I guess this is the FedEx version of the “I Hate UPS” thread . . .
Brilliant work on their part today. A wine shipment apparently has a “refrigerate immediately” tag on it. As a result, because they don’t have a refrigerator, my local hold at location delivery center had the truck driver take it back on the truck. So it can drive around on a warm truck, spend the weekend there, and then remain stuck in a limbo of being unable to be delivered to the HAL center or me.
Was that shipment from Liquid Farm? I received my club shipment with that same sticker but GSO delivered it in the morning so the bottles had a nice chill in the box.
I haven’t really had any problems with FedEx, UPS or GSO wine-wise but for packages in general, UPS seems to be the worst, with delays because some container or truck failed to get unloaded. USPS is actually the most reliable when it comes to regular stuff I buy online.
FedEx only for me. I once had 9 straight late deliveries by UPS. I believe UPS to have systemic problems they are not divulging to customers. UPS relies heavily on rail lines to move packages across the country, and I believe they are struggling with capacity issues. The main rail hub for UPS appears to be just outside of Chicago, in Hodkins, IL, and there are always “train derailments” or “missed train” issues here. My guess is that the Bakken has squeezed rail capacity. From my experience, I’ll request FedEx and consider shorting UPS stock.
In regards to local experiences, this is largely down to how decent your local depot and driver is, so preference will probably be pretty scattershot.
I like FedEx because they will deliver to their local store and I can pick up there. GSO is also very good, but their facility is anywhere near me so if I miss a delivery, its a huge pain.
+1,000,000,001
Although I did get to know my UPS driver - recently retired by a bad back - and he would do me all sorts of favors to make it easy.
UPS and Fedex are heads better than GSO. Moving forward, i’m just going to have all my wine deliveries sent to work.
I think that some of the difficulties must be local, as far as drivers not making efforts to deliver. The UPS and the Fedex drivers in Seattle have been great. I’ve had problems with neither UPS or Fedex at work, and problems with both at home, since I’m never there to sign.
At least the pick-up location for Fedex is a Kinko’s between work and home. The UPS pick-up is ten miles away, and not open most hours I can get there. Customer service for UPS, as in talking to a human, is either non-existent or impossible to reach.
P Hickner
For wine, I prefer FedEx, because the redirect is easy.
UPS, not so much. I live 1/8 mile from a UPS store, and I work 6 miles west of my house, right down the street from the Greenville UPS distribution center. But my packages come from the Spartanburg distribution center, which is 20-25 minutes east of my house. When I select "hold for pickup, the only option given is the Spartanburg distribution center. It’s a major PITA. I’ve asked why I cannot redirect to the UPS store and I got a canned answer that told me nothing.
I am happy to pay the $5 if it comes near my house. Not if I have to drive 20-25 minutes past my house.
I guess in the future if I know they are using UPS, I’ll list my delivery address as the UPS store address. But that means checking with the winery before i order to see who they ship with.
Your UPS issue is my exact FedEx issue. I drive 1 mile out of my way to pick up UPS shipments, and 17 miles each way for FedEx. I have dropped two wineries that ship FedEx from my list of mailers, and the rest will be gone soon.
Out of my last 5 shipments from UPS all five have been late.
Indeed it was Liquid Farm!
Looks like everybody has different experiences - in my case FedEx at least has HAL within a mile of me. UPS in a distant trip.
I’ll take FedEx every time please. Driving out to the UPS distro center in the suburbs is a nightmare (usually have to do it during rush hour), versus a FedEx/Kinkos like 1/4 mile away from my house.
fedex is also quicker right? Certain states for ups take 5 business days, not including pick up day, to go cross country, while Fedex is at most 4?
In my town UPS will not let me ship a bottle of wine. Like if I sell a bottle on WineCommune and need to ship it. They will ask me what’s in the box. One time I said “extra virgin olive oil in a styro shipper”. They made me open the box and once they saw it was wine they sent me on my way with my wine… Can’t ship wine in NYS without a license… Fedex will take anything I give them. Have never had an issue. I like Fedex!
Few years ago I did the shipping for a small winery. We were originally on UPS and I had no probs. Someone got the bright idea to save a couple bucks and switch us to FDX. Had several issues until I whined (or wined) and got switched back.
The killer for me was the time we shipped to someone’s business in an industrial part of Chicago. Came back from FDX saying no such address. Verified with the customer, repackaged and took it to the UPS store, and it was just fine. Well, either that one or the time someone else signed for a guy’s case when he wasn’t home and the wine disappeared. Never was sure if FDX was being dumb or lazy or if they got scammed. Either way FDX was a complete pain in the butt.
Your mileage may vary.
Was a very sad day when DHL packed up it’s domestic business. Now use fedex. UPS is dead last
Nope. CA to CT is Monday to Monday for both.
I have always been happy with FEDEX. I get a copy of their itinerary, and on the day of delivery, we get a phone call telling us within a narrow window when the wine will be delivered. When it is delivered, packages are always pristine. As my wife and I can’t lift heavy wine boxes any more, the drivers put them inside the kitchen or front hallway for us. Last time we had a delivery, it was with a new to us driver. He also put the wine directly in the house for us and told us the other driver had mentioned we needed this done. Boy howdy, do we appreciate them.
Gotta give credit - the local HAL called me this morning to tell me this and another shipment arrived, but that the LF had to go back. They said they’d try to get it to come back on the truck in the evening. I went by to pick up the other wine, and sure enough the LF box was waiting there for me as well . . . credit to FedEx for having the flexibility to address the problem quickly. UPS wouldn’t do that.