FedEx is destroying its own brand and maybe more

[Tirvine]

Online shaving retailers have their challenges. It is hard to make money selling $2 tucks of blades to a niche market. I recently (5/17) ordered a pack of Nacets (from a retailer we all know from this site) and a jar of MdC Agrumes. The online retailer promptly placed my order in the hands of FedEx, and I am STILL waiting. FedEx low priority shipping truly is LOW priority. In the future I will not take for granted the method employed for free shipping, or, if faced with this choice again, be more likely to buy the $2 blades and not buy the expensive soap since it's going to take an eternity anyway. The retailer might want to rethink its strategy.

 

[Ad Astra]

Interesting. I have a missing FedEx package right now. Made it to one of their centers and vanished.

Used to be USPS was the crapshoot...


AA

 

[BigJ]

Sad!!

 

[Tirvine]

Interesting. I have a missing FedEx package right now. Made it to one of their centers and vanished.

Used to be USPS was the crapshoot...


AA

If the package is small enough to fit in the mailbox, USPS has been pretty fast and reliable for me. Even larger items, like records, have been reliable.

 

[linty1]

I have an item that seems to have stalled at a usps facility myself..

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

For the past year (since covid) now I spend time answering emails from customers asking where their order is. These are all USPS orders. Just this week alone, five inquiries - mainly orders that were shipped three weeks ago. USPS tracking indicates "In Transit." In the past eleven years I have never seen such a train wreck as USPS currently is.

Yes, covid has increased the volume shipping USPS since more people are ordering online than ever before. Yes, USPS has had employees out with covid so that is a challenge for them. And yes, if it were a private company they would have adjusted after a month or two. But USPS is a pseudo governmental agency that is lumbering at best. There are great people who work there but the organization has literally been unresponsive. Our experience is that USPS has gotten worse in the past six months, not better.

 

[Whilliam]

I've found Fedex to be pretty good, especially with two-day shipping. USPS, not so good. Stuff tends to go to obscure regional post offices, then bounce around "in transit," often for several weeks before final delivery. Very frustrating.

 

[linty1]

For the past year (since covid) now I spend time answering emails from customers asking where their order is. These are all USPS orders. Just this week alone, five inquiries - mainly orders that were shipped three weeks ago. USPS tracking indicates "In Transit." In the past eleven years I have never seen such a train wreck as USPS currently is.

Yes, covid has increased the volume shipping USPS since more people are ordering online than ever before. Yes, USPS has had employees out with covid so that is a challenge for them. And yes, if it were a private company they would have adjusted after a month or two. But USPS is a pseudo governmental agency that is lumbering at best. There are great people who work there but the organization has literally been unresponsive. Our experience is that USPS has gotten worse in the past six months, not better.

Oh 100% this, mine is between facilities and waiting for the next facility to accept it. I ordered two orders from an online store, 4 days apart. The second one arrived two days ago? While the first one is stuck somewhere still in origin country.

 

[BigFoot]

For the past year (since covid) now I spend time answering emails from customers asking where their order is. These are all USPS orders. Just this week alone, five inquiries - mainly orders that were shipped three weeks ago. USPS tracking indicates "In Transit." In the past eleven years I have never seen such a train wreck as USPS currently is.

Yes, covid has increased the volume shipping USPS since more people are ordering online than ever before. Yes, USPS has had employees out with covid so that is a challenge for them. And yes, if it were a private company they would have adjusted after a month or two. But USPS is a pseudo governmental agency that is lumbering at best. There are great people who work there but the organization has literally been unresponsive. Our experience is that USPS has gotten worse in the past six months, not better.

I get my USA Today by mail. So far this week I have only received my paper Monday. USA Today said they go to the post every morning. Lord knows where they are.

BTW where is my package?

 

[Forged]

Have had multiple issues with FedEx smartpost shipments recently. Tracking shows Package arriving at a fedex facility, leaving the facility, then no tracking info for 2 or more days, then it’s checked back into the same facility it last left and another day or two passes before it leaves again - if it ever really left that location in the first place. Etc.

On several occasions I have had fedex packages stalled at a distribution facility for half a week at a location about an hour from my location.

One of the more recent fedex deliveries (this month) took 7 or 8 days from a location where USPS routinely delivers in 3 days.

My problems have all been with fedex smartpost, which fedex in my area seems to deliver themselves, rather than hand off to the post office, so why is it slower? My best guess is that the smartpost packages go in a low priority bin and get shoved to the back of the line. Repeatedly.

A first world problem to be sure, but the first world does seem to be sliding inevitably towards a lower level….

 

[Bill_G]

In 2019 I worked a 1 year contract as recruiter for Fed Ex in Northern NJ. I was recruiting package handlers.
Candidates that applied for the position & passed our pre screening questionnaire were automatically hired when they showed up for their schedule appointment. Even if the candidates were late, sometimes 1-3 hours late, with NO EXCUSE! I was told by Management they needed to fill the Req. Hired them & send them for their drug test.
I kid you not!!!!!

I recently had a problem with Fed Ex screwing up my 2 day shipping & told Brad from Maggard this same story. Can't say UPS is better. But from my experience dealing with packages I prefer UPS to Fed Ex or USPS.

 

[fast shaver]

One of my sons works at a Top Secret facility. Workers there get a free paid 14 day vacation by using the ruse: My third cousin has been exposed to the virus & came for a visit = free paid vacation.

 

[Tirvine]

Have had multiple issues with FedEx smartpost shipments recently. Tracking shows Package arriving at a fedex facility, leaving the facility, then no tracking info for 2 or more days, then it’s checked back into the same facility it last left and another day or two passes before it leaves again - if it ever really left that location in the first place. Etc.

On several occasions I have had fedex packages stalled at a distribution facility for half a week at a location about an hour from my location.

One of the more recent fedex deliveries (this month) took 7 or 8 days from a location where USPS routinely delivers in 3 days.

My problems have all been with fedex smartpost, which fedex in my area seems to deliver themselves, rather than hand off to the post office, so why is it slower? My best guess is that the smartpost packages go in a low priority bin and get shoved to the back of the line. Repeatedly.

A first world problem to be sure, but the first world does seem to be sliding inevitably towards a lower level….

Emphasis on REPEATEDLY! So far my package appears to have enjoyed five days in Hutchins ( 2 1/2 hours away) followed by five days in Houston (three hours away). According to Fed Ex it is still in Houston.

 

[gdawg55]

I've had good and poor experiences with all the major parcel shippers. I tend to cough up the extra for priority shipping if offered over free depending on how quickly I want to receive said items. The free shipping option can take what seems like forever sometimes.

 

[Cino]

I've had problems with all three. Both FedEx and UPS have listed items as "out for delivery" for days in a row, even over a week. USPS can show items as "in transit" for extended periods. Those are exceptions though. Maybe too common exceptions over the past year but still.

 

[dladuke]

I have never understood why Fed Ex and UPS hand off my packages to the post office when their trucks drive by my house every...single...day.

 

[Tirvine]

I've had good and poor experiences with all the major parcel shippers. I tend to cough up the extra for priority shipping if offered over free depending on how quickly I want to receive said items. The free shipping option can take what seems like forever sometimes.

That is the real heart of the matter, whether to pay more for priority shipping. The up charge makes it very unattractive for small purchases. Where does it start to make sense? Not at $2 for blades. Probably not at $15 for a soap refill. And then the reality hits that this mess may drive business away from small retail specialty stores like Maggard and WCS to Amazon Prime for free one day shipping.

 

[gdawg55]

That is the real heart of the matter, whether to pay more for priority shipping. The up charge makes it very unattractive for small purchases. Where does it start to make sense? Not at $2 for blades. Probably not at $15 for a soap refill. And then the reality hits that this mess may drive business away from small retail specialty stores like Maggard and WCS to Amazon Prime for free one day shipping.

Yep....I usually only pay for priority shipping on items I want to ensure get to me by a certain date. Unfortunately shipping exceeds the cost of the product on occasion. For some purchases it definitely makes sense to choose the free shipping option. All depends on how bad I want something I guess.

 

[Wetfred]

And Amazon can get me my package in 2 days sometimes that very day.

 

[MtView]

Online shaving retailers have their challenges. It is hard to make money selling $2 tucks of blades to a niche market. I recently (5/17) ordered a pack of Nacets (from a retailer we all know from this site) and a jar of MdC Agrumes. The online retailer promptly placed my order in the hands of FedEx, and I am STILL waiting. FedEx low priority shipping truly is LOW priority. In the future I will not take for granted the method employed for free shipping, or, if faced with this choice again, be more likely to buy the $2 blades and not buy the expensive soap since it's going to take an eternity anyway. The retailer might want to rethink its strategy.

Agree. Low priority is truly low priority and you might be waiting the full 10 business days to get the package. Even my two day Fedex and Fedex Home packages have been taking longer and sometimes a long time. Sometimes it's worth upgrading your free shipping.