UPS Tracking Tools

[dartanion]

Is it just me or has UPS tracking tools become totally useless? Besides damaging every box that I get through them, they have now rendered the tracking system as useless in my mind.

What is the most important part of tracking a shipment that is to arrive at your home or workplace?

For me this would be expected date of delivery. This is not available for ground shipments.

Also, timely updates to package status would be nice too. I have tracked a package at least a dozen times today and no new info has been shown to me. However, if I call customer service and track it, I get totally different verbiage than the status on the website. The automated phone response was "Your package is on it's way to you." That's it. No further info of where it is and if it's out for delivery or in transit. Great! Try and find a number where someone will actually answer a phone is another trick. I haven't figured out what that trick is yet.

[jurgen]

They do seem to be slipping lately.
And their current shipping software for business accounts is a minor nightmare

[Allynmey]

They will destroy every box you give them if you let them. All amps I have to ship through UPS get 3" of foam in a box and then 3-6" foam in the box that goes in. I only expect minor damage that way! One box I shipped had a total of 12" of bubble wrap and foan surrounding the amp on all sides. The box was destroyed and the amp was cut out of the bubble to inspect it at ups and then they threw the amp in bubble wrap back in the box and sent it along not even taping it back up. The amp was hosed. Broken toggles and cracked chassis. I had insurance with pictures of the packing job and shipping condition. I won the insurance battle but still haven't got a check 1 year later. they keep telling me it's in the mail and hang up laughing.

[muchxs]

Try FedEx Ground next time. It's worth it just for their detailed tracking information.

There are really only three choices in shipping: USPS, FedEx and UPS. UPS has slipped to a distant third.

[dartanion]

It's not by choice. I bought a guitar that is being shipped to me. The shop I bought it from said it would go out UPS ground and I asked if I could use my FedEx account instead and they said they don't do that. Also, they said that FedEx insurance will only give you replacement value for a new item and since the guitar I bought is a 1978....how do you assess a true value? I hate UPS and despise having to use them, but I really had no choice. Now I just have to figure out where the hell my package is and when it will arrive. Hell, I just bought some stuff from Nik a day or so after I bought the guitar, and it showed up today all the way from Malaysia via DHL. No note or anything yet from UPS. Tracking info hasn't been updated yet either. All I get is info from last Friday.

This just sucks as I am eagerly awaiting this guitar as it's my first Les Paul.

[dartanion]

Well, it just showed up now, so I am HAPPY!!

What a cool guitar this is. I was pleasantly surprised to find the original minibuckers and a Dimarzio mini as well in the case!!

I'll take some photos and post them later!

[Structo]

I've bought quite a lot of stuff that shipped UPS and I seem to be able to track it all the way to my house.
The only time it goes off the radar is when it is in a truck on a long haul.
It goes to the hub in Portland, OR which is an hour north of me.
So when I see it there, delivery is usually the next day.
Fedex on the other hand doesn't seem to update the location as frequently and more than once I was completely surprised when something showed up because the tracker didn't show it out for delivery.

I've only bought one amp that was shipped, a Carvin Belair 2x12 combo.
Carvin used only a singe box, the amp had styrofoam corner protectors on it. That was it as far as cushioning.
The box was pretty beat and I opened it with apprehension.
The foam corner protectors were totally destroyed but the amp appeared ok.
There were a few leaning tubes and after I straightened those it fired up fine.
I called them and told them they should package these better and the guy asked if it had the blue foam around the amp.
I said no, just those white foam corner pieces.
He replied, oh, you got one of the old ones.........

I guess they haven't lost enough money yet to make it worth there while to package better.
My D'Lite kit showed up fine with no damage. But it was shipped Fedex.
Moss had put fragile, glass stickers on it.........

[Johnhenry]

The Cure for " The UPS Blue's " = It's called Fedex !
Johnhenry

[dartanion]

The Cure for " The UPS Blue's " = It's called Fedex !
Johnhenry

I know that, but I can't get everyone that ships stuff to me to use FedEx. That's the hard part.

[Johnhenry]

I hear ya Dart, and I know it was a complete Bummer just knowin what you were waiting for, that's a sweet lookin and I bet Sweet sounding package you were holdin your breath for, I've had some pretty bad deal's from the guy in brown, but i guess in today's world you gotta be glad if it just make's it to your house !,
Johnhenry

[lastwinj]

no accountability anymore. fact of life.

and, since none of us (everyone) will pay increased shipping rates across the board for more conscientious handling, nothing will change.

germ

[dartanion]

no accountability anymore. fact of life.

and, since none of us (everyone) will pay increased shipping rates across the board for more conscientious handling, nothing will change.

germ

NONE? I specify FedEx whenever I can and pay for the best "handling" I can get for items shipped to me. When I ship, all I use is FedEx as I have much more confidence in their quality of service. I also overpackage to ensure safe arrival regards of using the best available shipper. You never know what's going to happen. One of the bridges here was closed last week for a while as a semi had over turned due to extreme winds. It happened to be a FedEx truck.

I tracked my package on the UPS website last night, 24hrs after delivery, and it still was up to date. It is now, but what good is 2 day old information.