I *HATE* UPS.

[LovePhotography]

Not working today, although lots of homework to do. But, Adorama had delivery of my Sigma 50 1.4 Art as being today through UPS. So, I went to the office, opened all the doors, turned on the lights, so clearly we could received inside delivery. So, it's 4 PM, still no delivery, so I check UPS tracking again. "Delivered 12:30 PM outside". Sure enough, the bastard had dropped it 3+ feet into our outdoor box (onto the hard concrete/steel floor) for when we're not at the office. Lazy bastard. Merry Christmas to you, too. If started to drop one of my cherished lens over three feet onto concrete (in boxing or not), it'd risk injury to dive onto the ground under it. I understand it was in a decent lens case. But the sudden deceleration can be good for it. Goll-dang it!

 

[Marsu42]

Lazy bastard.

You probably would change your mind if you'd know how many deliveries these people have to do in what time. Around where I live, they are even forced to be self-employed to dump every risk onto them. Are you ready to pay double the delivery price for better service and working conditions? Right, I thought so - now we know the real culprit...

 

[LovePhotography]

Are you ready to pay double the delivery price for better service and working conditions? Right, I thought so - now we know the real culprit...
[/quote]

When we're talking about a fragile $900 piece of glass? You bet your ass I'd pay more for red carpet delivery. And, BTW, the mail delivery box is 3 FEET FROM THE OPEN FRONT DOOR and I sat here inside on a beautiful fall day for 7 hours trying to prevent this very occurance.

 

[Marsu42]

When we're talking about a fragile $900 piece of glass? You bet your ass I'd pay more for red carpet delivery. And, BTW, the mail delivery box is 3 FEET FROM THE OPEN FRONT DOOR and I sat here inside on a beautiful fall day for 7 hours trying to prevent this very occurance.

It's not like I don't understand your pain, at least the failed delivery happens over here all the time. When I sit at home, waiting for the packet the guy just puts a sticker to the front door, claiming I wasn't there. And then I have to travel through the whole town to claim the package. After the weekend...

Doesn't whoever-you-ordered-from offer other delivery options? At least the online shops I have in mind usually have some kind of premium delivery, and more expensive might not only mean faster, but indeed better.

The point I am trying to make is that "lazy" isn't the right adjective to use for a packet delivery job. I imagine lots of other words can be though of for the company though. If the guy hasn't the time to go 3 feet further, he seems to be on a tight schedule indeed.

 

[LovePhotography]

Okay, I realize he's not "lazy" in that he delivers a ton of weight everyday (for pretty good money from what I've heard), but still, he's not "lazy" in the absolute form of "welfare queen lazy". But, as a musician and amateur photographer, I have seen a HELL of a lot of equipment damaged over the years from these guys carelessly and thoughtlessly throws this stuff around. The packages look like they dragged them behind the truck, not in them. They sure as heck wouldn't throw their own stuff around like that. And the sticker on the door when the door was open, that happens all the time here, too. And our UPS and Post Office places are minimum 40 minute round trip if there's no line at the counter when you get there. Even if I send my staff member to get it it's $20/hr plus lost productivity. So, yeah, I'd pay more for fragile delivery. Better packaging would help, too, although this package had an air pillow on 5 of the 6 sides. But, since the weight was on the side where the air pillow wasn't odds are higher it fell on the unprotected side. I'm just kinda pissed. If I keep this lens, I always will wonder if it's loosened or damaged. And it would have taken 15 seconds to open the damn door and deliver it inside.

 

[Ripley]

Congratulations on receiving your new lens, I hope everything is ok with it! Mine is still backordered.

As far as couriers go... no excuse is good enough. Charge more for your services, hire better employees, operate more efficiently, or do something. My compassion for the delivery personnel does not supersede my expectation of the service I'm paying the company to do. With that being said, I don't think they have to do anything more than drop it at the door unless you have signature confirmation... never the less, I understand your frustration!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I love UPS. The driver brings it to my front door and is always polite, even when times are busy.

I get daily deliveries and pickups, and have for the past 14 years. They have never lost or damaged a package out of 10's of thousands.

 

[hsbn]

First, the delivery guy didn't know what is inside the package.
Second, why didn't you sit somewhere by the door so we could see you. A lot of company did not turn off the light even if they're off.
Third, this is a holiday, the schedule is tight so nobody wants to look for a door bell, wait for someone to come (and most of the time nobody will come on a Friday after Thanksgiving).
Last but not least, it is the seller responsibility for not requesting direct signature on delivery. If the seller didn't think the product is important enough to request for it then what make you think the delivery guy will treasure your package.

 

[KeithBreazeal]

My UPS driver gets bonus points in the winter. He will not risk driving the plowed driveway, so parks at the road and hikes in with the boxes- a 1/4 mile round trip. The FedEx driver has a 4WD pickup and can make it easily. Just the back roads to get here in the mountains is a test of will when it's snowing. I had a driver a couple years ago that was a coffee drinker, so I would leave a thermos of coffee & cups downstairs if I wasn't here.
They are people just like us and have a big job ahead of them this Christmas season. Be nice.

 

[slclick]

It's all about the individual, true, each one represents the organization but I am very fortunate. Mine has had my route for years and goes out of his way each and every day for us. In fact he took a Weber Performer grill of mine to my deck in the back yard this last summer, right where I set it up. He'll get a gift card this Christmas you betcha.

My USPS mailcarrier is also an amazing person, 3 tours in Iraq, and still a sweet and gentle soul who goes the extra mile for us year after year.

But don't get me started on Fedex, they embody the Youtube stigma imo.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

the bastard had dropped it 3+ feet into our outdoor box (onto the hard concrete/steel floor) for when we're not at the office.

Why do you have such a box? If I were expecting a delivery I would put a note on the door not to put the package in the box. Or I would put padding over the concrete/steel floor

I hope your lens is OK.

 

[wtlloyd]

Hahaha - and all the ghosts of long-deceased B&M camera shops go howling with laughter into the night....

 

[pwp]

Ditto Mt Spokane...I've always had prompt, courteous service from UPS.
OP, that's tough for you but almost certainly a "blip" on the radar.

If your delivery was properly packaged, a three foot drop is in all likelihood nothing to be concerned about. Does your delivery box need a re-design? Enjoy the lens! Great choice.

-pw

 

[cpsico]

Not working today, although lots of homework to do. But, Adorama had delivery of my Sigma 50 1.4 Art as being today through UPS. So, I went to the office, opened all the doors, turned on the lights, so clearly we could received inside delivery. So, it's 4 PM, still no delivery, so I check UPS tracking again. "Delivered 12:30 PM outside". Sure enough, the bastard had dropped it 3+ feet into our outdoor box (onto the hard concrete/steel floor) for when we're not at the office. Lazy bastard. Merry Christmas to you, too. If started to drop one of my cherished lens over three feet onto concrete (in boxing or not), it'd risk injury to dive onto the ground under it. I understand it was in a decent lens case. But the sudden deceleration can be good for it. Goll-dang it!

I know it wasn't how you wanted the delivery to go but it sounds like the driver followed established practices. Where you honestly easy to see or find inside the office? Was the parking lot empty enough for a reasonable person to conclude the office was closed. Sometimes a moment of planning can save hours of worry. I bet a simple call to the 800 number or communication to anyone at UPS to alert them that "although the office is closed, I will be there to get an important package" would have changed the out come.
The policy is to leave packages in the box if the office is closed, well the office was closed

 

[tpatana]

First, the delivery guy didn't know what is inside the package.
Second, why didn't you sit somewhere by the door so we could see you. A lot of company did not turn off the light even if they're off.
Third, this is a holiday, the schedule is tight so nobody wants to look for a door bell, wait for someone to come (and most of the time nobody will come on a Friday after Thanksgiving).
Last but not least, it is the seller responsibility for not requesting direct signature on delivery. If the seller didn't think the product is important enough to request for it then what make you think the delivery guy will treasure your package.

This +1

I know I'm always nervous when I have something that magnitude coming, like 5D3 or 70-200 2.8 IS II. Most of the time they don't ring my doorbell, sometimes they do.

But that's quite low blaming the delivery guy when he's probably doing his best to make the rounds during his shift. Think the other way, if he'd stop to ring the bell at each door and wait if someone comes, he'd deliver maybe 20% less packages. Would you be happy if your lens didn't come today because of the other customers slowing him down, and instead you'd get your lens on Monday?

Same thing with e.g. restaurant workers or grocery store people. Most of them work harder than I do, so I don't understand why people are mean to them just because they have such jobs. You never know their situation either, maybe student making few extra bucks after school, or single mom working 3 jobs. Little smile and kindness can go long way, being angry and bitter won't help anyone.

 

[dgatwood]

I love the various delivery services. I keep getting packages that I didn't order. You'd think they'd want them back, but... it takes most of them about two weeks for them to actually pick something back up. At one point, I wrote FedEx a snarky letter saying that because they hadn't picked up the package after a week, I had placed the package in the street, and if they wanted it intact, they should pick it up before everybody gets home from work.... It still took about four more days after that message....

I'll give OnTrac some credit. Even though they misdeliver with about the same frequency, at least they pick up their packages the day I call....

 

[JonAustin]

I know it's the kind of thing we all cringe at just thinking about it, but if the lens performs as expected, just relax and enjoy it.

In all likelihood, that 3+ foot drop onto your concrete porch was just the final -- and far from the worst -- landing it encountered during it's eventful trip from your vendor to your address. It was probably dropped, tossed, thrown and possibly even kicked all along the way.

We get great service in our rural community from our local UPS driver, and he even stops to chew the fat for a couple of minutes when he's not jammed up. But there's a reason why some people pronounce "UPS" with a long "U" (like "oops!")...

 

[sanj]

He should not have done what he did.

You should not have a 3ft drop where the delivery was made. Reduce the drop or put some padding where packages may drop in future.

Congratulations on your new lens.

 

[lescrane]

the subject caught my eyes.

Last week I sat home waiting for a large package. very large. I live on top floor of elevated bldg. Nothing. I go down to get my mail. package is not even in the lobby, it's sitting at entrance of blgd. unsecured. No one even rang the bell.

So, the question is: Is this the fault of the driver? UPS? Amazon??? I don't know but there's no excuse at all . I don't want to here how hard the drivers work. We all work hard. They are unionized and make good wages. UPS-- they are top 500 company, they should ensure quality control. Amazon..same.

I also don't get the "well, how much do you want to pay for shipping" comments. I make a deal w/seller: they will deliver package to me, in good shape. They decide $$, I decide to pay it. I rent a private, attended mailbox for most of my deliveries so I don't have to deal w/this crappy service. I just didn't want to get a hernia loading the big pckg into my car, so I got one taking it up from my lobby instead.lol.

 

[unfocused]

If the lens is damaged you can return it. I doubt it is though. If you ordered it from a reputable dealer (like Adorama or B&H) they package these things very well. It will get more banging about in your camera bag than it did during delivery.

Most delivery services have an option to pick it up at their location. Fed-Ex allows you to pick it up at the nearest Kinkos/Fed Ex, which is the option I usually choose because it's far more convenient than waiting for the delivery. I can do the pickup on my schedule, not theirs.

Surely there are more important things in life to complain about.