UPS Sucks
That's right. I said UPS Sucks! UPS Sucks, UPS Sucks, UPS Sucks.As many know, I bake cookies and ship them all over the country at Christmas. This year, I baked more cookies than ever before, beginning prior to Thanksgiving and finishing on December 10th.
On December 11th, I went to my local UPS Store to ship the packages. I paid dearly for it, too.
Last year (I speak of the cookies shipped for Christmas 2005), it should be noted, one of the packages had difficulty arriving. It was shipped to a small town in Pennsylvania by the name of Mountaintop. For some reason, the driver had trouble finding the equivalent of Main Street in this little town. After some work, I managed to get the directions (to friggin' Main Street) to the driver and the package was delivered 3 days late.
This year, I was again sending a package to that same town and so I wanted to make certain that there were no problems encountered.
Well, it seems that Mountaintop, PA is UPS's Brigadoon - exceptionally difficult to locate and even harder to deliver to.
This year the box, as I said, was delivered to UPS for shipment on 12/11/06. I have a printout of the tracking history and can tell you that it even left Madison, WI on that same day. On 12/14/06, it went out for delivery. However, the driver claimed an exception, saying that the address was incorrect and a corrected address was needed. I duly called UPS (because I had been tracking all of the packages sent on a daily basis 'cause I'm a control freak) to tell them, no, the address is correct. It is a business. I send him mail at that address on the freakin' main drag several times per week with no difficulties. The tracking information claimed that they were sending a postcard out requesting that the recipient contact UPS (which I found highly ironic considering they were sending a postcard to an address they claim doesn't exist).
On 12/16/06, the tracking information says that the address has been corrected (except it was never wrong) and delivery was rescheduled.
On 12/18/06, I am informed, via tracking, that the "Receiver has moved" (except he hasn't) and that they are trying to get a new address.
Later that very same day, they decide not to deliver it and instead return it to me. Gee, thanks. Thanks for all of that effort, UPS.
They initiate the return on 12/19/06 and it appears on my doorstep on 12/22/06, way too late for me to get it to the intended recipient in time for Christmas. That's right. They fiddle-farted around for 10 freakin' days. To add injury to insult, when I opened the box (which didn't look so good) the contents were in ruins. I'm talking cookie rubble here. I was embarrassed. If it had ended up with the intended recipient, I would have been mortified.
Now, lest you say I should have done a better job packing the box, let me assure you that all the boxes were carefully packaged with plenty of padding. And, the address which UPS failed to locate is a good address that does actually exist on the main drag of a small town. How do I know? Ah, this is the best part! Read on!
The recipient had been expecting these cookies. He knew they were coming and even tried to assist in the delivery by making himself available. I had to send him something and the haphazard and careless manner in which these cookies were handled and returned to me (demolished) dictated that I had to bake yet more cookies. That's right. I had to bake even more cookies. He did not get the full assortment, however, and had to settle for those that he specifically requested. This time, I shipped them using the good ol' inefficient United States Postal Service. It arrived in 2 days, intact, at the aforementioned address that UPS was unable to locate for so many days.
If you want to send a package to Brigadoon, send it by USPS, not those idiots at UPS. They've got the address, and a post office right there in town.
Now, just a bit more venting, if you don't mind. As I mentioned, I shipped the original packages through the local UPS Store. Here's what I have to say about them: They suck too. Granted, they may have tried to help me, but they were awful quick to disclaim any knowledge and pass the buck. And even that I can forgive. What I can't forgive, however, is the fact that they didn't once - NOT ONCE - return a phone call to me. And, I called them multiple times. Moreover, THEY LIED. They said that once the package was returned to me, they would arrange to have it shipped again or refund my original charge. To this date - FREAKIN' JANUARY 10 - they still haven't arranged to pick up the package and ship it again, there has been no phone call, no refund, nothing.
I asked people what I should do about this mess and they all urged me to let it go. I could have written a letter to UPS's corporate offices to express my inordinate displeasure over the entire fiasco, but instead, I chose to air my grievances here. That way, anytime anybody googles UPS, this post about how UPS Sucks will come up.
That is much better than more unreturned phone calls and a never-gonna-get-it refund or any explanations about how the mountain is too tall and the brown trucks can't get up there, or plane crashes that maroon packages on a desert isle with only a volleyball for company, or addresses that don't exist, or towns that only show up once every 100 years.
Just for the record, all the rest of the packages arrived in 2 or 3 days time. Nevertheless, UPS's inability to be better at their jobs or RETURN A FREAKIN' PHONE CALL means that next year, my cookies are shipping via FedEx or USPS.
yeah. I feel much better now.
Labels: Rant
