OT: Technology and Geek Stuff Thread

[Tony G]

Dan, how do you know you're the majority here?

Yes, I am upset with them leaving it with my wasted neighbor. That comes out right from the start. The question I asked FedEx is, "How do you know the neighbors get along?" I feel that's a reasonable question to ask. I know many people who have issues with neighbors or don't trust or talk to them. Yes I would have been ok with the neighbor on the other side taking the package but how do they know that? I probably do have a "bigger fucking mouth" but in this case I feel justified in asking those questions and in being unhappy with their response, especially their comment that they won't stop the practice for my address in the future..

I am sorry I snapped back at you as sharply as i did. I apologize for the tone of my comments. I took your comments more personally than you meant them apparently.

[Topweasel]

I am with tony on this maybe in some neibhorhoods it's fine. But I dont know my neighbors and frankly i like it that way and I wouldn't care to have them randomly decide to drop my shit off to them. I think it should be the owner of the package that gets to decide by a note on the door or something like that whether or not to leave it with a neighbor and which one.

[Jamie H]

Hell, where I am the UPS and Fed Ex people just leave stuff on our porch. I suppose if we had crappy neighbors they could just steal our stuff, but we've never had problems.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Tonight those fuckers didn't even knock. They just dropped it on the porch

[LionsFanInJapan]

Here in Japan, they won't leave it with neighbors (at least not in my experience). However, they leave a phone number to call the driver, and 9 times out of 10 I've had it delivered within a couple hours after I've called. The other one time it's rescheduled for the next day at a convenient time for me.

I've gotta go with Marko on this one, because I agree with both DanO and Tony. I have no problem with a guy leaving it with a neighbor, but I'd also hope the delivery guy would use common sense and not leave it with a neighbor who's clearly strung out.

[Malto Marko]

I am going to chime in here since I have a bit of experience in the delivery business.

My product is perishable unlike the things that get sent by UPS or Fed Ex but we encounter a lot of the same problems in getting things delivered.

First problem is that people order things to be delivered and then feel they have no responsibility to ensure someone will be there to receive the delivery.

Because both Fed Ex and UPS can not give one a window when the delivery would be made, it is understandable that people are not going to remain home 24/7 to receive it. However, the vast majority of people are not at home during the work week but yet that is the exact time they expect a delivery to be made.

My situation is a bit different because often the item is being ordered by a third party. I would assume with UPS and Fed Ex that is not the case.

Let's take a look at the responsibilities of a UPS or Fed Ex driver. When he arrives in the morning, his truck is already loaded. He must look through the delivery manifest to see how many stops he is making, and where they are. He then has to devise a route that would be the most efficient way to distribute the packages. After that is done, he must look at his payload and get an idea on how the truck was loaded so he does not spend valuable time looking for the package once he arrives at the destination. Often he will have to make 70 or 80 stops and if it takes longer to make the deliveries than the industry standard, they do not get fully compensated for their time. His job is to deliver packages, not bring them back.

Used to be that someone had to sign for all packages. Now they are allowed to porch some of the smaller packages but the sender can require a signature which means a live body must sign for them. They are not required to do sobriety tests (however, I will admit that common sense would dictate you do not leave a package with someone that is obviously under the influence). We do not know if it was as obvious to the driver as it is to a neighbor that is familiar with the individual.

If they do bring packages back, they have to offload them before they park their truck to be serviced for the night. Drivers hate to do that especially with large and heavy packages and often this is time they do not get compensated for because they have arrived back and it is assumed that the vast majority of their load had been delivered. They try to get rid of a package on the first attempt whenever possible.

Because these companies deliver to a literally everywhere, excluding a neighborhood where it is acceptable to not make an attempt to leave it with a neighbor is the rare exception, not the norm.

Tony, while you may have a neighbor that is on a 24 hour party, I doubt your neighborhood would dictate that it is unsafe to trust leaving it with a neighbor.

FYI. When it is left with a 3rd party if, for some reason, your delivery is not received, after making that known to the seller, they are obligated to either issue you a refund or send another item. It is between the seller and the delivery service to work out who is responsible for the missing merchandise. Sometime addresses are incorrect, zip codes incorrect, in some towns (more than you would imagine) you can have identical addresses in different parts of town with only a zip code identifying the absolute correct location.

If all things are correct on the shipping address, the carrier is insured to cover the cost of the lost package.

Bottom line is that if your neighbor refused to give you the items or kept them for himself, you do have remedies and since you put in on your credit card, since they would not be able to establish positive proof of you receiving it, you could have the charge removed from your card.

[mason reese]

DanO You jumped in my shit before during my conversation my Scotch Marko. I eventually realized I probably was in the wrong on that one. (I think Bimmer got the zing in on me that woke me up)

I'm not taking crap from you on this one. I really don't know if it's just these two times that has pissed you off or if you had an instant dislike for me after meeting for dinner that time. Whatever it is, I don't wish ill on you but I'm not going to be dumped on either. Feel free to contact me via FB or PM if you want to work this out.

Now you know what happens when you have dinner with DanO and don't put out. I hope you learned your lesson.

[Tony G]

Some valid points there Marko. However, I think at least with UPS they run the addresses into a GPS system that computes the most efficient route for the deliveries. This led to UPS develpoing routes that minimize left hand turns.

For my neighborhood there are a few houses that have earned universal mistrust. There are also some vacant foreclosed houses that we are concerned about possible squatters.

I know I would have recourse if the items never got to me but in the mean time I'm left with a system that isn't functional while the two parties settle the issue.

That the company would put undue pressures on the drivers is not my fault. Their inablity to deliver a product properly is my issue. One of the other things the FedEx rep told me is that since I shipped FedEx Ground I was not entitled to any consideration for different times or delivery methods. Perhaps they should rename the product "FedEx Stable Floor" to properly symbolize their commitment to customer satisfaction.

[Tony G]

LOL Mason

[Malto Marko]

Some valid points there Marko. However, I think at least with UPS they run the addresses into a GPS system that computes the most efficient route for the deliveries. This led to UPS develpoing routes that minimize left hand turns.

For my neighborhood there are a few houses that have earned universal mistrust. There are also some vacant foreclosed houses that we are concerned about possible squatters.

I know I would have recourse if the items never got to me but in the mean time I'm left with a system that isn't functional while the two parties settle the issue.

That the company would put undue pressures on the drivers is not my fault. Their inablity to deliver a product properly is my issue. One of the other things the FedEx rep told me is that since I shipped FedEx Ground I was not entitled to any consideration for different times or delivery methods. Perhaps they should rename the product "FedEx Stable Floor" to properly symbolize their commitment to customer satisfaction.

You are correct about the GPS however, GPS does not take into account some of the snafus that are present with road construction and the driver still needs to override the computer model (at least that is what my UPS driver tells me).

Now, regarding undue pressures on the driver. If you are not home when he arrives is not his fault. It is not the drivers responsibility to keep circling the neighborhood to find out when you get home. They do offer premium delivery services that will guarantee deliveries next day before 10 AM but some of the shopping carts that are used for web purchases do not offer this as an option.

The carriers customer is the outfit that supplied your goods, not the end user. The supplier can choose to use whichever carrier they wish.

"Their inablity to deliver a product properly is my issue."

They did deliver the product properly according to industry standards, they just did not deliver it according to your standards and/or expectations.

[Marko69]

I don't want to get too heavily involved in this debate....., but several years ago when I was at a different address, I had a mobile phone delivered for my daughter,...., I wasn't in and they left it with the fickin dunderheed next door....., when I got home he came out and handed me the "opened" box and said, "sorry mate, thought it was for me."......, I went a bit mental and said something along the lines of, you fckin signed for it, then thought it was for you?......, got some bullshit story that his mate signed for it etc etc.

But......., if the driver took it back to base and I had to go collect......, that'd be a 50 mille round trip.

I think this debate is a catch 22 situation.

[Malto Marko]

I think this debate is a catch 22 situation.

It really is.

We get requests all the time to make deliveries by a certain time otherwise no one will be home only to arrive as requested and still find no one home.

[Marko69]

Malto......, the use of the word "we" leads me to believe you are in the postal service? Why do I think you are a chef? Bloody hell....., for ages I've thought you were a chef. You must cook a lot !!

[Malto Marko]

LOL! I do cook a lot, it is my favorite pastime.

I am self employed in the florist industry.

[Marko69]

Ah......, well I'd imagine your products being left "next door" would make a lot of "other" women very happy,......, but then...... Very sad when they realise they ain't for them!! Lol.