The Liver, The Package
[Rant]
Delivery services are a pain in the butt.
I’ve ordered everything from hardware, software, books, and CDs to equipment, yarn, clothes, and chocolate … and yet my percentage for delivery problems tends to be very high.
When I lived on a second floor condo, a DHL delivery guy hurled—HURLED!—a stock photo CD I’d ordered up the flight of stairs directly outside my door. It banged against my door, and the CD case within the lightly padded package cracked, which drove me up the wall … not only because a little thing like a cracked CD case is like nails scratching on chalkboard to someone as obsessive and compulsive as I am (plus, imagine if the CD itself had cracked), but because I was in my living room just three feet from the front door when it happened. The loud slap-bang of the package on the door actually startled me, nearly giving me a heart attack. I could have been right there to open the door, accept the package like a civilized person, and sign for the delivery, but the delivery guy never even bothered climbing up the steps; he simply threw the package like it was the morning paper.
That’s DHL for you.
They were nicer in the next delivery because I made a point to call and complain, but they still didn’t ask for my signature. They just left it at my front door, where my crazy neighbor could have easily nabbed it had she wanted to or where her equally crazy dog (who barked at everyone) could have taken it into his mouth and given me a lame excuse in asking for a replacement: “Her dog ate it!”
After that, I was fed up with worrying about packages being delivered in such a manner at my residence, so I started using a depot of some sort, where they would accept and sign for packages, then keep them safe until I came to pick them up.
Then the depot failed me.
A delivery arrived, and I never got a notice of any sort. I kept going back to the depot, expecting to find the slip in the usual place, letting me know my package arrived, but the slip never materialized. Eventually, I got fed up doing that, too, and I finally went to the counter to ask about it. Yep, the package was there. It’s just that the depot was run by people like the DHL delivery men, morons.
And recently, I ordered Minnie a gift for her birthday. I usually get her something from Amazon because for some reason Amazon and USPS hardly ever fail me (they did once, a very long time ago, when delivering to India, but they sent a replacement package very quickly, and they have never failed me since), but this time around I got her something that required delivery by FedEx.
She never received the package. No one asked for a signature apparently, and according to the tracking number information, they simply left it at the front door.
What is up with delivery services doing so much of that these days? What is up with them leaving things at the front door where any stranger off the street can grab it and go? Why charge so much for shipping when the service is so lousy? Huh?!
Delivery men sexy, dependable? Not on your life!
[/Rant]
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5 thoughts on “The Liver, The Package”
I’ve been mostly lucky with deliveries. I did have a courier who once called me on the mobile and told me off for not being home to accept his delivery, which I wasn’t expecting (it was a surprise gift from a friend overseas). So I got very shirty with him and told him he’d have to come back another day and it wasn’t my problem, that I can’t promise to be home on weekdays during business hours. After that, he was more than happy to come to some sort of compromise. My personal policy is that if they’re making my life hard, I’m going to make their life even more difficult. 😀 If all else fails, there’s always talkbalk radio.
Other delivery services are overrated. Nothing is better than your regular postman. They deliver your mail regulary, and they pretty much know if you are almost always home. And they charge very reasonably. Other delivery services’ reputation is on advertising, which the non-profit USPS can’t compete with.
You are not alone. The percentage of error/damage is higher on private delivery services.
I ALWAYS deliver for you, but I will NOT wear that silly outfit you bought me with the brown shorts and let you stroke my signature stylus again!
I know someone else in the US that was having this type of trouble, although it was with his postman 😀 I’m really lucky here, being in a small town we know the people who own the Post Office and their delivery people are so friendly. The fellow’s mother often accompanies him and the poor old dear doesn’t mind tackling steps or dogs to get your parcel to you LOL!
And thank you so much for taking the trouble to re-inform the website about this. I am glad they shipped the box again, for free!
What kind of dumbass leaves a package outside the main door of an NYC apartment building anyway?! Without even buzzing for the resident?! Gah.
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