FedEx lost my truck parts.

[Rumble]

Ordered some front-end AC Delco parts for my pickup recently (JC Whitney/USautoparts). Five of the seven items never showed up, but FedEx listed them as delivered (4 tie rod ends and idler arm). So I've been dealing with Ebay/Paypal,JC Whitney and FedEx all week. Biggest battle was to get these folks to believe some of the items were not delivered. Much to my surprise, FedEx also uses contractors for deliveries, and that seems to be the problem here. Supposedly, JC Whitney and FedEx are trying to track the items down, but no luck yet. This is my first major headache with ordering stuff online.

 

[Hall]

Fedex doesn't use contractors but Fedex Ground does. There IS a distinction between the two businesses although the general public usually doesn't realize this.

How long ago did this happen, yesterday, last week, etc ? Do you or any neighbors ever have packages come up missing ? It's common in some places or at least can go through spurts of it happening.

 

[RooflessVW]

FedEx is just trash. I've seen them drive by my house while I was outside and got a notification of an attempted delivery 5 minutes later.

Have had big ticket items leaned up against my garage door, in plain view of the public.

And most recently, two items went to Pennsylvania before being redirected to me in North Carolina.

If at all possible, I ship UPS. Lately I've taken to emailing companies and requesting UPS. At least I know it will be delivered professionally and on-time.

 

[Rumble]

Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
Fedex doesn't use contractors but Fedex Ground does. There IS a distinction between the two businesses although the general public usually doesn't realize this.

How long ago did this happen, yesterday, last week, etc ? Do you or any neighbors ever have packages come up missing ? It's common in some places or at least can go through spurts of it happening.


Yeah, this was Ground. Delivery was last Tuesday (only 2 items delivered). The other items were on a different truck, which never came to my home, but was entered as "delivery complete" on Fedex site. I live in a rural area, so don't know about problems in my area. Have great service with USPS and UPS though.

 

[KrisZ]

If they dont have your signature on file confirming delivery, they have to send you the items again, you are not required to prove anything to them. Just insist they show you your signature for items delivered and talk to a manager.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
If they dont have your signature on file confirming delivery, they have to send you the items again, you are not required to prove anything to them. Just insist they show you your signature for items delivered and talk to a manager.

Most deliveries these days are not "signature-required."

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
If they dont have your signature on file confirming delivery, they have to send you the items again, you are not required to prove anything to them. Just insist they show you your signature for items delivered and talk to a manager.

Most deliveries these days are not "signature-required."


I know that, but this is the business decision on shipping companies part, not customers. Therefore it is a very good leverage a customer can use to get their missing items.

The proof that an item was delivered is on them, and without a signature, they have no proof at all

 

[Nick1994]

Was there separate tracking numbers or were they supposed to be delivered in one box?

If in one box, they probably never put the parts in there to begin with.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I know that, but this is the business decision on shipping companies part, not customers. Therefore it is a very good leverage a customer can use to get their missing items.

The proof that an item was delivered is on them, and without a signature, they have no proof at all

Exactly. Nobody has any proof. Driver says it was delivered. Customer says it wasn't.

Unfortunately we live in times where either party or a third may have stolen the shipment and be lying.

I solved the issue by avoiding FedEx if at all possible, and installing tracking cameras on the front and rear of my home.

 

[Rumble]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Was there separate tracking numbers or were they supposed to be delivered in one box?

If in one box, they probably never put the parts in there to begin with.


There were actually 4 tracking numbers. Two packages from Illinois are the ones missing. The other two packages which were delivered, came out of New York. I was under the assumption everything was going to come from JC Whitney's LaGrange IL operation, which is why I ordered everything from them. In fact, I thought all these items could have all been shipped in one box. Apparently, they have different warehouses in a number of states.

 

[FastLane]

Ive had lots of issues with Amazon and only once with eBay. Ebay was a fight. So much so I doubt ill ever buy from them again. Amazon usually sorts it out.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Exactly. Nobody has any proof. Driver says it was delivered. Customer says it wasn't.

They should have proof. I don't know anyone who doesn't GPS stamp their deliveries these days, even the USPS does that. I had something similar happen to me, and the carrier just looked up the location to which it was delivered and immediately it became clear it wasn't my house. Maybe Fedex doesn't do this or the driver neglected to do so in your case but I'd ask.

 

[RooflessVW]

All that will show is that the package was scanned at the address.

Wether it went back onto the truck, the ditch, the neighbor's house, or someone stole it - all it will show is where the item was scanned for delivery.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Exactly. Nobody has any proof. Driver says it was delivered. Customer says it wasn't.

They should have proof. I don't know anyone who doesn't GPS stamp their deliveries these days, even the USPS does that. I had something similar happen to me, and the carrier just looked up the location to which it was delivered and immediately it became clear it wasn't my house. Maybe Fedex doesn't do this or the driver neglected to do so in your case but I'd ask.


Good to see somebody gets it.

 

[exranger06]

Ugh. I had this problem a few years ago. I ordered a new radiator for my truck online, FedEx said they left it in front of my garage door. Package nowhere to be found. FedEx said they'd investigate, which basically consisted of them asking the delivery driver what he did with it. The driver apparently shrugged his shoulders and that was the end of the investigation. The company that sold the radiator was no help either and basically told me to pound sand. I ended up disputing the charge on my credit card and got my money back. I had to write a letter to my credit card company explaining everything that happened, and mentioned that it's the seller's responsibility to make sure my package arrives to me, which it did not. I also included a copy of the receipt of the radiator I ended up buying at my local dealer instead (for $80 more than the online company's price) and mentioned in the letter, "why would I buy another radiator at the local dealer if I already received the one I ordered online?" The receipt also had the local dealer's return policy on it which basically said I could only return it if it was defective, so they knew I didn't buy one locally and returned it immediately after. I'm sure the receipt helped my case. Anyway, long story short, I won that dispute and got my money back. Sucks that I had to pay $80 more and deal with the frustration and hassle though.

Then, to make things even weirder, about a month later, I come home from work and see a large box in my driveway. It was my long-lost radiator that mysteriously finally showed up, with the shipping label torn off

. No idea who dropped it off. The whole ordeal made me really want to install security cameras all around my house, which I WILL do someday. Now I have a spare radiator for my truck.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Exactly. Nobody has any proof. Driver says it was delivered. Customer says it wasn't.

They should have proof. I don't know anyone who doesn't GPS stamp their deliveries these days, even the USPS does that. I had something similar happen to me, and the carrier just looked up the location to which it was delivered and immediately it became clear it wasn't my house. Maybe Fedex doesn't do this or the driver neglected to do so in your case but I'd ask.

Good to see somebody gets it.

Ever work for a delivery company?

The package is scanned and marked delivered. Yes, they can see where it was scanned. No, that does not tell them what happened to it afterwards. So, it was either scanned at and delivered to the wrong address, or you're back where you started with he said she said.

 

[KrisZ]

I dont need to work at the delivery company or understand how their systems work as a paying customer. It is a simple business transaction and if I have proof that I paid for an item, to the company, not their address, completing my end of the bargain, they have to have a tangible proof they delivered an item to me personally, not my address. Dropping it off at an address is not a proof of that because the business transaction is between me and them, not my address and them.

I understand that there are people taking advantage of this and claiming they never got an item, when in fact they did, but that is not my problem. That is their problem.

 

[RooflessVW]

Ok cool.

Don't be surprised when you get told to pound sand, especially by FedEx or USPS, especially if the package was marked as delivered at your address.

It'll be up to the seller to replace the item, or fight to have the item found/paid for by the shipping company.

 

[KrisZ]

I dealt with this already and you're right, I had to deal with the seller, that obviously wanted to blame the delivery company, essentially giving me the runaround.

The business transaction process, between me and them, not my address, eventually occurred to me and I requested the delivery invoice, which had no signature of mine. I presented that to the seller and got my items sent again, otherwise I would've disputed with the CC.

I never said disputing a lost package would be an easy or straightforward task. I just want to point out that marking something as delivered, is not a proof a company can stand on because the transaction is not between your address and the company.

 

[Rumble]

Update: Just got an email from JC Whitney saying they were going to send out replacement tie rod ends. No mention of the idler arm though, I'll wait and see if that will be replaced as well. I'm guessing FedEx was unable to locate my items. Will have to see how things go. I still have a case opened with PayPal, and will not close it until I get satisfaction.