02 December 2015

UPS -> U SUCK!

I placed a small Amazon order last week.  I found a laser sight in my shooting bag.  It works but the batteries are dead.  The SCQueen tried to source the LR44 batteries locally but came up empty.

It then occurred to me I had inadvertently signed up for a free 30 day Amazon-prime trial (The link said "click here for free 2 day shipping" only to find out later it was the free 30 day trial.  I actually tried to get out of it but couldn't find a way).  OK.. one of the Prime benefits is free shipping without a minimum price.  So I when found a 10 pack of batteries I needed for five bucks & change, ok.. buy.

The package has taken on a life foretold in song:

swap my package for "Charlie" and UPS truck for "MTA"!*

UPS's tracker no longer even tracks the package.   Last thing I see is "packaged delayed one day"... dated MONDAY.  And everyday they do not deliver they simply move the "planned delivery date out a day".  Take away:  UPS tracking is USELESS!  The grief this shipping has caused both on my side and likely UPS as well vastly exceeds the package value.  Of course there is one simple way to resolve this, and that is for UPS to DELIVER THE PACKAGE!  Easy-Peasy!

Tonight the guy on the help desk (after 35 mins on hold) offered...  Well it is the holiday season and we are getting slammed.  I countered "Hello, do you have a CALENDAR?  this boon is as predictable as boons come.  How could you NOT be set up to handle it?  Excuses are like... well you know the rest.

I have screenshots to back up all of the above...  I didn't even bother with customer support this afternoon figuring "why listen to the lies?"  same same tonight... the people at online support don't know anything that's not in their computer, and they are no longer scanning this package.

I put this up as a "this in my experience"  as we enter this holiday buying season.  I offer this as fair warning to others.  I'm a capitalist...  Here are my takeaways:
  1. Caveat Emptor baby!  Buyer Beware!  I will avoid UPS if at all possible. FedEx and even USPS (GAG) are superior choices.    I'm struggling to find a shipper inferior to UPS and I come up blank.  I wouldn't trust UPS with my dirty laundry right now.
  2. If unavoidable, ship to $DayJob instead of $SandCastle. 
And hey Amazon... This affects you too...  You ship via UPS and they are not delivering.  This is  a big factor in NOT purchasing Prime for the year!  UPS has cost you business.  You should be involved.

That said, this feels very small considering the activities in San Bernadino, but this has been going on for 3 days now and is not over.  People, carry your guns.  They talk about "first RESPONDERS"  I want to talk about "Zero'th responders!"  That is people that are on site when the deed  goes down.   These things typically end when a good guy with a gun shows up.   They don't "respond" because they are already there!   YOU should be that good guy!  I want for  someone to "respond" with a reach to their hip, pull a gun a stop the offender(s) and control the situation until the "first" responders um...respond.

When I contact UPS (local) in the AM, I will specifically request they check under the drivers seat and any other cubby holes in the truck.  This wouldn't be the first time a vindictive UPS employee subverted my delivery.

Update 12/3:  I made the morning call..  The "manager" that answered was very dismissive.  "We don't know where your package is.  Just call Amazon and have them start a trace."  In otherwords, same thing everyone else looking at their computer screen has told me.  The one gem in the sea of Rocks was K...  I'm afraid to use her full name lest she get into trouble...  She took a genuine interest in the case.  I was sad to tell her "I'm sorry... I don't care anymore.  Amazon has made this right on their end and I've learnt my lesson WRT UPS."  Thank you for trying K...

Update 12/4:  Big Brown finally delivered the package today and on the early truck (before noon).  So my guess that "The driver threw the package away" incorrect.  However I suspect the only reason it arrived today and on the early truck is through the heroic efforts of the above mentioned K...  No one else seemed to care or was able to do anything.  Thanks K...!  Your efforts were noticed.  You are an inspiration to others.

Timeline:  Ordered 11/26, shipped 3 day select..  They scheduled delivery for 12/2 because they don't count Thanksgiving and the following Friday.  But the truck was enroute and got to town 11/30 and put on a truck for delivery Monday.  Which didn't happen.  They kept making excuses, finally delivered Friday 12/4 after a whole load of grief.

* I do not know the original date of the song..  I only know if it because it was probably the most appealing song we sung in 6th grade mandatory chorus, which I hated.  My  $.02, the best music is that without words!  The music speaks for itself.  See also Frankenstein.  Awesome piece, zero words.  The music speaks for itself.  But I digress...

FDA disclaimer:  Do you really think UPS would have paid for this post?   Really?

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