Don't get too comfortable with who you are at any given time - you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be.
-- Jon Bon Jovi

Sign This

In this day and age, I think it’s totally unacceptable for a company to mail a package to you with the expectation that you be available to sign for it without indicating when you order whatever it is that they are going to do so. I mean, I realize that there are still those folks who chose to work at home and there are the Stay-at-home Moms. However, pretty much over the last 20 or 30 years the likelihood that there is going to be someone at home when UPS or FedEx shows up at someone’s house has dwindled to nothing. So what is the point of advertising “free overnight shipping” if the recipient is only going to end up playing an annoying game of “will it be here today?” with the delivery folks?

And forget trying to get FedEx to change the delivery address after it has shipped. Even if you have the shipping address, your birth certificate, and a letter signed by your Congress-person proving you are who you say you are and you are the person who actually should get the package, FedEx will not change where the package goes without an Act of God and some sort of discussion from the CEO of the company who shipped the package originally. Admittedly, I’ve had better success with UPS on this matter.

You can actually go down to FedEx and pick up the package if you pre-arrange it but their office is purposely located somewhere not easy to find and you will probably be lost for several days trying to find your way back home. I do remember when you used to be able to go down to a UPS location to pick up packages but now that they’ve taken over those Mailboxes, Inc. shops, they’ve hidden their actual warehouses, presumably with magic spells learned from Harry Potter books.

Now, if I’d known ahead of time that said package needed a signature, like if the website had indicated that when I was finishing my order, I would have had it shipped to my office where someone would be during FedEx’s delivery hours. I don’t normally like to do that because I don’t like to bother the secretaries, but in an emergency or to avoid waiting two or three extra days for my Palm Treo 755p Smartphone, I’d let them suffer.

In this day and age, I think it only makes sense for companies to be upfront about their shipping/delivery requirements. In fact, the issue is somewhat of an Environmental one. FedEx has been griping about how the cost of gasoline is cutting into their profits and having to take a second 40+ mile trip from the city to the country to see if I signed the absentee door hanger so they can leave my new cel phone in the wood pile probably doesn’t help conserve gasoline or freshen the Spring air. It also didn’t help my mood last night, though it did help fulfill yesterday’s horoscope that I’d be tired and cranky.

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You’re currently reading “Sign This,” an entry on D³

Published:: 15.05.08 / 3pm

Category:: Life

Social Tags:: environment • FedEx • gas costs • Palm Treo • shipping woes • UPS

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Joansie 16.05.08 / 10am

Amen to that complaint. I just experienced a similar situation. UPS told me to pick up the package at their warehouse and bring a passport and they finally agreed to a picture driver’s license. Now, really, it was a $30 item, I had to leave work to pick it up and travel an additional 10 miles because I was not home when they delivered it.

Mike Jensen 12.06.08 / 1pm

I already learned my lesson and yes, now, I use our office address to avoid any delay or hassle. I just keep telling myself that it is for my own safety. Although sometimes, it is really impractical and somehow awkward especially when I ordered household items and the delivery address is in my office.

Mike Jensens last blog post..Retskrivning

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