Well, here we are again! Back in November I blogged about how terrible I thought UPS was and that their tracking information often is misleading. I am waiting today for a package that was indicated as "Out for Delivery" yesterday at 7:00 AM. Well, I guess it's still "Out for Delivery" because we are closed for today and it's still not here! You can check on it yourself: 1ZE6W3110399193577 and see what's happening. Hopefully it won't cause me all the pain that their last four-day late delivery did. And it would sure be nice if they'd say why they failed to deliver it in the tracking information, but that would be too helpful I guess, sigh.
Update:Well, another day has passed without delivery or explanation other than an updated delivery date (for the fourth time) so it will be at least four days late and unlikely to show today, moving us into a three-day weekend, so I expect it to be at least a week late ... although more than likely it's lost. Naturally there's no way to query what the problem is so I just have to sit and wait for another week and then contact the merchandise vendor. What a sad way to run a business. On the up side, maybe they'll be another business to go down in the flames of the recession so my vendors won't be able to use them.
And again, I still have not had a single problem with FedEx! On Time, Every Time! And accurate tracking information.
Showing posts with label When Brown Flush Down. Show all posts
Showing posts with label When Brown Flush Down. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, November 30, 2008
When Brown, Flush Down
I've been very busy as usual. Since last I wrote I have photographed the Native American Heritage Celebration at the Chumash Casino Resort, a Veterans' Honorary Dinner, Foreigner, Hall & Oates, Anita Baker, done a weeklong workshop with Kevin Ames and played with my family. I will be writing a review of the Kevin Ames experience next.
But I'm here today with a complaint. As a result of the Andy Katz and Kevin Ames classes at Lepp Institute, I decided to upgrade my medium tripod. I made a trip to Really Right Stuff in San Luis Obispo and picked up a new tripod and ball head. Used 'em once and it is a fantastic setup. Then I realized I needed a new ball head to go on my tabletop tripod since all my bodies now have RRS L-Plates on them. I called and ordered. RRS said it would go out the same day, Tuesday, and arrive Wednesday by UPS.
Sure enough, I got the emailed UPS notification that they had received pickup info and that the ballhead was "In transit and On Time" ... a phrase I now hate! So, wednesday I went to work thinking how nice it would be to have the Gitzo G0012 with the new RRS BH-25 LR head for the Thanksgiving weekend. I got to work and checked the tracking number. Still said "In transit and On Time." Great! But as it got later in the day it hadn't arrived. At 3:00, my manager said that due to traffic concerns we could leave. Since I knew the ballhead was going to arrive I decided to stay. But at 5:00 pm when we close the doors, my "In transit and On Time" delivery hadn't arrived. So I got a two hour late start for nothing. Well, not too big a deal. So, we left the house on our Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the in-laws two hours late. But, on Hwy 46, just East of Paso Robles, the four lane divided highway came to a complete stop due to a fatal traffic collision. After an hour of waiting we got diverted to a detour into the middle of nowhere. After another couple of hours of delays we were on our way once again to Selma, California. But, being several hours later, we managed to hit the Tule Fog that we had planned to avoid since it causes so many accidents over there. We did finally make it without another incident. But I'm very unhappy with UPS. From my perspective, their service consistently stinks. This is hardly the first time that they have failed to properly update their tracking information ... it seems quite common. The last time that really distressed me was when my package from B&H Photovideo in New York City was "In Transit and On Time" but didn't arrive and it turned out it was part of a derailed train well before it was still tracking as "In Transit and On Time." Not only does it seem to me that their tracking information isn't useful, it is misleading which is a lot worse!
I ship to my customers. I use FedEx. FedEx is very reliable ... well, I haven't had a single delayed delivery since I started with them a few years ago. I check the tracking information on every delivery. Sometimes a package gets to its destination too early and they hold it a day ... which they clearly mark in the tracking information. I know when it's on the truck to be delivered. I know when it is delivered. My customers also know as they also get the updates emailed to them. And there is a convenient pickup box both near my office at the University and just down the street from me in my hometown of Buellton. They are RELIABLE! My guess is that UPS causes countless upsets every day but the companies that use them don't hear about it so they continue on. I certainly sent Really Right Stuff an eamil describing what happened.
So, back to Flush Down ... my ballhead still hasn't arrived, although I expect it will come on Monday, four days late.
Travel Safe
Dwight
But I'm here today with a complaint. As a result of the Andy Katz and Kevin Ames classes at Lepp Institute, I decided to upgrade my medium tripod. I made a trip to Really Right Stuff in San Luis Obispo and picked up a new tripod and ball head. Used 'em once and it is a fantastic setup. Then I realized I needed a new ball head to go on my tabletop tripod since all my bodies now have RRS L-Plates on them. I called and ordered. RRS said it would go out the same day, Tuesday, and arrive Wednesday by UPS.
Sure enough, I got the emailed UPS notification that they had received pickup info and that the ballhead was "In transit and On Time" ... a phrase I now hate! So, wednesday I went to work thinking how nice it would be to have the Gitzo G0012 with the new RRS BH-25 LR head for the Thanksgiving weekend. I got to work and checked the tracking number. Still said "In transit and On Time." Great! But as it got later in the day it hadn't arrived. At 3:00, my manager said that due to traffic concerns we could leave. Since I knew the ballhead was going to arrive I decided to stay. But at 5:00 pm when we close the doors, my "In transit and On Time" delivery hadn't arrived. So I got a two hour late start for nothing. Well, not too big a deal. So, we left the house on our Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the in-laws two hours late. But, on Hwy 46, just East of Paso Robles, the four lane divided highway came to a complete stop due to a fatal traffic collision. After an hour of waiting we got diverted to a detour into the middle of nowhere. After another couple of hours of delays we were on our way once again to Selma, California. But, being several hours later, we managed to hit the Tule Fog that we had planned to avoid since it causes so many accidents over there. We did finally make it without another incident. But I'm very unhappy with UPS. From my perspective, their service consistently stinks. This is hardly the first time that they have failed to properly update their tracking information ... it seems quite common. The last time that really distressed me was when my package from B&H Photovideo in New York City was "In Transit and On Time" but didn't arrive and it turned out it was part of a derailed train well before it was still tracking as "In Transit and On Time." Not only does it seem to me that their tracking information isn't useful, it is misleading which is a lot worse!
I ship to my customers. I use FedEx. FedEx is very reliable ... well, I haven't had a single delayed delivery since I started with them a few years ago. I check the tracking information on every delivery. Sometimes a package gets to its destination too early and they hold it a day ... which they clearly mark in the tracking information. I know when it's on the truck to be delivered. I know when it is delivered. My customers also know as they also get the updates emailed to them. And there is a convenient pickup box both near my office at the University and just down the street from me in my hometown of Buellton. They are RELIABLE! My guess is that UPS causes countless upsets every day but the companies that use them don't hear about it so they continue on. I certainly sent Really Right Stuff an eamil describing what happened.
So, back to Flush Down ... my ballhead still hasn't arrived, although I expect it will come on Monday, four days late.
Travel Safe
Dwight
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