Jake, as I stated before, most likely the least expensive shipping method was paid for.

I'm certain that you well know that each shipper has an "Express" service, a version of a "priority" service and a version of "parcel post". The least expensive means for the customer is also the cheapest for the carrier.

Had an express type of service been paid for, you would have had in it in a day or so and you would have had to sign for it. FEDEX would have been mandated to directly route your package to a hub that serves your area and the carrier would have had to take the time to capture your signature.

This isn't so much about defending FEDEX as all carriers operate in similar fashion.

The way I get around this is when I send items "parcel post" I write on the box" CARRIER DO NOT LEAVE


Tim

 

I have used fedex a few times. I really dislike the lack of customer service. Two seperate occasions I have shipped packages and two days later they have been delivered back to my house. They claim on the phone that the shipping label was ripped/torn so they were delivered to the original sender. Both times it was b.s. They shipping labels were intact and plain as day showed were to ship. I use the Postal Service or UPS now.

 

How can it be cheaper for them to have it go to a town, leave that town then go back to that town again though? It just seems silly.

 

I'll give you a for instance with USPS. The closest mail processing plant to me is in Norfolk, Va which is 20 miles from my home.

If I send my neighbor a card, it must first go to the plant for processing. This ensures that appropriate postage was paid, assigns a bar code and determines what class of mail the card was sent. Then the card is shipped back to the post office that handles my zip code for final delivery.

Now, what fedex did may not be the cheapest but the package may have gone to the closest processing center to the OP's address for final processing. If the package was sent at a cheaper rate, it may have been held until enough packages serving his area were identified. This would allow them to process more packages that a higher rate was paid on.

I have an issue right now with UPS that I'm a little miffed about but I understand what's happening.

I ordered my daughter a pair of shoes from RINGOR in Portland, Oregon last Monday. The postage cost me $7.00 which was the cheapest possible. My package is now sitting in Laurel, MD and is scheduled to be delivered to me in Va tomorrow. However, we have a UPS hub in Newport News, Va, 12 miles from my home. So, why is it sitting in Md? Because I paid the cheapest rate possible, didn't pay for delivery confirmation, signature confirmation or any of that good stuff.


I know that doesn't help much but it's the best I can come up with.

Tim

 

it was probably done that way to keep the cost down,believe it or not. im not tryin to defend fedex by no means just trying to figure out why a 200 mile detour sux, even tho you didnt have to pay extra for that detour. you probaly wouldnt have goten your package any sooner anyways. if they pick up up the package and then deliverd the package without damage then the service has ben provided.