Geez! I hate UPS!!!

natalie_ca

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I came home today and checked my answering machine.  There was a voice mail from last evening at 6pm from UPS, advising they have a delivery for me, and that I can pick it up at the UPS store.

They didn't leave a notice, they didn't leave a tracking number, and they didn't leave a UPS store location!  I live in a fairly large city and there are at least a dozen UPS stores, if not more.

I called the main office of UPS and they have no way of tracking a delivery without a tracking number!  They looked up my address and said they don't show anything with that.

The only thing that I might have been expecting from UPS was my SIM card from Rogers, but I only requested that yesterday morning and specifically requested it be sent out by Canada Post instead of UPS.  I called Rogers and they said that my SIM card is still there and that it will be shipped via Canada Post on Monday, so obviously the delivery is not from them!

So I have NO clue who sent me a parcel from UPS, or where to even go to pick it up.

I don't know if UPS sends out notices in the mail before they return the parcel to the sender. All I know is that I have no way of picking it up, because I have no idea where it is, and UPS can't track it without a tracking number and the dumb dumb driver didn't leave me any information!

ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!
 

Willowy

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Be really careful. There are a number of scams revolving around delivery companies. If they call back and actually leave a number or something, don't give out any information, like when you will/won't be home and that kind of thing. Don't click on any links if they e-mail something.

From what I've seen in the mail, UPS does send out a postcard before returning a parcel, at least in the US. I don't know if their policies are any different in Canada.
 

andrya

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l agree with Willowy, that does seem strange. The times l've used UPS, they left a tag on the door when l wasn't home, leaving the number to call or the address to pick up the parcel, and the date of their next try at delivering (you can also reschedule the next delivery yourself). You always get a tracking number with UPS.

Have you ordered anything that requires a signature? That's the only thing l can think of that they wouldn't reschedule a second delivery. You should still have got a tracking number though.
 
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natalie_ca

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l agree with Willowy, that does seem strange. The times l've used UPS, they left a tag on the door when l wasn't home, leaving the number to call or the address to pick up the parcel, and the date of their next try at delivering (you can also reschedule the next delivery yourself). You always get a tracking number with UPS.

Have you ordered anything that requires a signature? That's the only thing l can think of that they wouldn't reschedule a second delivery. You should still have got a tracking number though.
Nope. The only thing I might have been expecting by UPS was my Roger's SIM card, but as soon as I heard they ship by UPS, I asked for it to be shipped Canada Post instead because I know the problems I've had in the past with UPS.  I refuse to deal with them and will refuse to buy something if the only method of shipping is UPS.

I sent a message to a Secret Santa Snooper asking if they can check with my SS gifter, to see if they might have sent their parcel already and used UPS.  It's the only other idea I have.

I'm not home during the day, so hopefully I'll receive a card in the mail, otherwise the parcel will be sent back to whomever sent it.
 

MoochNNoodles

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I think that sounds strange too.  They leave notices here.  If they called you; your number would have to be on the package.  They also make up to 3 attempts to deliver a signature required item; last i knew.  They should be able to figure out who delivered in your area.  I'm pretty sure here; the people that may call you if there is a problem getting you a package but there is a number (say, your address had a typo they can't figure out) are working out of the same building; so the driver can be tracked down.

Also; the UPS stores are separate from the UPS centers here.  As in; the store is a franchise of the company.  A UPS employee can't even go into the UPS stores and get an employee discount.  I've never heard of a UPS store here making deliveries.  People can pick things up at the center between certain hours; but it has nothing to do with the store.  And that's usually after so many attempts.  Although if there was a bad address issue; there may be a delay.  

You should look and see if you can sign up for their e-mail alerts.  We know when a package is coming because we get an e-mail.  I guess it works off recognizing your address in their computer system. I'm not sure if it always says who it's coming from (I'd have to look; they go to DH's e-mail address) but we still know to expect something.  It's a free level of service too.  They have something else where you can pay to have something sent elsewhere (say your work).  But we've never had a reason to try that.
 

jcat

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That sounds fishy. Any time we haven't been home for a UPS delivery, there's been a card in our mailbox telling us when the next attempt will be made, with a telephone number and email address so we can reschedule if we want.
 

Winchester

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We've had some issues with UPS in the past. When we weren't home and they needed a signature, they wouldn't drop the package off at the house....we had to call them. And they wanted us to drive over to the UPS center to pick up the package.

The last time that happened was when I had ordered floor mats for Hannah (Hyundai Tucson). I ordered them and they were shipped out UPS. When we got home from work there was a card in the door that UPS was there with a number for us to call. And there was a voice mail on  the phone. I called over and they said we could go over and pick up the package. It was simply too far away for us. One of the drivers came in to the center right around that time, though, and he said he was coming over our way and he would drop the package off, but it would be later on that night....which was fine. I think it was around 9:30 or so til he finally got here.

The difference here was that there was also a card. And when I called over, there really was a package. 
 

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Also, if you are home, and you ordered something from outside the country, you need to pay them the customs brokerage fee unless you opt out of it before making shipping arrangements! l made this mistake, the UPS guy came to the door and asked for $x. l gave him $x cash, and he wouldn't take it. lt had to be charge, money order, or cheque - none of which l have! He would not take cash, even after l pointed out that it's MONEY! So l had to drive to the centre across town to pick up my parcel - and that is why l, like you, never use anyone who ships via UPS.

I'll post a reminder for the SS people in that thread that if they are shipping across borders they should make sure it is clearly labelled GIFT so nobody gets dinged for customs or brokerage fees.
 

catsallaround

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Years ago I had to sign for many things from UPS and FedEx.  Seems alot less needs signature now.  We used to have the little stick it notes left by various places as mom ordered alot by phone(before internet....:p!)  They finally started to leave extras and we would just post one to the door with just signature when we left house and driver would fill in info. 

I have only gotten a call on a petsmart or petco order when I order multiple cat trees they tell me when they plan to be in area so that I can take them right in but not to sign for them. 
 
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natalie_ca

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Also, if you are home, and you ordered something from outside the country, you need to pay them the customs brokerage fee unless you opt out of it before making shipping arrangements! l made this mistake, the UPS guy came to the door and asked for $x. l gave him $x cash, and he wouldn't take it. lt had to be charge, money order, or cheque - none of which l have! He would not take cash, even after l pointed out that it's MONEY! So l had to drive to the centre across town to pick up my parcel - and that is why l, like you, never use anyone who ships via UPS.

I'll post a reminder for the SS people in that thread that if they are shipping across borders they should make sure it is clearly labelled GIFT so nobody gets dinged for customs or brokerage fees.
Yeah, they're pretty bad. They also gouge us Canadians with extortion brokerage fees.

I remember I ordered a computer graphic course from California and they sent it UPS. That was my first experience with UPS. I paid for the item online together with delivery shipping charges. The item cost something like $50. At the time our exchange was rather high, about 30 cents on the dollar, so by the time I factored in exchange, it was about $90. UPS showed up at my door asking for $48.00! I told them that I had already paid for the item. I was told it was brokerage! I needed the course, so I paid it, and I couldn't find any information on this brokerage.

Another time I ordered a cardiac stethoscope from the US. It was $150.00. UPS showed up asking for $90 brokerage. I refused the delivery.

I finally found out what that brokerage  was all about. When a parcel crosses the border,  a customs form needs to be completed.  So basically UPS fills out a piece of paper, of around 3 lines for customs on your behalf. They charge you a brokerage fee for doing that based on the value of the item. Then they charge you a COD fee to collect that brokerage fee from you. And then they charge you taxes on all of it.

What they don't tell you is that you can go down to their office and do the customs paper yourself and not have to pay them anything extra other than what you paid the company to ship it to you. They do not give you the opportunity to even decide to do it yourself at their office.

There was a class action lawsuit by some Canadians fed up with UPS's ractice.  I've been trying to find out what happened, but I can't locate it online.
 

laralove

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UPS is awful. My boyfriend had a package coming to him and had been tracking it online. He saw that it was scheduled for delivery that day and knew it needed a signature, so he took the day off work. So it's pouring rain and he hears the truck pull up in front of his house. He's sitting at his desk by the window and watches as the guy sit in the truck for a moment (presumably to update the delivery in the system) and then drive off. So my boyfriend refreshes the tracking page and it then showed "Delivery Attempted" or something like that. Dude didn't even get out of the truck. Needless to say, my BF called UPS right then to flip out. 
 
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natalie_ca

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Mystery solved. I called Cuizen the maker of my pressure cooker. I forgot they were sending me a new lid. Turns out they shipped it out UPS. They gave me the tracking #. I called UPS and today when I told them I had a tracking # they suddenly didn't need it and found my parcel in about 30 second s using my last name. I really hate ups!
 

MoochNNoodles

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I bet they couldn't figure anything out the first time because the package wasn't right there; it was probably still on the delivery truck making it's way back to their center.  
 

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cheylink

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 UPS totally sucks where I live! I moved from NYC to Queens a couple years ago and UPS is the worst here! I have written notes on building door for them to PLEASE call my roommate, phone #,  who can't hear buzzer from her room. Came home with pasty,  failed delivery attempt! Then find out the pick up center is some ridiculous place with no public transportation access, even driving 40 minutes away!
 

sugarsandz

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I love UPS here, the delivery dude is friendly and always shows up around the same time everyday in our neighborhood unless it's nasty out or there's the holiday rush of deliveries. We don;t usually have to sign so he knocks and leaves it for me on the porch.

FedEx here isn't super awesome, the delivery guy has no set schedule it seems and somehow our packages end up getting transferred to USPS when FedEx starts out with them. I don't get why they transfer them to USPS since FedEx comes up here everyday just like UPS and USPS.

I think how good the service is depends on where you live. I have noticed tracking packages is better through UPS and really bad through USPS lately.
 
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natalie_ca

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I love UPS here, the delivery dude is friendly and always shows up around the same time everyday in our neighborhood unless it's nasty out or there's the holiday rush of deliveries. We don;t usually have to sign so he knocks and leaves it for me on the porch.

FedEx here isn't super awesome, the delivery guy has no set schedule it seems and somehow our packages end up getting transferred to USPS when FedEx starts out with them. I don't get why they transfer them to USPS since FedEx comes up here everyday just like UPS and USPS.

I think how good the service is depends on where you live. I have noticed tracking packages is better through UPS and really bad through USPS lately.
 
I never had problems with UPS in the 8 years I've been here. o.o
In Canada it's different.  From the US to Canada, UPS charges us extortion rates for "brokerage" fees. They don't even give us the opportunity to go to their office and fill out the custom form ourselves; they do it automatically, then charge a percentage of the parcel value, COD to collect the fee, and 15% sales tax on top of all that.  I ordered an item that was about $150 and they came to my door wanting me to pay them $90 for brokerage fees!!!!! Needless to say I returned the parcel. I refused to pay them that money! 

I found out later through a lot of investigation, that I could have gone down to the UPS warehouse and filled out my own "Canada Customs" form, for FREE, and not paid UPS anymore than what I paid to have the item shipped to me!

My latest saga with UPS involves my Roger's Sim Card. I signed up for Roger's on November 22nd. I'm still waiting for my Sim Card. I asked for it to be sent Express Post through Canada Post instead of UPS.  I called yesterday because I still hadn't received it.  They told me that it was sent UPS on November 22nd. After they did some investigating, they found out that UPS returned the Sim Card because I hadn't picked it up from their office!

Again, no delivery slip, and this time not even a phone call.  I can't pick something up if I don't know it's there to pick up!

So Roger's is resending it by Express Post Canada Post, and it should be here tomorrow.
 
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