Re: BEWARE: Harbor Freight poor customer service...

> That used to be the way it worked but it's not anymore. I remember the
> days
> when the package had to stipulate "no signature required", but now
> everything I receive just gets dropped on the porch.

I once had UPS deliver a $5k shipment of server ram. I got into my car and
was about to drive a away when a neighbour saw me and pointed to my front
tire. Thinking I had a flat, I got out to look. There was the box of ram,
right under my front tire. The vendor's shipping policy with UPS is
signature required for every shipment. I was home at the time, and the UPS
driver didn't even bother to knock on the door. But he was considerate
enough to hide the shipment where it wouldn't readily be seen by passers by.

"Glenna Rose" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Yes, absolutely check with UPS. They are not in the habit of leaving
> things without a signature unless the package so stipulates.

That used to be the way it worked but it's not anymore. I remember the days
when the package had to stipulate "no signature required", but now
everything I receive just gets dropped on the porch. It's not a problem for
me and we receive a couple of UPS deliveries every week with no real
problems over years of service, but I do know that the old days of them not
leaving a package without a signature are gone. Today the shipper has to
stipulate a required signature.

> I suspect it
> did not get shipped UPS, if shipped at all. If they did, indeed, ship it,
> they (or you) can print a complete tracking of when it was put into UPS's
> "hands" and when UPS delivered it.

I've had the tracking system work and I've had it not work. I've never
tracked a lost package (truly lost - never to be seen again), but I have
tracked delayed shipments and as other posters have said, I've found spotty
accuracy in the information that is available to the recipient - either
directly from UPS customer service, or via their web sites.

> In over 30 years of dealing with UPS,
> I've never had a package lost or mishandled and through my home business
> years ago and where I work now, we are talking about thousands of packages
> through those years. We ship many, many packages UPS every week. The only
> time we have had a problem was with USPS!
>

Oh man - you gotta try Airborne - or what ever they're called these days.
That's a real treat. Talk about shipments that are guaranteed not to
arrive...
--

-Mike-
[email protected]

In article <[email protected]>,
Jane & David <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Glenna Rose) wrote:
>
> >
> > Yes, absolutely check with UPS. They are not in the habit of leaving
> > things without a signature unless the package so stipulates.
>
> snip
>
> UPS stopped getting signatures here several years ago. UPS offered good
> safe service in the past but not any more.
>
> My first problem with them was about 10 years ago when I bought a
> classic Nikon F camera and it was shipped to me via UPS. It arrived
> sooner than expected, and I was still out of town but unlike past policy
> they didn't keep the box until they could deliver it to a person. I
> found a notice that it had been left by the side of my house - right
> beside the garbage can. It was long gone when I got home, and I never
> found out if it was stolen or went to the dump with the garbage. UPS
> investigated and eventually I got my money back, but the camera could
> not be replaced (I never found another one in such good condition at a
> good price). The UPS supervisor I talked to said that getting signatures
> was more expensive than paying off a few claims for lost packages.
>
> These days UPS not only doesn't get a signature, they don't even knock
> on the door. Several times I have had packages sit in the rain outside
> when I was at home and this includes some packages that specifically
> required a signature. After many many problems with them, I avoid UPS
> whenever possible.
>
> If you continue to get good service from UPS that's great, but watch out.
>
> PDX David



I should point out that my experience is with UPS deliveries to a home
address. When delivering to a business where the driver can walk in and
find a person, there should be very few problems.

PDX David

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Glenna Rose) wrote:

>
> Yes, absolutely check with UPS. They are not in the habit of leaving
> things without a signature unless the package so stipulates.

snip

UPS stopped getting signatures here several years ago. UPS offered good
safe service in the past but not any more.

My first problem with them was about 10 years ago when I bought a
classic Nikon F camera and it was shipped to me via UPS. It arrived
sooner than expected, and I was still out of town but unlike past policy
they didn't keep the box until they could deliver it to a person. I
found a notice that it had been left by the side of my house - right
beside the garbage can. It was long gone when I got home, and I never
found out if it was stolen or went to the dump with the garbage. UPS
investigated and eventually I got my money back, but the camera could
not be replaced (I never found another one in such good condition at a
good price). The UPS supervisor I talked to said that getting signatures
was more expensive than paying off a few claims for lost packages.

These days UPS not only doesn't get a signature, they don't even knock
on the door. Several times I have had packages sit in the rain outside
when I was at home and this includes some packages that specifically
required a signature. After many many problems with them, I avoid UPS
whenever possible.

If you continue to get good service from UPS that's great, but watch out.

PDX David

"Jane & David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

My UPS guy is great. While he doesn't ask for a signature he
always rings the doorbell when he drops off a package. I work out
of my garage workshop and I am in clear view of the street with
the door open. I only average one or two deliveries a month but
the UPS driver always honks and waves as he drives by every day.
nice guy and good service. Maybe you should add a roof to your
porch to keep packages out of the rain.

Bruce

> These days UPS not only doesn't get a signature, they don't even
knock
> on the door. Several times I have had packages sit in the rain
outside
> when I was at home and this includes some packages that specifically
> required a signature. After many many problems with them, I avoid
UPS
> whenever possible.
> PDX David

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 07:09:40 -0800, Jane & David
<[email protected]> wrote:

>These days UPS not only doesn't get a signature, they don't even knock
>on the door. Several times I have had packages sit in the rain outside
>when I was at home and this includes some packages that specifically
>required a signature. After many many problems with them, I avoid UPS
>whenever possible.

Here, UPS still gets an electronic signature on every package or notes
that they left it. If you want to make sure you get packages without
having them left somewhere be sure to add shipping instructions (i.e.
Deliver to North entrance only - Signature required), and the first
time they don't follow the instructions call the head office and the
BBB and complain like crazy. I've gone out of my way to get to know
the regular UPS, FedEx and USPS guys here. They now bring things to
the house and we don't have any problems. During the holidays I check
all possible places a package might end up every day, since substitute
drivers are prone to taking shortcuts. I also always get tracking
numbers (for UPS and FedEx) and follow the package as best I can so
that I know when to expect it.

For the OP, HF has handled several complaints from me very well. I've
never tried during a holiday period, but I've bought a lot of stray
junk from them here and there and had a few that have had to go back
or that have never arrived. They have invariably taken care of the
problem, although often with considerable delay. Of course I'm lucky
and I always treat the low-level drone like he was the president of
the company "This is my problem, sir", "Thank you for your help, sir",
"I hope you have a good day, sir". They seem to like it and it doesn't
cost me a cent.

YMMV

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com