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FedEx Ground - Lost Shipments

FedEx Ground • Lost • Insurance • Wrong address • Insider's view • FedEx --- • FedEx Buys Kinko's

Larry of Powder Springs GA (1/27/03):
FEDEX Ground has declared on their tracking website that they delivered a package at 8 pm to my front door, which they did, in fact, NOT DO. I was home at that time, and no FEDEX truck was in my driveway, my road, nothing. They simply DID NOT deliver it like they claim to have. The tracking form also says "Front door delivery" which means they stuck it on SOMEBODY else's front door and left. I have called repeatedly, and of course, "The driver will do a follow-up, BLAH BLAH BLAH" I will never use FEDEX again as long as I live.

Dave of Jacksonville FL (1/14/03):
It's not a consumer's fault if FedEx choses to let a package sit at their Atlanta sorting facility for more than 2 business days but they act like it is. When I called to see why the package wasn't delivered on time and why the tracking information shows it still sitting in Atlanta, the person on the phone was very rude and offered no assistance at all. I was only told that if I didn't get my package within a few more days to call back and they would put a trace on it. What helpful information.

The item I ordered is a replacement part for broken radio equipment and my wife waited around the house all day waiting for the package to arrive. Our inconvenience is not important to them, just the money they get from the merchants who use them for shipping.

Michelle of Edmonds WA (1/13/02):
I shipped a 38-lb. box to myself from Warwick, Rhode Island, where I was vacationing and attending a costume jewelry collectors convention. The package was taken to Federal Express Ground on October 22, 2001. I flew home to Edmonds, Washington, on October 23 and started checking the progress of the package via the internet as it made its way across the country.

On Tuesday, October 30, 2001, it was listed on the web site as being “on a truck for delivery”. I remained at home all day, not even running a vacuum cleaner or other loud appliance, so I would be sure to hear the doorbell. As the afternoon wore on I got anxious and checked the front porch every hour just in case I had somehow missed the delivery. At 10:30 p.m. I checked the status on the web site and found the package listed as “delivered” and the time said, “00:00”.

I immediately sent an email to the customer service email address stating that I had not received the package. I received an automated reply that I would hear from someone within 24 hours. I never got any other reply whatsoever. Wednesday morning, 10/31, I phoned the 800-GOFEDEX number and worked my way through the maddeningly long voice mail system until I was able to speak to an actual person, who then transferred me to someone in the Ground area. Unfortunately I did not write down the name but I think it was Darryl or Darrin. He said it looked to him like the package was still on the truck and should be delivered that day, but that someone would check into it and get back to me within 24 hours.

Again I waited at home all day and no deliveries were made. Nor did I receive any follow-up phone calls. However, by mid afternoon the web site showed an update – it said the package had been delivered at 5:00 p.m. on 10/30, and under signature it said “Front Door”. At 6:40 p.m. on 10/31, I again called 800-GOFEDEX, eventually ending up speaking to a woman named Linda who told me she would send a message to the driver and someone would get back to me.

On 11/1 at approximately 10:00 a.m. I phoned 800-GOFEDEX once again, this time speaking to Jim, who told me my request would take 24 to 48 hours and someone would get back to me. Never mind that it’d been more hours than that since I originally contacted Federal Express. On Friday, 11/2, I again phoned 800-GOFEDEX, at 9:20 a.m., and spoke to Eric. He suggested he send me the paperwork to start a claim on the package. I voiced that I would much rather have the package, which was obviously somewhere in my neighborhood and if someone would just talk to the driver we could probably find it! I was put on hold while Eric phoned the local terminal, then he got my phone number and said someone would call me. I told him he was the 4th person to tell me that and I’d never gotten any return calls from anyone.

Shortly after that Wendy from the local terminal did call me, but wasn’t able to offer much assistance. She had Francisco, the driver, call me a short time later. By now 3 full days had passed since he delivered the package – he couldn’t remember anything about that day. I was given some conflicting messages though, “I remember I had trouble finding that address.” “It might still be on the truck.” “If it says I delivered it, then I delivered it.” and the one that speaks volumes, “We are growing so fast, we can’t possibly keep track of all these packages!”

I am dismayed not only at having my merchandise left on the doorstep of someone who proved to be dishonest and didn’t report it, but at how unresponsive Federal Express was to my requests. All it would have taken to make me have confidence in the company would have been a return phone call, even if all they could tell me was “We haven’t discovered anything but we are working on it.” Federal Express Ground failed miserably.

I also want to say that my street, 53rd Avenue West, is only 2 blocks long, and only serves my complex, which consists of 4 buildings. Each unit has its own number, there is no confusing “A, B, C” system. I have put up flyers for my neighbors, plus I walked the perimeter and checked everyone’s back porches in the unlikely event the box had been left there. It is obvious to me that the driver was not on the right street. If he wasn’t sure of the address, why would he leave a package that was insured for $2,000 on a porch without obtaining a signature?

The box contained, among other things, most of my higher-end Christmas inventory for my cases at Glorious Treasures Antique Shoppe in Edmonds, WA. For obvious reasons I lost the opportunity to sell those items during the Christmas season, and without the insurance money I am unable to replace the items. I am very angry at FedEx Ground's lack of customer service and the fact that they just plain don't care.

Sharon of Reno writes (9/12/01):
Bought 3 products from UBid; WD Hard Drive, Sound Card, Yamaha CD-rewrite. They were sent (separately to charge higher shipping costs) and over 1 1/2 week AFTER I changed my address (on the 9th month the Local FedEx Ground had been notified of this change of address) on the 16th of the month, the 3 packages (worth close $500) were "dumped" at my old address where no one was at home.

When I checked from out of town (my dad was dying and I had to leave town for 2 weeks) via the FedEx Ground Tracking page, it was shown as "delivered and signed for at front door." Over 6 times I called FedEx Ground to MAKE SURE that it would be delivered to the new address ... they assured me that it would be.

Later, my neighbor stated they had stood in front of my door for 3 days, and now were missing. Needless, to say the manager and neighbors have not seen it, and don't know what happened to it. At least 15 calls to both the Local and national phone numbers: "we don't have the records; you have to call the OTHER number" and saying the shipper had to do a trace.

Three weeks later I am still getting e-mail from Ubid like, "what products did you say you lost?" when I have sent the Order and Lot numbers over 10 times, and keep sending the entire e-mails to them. After all this, now they say, "well, the Trace said the Packages were delivered." And I'm going (trying not to blow a gasket since I've explained now close to 25 different people from FedEx and UBid) yes they were delivered to the wrong address and now are missing, presumed stolen."

Ubid states until FedEx refunds the claim, they cannot re-credit my account. Yet, FedEx is pretending that they are not responsible for the problem, and they "delivered" the packages without any signature or note that "we will return later" to bring your package back. I have received packages for over 40 years ... even cheap stuff they wait for a signature, or leave a note if you are not home, or leave it with a neighbor (I had authorized my next door neighbor to go ahead and sign for it if he was asked). But NONE of these things happened with FedEx Ground.

They say it is up to each deliverer to do what they want, because they are "independent contractors" As though Fed Ex is not responsible for the quality and security of the property entrusted to them! Finally, and to really put the icing on the cake, I was told by FedEx that it would do no good to report my "stolen" goods either to the local police, or to the postmaster. In case you do not know it (because I didn't!) your mail, mailed thru these agencies, IS NOT PROTECTED BY THE LAWS OF THE FEDERAL POSTAL SERVICE. He said the Postmaster could do nothing about lost or stolen packages as a federal crime. He also said that "no one" had ever reported to the local police about stolen goods delivered by FedEx Ground, and that all Claims would be handled by the Shipper (And, hopefully we have all seen how reliable THEY Are!)

I have quite literally been robbed of $500 worth of computer equipment that both FedEx and Ubid refuse to take responsibility for. Since I am in a Home based business, this has also cost me in the ability to use my computer, which has been sitting without its parts in the technicians office while we "wait for the parts."

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