When Packages Left on Doorsteps Disappear

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UPS and Apartments/Condos

I'm a visually impaired young woman who lives alone in a not-so-great neighborhood. The only problems I've ever had here are with my mail, & with discrimination from my landlord.(Who, by the way, does not accept packages on behalf of tenants.) It's a huge complex & I understand why, but while I was working that (and our tiny mail slots) made it nearly impossible to receive packages.

Now that I'm home almost always, you'd think that this'd be easiert. but that's not the case. And it ain't like I can just jump in my car to go "handle" things in person. ;P

So w/this, I'd finally decided on what to buy w/a rather large gift card. Because I've had problems w/all types of mail before, I've become extremely diligent w/tracking, making sure I"m available for drop-off days, etc. Well the day before yesterday I sat in my living room all day long, feet from the door, waiting for my delivery. (Consisting of games & accessories for the Wii.) I waited eagerly all day, & nothing came. There was no knock, no "UPS.." nada. Well by now after living in my area for a year, I've become pretty paranoid about my package deliveries because so many of our local carriers just don't seem to give a crap. So yesterday I checked my tracking status, & it says my package was.. delivered.

Naturally, I freaked. I'd checked my door for notices & scoured my entrance for a parcel; repeatedly on the arrival day, on the night of expected arrival, as well as in the AM of the next day. Still, nothing. So when I called UPS they told me there was nothing THEY could do. It "was up to the discretion of the carrier as to where" & apparently how they should leave a parcel, & whether they required a sig. or not. Well having received a bevy of packages in my day, & just having gotten another portion of the same order via the same carrier which DID require a signature for delivery, I knew that was BS.

I called Target in a tizzy & they proved that UPS was in the wrong, the carrier had totally slacked off, & had been completely irresponsible, & it was indeed NOT his right to just pick and choose how packages are delivered. In fact, according to Target (who uses UPS as a main carrier) they are -not allowed- to just leave a package on somebody's doorstep if they live in an apartment building or a condo. Period.

So now what? I went around to some of my neighbors (all of whom I'm on really good terms with- or so I'd thought) & asked if they'd seen my parcel. -All but one said they had..- and the other (who'd been given one of my packages to look after for some reason by a carrier before) let me get about four words out and then slammed the door in my face. Now what I want to know is, now what?? Other neighbors saw it there, one even offered to watch for packages for me in future should this happen again, & I'm almost dead sure the kids in the place across the hall have stolen my package. What do I do???

Nae of MD @ Feb 28, 2009 08:27:34 AM

Undelivered Package

On 08/09/2008,I mailed a package from pagefield postal store

Fort Myers,Fl.33907 to Lashaun Johnson,3029 Botany Dr. Jonesboro

Ga.30236 From: Callie M .Johnson, 2903 Market St. Fort Myers Fl.

33916 Lashaun has not received it, nor has it been returned to me.It was sent priority Bill#1000601639890

Callie Johnson of FL @ Aug 25, 2008 01:43:13 AM

UPS said they will not deliver to my house anymore

I recently had ordered a new video card from Newegg. The day it was stated as delivered, I arrived home and the package was no where to be found. The tracking said it was left in my carport, but the carport is completely visible from the road. UPS is not suppose to leave packages in places that are visible from the road. I waited a day and then contacted the retailer. They filed a claim and gave me an option to reorder or get a refund. I took the refund as the product I wanted had a nice Mail in rebate that I no longer could get since the purchase by date had expired. 7-10 days later, my card was credited for the purchase. 2 weeks after that, I get a call from UPS following up on the claim, to apologize for the trouble, and to see if I had any outstanding issues with the package. I advised them the retailer had resolved my issues. The next day UPS shows up at my house and tells my roommate that they will not deliver to my house anymore because they have never had a package stolen in that area before. They also left some paperwork to sign. Now I am going to have to call them after work to argue with them. I would prefer to have to sign for packages, but refusing to deliver to me now is just extreme. I understand they have to protect themselves, but I don't think this is right. If they are unable to resolve my situation for me, I will use a different carrier for all my shipments from now on.

Louie of GA @ Jun 20, 2008 17:54:05 PM

UPs delivery when owner was not home

I had a catalogue order coming to my new residence in which I specificially asked not to be delivered before May 12, but it came 4 days earlier. While working at our new home going through used clothing, curtains,etc. yet not having moved in yet, we put out 3 huge black garbage bags for Amvets the night before. Unbeknown to us UPS delivered my above mentioned catalogue order and put it under one of the black garbage bags so no one would take it, hahaha!! Well, either a dishonest person from AMvets did take it or someone from our neighborhood, which I think unlikely. At any rate, I spent an entire day calling Chadwicks, where I had ordered my clothes, Amvets and UPS only to be told by Chadwicks I had to wait another 20 days to see if the package showed up, which is a joke, by Amvets that one of their drivers did find old clothes put into a mail package bag, and by UPS that Chadwicks could begin a lost claim on my package, which they won't do until the end of this month. In the mean time I do not have my clothes, that I have been credited for, I have to be sure and remember to call Chadwicks AGAIN at the end of the month so they will give me my credit back. I was not even here to sign for the UPS delivery and now with all this time going by I am afraid there will be another glitz that will end up making me "pay" again. I find the whole system of ordering and using a delivery company that is incompetent quite ridiculous and very unfair to this consumer. By the way, when I ordered from Chadwicks and this was only the second time I have, I was never asked if upon delivery I wanted to sign or not sign.

Vicki DeArmey of OH @ May 21, 2008 17:11:24 PM

UPS

Just had to post my most recent UPS expirence. I purchased 3 compact flash memory cards from Adorama.com. I am a professional photographer and get my equipment from the east coast (I am in LA). I had the item delivered to my mothers apartment because i have had problems with UPS drivers leaving the package at my front door and i dont live in the greatest area, some of my packages have been missing after delivery. My mother was in the courtyard of the apartment building when the driver came. The driver did not try to use the front gate entry. Get this, He hurled my package of memory cards onto her 3 story balcony from the outside of the building and left before my mother could approach him. He closed out the delivery on the website as "Balcony Woman".. Adorama.com has a signature policy. Due to the recent SoCal rain my memory cards were found floating in a puddle on her balcony!!! What kind of company would allow such practices? Im not sure i should keep the cards due to the Shock rating on these given being launched 3 stories... I called the customer service and all the said was they would do something about it... I called a little later about the resolution with the driver and they had no idea what i was talking about, the first rep i spoke with did nothing and documented nothing....

Michael of CA @ Mar 03, 2008 23:21:32 PM

What UPS really means

"UPS" really means "Use the Postal Service".

The delivery people, the ones who hammer on your door (and you can train them out of that) will turn themselves inside out for you.

If you want a real dose of attitude, try calling a UPS center. Evidently, they hire only retired East German border guards. They make the "customer service" people at AT&T or MasterCard/Visa look like the very personification of helpfulness and politeness.

miguel of FL @ Feb 27, 2008 16:06:28 PM

use a private mailbox

I've had problems with all of the delivery services. I never had anything go missing, but I was tired of coming home to find packages left on my doorstep in the rain (no plastic bags) or, as happened yesterday, left in a snowbank at the end of my driveway. I now use a private mailbox at the UPS store, where there is staff to sign for deliveries and they're kept out of the weather until I stop by to get them. It's not a PO Box, so all of the services deliver there. I work as a consultant and am in different job locations every few months, so this is the best alternative. If you buy a lot of things online, this is well worth the cost ($15 and up, depending on the kind of box).

Violet Purple of MA @ Feb 14, 2008 11:37:03 AM

UPS says it delivered the package, but I never received it.

UPS says it delivered the package, but I never received it. Who is responsible for reimbursing me? Co? UPS?.

UPS should be taken to the consumer court. They are delibrately doing this. They dont even knock the door or leave the note. I had ordered bose 321 gs hometheater system weight 47.2 pounds.. UPS says it delivered at 4.38 PM on 1/21/2008. It surprises, my wife and mother inlaw had the front door open. No package were seen nor this UPS delivery guy.. it seems to me there is some kind of racket within UPS.

I am at loss. UPS says they will have tracer. But how long we need to wait to hear the outcome. Can anyone answer or help me

infy of CA @ Jan 25, 2008 04:27:26 AM

UPS says it delivered the package, but I never received it. Who is responsible for reimbursing me? Co? UPS?

UPS says it delivered the package, but I never received it. Who is responsible for reimbursing me? Co? UPS?.

UPS should be taken to the consumer court. They are delibrately doing this. They dont even knock the door or leave the note. I had ordered bose 321 gs hometheater system weight 47.2 pounds.. UPS says it delivered at 4.38 PM on 1/21/2008. It surprises, my wife and mother inlaw had the front door open. No package were seen nor this UPS delivery guy.. it seems to me there is some kind of racket within UPS.

I am at loss. UPS says they will have tracer. But how long we need to wait to hear the outcome. Can anyone answer or help me

infy of CA @ Jan 25, 2008 04:24:27 AM

Hi--this is an update to a sad little comment I left yesterday (though I do not see it posted here yet). Joyfully, my story has a happy ending! I wrote that I had to assume my package was stolen after UPS insisted it had left a box outside my door a week ago. Just as I was trolling Craigslist to see if my items popped up for sale in the area, someone knocked on my door. Ayep--it was a neighbor I'd never met, from the next building over. "This box has been sitting outside my door for a week, and it finally occurred to me, duh, to check the address!" she said. So, YAY! An exhausted UPS delivery guy, no doubt, during this busy holiday season. I'm SO glad to find my neighbors are decent folk after all ... the idea of their stealing cut much deeper than my losing the irreplaceable contents of the box in the first place. Don't lose heart, and HAPPY NEW YEAR.

J. M. Stabb of MD @ Jan 02, 2008 13:39:46 PM

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Alpha Consumer

Alpha Consumer

Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about how to save money, avoid scams, manage debt, and be a savvy shopper. Send your personal finance questions to her for expert money advice.


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