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Apple / UPS delivery woes - total incompetence


solaar
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Although I'm going to try to keep this cool and polite it could escalate into a rant. Be forewarned :D

 

I ordered Logic studio last week and it was due for arrival on a day where I had to be at a client's who is 120kms from my home. As UPS (like all the other private transporters) follow strict weekday 8.00-18.00 delivery times only, I obviously missed the UPS guy for the first time. The door tag stated they'll try again the next day around the same time, 10.00-11.00. OK, cool so far.

 

I thought all right, give them a fair margin and I took the next day off - the whole f*cking day!! which made me lose quite a bit of money as I'm paid by the hour - waited and waited... and waited. Nothing all morning. OK, good I took the whole day off I thought.

 

At 18.00 still nothing. Anyway I had to leave the house to do some errands, opened the door and zap.... another f*cking door tag fell right on my feet. It stated 2nd delivery attempt at 10.30. WTF!!!!

 

I called UPS right away first asking politely what happened, then a bit less politely if they are really sure the drivers know how to tell a door bell apart from a light switch. I asked for another delivery attempt the next day around the same time as I was working from home that morning anyway. Then the UPS guy said that he can't guarantee the same time a day!! He didn't even make the slightest effort to arrange something. I asked if I can pick it up somewhere at a UPS office. Quick reply - NOPE!

:P

 

Then I called Apple and explained them the situation. The sales rep said she would call UPS and try to make sure they deliver the next day in the morning. Well all right, I waited till 12.30, then I had to leave. When I came back home I didn't find any door tag but my order status at Apple was updated to 3rd delivery attempt made.

 

After 3 attempts UPS still keep the package for a couple of days before they send it back to Apple. Any further delivery attempt would be futile anyway now as I have to go on a professional trip all next week.

:P

 

I'm going to ask for a refund.

 

Has anyone else had this kind of experience before? Would be interesting to hear.

 

I never ever had this kind of problem with goods shipped via the public postal service as they are customer-oriented enough to provide a pick-up location at the nearest post office which is open also on saturdays. Even FedEX or DHL are at least flexible enough to suggest and arrange another delivery time that is convenient for the paying customer. And they were always on time, give or take half an hour.

 

My first lesson, don't buy anything over the internet from a vendor whose only forwarder is UPS.

Second lesson, it's almost like Apple is asking for having customers ... errr.... download their stuff. 100 times more convenient and ... err... free.

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Well, my wife doesn't work, so she gets any daytime deliveries, plus both UPS and FedEx usually deliver my area after 5, when I'm home.

 

BUT, before we had kids and my wife started staying home, I always had everything delivered to my office.

 

Either way, it sounds like UPS is being jerks in this case. I'd be the squeaky wheel and keep calling Apple and UPS, twice daily if need be, until this gets cleared up.

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Cheers for the reply mate.

 

When I'm in the US I keep noticing that FedEx etc deliver later in the afternoon - which makes perfect sense as they can't expect anybody to be at home during working hours. The bottom line should be that nobody is at home before 6pm, full stop. Same with all shops btw. I reckon it would make sense to have week day opening hours from 5pm till midnight or so and 6am till 10am. For most of the day they could stay closed as they're not getting much business anyway. Same with delivery services. The problem is that it would be virtually impossible to get through over here. Staff would have the right to demand significant raises in salary but companies are cheap aka think of their profit margins first before they even consider the customer.

 

To be quite honest, I'm tempted to cancel the whole thing and if they refuse to give me a refund I'll just have Master Card cancel the transaction. I'll just stick with Cubase. Shame really to lose customers because of stupid stuff like this.

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Hi guys, yes I'm in Europe, Switzerland to be precise. Perhaps I'm a bit spoilt from our postal service which is 99% reliable and I can just pick my stuff up on saturdays. Anyway I never had a problem with FedEx and DHL either over here. They've always been on the spot for a new delivery time, +- 30 minutes.

 

This is actually the second time UPS messes up on my delivery. It seems like they fill out a bunch of door tags before they leave the depot and just stick them on the doors without even bothering to knock on the door, let alone carry the packages out of the van. :D

'Consider it done' - wasn't that their BS slogan? Now I know what they mean lol :(

 

The third attempt my order status at Apple states is actually a straight lie.

 

Anyway, this was a lesson to not buy online from Apple again.

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When I am waiting for an important package as you, if I missed the first delivery I will pick up personally on the UPS location. I did it before and is strange that they told you not to pick up ;)

Are you in the US by any chance?

It seems like the difference is that UPS don't even provide an infrastructure for customer pickup over here, for instance a little office where a clerk can check your identity, get the goods for you from the depot in the back etc.

 

Here it's more like 'be at home and spend all day close to the door or by the window, otherwise tough....'

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Are you in the US by any chance?

It seems like the difference is that UPS don't even provide an infrastructure for customer pickup over here, for instance a little office where a clerk can check your identity, get the goods for you from the depot in the back etc.

 

Here it's more like 'be at home and spend all day close to the door or by the window, otherwise tough....'

 

Yes, in the US there are UPS places all over the place but their tracking system is pretty good... it will tell you if it is out for delivery and what time to expect it. But FedEx is still better here also IMO. If I'm expecting something and I won't be home I just use the old fashioned method of leaving a note to drop it off at my neighbors or leave at my door (if its at my house).

 

But yeah like another guy said, some of the blame could be the driver... he could be the type that knocks once then runs off if you don't answer right away so he can get home earlier.

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I know there are much better customer service options in the US, not always efficient but at least there is an option. The thing over here is that space and staff are expensive for relatively small volume, so companies think twice before putting some sort of customer-friendly infrastructure up. There are just a few central depots over here and there's nobody who wants to deal with individual customers.

 

The question for me is why is Fedex able to make an effort to give you a reasonable second delivery time frame and be on time but UPS isn't?

 

Apple Europe should seriously reconsider their shipping and offer at least an alternative to UPS. Good old postal service for instance...

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