lots of shipping issues this year -- you too? (store, best, Walmart)

[Black Picket Fence]

I figured that shipping anything was going to be a mess after Thanksgiving and possibly through January, so I haven't placed any additional orders beyond my regular Amazon subscription for cat food.

But even in late October and early November, I was experiencing various screw-ups that have never been an issue before. An Amazon driver delivered two heavy packages of mine to my next-door neighbor's porch, even though my house number is clearly displayed and perfectly visible from the street. Another one was left in the middle of my front walkway, closer to the street than to my porch.

USPS has really been a mess this year; I've had three packages left on my porch steps, in the rain, when if they'd just been placed two feet further onto my porch they would have stayed dry. Even another foot away from the steps would have kept them mostly dry, but apparently that's too hard. And while regular mail delivery comes through the alley, package delivery is supposed to be to front porches. Yet I've found packages set on the ground, in my parking area on the alley, several times now--including on rainy days when it's wet and muddy back there. I've decided to see if specifying FRONT DOOR on my shipping addresses helps, because it's sure not obvious to the people whose job it is to know.

But for now, I'm just not ordering anything extra, and I'm keeping a watchful eye on the progress of my Amazon cat food deliveries so I'll know as soon as they arrive. And I'm definitely not sending anything. Fortunately, the handful of people I might send gifts to aren't too fussed about getting things in time for Christmas, and will be just as happy if their Christmas gifts arrive in March.

[elnina]

I had no shipment issues at all. In fact, ALL my purchases came sooner than expected. Some in two days (I don't have Prime)
One of the purchases supposed to come after Christmas, but I received it last week. Very pleased so far, and much better than last year.
All my mail and packages are delivered to my post office box, though. Maybe that helped?

The USPS Informed Delivery and tracking system works well too. I was promptly notified and able to pickup the parcels right away.

[sprklcl]

Its fallout from a Higher moral problem, but to explain that much further is a topic for another City Data forum. That said, some points and at least one funny/sad story from own shipping this year.

With Wal-mart, a sampling:
- Ordered a small kitchen appliance. Instead received bottle of someone's Wal-greens prescription pills from over 1000 miles away (shook package, but did not open) which hope were not extremely critical. FedEx instead of relabeling what was my package for a bad bar code put the relabel on the wrong package. Like with all of the delivery carriers, overworked and use of temporary inexperienced help. After contacting Wal-mart to resend my package at no cost, as a good Samaritan, I contacted local FedEx to pick up the incorrect package that afternoon. Glad had the unpublished number from prior FedEx issues as good luck reaching a human at their 800 number through their voice response unit (gethuman.com instructions do not work).
- A multi-pack of paper towels that got out for delivery from the local hub which FedEx then decided on the tracking before delivery was an improper shipment which not sure why, but Walmart automatically refunded right away.
- Had used Walmart Grocery earlier in the pandemic when delivery slots with the local grocer was backed up two weeks. Besides half thawed frozen groceries which maybe newer stores have fridge lockers, their online ordering does not group items by food or other category, a time consuming waste when adding or changing items with an order with dozens of items or confirming/checking off the list they were received.
- With walmart.com orders in the last month of small and non-nonperishable items, instead of shipping from distant warehouses avoiding overworked FedEx, for those items available in the local store, they had one of their Grocery Delivery 3rd party carriers bring the same day, with heads up email doing that and after delivery. Both good and bad - two deliveries right, but third to a house on an adjacent street with the same house number less than 200 feet away. Not just Walmart, but Office Depot courier too, drivers too reliant on GPS, not bothering to check actual house numbers or street names. One Walmart 3rd party driver commented on a job website, if he did not deliver where the company GPS system told him, his pay would be docked. Lack of common sense somewhere.
- My common sense, too much time on phone with Walmart issues, so not to use them except them for a few essential items cannot obtain elsewhere, mostly by visiting the local store.

With other shipments:
- FedEx delivered our large Christmas tree from Wayfair to a house on a adjacent street with the same house number. Thankfully the person from church there was honest to bring it our door. Believe since got FedEx straightened out with their GPS issues, which the manager of the local hub talked with said their drivers use a variety of GPS systems including on driver smartphones, which unlike UPS and Amazon uses a central one.
- UPS extremely overworked, even back in September, when deliveries received between 9 and 10 pm at night which commend them for trying, even hiring extra help.
- A week ago shipped four packages from No. VA near DC here to various East Coast destinations. The UPS Ground one to the next state over 300 miles away as well as the USPS one locally 20 miles away both arrived the next day. The one to Florida with UPS 2nd Day Air arrived a day late which after flying to Jacksonville, FL (north part of state) traveled by truck to a suburb of Miami (south), then to Orlando (west), and finally to its destination on the mid-FL Atlantic coast (east). The USPS 2-day Priority mail one to an adjacent state hours away still in transit-running late.
- With the US Postal Service, have received mail each day, but very little. In the last week, only Christmas or holiday cards received have been from local No. VA addresses. An insurance statement from Iowa took 12 days from December 9 to 21 to arrive, which payment is due December 31 with the company's online system is down, which hoping for the best with USPS mail going the other direction. Two other small packages coming here, one from Illinois and another from another part of Virginia, USPS tracking now shows in transit-arriving late, with no scans for two or more days. The one from Illinois, Dollar General, took USPS six days to pick up.
- More than once both FedEx and USPS scanned packages as delivered before coming into our large neighborhood with actual delivery 20-30 minutes later.
- Amazon so far with their own couriers have been excellent with no problems, lacking a couple items after ordering became out of stock. Most items received within a week during this season.

Besides what the media has suggested as tips, can also pray if you believe in that. And USPS to sort through mountains of mail and packages backed up at various locations could also employ some of the unemployed or other volunteers could come in to help.

[athena53]

Originally Posted by elnina

I had no shipment issues at all. In fact, ALL my purchases came sooner than expected. Some in two days (I don't have Prime)
One of the purchases supposed to come after Christmas, but I received it last week. Very pleased so far, and much better than last year.
All my mail and packages are delivered to my post office box, though. Maybe that helped?

The USPS Informed Delivery and tracking system works well too. I was promptly notified and able to pickup the parcels right away.

I was pleasantly surprised last week when my replacement Costco Visa, promised 12/25 (yeah, right) arrived on 12/21 via USPS. I also have a PO Box but am not sure that helps anything. A post on NextDoor.com showed the back room of the local PO and it's jammed with stuff. It still takes a human to sort it out and get it into the boxes.

Sometimes I do get things earlier than promised and I appreciate that- the cynical part of me says that many businesses over-promise on the delivery date to get the sale.

And one other data point: a company I've used for excellent hot pepper mixes (Flatiron Pepper Company) sent me an e-mail acknowledging that they're having big problems with the delivery companies limiting how many packages they'll pick up and offering a free bottle of one of their mixes to anyone affected by delays.

[LKJ1988]

This is why i shop at a store for food.

[DubbleT]

Well, my amazon package left the facility 12/23 on USPS, let's see how long it takes to get here and what shape it arrives in. It was ordered for an arrival date of 12/30 but is only 200 miles from here now, 3.5 hours as the truck flies, lol.
Wondering if I should be concerned that USPS tracking says my package is in one place but amazon tracking says it's in another. Somebody isn't keeping up!

[LKJ1988]

Shipping has got worse the last few years since way more things are shipped now vs 20 years ago. I gave up buying and selling telescopes thanks to crazy shipping prices.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012

I was just wondering if others were having as many problems with deliveries this year as I have.

I often order particular grocery items from Walmart and typically they arrive quickly and with no issues. However, I had a package that arrived in Nashua NH (about an hour and a half from where I live) last Sunday 12/13 and was supposed to be delivered via USPS on Monday 12/14. Instead, every day this past week it just said "delayed" with no updates. I finally contacted Walmart yesterday and they said "oh it's lost" and refunded me.

Also yesterday, I got several packages that were fine, but one was a package of 3 jars of peaches. The jars all had a little label over them to keep the screw-on lids sealed AND were in a plastic bag within the box. One jar had its lid on, its inner seal was intact, and it wasn't leaking at all. HOWEVER, jar #2 was still sealed BUT was leaking from the bottom. Even worse, jar #3's lid was off (so much for the label that was supposed to keep the lid sealed ) AND the inside seal looked like it had been CUT. I cannot figure out how that could have happened in transit, which brings up other pretty crappy possibilities. Walmart refunded that order as well.

Yesterday I was also supposed to receive 1 more package from FedEx but it was listed as "delayed." This morning when I checked, that package was now listed as "shipment exception - unable to deliver - damaged package." So that one got refunded too.

I order grocery items all the time and have never had problems like these. The inner cut seal of one of the jars of peaches is the most disturbing.

I must say that Walmart's customer service has been great. I did the chat thing yesterday and today, then got a call back today to re-order the missing items that were refunded as the chat guy couldn't do the re-order (AND they gave me a discount). So those things are good.

I've also had delayed shipments from amazon including 1 shipment that was listed as "delivered" but wasn't -- well, it wasn't delivered to ME, anyway. Amazon refunded that even though it was a 3rd-party seller (shipped by amazon); they shipped me another at the same time.

I know this is an insanely busy time for shippers, but I still wasn't expecting this many issues (and haven't had them other Decembers)! Anyone else having similar problems?

No. But I listen to the Clark Howard podcast — he’s a financial/lifestyle commentator whose tag line is more “how to keep the money you have” — he reads a lot of newspapers and in August and September he was saying that the best deals online for Christmas were happening in October. And that in late November and December that the shipping rush would be so bad that what is happening now is exactly what they said was going to happen.

And to me it just made sense. So I made sure that I sent my Christmas cards with my gift cards in them (because that’s pretty much what I get the kids right now) early.

[sprklcl]

To perhaps add a little humor to the situation, given the US Postmaster's last name and changing the words to a Christmas hymn, saw on more than one website 'DeJoy to the World, Your Mail Won’t Come'

[cjs123]

Over the years I've had very few issues, really...right now, I am waiting for one item that is "in transit, arriving late". I chose the earliest shipping date available from the company and it went out a day after that, but I understand it is a very busy time of year for them, too. Hopefully it will land on my porch before too long!