New Fed Ex policy

I just received a email from Fed Ex stating that they will no longer be requiring signatures for Express deliveries to residential addresses unless the sender selects the option to have it signed which is at additional cost ($1.50 to $2.75 extra) which means on a overnight delivery if the driver “forgets” to knock on your door they can just leave it in the sun for you to find and mark you did not answer the door (possibly voiding a live arrival guarantee) or anything else you want to think of.


Just a heads up for shippers.

Yup, just got my e-mail a little bit ago too. Was going to post about it, but saw you'd already done so.

I've usually been checking it regardless. But if ya forget, it can pay a heck of a price.

I just wonder why they changed it. Aren't they getting enough extra money from dimensionalizing the boxes instead of going by actual weight?

Well I am going to have to include it in my price to ship. I wonder how much this will affect Rich?

Well of course I am going to have to indicate all packages to be signed for upon delivery. I can't have FedEx leaving the packages whereever they decide to toss them. If they don't have to walk up to a door and ring the bell, I'd bet money the boxes will just get tossed (literally) anywhere at all that is convenient for the driver.

I'm not really all that crazy about FedEx's ground service, I have to admit. Some of the deliveries I had here the driver had left sitting on the hood of my jeep out in the driveway. Whoever it was, was too damned lazy to walk the 50 extra feet to take it to the porch. I CERTAINLY do not want my live animal shipments (and I'll bet none of you would either) treated that way.

Off Topic: but Rich, is the pink on that stripe in your avatar for real???? It's awesome!

Originally Posted by MegF.

Off Topic: but Rich, is the pink on that stripe in your avatar for real???? It's awesome!

LOL Meg, I was wondering the same thing! It's a blood something obviously, but what? Simply stunning.

Originally Posted by JTGoff69

LOL Meg, I was wondering the same thing! It's a blood something obviously, but what? Simply stunning.

This is a lavender striped! Gorgeous hen!

Originally Posted by MegF.

Off Topic: but Rich, is the pink on that stripe in your avatar for real???? It's awesome!

Yes, the colors are real. My Fuji S1 camera takes the most true to life colors of any camera I have ever tried. I hope like heck that my new S3 does at least as good of a job. If not, it may be up on Ebay pretty quickly and I'll stick with the S1.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Rich Z

I'm not really all that crazy about FedEx's ground service, I have to admit. Some of the deliveries

I think its different no matter where you live. UPS are the rudest delivery personnel around here. I can't tell you how many packages I've had dropped off at a house with the same rural route and box number, same last name as me, but in a different town. Or leaving them out in the sun in the driveway when in red marker on the top it says "Place in garage, no direct sun/heat!".

The Fedex driver for my area knows what I usually get and takes extra care with my packages. His son is into reptiles big as well. So he walks into my garage and places them on the step into our house, well away from direct sun or temp fluctuations. He even did the same for my iPod.

I just don't like the whole size dimensionalization. Why even bother asking for the real weight of the package anymore if all they do is re-calculate it to what they want to think it is? Its like AdagioTeas trying to charge me more USPS postage for shipping to a rural address, $2 more per box. I don't buy "Country Stamps" and "City Stamps". I quickly stopped doing business as did a lot of other folks.

The FedEx email I got said the change was only for residential addresses, and business addresses would still be signed for. Since we have to send to business addresses only, hopefully there will be no change.

I try to convince customers to pick up at the FedEx office whenever I can. Then I don't have much worry about heat or cold in the back of a truck (or a front porch). I also really emphasize to customers that I will only guarantee live arrival if they sign for it on the first delivery attempt. So I have them pretty scared to even go to the bathroom the morning of delivery, lol! But that is what is needed to ensure the safety of these critters, since delivery guys are in such a hurry. I also track the shipments. If I see one marked as delivery attempted, or delivered without a signature, I contact the customer right away

So far, so good. But it sure takes a lot of diligence to make sure it all works out OK, and sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent the shipping companies from messing things up.