Anybody have a Fed-ex account?UPS Rant!

[hometowncandles]

I'm looking to switch from UPS to Fed-ex. I have checked out their site, but I wanted to get some first hand opinions. I will just be using it occasionally, maybe a couple of times a month, 5 or 6 at the most. Most of my sales are local, but I do need to ship stuff every now and then.

I love the local guys at UPS, but the corporate level that is in charge of accounts s**ks. I have had nothing but trouble with them since I changed banks. When I opened my UPS shipping account, nearly 2 years ago, I had a business account with the bank I use to work at. I found another local bank that offers free checking for small businesses, so I switched. I immediately called UPS to change my account info.

Shoulda been fine, right? Wrong, apparently the girl I talked to didn't put in the correct info or forgot to save it or something, because the next time I try to ship with my UPS account it comes up that my account has become deactivated to call customer service.

When I call customer service they tell me that my account has been put on hold because I had an outstanding balance. I ask how that could be, since my checking account is charged once a month for my transactions, and there was more than enough to cover the charges(not a lot more mind you, but enough). She checked my UPS account info and lo and behold, the old checking account info is still in the computer.

So I explain to her that I had called a few weeks ago and updated my account info and what she had on the computer was incorrect. She appologizes and corrects the info, but I still can't ship anything that day, because it can take up to 48 hours for a deactivated account to become active again. And she can't reactivate my account anyway, she has to transfer me to somebody in that department. All she can do is update my information.

So as patiently as possible, I wait, yet again, on hold to talk to somebody else. I go through the whole ordeal, again, and he says, ok I've sent in for your account to be reactivated, but I will be 24-48 hours before you can use the account online to ship anything. I ask why nobody from UPS had tried to contact me when the payment was denied, he said he didn't know he thought I should've gotten some type of notice either by e-mail or snail mail. But if I wanted to hold, he could let me talk to somebody in that department.

YEAH RIGHT!

So I ended up loading up 3, 20-30 pound boxes into the car along with a 2 & 3 year old and driving to my local UPS, which is only 5 miles or so from my house. But not the most convienient thing to do when you have two 25 pounders with two legs each and lightning speed(I lost my lightening speed a few years back, I'm thinking about 3 1/2 now).

Sorry this is so long, but I just needed to vent a little bit. So anybody like their fed-ex shipping account?

TIA

Jennifer

[BLSoaps]

Sorry to hear about your lovely UPS debacle. I've worked with all the carriers except DHL (no place to drop it off anywhere near me out here). And I've found that each one has its headaches, its plusses and negatives. Unfortunately, when a company is that big, they DO have departments that deal with certain things only. And being shuffled around them sucks.

My experiences with FedEx were good and bad. For a little while I had daily pick up. Now I pretty much have daily pick up with USPS. For the most part, I loved FedEx. My first problem was even if I plugged in the details exactly (weight, box size, etc) the price quoted to me wasn't always accurate. You're charged for whatever they calculate it at along the way. I never did figure out how my boxes miraculously got heavier along the way. But more went that way than the other, and it was irritating.

Problem #2 was what made me decide to not use them as my main shipper. It took days, up to a week, for them to charge my account for the labels I printed. So if I were to print a label today, Monday is the earliest my account would be charged. My bookkeeping basically got UGLY. I couldn't take their quotes and balance my books that way, because they were inaccurate more often than they were accurate. I asked if they could issue me some kind of line of credit that would bill me once a month (kind of like UPS does), but they said I wasn't shipping enough to do that. I was shipping enough to qualify for daily pick up, but not for an account. I wasn't happy.

When I moved it was to a place that is ridiculously far away from any kind of drop off location, so that made the final decision for me. I still have my account, and if a customer requests FedEx shipping, I'll do it, but I'll charge a fee for my time and expense to go down there.

Currently I just offer USPS and UPS.... actually, UPS has been taken off my site because it's been significantly been under-quoting lately. I was loosing an average of $2-5 on each shipment. So until I can figure out what's going on, I'm sticking with USPS. So far, with them, I've had very few problems. My cart usually calculates for them correctly down the penny.

[Stella1952]

Jennifer, so sorry you had such a frustrating experience. I have found that because of computer updates and networks, etc., NOTHING can be changed immediately any more!! Doesn't matter if you are right; doesn't matter if they cause you terrible difficulty; NOTHING can be done RIGHT NOW that has ANYTHING to do with a computer or networked system. Soon, no one will even remember the days when a quick telephone call could straighten out even the most difficult of problems... all in the name of "progress"...

[mystical_angel1219]

I have both and DHL. I'd take Fed Ex over any of them.

I've only had two damaged/undelivered packages in a few years. I am talking about doing quite a bit of shipping. They paid both claims within 4 business days each time, and I did the claim online. I can't complain. Plus the rates to most areas are significantly cheaper than UPS, in most cases. I could do without UPS for the rest of my life, personally speaking. The rates are ridiculous these days.

Lindsay~ has Fed Ex ever explaining the billing system they use for online accounts to you? Basically speaking, they adjust their rates on Wed- for the fuel surcharge. This might be why you have variance. Secondly, Fed Ex doesn't technically "charge" your method of payment until the box is scanned "delivered". Thus, the wait. They weigh and measure every box when they first receive it, and then round up to the nearest pound of weight. I've never to this day had a box that came out differently from "rate estimate" when I did the shipping label. Something sounds very wrong there, IMO.

So, my vote is cast for Fed Ex.

[Carrie]

I have both and I prefer fedex. Besides, you can get free mailing labels, the one where the label is self stick and the other 1/2 of the page is the receipt. Those labels work for Fedex, USPS and Paypal shipping, just not international.

[hometowncandles]

Thanks guys for your input, the biggest reason I have put off signing up for fed-ex already is because where I live is not considered a business district. And since the closest fed-ex to me is 1 1/2 hours away, they sometimes don't deliver to my area everyday.

Fed-ex does deliver everyday to the business districts in the county, but if you are considered primarily a residential area or a rural area,(I'm both) then they only deliver every other day unless they have a certain number of pieces on a truck coming this way. I'm just wondering how they would do on pick-ups?

I guess the best thing to do is call and ask a few questions. Just wanted to get some real world opinions on their service first. I know if I ask Fed-ex about their service, they are going to say it's excellent.

[MissMary]

Go with USPS! Ye shall be saved!

*runs and ducks*

[mystical_angel1219]

Go with USPS! Ye shall be saved!

*runs and ducks*

Nothing worthwhile to add? Go figure! :rolleyes2

Young lady~ USPS is NOT the answer for heavy, bulky packages. Plus the insurance is an extra charge. So, in my most sincere motherly tone~ I suggest to you sweetly, to go back to Off-Topic. LMAO!

[mystical_angel1219]

Thanks guys for your input, the biggest reason I have put off signing up for fed-ex already is because where I live is not considered a business district. And since the closest fed-ex to me is 1 1/2 hours away, they sometimes don't deliver to my area everyday.

Fed-ex does deliver everyday to the business districts in the county, but if you are considered primarily a residential area or a rural area,(I'm both) then they only deliver every other day unless they have a certain number of pieces on a truck coming this way. I'm just wondering how they would do on pick-ups?

I guess the best thing to do is call and ask a few questions. Just wanted to get some real world opinions on their service first. I know if I ask Fed-ex about their service, they are going to say it's excellent.

They do pick-ups on demand for 10.00 per trip, you can schedule a weekly pick-up to save some bucks if you don't have a Fed Ex location close by.

Doesn't matter how many packages you are shipping per pick-up. HTH.

Carrie~ UPS offers free self-stick labels as well. You can get them online or via phone.

But they need an paper-cutter or scissors to be used "legally" with other carriers.

[Carrie]

I guess I'm lucky, I'm pretty out of the way but there's a shipping station 1/2 block out of the way on my way to work.

[MissMary]

Nothing worthwhile to add? Go figure! :rolleyes2

Young lady~ USPS is NOT the answer for heavy, bulky packages. Plus the insurance is an extra charge. So, in my most sincere motherly tone~ I suggest to you sweetly, to go back to Off-Topic. LMAO!

Guess satire is lost upon ye! BTW, that last line - wasn't that funny.

[mystical_angel1219]

Guess satire is lost upon ye! BTW, that last line - wasn't that funny.

Sure it was! :laugh2:

Love satire BTW, makes life interesting.

[Carrie]

that last line - wasn't that funny.

We all need to learn to laugh at ourselves. That line was actually hilariously funny.