FedEx Ground sucks!

[David_Bu3ker]

@Hank Gillespie

Perhaps some diligence on the part of the recipient would be in order
i.e. order tracking + ensuring someone is there to receive the shipment.

…but that might entail some planning.

Hank

Well since I had no “tracking info” e-mail, and I work for a living…if you work away from home then most UPS and Fed Ex deliveries are a pain, BUT UPs at least lets me pick up at th closest location to me. FedEx keeps redefinig which location I can use for pick up, and it gets further and further away each time. That is what burns me.

[Al_Osterheld]

In my area, I found UPS better then FedEx Express better than FedEx Ground or Home. But I’m not home much during normal delivery times and the pickup points are 15-30 miles away, so I rented a spot in a local UPS store to receive shipments.

-Al

[Bob_Davis]

@Brian Gilp

@Randy Bowman

3. Find a way to have any wine shipment delivered to a business. Your business, you spouse’s, your brother’s, sister’s, best friend’s etc. It is cheaper to ship to a business and UPS delivers it a day earlier than usual in most cases.

I have not found this to be true. Once MD opened up shipping I have had some wine shipped direct while other still goes to a business in DC (<1 hour away). Shipping time and what I pay is no different. Maybe the winery saves in their cost but I don’t see it on my end.

Brian,
I’m still using my DC drop. No taxes (vs 9% for MD) and an excuse to head to DC to sometimes make a side trip to MacArthurs. I will eventaully approach the local UPS Store to see if they will accept deliveries for a fee vs. renting a box which is very expensive.
BD

[Hank_Gillespie]

@David M. Bueker

@Hank Gillespie

Perhaps some diligence on the part of the recipient would be in order
i.e. order tracking + ensuring someone is there to receive the shipment.

…but that might entail some planning.

Hank

Well since I had no “tracking info” e-mail, and I work for a living…

Wineries are pretty good about providing tracking information. The friend for whom you were accepting the shipment
should have communicated that information. Why in the World would you agree to accept delivery, David,
knowing that you wouldn’t be there to receive it?

OK, let’s blame the freight company !

Hank

[Jim_Brennan]

@David M. Bueker

“Sorry we missed you. Pick up your parcel at a selected convenient FedEx Office location” - nearest one…27 miles away! FedEx sucks!

Jeeze, when did you move to Alaska?

[Nick_Ryan]

Once again. If you’re well-off enough to get cases of boutique wine shipped to you every year, you’re well-off enough to afford the cost of a UPS Store box (or competitor) you can use as a shipping address. It is impossible to overstate how convenient this is.

[J_Galang]

At least he didn’t throw it over the fence …

[Jeff_White]

I also hate FedEx. Found a case, in the sun, left at our farm entrance once. We were home but I guess they did not want to drive the extra quarter mile. Love UPS!

[David_Bu3ker]

Hank,

Let me try explaining it for you in slow detail…

Until just recently I could have the packages held after the 1st delivery attempt at a location less than a mile from where I work. So it was zero hassle, and I did not care if I missed the delivery.

Last fall they changed that, but hte closest place was 10 miles away, and also on a route I take quite often…minor hassle, but no big deal.

Now they have changed it again, eliminating every potential pick up location north of Hartford, causing me to have to travel a long distance, in a direciton I do not normally go, and likely having to pay to park just to throw some salt on that lemon juice infused wound.

And all of these changes to serve me better were sudden, not giving me any option to know that I was going to get severely inconvenienced.

Make sense yet?

[Dav_d_Parta_n]

FedEx works great for me. I just have them hold packages at the local FedEx store two miles away. Takes about a minute on their site to click for the store hold and I can pick it up at my leisure. As far as delivering to my home? I’ve had good and bad experiences with both FedEx and UPS. I prefer GSO when available.

David

[Emily_Richer]

@D@v!d P@rt@!n

FedEx works great for me. I just have them hold packages at the local FedEx store two miles away. Takes about a minute on their site to click for the store hold and I can pick it up at my leisure.

David

I couldn’t agree more. This is my new preferred shipping model. Seriously, the FedEx hold-at-location option is getting your wine off that truck SOONER and into a temp-controlled building. Wineries can create the shipment to hold at designated location, INTENTIONALLY, which costs +/- $5 less (and in the end consumer price reflects all costs, however it’s labeled).

[BobH]

@Paul Jaouen

I love FedEx. Hate UPS. I guess it all depends where you live and who your driver is.

Exactly. Fed Ex is great here, and our UPS sucks- the drives purposely has trampled through our garden, tosses the packages around, and broke our brand new gate delivering a package to the side door when they always use the front. As an added bonus, he didn’t ring the bell, said the wine was undeliverable, and we had to drive to the wharehouse on the other side of town to pick it up. Our fedex guy is so much better.

also, FedEx ground from here to West Coast is Monday-Friday.
UPS is always 7 days, Monday to Monday.

[Charlie_Carnes]

@David M. Bueker

“Sorry we missed you. Pick up your parcel at a selected convenient FedEx Office location” - nearest one…27 miles away! FedEx sucks!

The worst part - it’s a package for a friend. I offered to let him have it shipped to me. Had I known it was going to be FedEx Ground I would have said no.

I have been lucky enough to get to know my drivers. Makes things a whole lot easier. This is not always possible, I know. Lucky we live in a world where we have free choice, and we can choose to not use this company. Well, actually congress may have the authority to tax you for not using FedEx now, so it looks like you are SOL. Seriously, a relationship with the drivers helps if you live in areas with regular drivers.