UPS vs. FedEx

[Twitch]

Guitars not withstanding, UPS rocks, FedEx blows. Ive ordered 3 things this week from the same online store. Two items on the same day and the third item 2 days later. The first two items were shipped FedEx(on Feb 6th) and the third for whatever reason was shipped UPS(on Feb. 8th). The UPS package got here at noon today, the FedEx shipments for items 1 and 2(yes they were shipped separately) are said to be delivered on Wed. the 15th for package two and the 14th for package 1 according to the toll free phone tracking option(the online tracker shows package 1 as Feb. 14th and the 2nd package hasnt left the initial FedEx location yet). So not only does the shipment time blow, but the online tracking is 100% unreliable and useless. How do 2 packages shipped the same day, from the same place, wind up with 24 hours between scheduled deliveries? Furthermore, the third package was shipped TWO DAYS LATER from the same store, but with UPS and will have beaten the FedEx deliveries by almost a week if they in fact get here by the 15th. :think: Kind of figures as packages 1 and 2 are the ones I was really waiting on, package 3 was just a trivial afterthought, not much to get excited about.

[Cygnus X1]

I find it very strange how varied the experiences are.
I've had very few problems with Fedex at all.
Been using them for business and personal use for 20 years.

UPS has consistently let me down for the same amount of time.
Slow delivery, nearly all packages show damage, and "screw you" if there is a lost package.

I can't figure it out, but I stick with Fedex and have never, no...NEVER had a lost package
and the delivery from here in SC has not been more than a day off from estimate.

Only difference I see is IN is a union state, and SC is firmly not?
(Just throwing it out there, again I don't know).

I've had Fedex drivers stop by in their personal vehicles upwards of 7:30 PM to deliver, just on their
way back home.
Not on priority either, just regular Fedex shipping.
Helps to tip sometimes?

[Nimitz]

Priority Mail Baby!!!

[Argos]

In my experience, UPS breaks EVERYTHING. I miss DHL. They were the best, especially for shipping guitars/amps.

[Twitch]

Priority Mail Baby!!!

Didnt have that option. I should have coughed up the cash for the 2nd day air shipping. I had the money and already spent nearly $300, just felt nearly $300 was enough. Get you pay for I guess, free shipping and all.

[roodyrocker]

As far as damaged packages go they're both equal opportunity destroyers The tracking with Fedex leaves a lot to be desired. I've had a few cases where the online tracking says its out for delivery or at a certain place when its not! I go to the hub to pick up the package, its still on the truck. I call to find out when it will be there only to find out its returning to some other place (hub?) further away from me. One time I watched a Jackson I bought coming from the west coast, out to Ohio and kept on going to NC, and when they realized what they did sent it all the way back to the west coast! had to wait damn near another week for it to make the trip back out again.

[Rich#6]

I've only had ups bustup a guitar. the people at the fedex store are great.

[DonP]

Good luck with USPS this week. Several items came in, including a firecrakle Model 5FX.

[len]

The big issue is whether its going to a home or business, both services add a surcharge for home delivery and signature confirmation. i always try to ship to a business because its cheaper and a signature is automatic.
Fed Ex ground ...home delivery tues-saturday,business delivery mon thru friday but the packages move on saturday,UPS shuts down on weekends, and they bend you over if you want a sig and home delivery.
My shipping account is with Fed Ex even though i work 100 feet from the wilmington,NC UPS depot and go there everyday when working.

[Codex]

I would agree that FedEx Express is pretty crappy, but FedEx ground is usually really good. Two completely different companies/beasts. UPS around here is what it is - nothing great, but doesn't suck. I really think alot depends on you location though. Here on the east coast, FedEx is great, but as you head out to the mid west, it might start to suck.

[neilli]

I had a horrible experience with UPS 10 days or so ago. This is a bit of a long rant, so I won't blame you if you can't be assed to read it all. Summary is, UPS Stores suck ass, and the messages are inconsistent between UPS call centers and the stores:

I recently sold a Jackson doubleneck guitar. The buyer wanted the guitar to get to him quickly, with full insurance. Given that criteria, the only option was UPS. Canada Post / USPS would have been less than half the price, but their quickest option was 5 days, and they only insure up to $1000.

As such, I measured the case, added some extra to allow for the packing and the box and got a quote, both from the UPS website and from the local UPS Store. It was circa $180, plus $90 for the insurance. The UPS store also said that they had to pack the guitar in order for the shipment to be insured for damage, and I was told that would cost circa $25. Now that gave a total of basically 300 bucks, so not exactly cheap, but then it's a big case, with 3 day shipping and a premium for the insurance. Not ideal, but liveable. Just.

As an aside, I called UPS and was told that the insurance was based on the declared value, whoever it was that packed it i.e. I did not have to pay for the store to do it. Which obviously totally contradicts what the store (franchise) tell you. But whatever, I figured that $25 bucks on the top of $270 wasn't a big deal, so better to be safe than sorry right?

I've packed a bunch of guitars, and the buyer had some requests, so we agreed that I would pack the guitar in the case, and then take the case to the store to have them pack it up. So, I took the guitar into the store at 5pm on Monday Jan 31st and was told that it wouldn't be packed 'til the next day when the boss was there to inspect the guitar and my packing job. Ok, I guess that makes sense. And they assured me that the guitar would still be there by Friday. But I made it clear that I didn't want them to wreck what I'd done to hold the guitar tight in the case.

Anyway, the next morning, they pack the case up, but mysteriously have to use a bigger, stronger box than they'd quoted for because of the insured value I was requesting. Erm, OK, that makes sense I guess, even though I'd told them that the day before. So on they go with their packing job, promising to call me to let me know what it was going to cost. Now bear in mind this was originally gonna be circa 300 bucks, I was thinking that it might jump to say $350 with the extra box.

After no phone call, I called the store to be told they'd just finished packing the guitar and to say that because of the box they'd used the basic shipping cost was now $320, plus $90 for insurance, plus $88 for packing materials. WTF?!! That's FIVE HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS! The cost of the shipping had effectively doubled, and the cost of the packing had gone up over 3 fold. The store graciously agreed to discount the packing, by a grand total of $14. So obviously that made all the difference.

I was soooo pissed off. The situation is ridiculous - the store provided a quote based on my provided (oversize) dimensions of the case, and then proceeded to massively increase those dimensions and then charge me for it. The original billable weight for the case was 39lbs. After their packing job, it had increased to 79lbs. Which is obviously insane.

The buyer and I discussed the options, and in the end we agreed that we'd just leave it with UPS but go for the cheaper 5 day option, which reduced the cost down to the original amount. However, unbeknown to me, UPS then charge a brokerage fee to process the item crossing into the US. That charge isn't confirmed yet, but again, it's another 'hidden charge' than nobody informed me of when I was dealing with the process.

Overall, I am pretty disgusted with this, and will do everything in my power not to use UPS in the future.

[Hellbat]

Yeah UPS is the champion of sticking it in your ass for brokerage fees. When I sent my guitar to Mike Learn I specifically asked if there would be brokerage fees and they said no because it was not an item being sold, just being 'repaired'.

Driver gets to Mike's shop with it and tries to charge him $80 to hand over the guitar. At that point they know they have you by the balls because they have your property and if it returns they are just gonna stick it to you for ANOTHER $80. I just had Mike charge me for the $80 so I could get the thing worked on but it ended up being a huge and unnecessary hassle for both of us.

FUCK UPS!!!

Really as close as I am to the border if I ever have to ship anything large to the US again, I'm driving to Blaine or Point Roberts and shipping it from there...

[MikeStrat]

They both suck ass but FedEx is the worst of the two imo. Honestly, I've slowed way down on the gear purchases partly because I don't trust the shippers anymore.

[SausageofPower]

UPS is the lesser of two evils to me, just because FedEx destroyed a $2000 defective stereo receiver that I was returning in 2007. It arrived back at the retailer, they couldn't refund me because they couldn't tell (and I don't blame them for this) if the thing was defective before it was smashed all to hell. Got an insurance claim and leaned on FedEx because they packed it, money was back in my hands a week or two later, but still more trouble than I needed.

UPS isn't perfect, but to their credit I've gotten my stuff on time and unharmed. Their residential rates are pretty damned steep though, especially since they changed their rates at the beginning of this year. I'll only use them when I have to.

[Musician78]

I've never had an issue with I either but I like Fex Ex more. They have Saturday delivery.