For the longest time, I've been a UPS shipper. The UPS stores are conveniently located around town, the people inside are nice (a lot of the time it's the franchise owners themselves), and the reliability has been flawless. This year though, due to the extreme rate hike UPS imposed, I've switched over to FedEx. I now remember why I didn't use FedEx in the past. Their tracking has been horrible on every package coming to me and packages I've sent out. 5 out of 5 packages this month alone have all started with one delivery date, then changed to one day earlier, and then ended up being delivered on the original date! What's up with that? They also seem to be so far behind on updating when the package arrives at a location that I don't know why they even bother providing intermediate information. I miss using UPS, and if I wasn't such a cheapskate when it came to shipping costs, I'd go back in a heartbeat. Anyone else feel my pain or am I alone on this one?
My experiences have been the exact opposite. Shout out to my helpful FedEx ladies: Charity, Jen, and Michelle!! I highly doubt they use this website
Well, I'm 0 for 2 so far guys! I don't know what the problem is on my end. I follow all the same packaging rules I would with UPS and get terrible service from FedEx. As we speak, I have a package coming to me from Iowa that followed the same format I described above; it was shipped on Monday, original delivery date stated Friday (tomorrow), then on Tuesday the delivery date switched to today. Everything made sense as the shipment arrived in New Mexico fairly quickly and it's only 600 miles from Las Vegas. I've been checking constantly and now that it's just passed 5:00pm and no package, my delivery date now says "Not Available." This happens too often to me to be only my issue!
I normally have my boxes held for pickup at their nearby location. They even give you a courtesy call when the box is scanned on arrival. That way you don't have to anxiously refresh the tracking page. Hope that helps!
I only use FedEx and haven't experienced what you're describing, OP. FedEx is cheaper and generally speaking, takes a day shorter than UPS of the exact same distance.
Not tracking specifically, but FedEx on the east coast has been pretty kooky in my experience lately. I've had multiple packages shipped to me that took 48 hours to move less than 100 miles. Once they get clear of the east coast, it's been pretty smooth sailing, though. (And to be clear, these are not days when the east coast is covered in a foot of snow.)
I use FedEx & have rec'd terrific service locally. I've generally heard better things about FedEx than UPS, especially concerning damage. UPS is just notorious for damaging packages & routinely blaming it on 'poor packaging'. Unfortunately, there isn't one best answer because there seem to be places where UPS delivers better service than FedEx. IF someone asked me to ship UPS I would, especially if it's because FedEx is a major pita in the area. Anyone whose local FedEx/UPS is problematic should give their trading partner a heads up because in most locations they don't seem to be wildly different. I'd deliver by Pony Express to avoid those shipping ****s who live to open/seize boxes.
I've not had any of the OP's issues with Fedex. Works fine for me. My most important criteria with a shipping company is that the package gets their safely. To me tracking details and updates, while nice to have, are not that critical. The intermediate updates are pretty meaningless to me actually. The delivery date though should certainly always be accurate imo. It's a bit bizarre how that value is changing for OP.
The FedEx lady here is kinda cutsie, always helpful, and they're cheaper than Ups. I usually send FX, but Ups always delivers too. I've lost a box from each, both probably more my fault than theirs, I've learned about packing safely and not trying to squeeze in that last xtra, primary goal is a safe box on the main beers.
I haven't had problems with UPS but Fedex definitely has had weird tracking lately. I sent a box to somebody and it didn't even acknowledge that the tracking number existed until the day it showed up at his door. Did a trade on here and I sent UPS, other guy sent Fedex. I shipped on a wednesday and he shipped thursday, the fedex tracking claimed it would be here saturday (?!?) even though my UPS box wasnt going to be there until monday. Then the date changed a couple times and it got here tuesday, the same number of days that my UPS box took. Pretty obnoxious. Also I haven't noticed any increase in UPS rates, probably because I was already using the smallest boxes possible. I sent a 12x12x11 box to Texas a week or two ago and it was only $16.
FedEx Home delivers on Saturdays (but not on Mondays). This is useful info for cross-country trades because you can drop a box off on Monday and have it arrive on Saturday, whereas FedEx Ground (i.e. to non-residential addresses) and UPS will take a full 7 calendar days.
Thus far (knock on wood) I have had zero issues with FedEx. I love the home delivery as they deliver on Saturdays here. I use the same place everytime and simply walk in and say "this is all set", give them the box, and walk out. I love having an account and not having to interact with them at all.
Kooky tracking or not, in my neck of the woods FedEx is cheaper and includes Saturday delivery (perfect, as @kscaldef said, for ensuring cross-country packages don't sit over weekends). Can't imagine a scenario where I'd use UPS. (Edit: to be clear, never had any issue w/ tracking myself, though I'm sure it does happen.)
UPS used to break or lose my stuff constantly - hate them. I used to work in a warehouse that used UPS. I've seen how they handle their boxes. Uh-uh. Fed-ex is way more reliable, never breaks my stuff, is cheaper and I've rarely had issues with their tracking. Maybe you live in some funky beermuda triangle where there is a fine line between delivery days and you teeter between the two...
Definitely a regional difference. I have only used UPS, and with over 150 outbound and over 60 inbound UPS, and never had a problem with tracking or damage. Almost 100 inbound FedEx, and have had 3 problems, one of which was almost certainly theft, and the other two were damaged, possibly because of packaging, but who knows. UPS is definitely more expensive, but it only takes one problem with FedEx to make FedEx more expensive.
If I ever were to switch back to FedEx, this is the method I would use as far as receiving packages UPS 4eva
