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Fed Extra Stupid Experience with HA package
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44 posts in this topic

Last night I got an email that I had a HA package en route via Fed Ex.  Tracking number was provided as usual so I immediately go on Fed Ex's site to track and redirect delivery to HOLD at Fed Ex Location. That way I can pick it up as I likely wouldn't be home when they delivered.

The website gave some vague error that the option wasn't averrable right now, try again later. Ok, sometimes when a package has just entered the system sometimes the tracking takes time to catch up.

So I tried again in the morning.  Website was still not working. It almost worked, but then something went wrong and the page wouldn't load. I tried online chat, and waited 76 people in queue and then the chat freaked out and I lost that too.  Tried again from desktop.  Still no dice. >:(

Frustrated I called them,  25 minutes later I get some cheerful overseas guy who'si more than willing to set this up.  Then he says he can't. The shipper put restrictions on the shipment that it couldn't be redirected. Huh??? Nope, he can't do it. I explain it makes zero sense.  The package is being sent FEDEX GROUND- NO signature required.  They can leave it in the middle of my front yard but they can't take it to one of their own retail locations where I would have to show my ID and sign for it?   Nope, can't.  Shipper Restrictions.  (tsk)If I call the shipper and have them call FedEx they could do something. Yeah right.  At the very least I ask him to set it up to send me text alerts of the tracking and delivery status.  Nope. Can't do that. Not  an option they have. BS. BS BS.  I've done that over the phone before.  All he can do is have it send me email updates. Fine. :S

So I stop wasting time with this cheerful insufficiently_thoughtful_person and call HA directly in Dallas and speak to the shipping dept.  I get a nice gal who listens to my issue and she puts me on hold for awhile to look into it.  Nope, they put no such restrictions on my package or any other package.  She didn't even know what or how that was even possible for them to do on their end.  Her suggestion was to call Fed Ex back as I would most certainly get someone else that knew what they were doing.  Ok, That sounded plausible.

So I went through the 9 layers of BS to get yet another much less cheery overseas guy and he says no. Shipper Restrictions.  I tell him he is wrong, and that it makes zero sense for that to be the case.  I demand to speak to his manager, hoping that this would transfer the call to this continent, but no dice.  I get a really snotty guy that must have been sitting next to the other nimrod and we really get into it.  Finally I give up and just hang up in the middle of a string of expletives.  While I've been on-hold, I did the thing they said they could not do online and set it up to send me text alerts. Screw you Fed Ex.  :frustrated:

2.5 hours later I get a text that the package has arrived, in the middle of the afternoon, left on the front porch.  :censored::censored::censored::censored:

I had to wait a couple of hours to go home and retrieve my package in the the middle of Porch Pirate Season. Thanks for nothing Fed Ex.  I am a little annoyed with HA that for all the extravagant fees and taxes I paid they can't spring for requiring a damn signature. I"m curious if anyone else has had a similar issue recently with HA and Fed Ex? I can't be the only person that uses the hold at a Fed Ex facility option.  I've been doing it for 6-7 years after I learned my lesson what a hassle it was to track down a package after the fact.  Getting Fed Ex customer service involved used to be a fairly painless and efficient process.  Now that they've outsource this stuff overseas, not so much. (tsk) They really just want you to do it all online, but at no point did the website provide any useful information as to why the option they promote was not working, which would have saved me a couple of hours time trying to get a person on the phone.  

This might just be the last nail in the coffin for me and HA. rantrant

Edited by MYNAMEISLEGION
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19 minutes ago, MYNAMEISLEGION said:

Last night I got an email that I had a HA package en route via Fed Ex.  Tracking number was provided as usual so I immediately go on Fed Ex's site to track and redirect delivery to HOLD at Fed Ex Location. That way I can pick it up as I likely wouldn't be home when they delivered.

The website gave some vague error that the option wasn't averrable right now, try again later. Ok, sometimes when a package has just entered the system sometimes the tracking takes time to catch up.

So I tried again in the morning.  Website was still not working. It almost worked, but then something went wrong and the page wouldn't load. I tried online chat, and waited 76 people in queue and then the chat freaked out and I lost that too.  Tried again from desktop.  Still no dice. >:(

Frustrated I called them,  25 minutes later I get some cheerful overseas guy who'si more than willing to set this up.  Then he says he can't. The shipper put restrictions on the shipment that it couldn't be redirected. Huh??? Nope, he can't do it. I explain it makes zero sense.  The package is being sent FEDEX GROUND- NO signature required.  They can leave it in the middle of my front yard but they can't take it to one of their own retail locations where I would have to show my ID and sign for it?   Nope, can't.  Shipper Restrictions.  (tsk)If I call the shipper and have them call FedEx they could do something. Yeah right.  At the very least I ask him to set it up to send me text alerts of the tracking and delivery status.  Nope. Can't do that. Not  an option they have. BS. BS BS.  I've done that over the phone before.  All he can do is have it send me email updates. Fine. :S

So I stop wasting time with this cheerful insufficiently_thoughtful_person and call HA directly in Dallas and speak to the shipping dept.  I get a nice gal who listens to my issue and she puts me on hold for awhile to look into it.  Nope, they put no such restrictions on my package or any other package.  She didn't even know what or how that was even possible for them to do on their end.  Her suggestion was to call Fed Ex back as I would most certainly get someone else that knew what they were doing.  Ok, That sounded plausible.

So I went through the 9 layers of BS to get yet another much less cheery overseas guy and he says no. Shipper Restrictions.  I tell him he is wrong, and that it makes zero sense for that to be the case.  I demand to speak to his manager, hoping that this would transfer the call to this continent, but no dice.  I get a really snotty guy that must have been sitting next to the other nimrod and we really get into it.  Finally I give up and just hang up in the middle of a string of expletives.  While I've been on-hold, I did the thing they said they could not do online and set it up to send me text alerts. Screw you Fed Ex.  :frustrated:

2.5 hours later I get a text that the package has arrived, in the middle of the afternoon, left on the front porch.  :censored::censored::censored::censored:

I had to wait a couple of hours to go home and retrieve my package in the the middle of Porch Pirate Season. Thanks for nothing Fed Ex.  I am a little annoyed with HA that for all the extravagant fees and taxes I paid they can't spring for requiring a damn signature. I"m curious if anyone else has had a similar issue recently with HA and Fed Ex? I can't be the only person that uses the hold at a Fed Ex facility option.  I've been doing it for 6-7 years after I learned my lesson what a hassle it was to track down a package after the fact.  Getting Fed Ex customer service involved used to be a fairly painless and efficient process.  Now that they've outsource this stuff overseas, not so much. (tsk) They really just want you to do it all online, but at no point did the website provide any useful information as to why the option they promote was not working, which would have saved me a couple of hours time trying to get a person on the phone.  

This might just be the last nail in the coffin for me and HA. rantrant

I also use hold at fedex facility. I have never had an issue. Fedex used to ship to me all the time and I used that option because of the restrictions of fedex ground. Plus fedex ground is run by a different company than fedex. fedex never told me I couldn't hold at their facility. Very strange.

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11 minutes ago, eewwnuk said:

So u got your package safe and sound?

I did, thankfully.  The last couple days had been misty and foggy, but it burned off today- nevertheless I find it incomprehensible that I could not intercede to increase the amount of security for my package which is less leg work for FedEx, and less of an insurance risk for theft or damage for both FedEx and HA. Instead they insisted on leaving a package on my porch in December.  Unacceptable. 

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2 hours ago, MYNAMEISLEGION said:

I did, thankfully.  The last couple days had been misty and foggy, but it burned off today- nevertheless I find it incomprehensible that I could not intercede to increase the amount of security for my package which is less leg work for FedEx, and less of an insurance risk for theft or damage for both FedEx and HA. Instead they insisted on leaving a package on my porch in December.  Unacceptable. 

I would have assumed at minimum HA would take the precaution of signature confirmation. Hold and pickup should always be an option when the recipient can’t be home to receive packages. It’s not like they are delivering bottle caps. This is one of a kind irreplaceable art.

 

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Based upon my own recent experience, I think FedEx is actively working to become more like USPS (i.e. completely inflexible).  A fellow boardie sent me two books via FedEx that I'd claimed from his thread, and it was a four figure outlay, so not insignificant.  Like @tth2, I have all of my books sent to the office as someone is usually here M-F, 9-5.  FedEx first delivery attempt was on a Saturday.  Oops.

OK cool, they'll probably try to re-deliver on Tuesday, since Monday was Veteran's Day.  Nope, tracking says we'll try again Monday.  We're off on Monday, nobody manning the ship that day.  Ergh.  So like I was used to doing in the past, I call up the tracking number on the website and look to have it diverted to a local hold facility so I can pick it up.  Option nowhere to be found.  WTF.  Oh, but if I sign up on the website, then I get more functions.  Rock on, let's do that.  OK, at least I can set my re-delivery date.  Let's choose Wednesday.  And...huh?  "This service is only available for residential addresses."  Right, because that makes perfect sense.  No business ever has needed to reschedule a delivery.

Luckily, unlike @MYNAMEISLEGION's situation, my phone call did not go to Bangladesh, and I got very helpful rep here in the US who took care of the reschedule.  They even called before and after to confirm the delivery.  5 stars for the phone reps.  -47 stars for the rest of the debacle.  

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The other thing about Fedex (and UPS) these days - the estimated arrival time shown when a package leaves no longer has any relationship to the  day it actually shows up. Not sure if that has to do more with the season or the general feeling among businesses that they no longer have to do anything as promised, as there are no longer consequences for such things.

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45 minutes ago, glendgold said:

as there are no longer consequences for such things.

If every HA customer filed a non-delivery report on art/comics that were left without a proper chain of custody (signature), that would get HA's attention. They are the ones to raise a stink with, not FedEx.

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32 minutes ago, BCarter27 said:

If every HA customer filed a non-delivery report on art/comics that were left without a proper chain of custody (signature), that would get HA's attention. They are the ones to raise a stink with, not FedEx.

Understandable sentiment but careful bro -you're advocating fraud except for those cases that people would file anyway because non-delivery actually was an issue ;)

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Fed Ex and USPS are both getting horrendously frustrating. I have so many stories over the last couple years.

Or in other words, coming more in line with where UPS has been for the last 3 decades. 

But they aren’t that bad yet. Not that they aren’t trying.

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I've had the same problem a number of times.  HA sets it up as "Direct Signature", as a result FedEx won't leave it with a Walgreen or local FedEx location.  I haven't tried to change my shipping address to a FedEx location.  Not sure if that would circumvent the process.  But, I don't think this is a FedEx thing, I think it's a HA thing.  In fairness, no porch pirate risk under this scenario.  Everything I've gotten from them is signature required.  I've never seen them drop off a piece of OA on my porch and leave.  

Ron

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19 minutes ago, rsonenthal said:

I've had the same problem a number of times.  HA sets it up as "Direct Signature", as a result FedEx won't leave it with a Walgreen or local FedEx location.  I haven't tried to change my shipping address to a FedEx location.  Not sure if that would circumvent the process.  But, I don't think this is a FedEx thing, I think it's a HA thing.  In fairness, no porch pirate risk under this scenario.  Everything I've gotten from them is signature required.  I've never seen them drop off a piece of OA on my porch and leave.  

Ron

When I pick up items after they are held at the fedex location I always have to sign

 

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Somebody said it to me on these boards years ago, and I echo it now - why not get a box somewhere? I have one at the Postal Annex. They take every carrier, and I get an email when my packages are there. Pick it up at my convenience and it’s safe til I do. As much as most of us spend on art I’m surprised it’s not standard practice. 

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9 minutes ago, cloud cloddie said:

Somebody said it to me on these boards years ago, and I echo it now - why not get a box somewhere? I have one at the Postal Annex. They take every carrier, and I get an email when my packages are there. Pick it up at my convenience and it’s safe til I do. As much as most of us spend on art I’m surprised it’s not standard practice. 

I think there are some sellers (not me) who don't ship to boxes, so there could be some friction there in your collecting.

Otherwise, I agree with the concept.

Some collectors might not have a nearby box provider, plus there is a layer of expense with the box fee.

David

 

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