sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) (12/23/89)
I just thought that I would relate this experience to you. I recently
ordered some memory and some disks from the States. I used a major machintosh
mail order house. When they asked how I wanted it shipped I picked UPS
(United Parcel Service) since I thought they were big, reputable, and safe.
Obviously, they were not. In fact, a few days after I placed my order,
two friends of mine who had also used UPS told me that they were 100%
unreliable. One person had used them twice, both times the package took
considerably longer than normal surface mail. The other person used them
three times. Once he was overcharged by $15, twice he received slow service.
It is now over a month later. I have discovered that the order was
shipped on the 29th of November, and was REFUSED by my university on the
14th of December. I inquired as to why it was refused. Apparently, UPS has
such *BAD* *UNRELIABLE* service and *DAMAGES* so many packages, that our
university refuses to deal with them and automatically refuses parcels from
them.
The bottom line....
Next time the mail order person asks UPS tell them
'Maurice says JUST SAY NO !!!'
thanx for listening to my flames
maurice
Maurice Sharp MSc. Student
University of Calgary Computer Science Department
2500 University Drive N.W. sharp@ksi.cpsc.UCalgary.CA
Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4 ...!alberta!calgary!sharpdks@shumv1.uucp (D. K. Smith) (12/24/89)
In article <2283@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) writes: > >.... our >university refuses to deal with them and automatically refuses parcels from >them. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >Maurice Sharp MSc. Student C'mon, now Maurice... S__t Happens, ya know.... Doesn't the university's attitude seem to indicate a bit of an isolated, closed mind-set?!? It is unfortuante that when a problem occurs it affects a "human individual" (it has happened to me, too) however when one thinks of the volume of freight moving around our misfortunes are but miniscule %'s of %'s. Besides it's the season of to be jolly :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dk smith | htims kd -my opinions reflect my opinions. | .snoinipo ym tcelfer snoinipo ym- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
wrp@biochsn.acc.Virginia.EDU (William R. Pearson) (12/24/89)
In article <2283@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) writes:
]
] I just thought that I would relate this experience to you. I recently
]ordered some memory and some disks from the States. I used a major machintosh
]mail order house. When they asked how I wanted it shipped I picked UPS
](United Parcel Service) since I thought they were big, reputable, and safe.
]considerably longer than normal surface mail. The other person used them
]three times. Once he was overcharged by $15, twice he received slow service.
]
] It is now over a month later. I have discovered that the order was
]shipped on the 29th of November, and was REFUSED by my university on the
]14th of December. I inquired as to why it was refused. Apparently, UPS has
]such *BAD* *UNRELIABLE* service and *DAMAGES* so many packages, that our
]university refuses to deal with them and automatically refuses parcels from
]them.
]
UPS is a large reliable shipper. I know of none more reliable
for the price. I receive hundreds of packages UPS every year. I have never
had one lost. Your university is the problem, not UPS. If they had
accepted the package, you would have recieved it on time. (And then
there is Canadian customs. I have had trouble with Federal Express getting
through Canadian customs.)papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (12/24/89)
In article <2283@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) writes: > I just thought that I would relate this experience to you. I recently >ordered some memory and some disks from the States. I used a major machintosh >mail order house. When they asked how I wanted it shipped I picked UPS >(United Parcel Service) since I thought they were big, reputable, and safe. They ARE. > Obviously, they were not. [...] > > It is now over a month later. I have discovered that the order was >shipped on the 29th of November, and was REFUSED by my university on the >14th of December. I inquired as to why it was refused. Apparently, UPS has >such *BAD* *UNRELIABLE* service and *DAMAGES* so many packages, that our >university refuses to deal with them and automatically refuses parcels from >them. Your University is NUTS! UPS is a VERY reliable company. We've used them for 5 years now and NOT ONE package got lost or damaged. And the shipping time is far better that the US Postal Service (or the Canadian Postal Service for that matter: they won't even allow floppies to be shipped without major hassle). An institution that refuses packages without even checking for damages is what I would call a "bunch of bozos". Period. -- Marco -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Xerox sues somebody for copying?" -- David Letterman -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
tgelder@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (tim gelder) (12/25/89)
There seems to be a pattern emerging here. I sent some boards by UPS from Indiana to Pittsburgh. A week later a company in NEW JERSEY tells me they have my boards there, with no idea what to do with them. I call UPS, and spend about half an hour convincing them how badly they screwed up and to pick up the boards and deliver them to the right place this time. The only thing they could thing of doing was picking up the boards, returning them to me, and having me pay again to deliver them once again. Ten days later I call to check on progress - and my boards are STILL SITTING ON THE DOCK IN NEW JERSEY! The above routine is repeated once again. Cutting a long story short, my boards eventually arrive in Pittsburgh more than five weeks after they were sent. Not a single apology or explanation from UPS at any stage. The incompetence was staggering, and has caused me massive inconvenience. I have vowed never to use UPS again, and would urge anyone else who cares about their stuff or their time to do the same. At least, if you do use UPS, bear in mind what might happen and how blithely UPS will screw you around when they do fuck up. Tim van Gelder
magik@chinet.chi.il.us (Ben Liberman) (12/25/89)
In article <2283@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) writes: > When they asked how I wanted it shipped I picked UPS >(United Parcel Service) since I thought they were big, reputable, and safe. > > Obviously, they were not. > > 'Maurice says JUST SAY NO !!!' UPS is SO reliable that my company STOPPED paying them for extra insurance on shipments ($.25 US for each additional $100.00 of value). The money saved easily paid for all losses during the year (and there was enough left over for a sizable party!) -- ------------ ------------ ---------------------- Ben Liberman USENET magik@chinet.chi.il.us GEnie,Delphi MAGIK
jxf@phobos.cis.ksu.edu (Jerry Frain) (12/25/89)
In article <2283@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> sharp@ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Maurice Sharp) writes:
[ blah blah blah I hate UPS blah blah blah ]
Puh-lease people!
Haven't we had enough non-Mac traffic in this supposedly Mac-related
newsgroup for one year (referring to comp.sys.mac stupid flame wars)?
Posting articles to these newsgroups requires a lot of resources
(hence money), and time (for every uninterested person to read far
enough to decide to press 'n').
I suggest creating the newsgroup alt.bash.ups and get articles like
this where they belong -- out of these newsgroups.
Follow-ups to alt.flame (since I can't send them to /dev/null).
Sorry for the interruption, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.
--
Jerry Frain -- Professional Student Kansas State University
Internet: jxf@phobos.cis.ksu.edu Dept of Computing & Information Sciences
BITNET: MUSTANG@KSUVM Manhattan, Kansas
UUCP: ...!{rutgers|textbell}!ksuvax1!phobos.cis.ksu.edu!jxfARTABAR@MTUS5.BITNET (12/25/89)
Hmm..been shipping stuff here in the US w/UPS forever...and my mother
sends well over 20 pkgs UPS a day for her employers and has virtually
no problems. Mayhaps UPS-Canada isnt up to snuff as it is here in the US?
Andy
ARTABAR%MTUS5.BITNET@vm1.nodak.edu (Internet)
ARTABAR@MTUS5 (BITNET)knapp@cs.utexas.edu (Edgar Knapp) (12/26/89)
UPS is on the "Black List" of our local Better Business Bureau for being the subject of complaints to which UPS has not replied adequately. Even though I have had no bad experience with them (yet?), I am reluctant to using them in the future in order to make them change their apparently bad habits. But what are my alternatives? Federal mail is slower and more expensive. Comments anyone? Edgar (knapp@cs.utexas.edu)
jdu@cbnewsd.ATT.COM (john.d.unruh) (12/31/89)
In article <2511@hudson.acc.virginia.edu> wrp@biochsn.acc.Virginia.EDU (William R. Pearson) writes: >] > > UPS is a large reliable shipper. I know of none more reliable >for the price. I receive hundreds of packages UPS every year. I have never >had one lost. Your university is the problem, not UPS. If they had >accepted the package, you would have recieved it on time. (And then >there is Canadian customs. I have had trouble with Federal Express getting >through Canadian customs.) UPS is certainly a large shipper. I have found that they are moderately reliable and a big pain in the rear to deal with. I had a package lost last year. A friend had a package that was eventually bound for me lost this year. He claims that he has had a lot of problems with UPS shipments from CA. They are a big pain for me because there is not anyone home during the day, and my apartment complex is considered a "bad neighborhood" and they will NOT leave the packages. On the last one, I arranged to be home to receive the package on a certain day, and they agreed to deliver it on that day. They didn't come. I called to arrange to pick it up the next day, and then I had to wait for them to call me back, and then they told me I could go and get it AFTER 3 PM. Under these circumstances, they should have dispatched a truck with just my package to arrive at the time when it was convenient for me (they messed up a whole day for me) regardless of the cost to UPS. Also, they have no interest in working on the problem of places they won't leave packages. The people on the phone don't have authority to do anything (which is typical). I really try to avoid the use of UPS. I agree that the problem mentioned in the base note is a problem with the University, not with UPS. It was probably triggered by excessive damaged packages which UPS would not deal with since someone had signed for it. They damaged something I shipped once and would not make good on the claim. The amount was not enough to make it worth my while to sue them. John Unruh
msmiller@gonzoville.East.Sun.COM (Mark Miller - Sun BOS Contractor) (01/03/90)
I've never had big problems personally with UPS, but a friend of mine
did. He shipped a pair of speakers to himself from Mass. to Calif.
during a temporary transfer and they were slightly damaged in transit.
In the course of (a) getting UPS to inspect the speakers (b) getting
them to admit they had damaged them and (c) getting them to pay a
refund it took about 4 months of phone calls up and down the line. The
worst part - the most brain-dead - though is the fact that they
shipped those poor speakers cross-country about 4 more times because
they kept getting the source and destination addresses messed up. Then
they shipped the check to the wrong place once.
As long as nothing goes wrong, UPS is fine. Heaven help you if
anything goes wrong - you are just somebody else's meal then.
-MSM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark S. Miller UUCP: msmiller@Sun.COM "In a nation ruled by swine,
################## GEnie: MSMILLER all pigs are upward mobile."
###################################################### - Hunter S. Thompson