So how are UPS/FedEx/USPS doing on your deliveries this year?

[MomToOne]

So how is everyone's shipping experience going this year? Is there one service that you despise at this point, or one that you love?

This year, I've been the most disappointed in UPS. I had one package go out for delivery 3 days in a row, just to be skipped and returned to the depot. Thankfully it was earlier in the month and so I wasn't sweating it, and it did eventually get delivered. I was just surprised they were having so much trouble so early - I feel sorry for anyone expecting UPS deliveries next week! Other deliveries have been slow as well.

FedEx has been ok. No specific troubles, although delivery dates have been bouncing around a lot. One day it will say delivery is expected Wednesday, the next Tuesday, then suddenly Thursday. But I'll write that off to some weather issues and such.

The winner this year in my book has been USPS surprisingly! Both things shipped directly via them, and via the UPS/FedEx services that hand off to them for final delivery. My post office and delivery person rock. Packages come consistently faster than with any other service - and they are the only ones that actually knock on the door these days! I am happy when I get a shipping notification and see that they will be doing the delivery. Never in a million years thought I'd say that! LOL I especially like the Sunday deliveries they are now doing for Amazon Prime - I think that is a great step forward.

My only big issue this year was some Walmart gift cards that I ordered that went MIA. I never got a straight answer from Walmart on what happened, but I suspect they never actually shipped them even though I got the shipment notification because the order acted wonky online. It took me several emails to convince an customer service agent that there was a problem, but once I got one that recognized the issue, Walmart at least refunded quickly!

 

[PerfessorZ]

UPS is only 3 for 5 on-time.
FedEx is 1 for 1 on-time.
USPS is also 1 for 1 on-time.

 

[Albort]

all my UPS stuff are taking a lot longer to deliver. (average shipping time is 1 week)
Fed Ex and USPS are matched up. (4-5 days shipping time)

 

[msmama]

I don't like when UPS delivers to the post office for them to deliver. That seems to add at least 3 days for me getting the item!!

UPS and Fed Ex don't always ring the doorbell. And my mail person has consistently been delivering my neighbors mail to me since the beginning of December.

And today's mail still hasn't arrived and its 6:30.

No major issues but I'm glad I did all of my ordering early!!

 

[Bree]

USPS has been the pits for me this year. Stuff is just sitting in sorting facilities for days. I live in Boca Raton and ordered something off eBay and didn't realize the seller also lived here otherwise I would have picked up the item (bracelet) instead of having it shipped. It should have been sent to the facility just south of me before being sent back to Boca. Instead it was sent to Virginia where it sat for 11 days. I mailed two packages USPS (dumb me) on Saturday and they both show as being accepted. They are supposed to be delivered Wednesday and Friday in Maine. I had three orders shipped at the beginning of last week via USPS by eBay, Dick's Sporting Goods and a Cigar place. All three shipments have no tracking info available.

*ETA* Amazon and Fedex have been fine for me. However, my SIL received a pair of Bose Soundtrue ear buds instead of her air filters. Amazon told her to keep them. Merry Christmas to her!!!

 

[NJlauren]

I purchased one of those toy kitchens for my daughter. It was scheduled to be delivered by FedEx on a Monday it didn't come, Tuesday it said to pick it up at the warehouse.

I called they said, I needed to pick it up, I explained I was having it shipped because it's to big for my car or for me to lift. After some arguing they agreed to deliver it Wednesday, still Wednesday no package.

Called Thursday they told me its to big to deliver and I had to pick it. I just about flipped, how can it be to big to deliver, you're fedex!!!??? They said it needed two people to deliver it, I said that's fine but I need it delivered. Assuming they would ask me to schedule a delivery. They said it would come Friday.

Thursday night my husband said it came in a personal pick up truck with a guy in a FedEx uniform.

To big for FedEx to deliver thats one for the books!

 

[Divslp]

I also have had issues with UPS. Twice they have had a delay due to an error- leaving my package behind.

 

[chattadisser]

I have loved UPS this year, FedEx has been fine but I'm hating the "SmartPost" when the carriers hand off to the postal service. Half the time we get someone else's mail or on Saturday, they delivered the mail, I checked MDE that showed our magic bands had been delivered. Go out to the box and apparently they delivered another round of mail and the package. They seem so inefficient it's no wonder they loose money. I wish you could tell before you ordered something if they were going to hand it off to the SmartPost, I wouldn't order it then. SmartPost seems to add 3+ days to the delivery date.

 

[colormegreen]

Surprisingly it has been Fedex and USPS have been more acceptable than uPS this time around. Last year, it was UPS was the winner. However, they've all been a exceptionally slow, in my opinion. I guess I'm just use to getting my packages a bit early..

 

[usnuzuloose]

Seems like UPS is taking forever to get packages delivered. I have one that said it was to be here today. Now it won't be here till Thursday. Nothing like cutting it close.

 

[starry_solo]

So far so good. A few delays with FedEx, UPS and USPS, but nothing drastic.

Although I shipped an item from CA to MD via FedEx ground on Friday and it was already delivered today (Tuesday!)

 

[powellrj]

All of my packages were shipped, so I have had lots of deliverings. Ups has been the best followed by usps and fedex has been the worst.

 

[MomToOne]

Here's an article talking about the issues UPS is having this year: http://www.wsj.com/articles/ups-struggles-to-keep-up-with-surge-in-web-orders-1449796191

Sounds like they under-predicted demand, and don't have enough staff or equipment to handle everything that has come at them.

I have only two packages left floating around out there that I need for Christmas Eve: one with UPS Ground and one with USPS. The UPS package is less than 200 miles from where it needs to get to, but hasn't moved in a day - we'll see how fast it makes it there. The USPS package has just had it's label printed. It's going 2 day, half way across country, so that will also be interesting to watch and see if the postal service actually gets it there in 2 days...

 

[Bree]

Our post office & UPS are doing Sunday deliveries this month. I think amazon struck a deal with USPS to provide the service and I think UPS is just trying to play catch up. I was talking with our post man last week and he said most days he has to load back up with packages and make a second delivery and doesn't get home until after 8pm.

 

[kerplop]

USPS has been been slow as heck and lost a package for almost a week before they found/delivered it. And UPS has pushed our packages back a couple times, though one of them they're bringing a day early. Still, not great this year.

 

[aprilgail]

Our post office & UPS are doing Sunday deliveries this month. I think amazon struck a deal with USPS to provide the service and I think UPS is just trying to play catch up. I was talking with our post man last week and he said most days he has to load back up with packages and make a second delivery and doesn't get home until after 8pm.

we get deliveries on Sundays too and also the post office drops off the packages at 6:30am! I was shocked when I saw a mail truck in front of my house the other morning at 630!

 

[elgerber]

I have great luck with UPS, they are always on time around here. My problem has come with UPS Smart Post. Once they get handed off to the post office, UGH! They are slow, and the post office misdelivered a package of mine, and I never saw it again. They said they delivered it to my "parcel locker", um, my office doesn't have a parcel locker. They then decided they delivered it to the parcel locker at Target, 4 miles from here. The package was from Target, so they thought they'd return it to the closest store??

 

[SparklePixie]

The majority of my shopping was done online. Everything was delivered on time and on the original delivery date. That is why I shop early, because the closer it gets to Christmas, the more issues crop up.

 

[wenrob]

*ETA* Amazon and Fedex have been fine for me. However, my SIL received a pair of Bose Soundtrue ear buds instead of her air filters. Amazon told her to keep them. Merry Christmas to her!!!

Wow! Lucky her! I have the FreeStyles and they are awesome.

My UPS guys are kicking butt as they usually do. They seem to be making more than one delivery in a day and one I swear that was in the middle of the night. Some stuff from Amazon was coming the very next day early on.

FedEx has done well though they are a little more creative in where they put the packages so I'd have to go on a little hunt for them.

USPS themselves have done pretty well, it's my particular mailman that is the issue. I bet he spends more time cramming things in the box then it would take him to just to drive down a couple houses and put it on my porch. He also scans things as delivered but I won't get them until the next day. Puts the key in the wrong box or puts the key in my box but doesn't leave my package. He's always like this so its not just a holiday season thing.

I despise SmartPost as well but was pleasantly surprised when twice I got notices from UPS that they were closer so would not be handing off and would be delivering themselves.

As far as companies go Amazon rocks as usual. I had a package go missing and they replaced it immediately. Only issue I had with them this year was that they shipped my DD's big present with what it was all over the box. I had a feeling that might happen since it was so large and shipped it to DH's work. Still it was marked as a gift so shouldn't have gone down that way.

Target has done well with shipping but their pick up has been awful. Why would I want to go to the store five different times to pick up my order?

No issues with Walmart, TRU or Kohl's. Game Stop, way too long and very poor packing, things were pretty beat up when I got them and took forever to get here.

Jet and Groupon I probably won't use again. Both would give a ships in 2-3 business days but after checkout I'd get a will ship in 7-14 days notice. No way to cancel them as the claimed the shipping process had already started.

 

[SC Minnie]

Most of mine have been fine except 1. It shipping on 12/2 and hasn't arrived yet. The tracking information showed it departed Groveton OH on 12/5 and there was finally an update yesterday that it was given to USPS.