Tag: UPS

Fed Ex Fail

Before I go into this bitchy rant, know that I used to work for UPS and my shipping company loyalty lies squarely with them. In fact, once while I was working a temp job running a medical instrument company’s shipping office a competitor’s driver actually complained at how much business I was sending UPS’ way compared to everyone else. What he didn’t know was that I had no control over which shipping method each individual shipment used, but I didn’t tell him that.

Okay, that paragraph is going to be longer than the actual point of the post. Sorry. Anyway….

Fed Ex just delivered three packages to our front door. All three packages had different ship to addresses. One was for me, the other two were for two other houses.

The fuck, Fed Ex?

Tuesday Lunch Post

I don’t have anything to talk about. How is that possible?

Right, so here’s a question. Who should I believe? I ordered a couple of pedals last week. Amazon tells me that the estimated delivery is either January 3rd or 4th. That was the estimate when I placed the order, so that is fine with me. When I track directly from UPS though it tells me the delivery will be two days from now on December 30th before 9:00pm. Well that sounds sweet!

So which estimate is correct? It has to be UPS, right? I mean let’s just go to the source. Unfortunately I signed up for text message alerts for status changes and I have not received a single message. That implies that the package hasn’t even been picked up yet. So who do I trust? As The Joker said in Batman the Movie back in 1989, “money money money, who do you trust?”

How’s this. I will trust Amazon’s 1/3-4 estimate while keeping my fingers crossed for UPS’s 12/30. That works, right? Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

I have a new uni-vibe pedal coming. I’m finally upgrading from MXR to something boutique. I also have a new wah pedal coming. I had gone from Dunlop to boutique a few years ago, then the whole bullshit thing happened with the racist frat boy pedal builder and I went back to Dunlop. Now, a year and a half later, I am going boutique again. Duck and cover and wish me luck, brothers and sisters in music nerd.

Can’t Blame UPS for This One

Well, it’s Christmas Eve. Time to make one last check on the straggler packages that haven’t been delivered yet. First thing I went to was The Big One (which isn’t that big, we agreed to go small this year, and we already bought a Big One that counts for Christmas so it’s all good). The estimated arrival date is now, We’ll Let You Know. I checked the tracking number with UPS and they still don’t have the package. The number is in their system, which means someone at the warehouse actually printed out a shipping label, but it hasn’t made it to UPS yet (did I mention I have a ton of experience running a business’ shipping office? I do. I have a little less experience running the receiving office, but I’ve done that too).

Someone has a birthday in early February. Do you think we’ll have the package by then? I’m not holding my breath. I got refunds for a handful of non-Christmas things I bought from Amazon that got lost in transit, but this puppy ain’t even left the building yet. You can’t blame UPS (or Fed Ex, or USPS, or whatever carrier you want to blame it on) for this one.

It’s all okay though. Like I said, we’ve already done a big gift pre-Christmas, and I have a nice placeholder for the missing Big One too, so Christmas will not be tainted any more than Covid-19 has already tainted it. We’re good.

Aside from all my bitchin’ and yakkin’, allow me to wish y’all a Merry Christmas Eve. HoHoHo.

Shipping Blues

There are three Christmas packages that haven’t been delivered yet. At lunch today I took a minute to check their status. Let the laughter and the tears commence.

Package was ordered from a popular brick and mortar store’s website. The order was placed on 12/10. I received a ship notice two days ago. Prior to that, the estimated delivery date was 12/24. When the shipping notice came the date was changed to 12/22. That’s today. The order page currently still shows the estimated delivery date of 12/22, but when I look up the tracking number on the carrier’s website…

They haven’t received the package yet.

Package #2 was more of a last minute thing. I ordered it on 12/16, figuring if it arrived on time that would be great, but if not it’s not the end of the world. This order was placed with the manufacturer’s website. When I check my account, the order page states that the estimated delivery date is 12/22. What a coincidence! When I look up the tracking number on the carrier’s website (a different carrier than package ) it says…

The estimated delivery date is 12/28.

Package #3 was ordered very early, on 12/7. It includes one Christmas gift and two unrelated, non-Christmas items. The order was placed with the big guy: Amazon. The package shipped on 12/8. Good customer service right there, eh? The estimated delivery date was 12/10. It hasn’t arrived. What does the tracking page say?

It could be lost. I called and got a refund.

It’s a Covid Christmas after all. HoHoHo

How’s Your Monday?

I had to leave this message for any delivery folks who, when given the choice between the door that has an awning and the door that doesn’t, choose to use the door that doesn’t during the torrential down pour. One package ruined and counting.

The Amp is Here… Mostly

My new (used) amp was delivered today. It was eight days late, but it’s here…. sort of.

It’s hard to tell with a closed back cabinet, but it looks like the vacuum tubes survived the ordeal. Do they work? That’s the question.

Why is that still a question, you ask?

Because guitar center failed to include a power cable in the shipment.

There will probably be a post discussing the power cable situation but (spoiler) I need to calm down first.

UPS Update

For those who put bets on what time UPS would change my estimated delivery to Monday, it happened just after 9:30. That was half an hour after the estimated delivery time.

The status changed again. We are once again showing in transit to Chelmsford, MA even though the package has been scanned into that very location at least four times over the last week, including twice today. The best part is the latest activity. “Delay: Emergency Situation or Severe Weather.”

Are you fucking kidding me here?

Addendum: UPS Status

In my last post I said my never ending, never to be delivered package was out for delivery. That is incorrect. The tracking status is actually Loaded on Delivery Vehicle, not Out for Delivery. In other words, it’s still in the Chelmsford building.

It has been in Loaded on Delivery Vehicle status for over four hours.

Four hours.

Insert frustrated sigh here.

Some Notes on a Saturday

How long does a modern TV last? This morning Jen started thinking about a new TV. We don’t need a new TV, I said. When did we buy our current living room TV, she asked. Off to the blog I go!

The blog holds all the answers. The new TV was purchased on September 28, 2014. Just shy of six years ago. The blog is wise. The blog knows.

So then we asked how long do TVs tend to last these days? Off to Google Jen goes! 5-7 years. Well, that settles it then. Conspicuous Consumerism dictates that we need a new TV. We’re going to hold off until Christmas… I think. We agreed to that, but Jen is hovering around BestBuy.com which means maybe she won’t be able to wait.

Second Saturday note: UPS again… oh boy. Just when I came to grips with the fact that I was going to have to file a claim with GuitarCenter.com over the amplifier that will never be shipped, UPS updated the tracking number to say that once again (take three) it is on a truck and out for delivery. The estimated delivery date/time is today by 9:00PM. I’m taking bets on what time this afternoon they change that date to Monday. Anyone?

The third Saturday note is the only actually important one. There is a story suggesting that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban for killing American soldiers. It is also being said that trump knew about it and did nothing.

I don’t know if any of it’s true. I’ve only seen it on Twitter. I haven’t read any of the source articles. I don’t know if it is true or not. I just know this:

I’ll Stop Bitching About UPS

  • June 22, 2020
    • Out for Delivery, estimate 6/22 by 9:00PM
  • June 23, 2020
    • Out for Delivery, estimate 6/23 by 9:00PM
  • June 24, 2020
    • In Transit to Chelmsford
    • Most recent activity: Delivery will be delayed by one business day.
    • Come back later for estimated delivery date.

In other words, they haven’t a clue where my package is. Okay. From now on I will reserve all of my bitching about this subject for phone calls to UPS customer service. You folks won’t have to listen to me anymore.