So I called. The new scam is this: if you want to skip a delivery or have it delivered to an alternate address, they now stiff you out of $5 or $6 to do so, EVEN TO SKIP THE EXTRANEOUS DELIVERY, WHEN I KNEW I WOULD NOT BE THERE.

I couldn't say it better myself - I agree 100%

I agree 100%. After all their logo "UPS" means Unreliable Poor Service and they fulfill it completely.

They're now at such a low and revolting level, I think only their advertising is even keeping them afloat.

I do wonder:  Who would be stupid enough to spend money to save THEM a trip?

Jim,

I'm sooooo tempted to just take a pass on this thread but I have to chime in.

Our UPS account is the 4th Largest in the State of PA. I'm just setting the parameters that we ship a lot of packages. We also have a large account with USPS shipping at least 100 packages a week.

In summary we receive very few complaints on our shipping. Are they perfect? Hell No! But Damned Good for us.

As for Fed Ex no BIG complaints as we don't use them as a shipper.

 However we frequently receive call tags to return defective goods to mfr's. Some of them use Fed ex. However we have 3 different Fed Ex drivers. One for overnight AM delivery,one for Express next day or two day air and Finally Fed Ex ground. DON"T EVER TRY TO RETURN a package meant for one of the drivers that it isn't meant for. We tried to give a SIG with a return fedex label to Fed ex ground and Fedex next day air AM drivers and were told that even though they all work in the same building we would have to wait for Fed Ex Express driver. Go figure.

Recently we started receiving packages from a very Large Tractor trailer Fedex Express Truck. We were told  that they don't ever accept a return label item.lol

Jim, I would never doubt or debate your own experiences as they are true representations. I just wanted to give a differing viewpoint.

Respectfully,

Grant

I have been shipping since 1999 with UPS for long guns and USPS for handguns and small items.We are not big potatoes like Grant but i have to agree.Never have we had a problem that wasn't resolved fairly by UPS and the drivers are great,work with you 100%,the best ever.Also have never had a issue with USPS either,we do ship everything there thru Priority Mail.We do receive some stuff Fed ex,the air guy is punctual,the ground guy don't know how to spell it-got'a to raise hell to get something delivered that should have been delivered two days prior.Fedex ground delivery in my area sucks.

I have agree with Jim, I dont ship a ton, but have had the driver try and hide package damage, and just sent item in garage and leave, and try to get that delivery changed!! is a real pain in the *ss.

I ship USPS 100%     at least with fedex you can change a delivery in mid shipment to have it held at a fedex location with NO CHARGE   

Hartwell,

Same experience with Fedex. I'd say our Next day air AM delivery guy is top tier, punctual,well groomed,top performer and our Fedex ground guy must be a distant cousin of yours. He's a hustler as far as work ethic but I'm not sure he could break a twenty for you and make the proper change. Its obvious that the early morning guys are their cream of the crop.

Our USPS guys are real good but disgruntled. Can't say I blame them. No one makes as many stops per truck and some of the places they MUST deliver to.........whew scary.

Grant

Just my 2 cents,    My FFL only likes ups because they deliver directly to his front door. USPS will not go up his hill and leaves a card in his mailbox for him to have to go pick item up.   Fed Ex will take straight to door.   So it depends where the item is dropped off also for the service.   Just saying.        Not saying one is better than another, but UPS is better for him.

As a buyer rather than seller and receiver rather than shipper, I too have had some problems with UPS - but nearly as many as I've had with the USPS.  When I first moved in to the manor house at Duninsane, I did quite a bit of on-line ordering to get things I needed such as a bar in each of 3 rooms and some other things which were absolutely essential.  On one memorable occasion, the UPS driver left a considerable stack of items at the end of the sidewalk rather than bringing them to my front door. 

Then again, on more than one occasion my utterly useless USPS deliveryman has left a delivery notice in my mailbox for an item because there was "nobody home" when it didn't require a signature or I was in fact home, i.e., he didn't even attempt delivery.  FedEx has done the same thing more than once, too.  I surmise they were running late (sometimes my mail doesn't arrive until after 7 PM) and wanted to get off for the day.

None of them are perfect.  They are run by and staffed by fallible human beings and as they become more bureaucratic, their service is stifled by more and more regulation - just like the government.