 12 hours, I will demand that the Fed Ex office of security and loss prevention open a theft investigation to determine if you still have it or if it was stolen.  They found it within an hour.

Just so people know, FedEx does not have "insurance". They are self-insured for the small amounts (small like several thousand). I learned all of this when FedEx destroyed an amp and then refused to pay the damages. UPS is no different. It is an "illusion". You pay for them to cover the costs of repair or replacement but to them it comes out of their pocket so be prepared to have your claim denied. I was inches away from taking FedEx to my small claims court when they finally settled. And even if FedEx packs your item it is still no guarantee that they will cover the claim. So, overpack, double box, take photos of everything, and like the story here (or at least the start) keep copies of everything. Do not ship without a tracking number, and frankly, I ship nothing anymore without a signature required upon delivery. As one gentleman posted, no one takes responsibility for anything anymore so it is on the shipper to make sure that he or she is over-prepared, and overpacked whatever it is they are or have shipped (or shipping)

I have a sign on my door that if I'm not home, to put the package in a box underneath the overhang of my house to keep it out of the rain. It's 12 feet away from the door and there's a big arrow pointing to the box. Amazon and USPS always put packages there. Fedex leaves it out in the rain on my front door step because they can't read. UPS leaves it on my neighbor's porch 2 out of 3 times. But right now I'm in a battle with Fedex because I mailed something to myself and they destroyed the package and now are refusing the pay for the damage though I paid them to insure the package.

Pretty much you send something out, close your eyes and pray for the best. 

Our UPS driver lies about making delivery attempts because we are getting the street repaired, and apparently he doesn’t think he can stop to deliver (as FedEx, Amazon, USPS, etc do fine) at our house and is too lazy to shag his ass down 3 houses from the nearest cul-de-sac that is unaffected.

UPS=Union Package Smashers!
Seriously, though, even when all is good with the street, stuff shipped via FedEx looks untouched, and stuff from UPS looks like it was drug behind the truck the last mile or two - I swear they could break an anvil . . .

It's very odd indeed that you did not ask for a receipt isn't it? How old are you? I could understand this mistake if it was made by a kid that hasn't done a lot of shipping or receiving transactions.

Assuming this video is legit-- has a time and date stamp on it etc., I would demand that your local Fed-X hub conduct a physical search of their warehouse. 

I once had a UPS package from Lenovo not arrive and the driver claimed he tried to deliver the box but no one way home-- and the driver left no door tag that he even tried to deliver it. I demanded a warehouse search of my local hub and sure enough they found the box and set it aside for me. I drove to the hub and picked it up and all was good.

It is possible that was not a valid fed ex driver....Or  an  ex Fed Ex driver who still has access to his truck.

Fritz called a little while ago and updated me... whew.

I will sleep better tonight knowing that they will be going to their new owner soon.

@alt4love, you are in for a treat!  Take care of them and enjoy them. I definitely got attached to them and want them to go to a good home.  Please update us with your impressions of them on my review that I did on them.

here the link to the review...


https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/fitz-carrera-be

Glad to hear good new ! Thank god it didn’t get loss ! Can’t wait to see them !

Call tags are for return shipping. Makes sense. I usually ship customers the paper work as I am shipping cross-border so much it just makes more sense.

Update on the shipping snafu. If you have a FedEx account they have a service where you can arrange a "call tag" where they will pickup a package and print the shipping label on the truck. Apparently the pickup driver didn't do this and somehow the speakers got shipped back to me in California instead of sending them to Georgia where they were supposed to go. I will ship them out tomorrow to Andy who bought the review pair to so everything worked out OK. Thanks. Fritz Heiler   FritzSpeakers

BTW- I've used the call tag thing many times when getting back speakers from reviewers and when I buy gear from people.  First time I ever had a problem.

Heaudio123, great advice about having them scan it into the system right in front of you 👍

My personal experience is that FEDEX customer service can be pretty awful, and for all the tracking, other than what is in the computer, realistically they know nothing.  I would still take them 10x over UPS. I find FEDEX far more reliable.


There is a simple way of dealing with this when things are picked up.  1) Always use their online shipment creator. It is very easy to use and you get nice paperwork where writing quality will never be an issue and importantly, you can check the box and get immediate updates of shipping status.   2) Insist they scan the shipment in front of you. You will hear that telltale beep that it has been scanned. You can even ask for confirmation, but if you did #1 properly, you will automatically and near instantly get an email that the package has been tendered.

Fed Ex is great compared to the PO i ordered something should have gotten it 5 days ago its still floating around somewhere.

One might assume an "inside job."  I have had bad experiences with FedX.  I shipped a case of wine and insured it for $500.  When it never arrived they would not pay on the insurance claim.  Obviously, some FedX employees drank well on me.  FedX is dreck and the USPS is the gold standard, 

"Wow, interesting situation. My Fed Ex guy told me they are now authorized to “sign” for deliveries and just leave them..."


Was told the exact same thing by my FedEx delivery folks the last time I was around when they delivered.......thought it was odd to say the least.

@wbwatts I don’t want to think bad for that driver but make sure he said you were not home was coming from him not from the customer services representative , fritz need to bring the evident from video to fedex center in case they reject the tracking number and hopefully they will have other ways to locate the package  
@b_limo that was my package that I’m expected them coming , I was on the search for a used pair of fritz Carrera be since late 2018 and haven’t find a single of them for sale so out of my patience I was post a want ad in usaudiomart and some of fritz customer come across my want ad Inform fritz and fritz was contact me for this pair that was got loss track in fedex , I’m feel sorry for your situation right now hope fedex will find and deliver my package, meantime I will Pray and hope for the best of all !

I had this situation with UPS last December; Our pick up and delivery man came while I was at the shop. He scanned three packages with his hand held gadget. I helped him by carrying out the $1200.00 preamp. Off he went. We use the old "book" system. This is a book given to us by UPS where we fill out a page with the appropriate information. I emailed the tracking number to the buyer of the preamp. The next day he emailed be saying that the tracking number was not good. It turned out that SOMEONE in the UPS chain failed to scan the package! According to UPS customer service "IF it's in their system, it will scan at a hub and show up in the system at that point". They were correct. HOWEVER none of the information I entered like VALUE or SIGNATURE REQUIRED were in the system. IF it was damaged, I would receive $100.00 default value.
I received notice online that the package was dropped off at the buyers apartment door! I started emailing the buyer for confirmation that he received it. Two hours later the buyer replied that he had it and it was not damaged. I breathed a sigh of relief. WITH FED EX YOU MAY NOT FAIR AS WELL. They are the most miserable people to deal with over the phone. Keep us posted. Joe 

I would suspect the driver may have taken your package. He obviously did not scan it when he picked it up. Said you were not home....

for the last 10-15 years i have shipped FedEx almost daily  with and without receipt and no shipment was   ever lost .

Nearly the exact same thing happened to me two weeks ago with UPS.
 I was returning a new laptop. I was a bit freaked out as well. Even calling the local UPS office where they contacted the driver. And then the manager called me back after discussing it with him. I was told that he said , "No package was there to be picked up". My camera's showed otherwise. So I started down that path.....
Long story short. Friday I received an email stating that the company I had ordered the laptop from had received it. And my refund had just been been issued!
 Something similar happened a few years ago with Fedex as well. But the part missing was very cheap so I just didn't worry about it. Again, 
I received confirmation that the customer had indeed received it and wanted another!
 It does happen!
  Oh, And the tracking on the Laptop? The # simply wasn't any good I was told. It wasn't long enough. And I received that tracking number, "From" UPS when I created the label on my PC! It was missing the number/letter prefix set that it always had, "A prefix which was always the same also", for every label from them that either was a pick up from, OR, a delivery to my address!
 Fedex numbers are the same as well. "Always the same prefix for a customer". But it won't help to check tracking if you have the same problem as I had!
They said it wasn't a mistake on their part as far as they could see. But UPS said in their system. At the time when I initially called both the local office and then corporate the next day?
 I was told by both parties that "You have no parcels en-route in the system, anywhere, at this time! And I knew that this was wrong. I get deliveries every day!  And ship a few times a week! Not large numbers but consistent! 
 Please let us know if maybe this was your type of "SNAFU", as well?
 Hopefully it was. Also, all ship times have been increased with this virus in play! So it will take longer to find out!

There are a number of issues here
A big warning to all - in London and increasingly elsewhere as conmen move on - liveried delivery drivers (can be a man or woman) with van outside with 3 men in it, are knocking on doors with a box in their hands, barging past the person who opens the door, ransacking the place as fast as possible and getting back to the van and driving off. Fortunately cctv is showing the faces of many of these people, so pictures are plastered over local sites and some apparently caught.
Secondly delivery companies have a right of care, and after legal processes showing this care has not been exercised I have received compensation before any hearing. Just for example google Hermes problems and you will be horrified. One Hermes driver tried to sue me for £10,000 because my dog barked at him. He was off traumatised for over 6 months says he. It wasn't quite as simple as that, but the message is the same.
Unfortunately these shyster companies do not respond to Joe Public - you have to push some legal buttons to get a reaction of any type. Complaining does no good - you have to escalate the issue in legal form until they give in - which they realise they have to, otherwise their case is then in the public domain in an official format

Wow, interesting situation. My Fed Ex guy told me they are now authorized to “sign” for deliveries and just leave them with Coronaville protocols. If that’s the case, Fed Ex is on the hook for pretty much anything that might happen to the package. Insured or not.

I guessing Fedex is in a mess now due to the pandemic. I ordered some IsoAcoustic Gaia isolation feet from a dealer in California. They emailed the tracking number and shipped them via Fedex to here in Virginia the Friday before last.

Fedex called Monday and said I needed to be home Tuesday to sign for them. So far so good. By late Tuesday the package hadn’t arrived and their tracking system had no entries past the package having been shipped from a California Fedex center that Saturday. I called Fedex before they closed Tuesday to find out where the delivery got to. After some checking they said they had located the package and it would arrive between 5:00pm and 6:30pm later that same day. It never did. Next morning I called Fedex again. After some more checking they said they had "happily" located the package and it would arrive Thursday. Thankfully it did.

Another package ordered recently\ was sent from New Hampshire via the USPS. After it didn’t arrive, that package was tracked down in Sacramento, California. So,judging from both our experiences, both Fedex and the USPS are messed up nowadays, like UPS has always been. Either that or California has become a black hole for packages drawn in from all parts of the country, and unable to escape from there.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Mike

The equipment I have received from January to early March of this year — including two tower Loudspeakers, a Parasound pre-amp, two SVS subs and a Bluesound Vault 2i — none required my signature.  They were just left in front of my door, except the towers that were left to the side in front of the garage door (?) and I didn’t see them at first even though texts were telling me they were delivered.  Fortunately, I am retired and often at home, so the items didn’t have to be out there long.

Items I have ordered the past month have had some interesting projected delivery dates . . as much as 6 to 8 weeks away.  But only one item took longer than a week to come, and that was just over a week.  Guess they are hedging their bets that delivery could be delayed much longer than usual in this crazy time.

Future encounters-Live, phone, internet or other:

Get the full name of the person you are dealing with.
Not available? Terminate with extreme prejudice.

Mailing at Fed Ex, UPS, USPS: Video the package, party and
Bill of Lading/receipt. Ask for "Fragile" stickers to be applied.

Buy insurance and insist they inspect the packing method.
Arrive with the box unsealed.
Otherwise your insurance may be deemed invalid.
Insurance also requires a signature to be released.

Any procedure less than the above and you take liability 
upon yourself needlessly. 

Unless your neck is broken you have a responsibility to 
act prudently. You failed that. Accept no further product
until you understand that.

I had a similar situation. FedEx lost a preamp that was very expensive. It was shipped in a 110lb crate. I’ll give you the short story. The crate should’ve arrived in two days, after 6 days tracking showed it was on its way back to the city it was shipped from. Investigator and manager contacted and told me they would monitor the shipping until it arrived at my home. 2 weeks later still no crate. When I called customer service I was put on hold and then hung up on, several times. Finally I personally went down to the FedEx hub with the tracking number, explained what was going on, and the package was found in 15min. FedEx had already told me to fill out a claim form. If you don’t have insurance bonus for them. My advice see if Fritz has a tracking number and make a visit to the hub and speak to a manager. Over the phone FedEx had the worst customer service I’ve ever encountered. In person totally different behavior attitude. FedEx employees will tell you that the hubs are in a state of chaos since Covid 19 and all the shipping and new employees. They have one section of the hub for packages misplaced and not scanned for delivery. Good luck.

@jond , that’s the thing, they aren’t in the system.  Fed Ex claims that the driver stated that no one was home when in fact I was, and my Mom was here too taking care of me because of a leg injury.  The driver did in fact pick up the box and my neighbor has it on his surveillance camera.  My neighbor forwarded me the video and I forwarded it to Fritz.  Unfortunately it is not the best video but it does show the driver leaving my house with a large heavy box and loading it into his truck.

Fritz and I are hoping that it just didn’t get scanned properly and is either in route or the warehouse.  We are giving the driver the benefit of the doubt right now.  We’ll know more on Monday but still, what a hassle 😞

If it weren’t for my neighbor having video it would be a sleepless weekend on my part.  I believe it will all be worked out Monday though 🤞

Fedex Ground or Express  big big difference

I'm a bit confused by this if Fritz scheduled a pickup they have a tracking number. Why don't they just use it and make sure the speakers are in the Fedex system and on their way?

Ha Ha

There is a good chance it is somewhere in the system, just not scanned appropriately at some exchange. Same thing has happened to me, but it was one of two packages. Never showed in their system but showed up two days after the first package??
No signing for packages right now due to Covid 19

PASA!! (possibly a smart ass) HA

Man who put pea in soup very unclean - Confucius

Man who contributes very little , and pays nothing to read is appalled that the quality of content on this site doesn't meet his editorial standards.

Last time something like that happened to me, FedEx delivered package anyway. So maybe you’ll get lucky.

Dude,I'll get back to you ASAP!!!

Whoa! Dude! 

Actually the Post Office is the best service. They never lose anything, dude. Got spell checker?

Jump on it!!!!!  Call Post Office ASAP, Dude!!!!!

+1 @   jafreeman ...

A friend of mine recently went to work for one of those independent FedEx distributors. The guy owned four routes, mostly in rural areas. That job lasted about two months. My friend is in his 50s, and the job was just too physically demanding. Some of the things he had to deliver were so heavy that his back couldn't take it.  Who in hell orders dishwashers online to be delivered by FedEx?  

Frank

Actually the Post Office is the best service. They never lose anything, dude. Got spell checker?

Unlike UPS drivers, Fed Ex drivers, at least in the past, have been independent contractors who own and maintain the trucks they drive.  Their system is probably less centralized with some overlap of territories and even competition, but not sure on that.  This may explain the different invoice and receipt standards on how several drivers could show up without knowing of one another.  Best of luck.  

@djones51,
I’ll talk to Fritz later and get more info then I’ll do exactly what you suggested!  👍

Thanks!

The video showing a man in a FedEx uniform get out of a FedEx truck going in your house and carrying the box to the truck should be enough.  Call FedEx find where to email the video. They have tracking in those trucks they should be able to figure it out. At least UPS has tracking I assume FedEx does too. 

“You need to have a video recording/signed copy of the transaction and 5 witnesses to cover yourself, because the other guy just shrugs their shoulders!”

so true