FedEx vs UPS

[Dizzie]

Can anyone tell me if UPS gives a time window for deliveries?

My last two deliveries from FedEx were both marked "by end of day". And that is using my Delivery Manager account. One delivery came at 5:50pm. I am still waiting for the second delivery but I need to be at a doctor's appointment. The delivery date was changed creating a conflict I had purposefully tried to avoid.

I cannot control what delivery company a seller has chosen but I can choose who I use to ship. I am considering abandoning my FedEx account and going to UPS out of courtesy to people I ship to.

With all the technology available delivery companies should be able to give better time estimates than "by end of day". Surely their trucks are not loaded randomly. There must be some loading order to facilitate driver efficiency.

[mep]

You are lucky if FedEx delivers by the end of the day they were scheduled to deliver your package, never mind about asking for a window of time. I've lost count of the times FedEx took an exception to delivery on the day of delivery.

Sometimes they lie about it and say they took exception because no one was home to accept a package where no signature was required. They love to game the system.

[MichaelsMinute]

Can anyone tell me if UPS gives a time window for deliveries?

My last two deliveries from FedEx were both marked "by end of day". And that is using my Delivery Manager account. One delivery came at 5:50pm. I am still waiting for the second delivery but I need to be at a doctor's appointment. The delivery date was changed creating a conflict I had purposefully tried to avoid.

I cannot control what delivery company a seller has chosen but I can choose who I use to ship. I am considering abandoning my FedEx account and going to UPS out of courtesy to people I ship to.

With all the technology available delivery companies should be able to give better time estimates than "by end of day". Surely their trucks are not loaded randomly. There must be some loading order to facilitate driver efficiency.

For me UPS gives a time window for delivery and is always 100% wrong.

[mxk116]

Both FedEx and UPS provide delivery windows. However, it is apparent that the reliability of either of these companies varies widely depending on where one lives. I have had unsatisfactory results with both but generally I have learned to manage my expectations by having deliveries that require a signature held for pickup at the "closest" FedEx/UPS location.

I live in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Regardless of the delivery window provided by the shipper I am rarely home to sign. Even though the closest facility for UPS or FedEx is 30 minutes away I prefer the certainty that I can pickup a package at my convenience.

[Vintage_Tube]

When that happens to me - conflict with a delivery and appointment, I log in and have FEDEX or UPS drop off the item at the closest facility they have =, i.e, one of their Print & Office facilities.

Best to all,

Bob

[Shadowfax]

I just had a Fed Ex delivery from Slovakia and all the tracking said it would be here tomorrow, 11/14. It was delivered Saturday 11/11.

[Dizzie]

Thanks for the responses. I tried to do select a FedEx facility for pickup that but maybe I did something wrong. I expected a list of facilities to pop up for me to choose from. Instead I was asked to enter an address. Did I do something wrong? Is there a charge?

The package I am waiting for weighs 65 pounds and is 24x24x19". I really would prefer delivery to my doorstep.

[Vintage_Tube]

Thanks for the responses. I tried to do select a FedEx facility for pickup that but maybe I did something wrong. I expected a list of facilities to pop up for me to choose from. Instead I was asked to enter an address. Did I do something wrong? Is there a charge?

On the FEDEX email -- select MANAGE DELIVERY or Delivery Options and there should be pops ups of available pickup locations. The FEDEX System already knows where the packages delivery address is. No Fee.

OR

You can go to the nearest FEDEX facility with tracking number & photo ID and have them redirect it to that facility.

Best Sir,

Bob

[Dizzie]

On the FEDEX email -- select MANAGE DELIVERY or Delivery Options and there should be pops ups of available pickup locations. The FEDEX System already knows where the packages delivery address is. No Fee.

Best Sir,

Bob

Thanks Bob but I have been there and done that. Delivery Manager takes me to my account where they ask if I want to add another delivery address. There is no popup menu of local FedEx sites. I have tried several times and it always ends the same.

[Vintage_Tube]

Thanks Bob but I have been there and done that. Delivery Manager takes me to my account where they ask if I want to add another delivery address. There is no popup menu of local FedEx sites. I have tried several times and it always ends the same.

Just edited in another option to my post (take a looksie).

Best to you Sir,

Bob

[Phil A]

Thanks Bob but I have been there and done that. Delivery Manager takes me to my account where they ask if I want to add another delivery address. There is no popup menu of local FedEx sites. I have tried several times and it always ends the same.

FedEx - Shipping and printing locations near you


I was coming back from vacation about 6 months back and had a projector coming but likely wouldn't be home home when they would normally come. I called and had it diverted to a local Walgreens drugstore a couple of miles from my house. Where I used to live and when I worked, I'd divert things all the time to my local Fedex Home Office store which was just a few miles away.

[mxk116]

Thanks Bob but I have been there and done that. Delivery Manager takes me to my account where they ask if I want to add another delivery address. There is no popup menu of local FedEx sites. I have tried several times and it always ends the same.

It is possible that the shipper has prevented the package from being redirected. That recently happened to me with a new guitar amp I purchased. Unfortunately the only way to confirm that is by calling FedEx and/or the individual/company that shipped the package to you.

[gadawg]

Well I have some new to me MIT Oracle MA-X SHD speaker cables arriving via UPS and I hope they are up to the challenge! LOL

George

[crwilli]

It is possible that the shipper has prevented the package from being redirected. That recently happened to me with a new guitar amp I purchased. Unfortunately the only way to confirm that is by calling FedEx and/or the individual/company that shipped the package to you.

There is a weight limit (50lbs I think) for packages to be sent to a Walgreens. That can catch you sometimes.

[Dizzie]

There is a weight limit (50lbs I think) for packages to be sent to a Walgreens. That can catch you sometimes.

My package weighed 65 pounds (24x24x19"). I certainly did not want to muscle it through Walgreens and then in/out of my vehicle. I left a note on my door and the FedEx driver kindly delivered the package to my next door neighbor. That way I did not have to drive 10 miles round trip and lift the package in/out of my car. Handling the package was still a challenge but I did not have to lift it completely off the ground.

Package was delivered at 3:44pm. The time window I was given was "by end of day".

[Mr Peabody]

I have better luck with UPS but neither company provides tracking like they used to. UPS used to give step by step or town by town but I haven't seen that specific in awhile.

That's interesting Shadowfax, I last shipped an amp to Hawaii that arrived a few days before it should have. The guy called me to say he was happy with the amp and I was shocked because he wasn't even supposed to have it yet, LOL

[CPP]

My FedEx shipment arriving today., And yes they do give a projected time of delivery. I've been using FedEx in my area for over 16 years and its pretty much the same each time.

[mep]

My FedEx shipment arriving today., And yes they do give a projected time of delivery. I've been using FedEx in my area for over 16 years and its pretty much the same each time.

I have received notifications just like that Chris. After 2:30 PM comes and goes, the next message says by 10:00 PM. After 10:00 PM comes and goes, a delivery exception is usually next. My recommendation is don't sit on a picket fence waiting for UPS or FedEx to show up with your package on the day and time window provided.

[CPP]

I have received notifications just like that Chris. After 2:30 PM comes and goes, the next message says by 10:00 PM. After 10:00 PM comes and goes, a delivery exception is usually next. My recommendation is don't sit on a picket fence waiting for UPS or FedEx to show up with your package on the day and time window provided.

People who take anything for granted these days for anything are, are dreaming for an expectation will be met. These delivery times are best estimates. And who knows what can impact any arrival, like when a person takes a trip somewhere and their driving and arrival times are impacted by ; Plane and transport delays to a distribution location, traffic conditions (wrecks, roads closed, traffic at a standstill) then you have weather depending on where you are and even car/truck troubles. Shit happens. And like you noted, "don't sit on a picket fence waiting ".

Update to my shipment: arrived 1:28.

[gadawg]

My UPS shipment arrived today but it was shipped in two different boxes and came in two very different parts of the day .. kinda irritating. Had to sign for the first package but not the second. Fedex is usually more reliable where I live but at least my new cables got here today! Fedex never lost a package for me yet .. UPS almost lost my Esoteric DAC a few years back and took over a week for them to find it still in the back of some truck.

George

[Dizzie]

People who take anything for granted these days for anything are, are dreaming for an expectation will be met. These delivery times are best estimates. And who knows what can impact any arrival, like when a person takes a trip somewhere and their driving and arrival times are impacted by ; Plane and transport delays to a distribution location, traffic conditions (wrecks, roads closed, traffic at a standstill) then you have weather depending on where you are and even car/truck troubles. Shit happens. And like you noted, "don't sit on a picket fence waiting ".

Update to my shipment: arrived 1:28.

Not really relevant. I was talking about delivery time for a package loaded or about to be loaded (next day) on the final delivery vehicle. Trucks don't drive random routes. They have a known start area and sequence they follow until the final delivery area. Delivery windows should not be impossible to predict with all the technology available.

I live in a suburban area that has many new residential developments defined by cross streets and green belts. When a truck enters an area they tend to stay in that development until they move to the next one. That is definitely the case in my gated retirement community.

[JCS123]

Personally, I would never use Fedex by choice. UPS USPS are FAR more reliable in my experience.

One consideration regarding the pop-up window for pickup location choice: if you have pop-up blockers enabled, you can find yourself scratching your head as to why FedEx (or anyone's) system doesn't seem to be working. Not saying that this is your situation, but I don't know how many times I've hit that roadblock, and got very frustrated before eventually remembering that I had to disable the blockers for that website.