Infuriating experience with UPS

[FWIW]

Has anyone experienced similar and got any tips on how to resolve?!

I believe this has been caused by a Union directive that UPS drivers should not handle cash. Because COVID.
The result is that when import fees are due the consignment is routinely marked as 'could not receive funds' and doesn't get loaded, despite the fact that the fees have been paid.


This consignment arrived in the UK and cleared customs on 13/8. I had no contact from UPS whatsoever. No request for payment. Nothing.
On 18/8 I called Customer Services [sic] to be told that fees needed to be paid. I paid the fees.
I waited.
And waited.
Still nothing.
I made several further calls to customer services who told me they escalated the case and assured me that re-delivery would happen within 48hrs.
I waited.
And waited.
Still nothing.
I then made contact via ‘Messenger’. The rep was profusely apologetic, said all the right things, made all the right noises.
I waited.
And waited.
Still nothing.
I called Customer Services again. This time the lady said that the local depot would call me within the hour.
I was sceptical.
But low and behold – I got a call from the local depot! The lady told me that delivery would be made the next day (today 27/8).
SUCCESS AT LAST!
…or so I thought…
The van has just passed by without stopping.
The tracking shows:
- ELEVEN alleged delivery attempts.
- ELEVEN attempts to receive funds.
- FIVE address updates.
In reality, NONE of these things happened.


Tracking events:

08/27/2021
3:35 A.M. On the Way
Due to operating conditions, your package may be delayed.
08/27/2021
1:22 A.M. Address Change Confirmed
The address has been updated as the receiver requested.
08/26/2021
10:20 P.M. Processing at UPS Facility
08/26/2021
11:13 A.M. A delivery change for this package is in progress. / Your package will be delivered to an alternate address.
08/26/2021
7:42 A.M. Final Delivery Attempted
We tried to deliver your package, but we were unable to collect funds. We'll try again on the next business day.
08/26/2021
5:29 A.M. Warehouse Scan
08/25/2021
3:22 P.M. Warehouse Scan
08/24/2021
11:39 A.M. This package is being held for a future delivery date.
08/23/2021
1:10 P.M. We tried to deliver your package, but we were unable to collect funds. We'll try again on the next business day.
08/23/2021
1:05 P.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt. / We'll contact the sender or receiver about this delivery.
08/23/2021
7:15 A.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt.
08/23/2021
4:13 A.M. The address has been updated as the receiver requested.
08/23/2021
4:08 A.M. Warehouse Scan
08/20/2021
8:57 A.M. A delivery change for this package is in progress. / Your package will be delivered to an alternate address.
08/20/2021
4:31 A.M. Warehouse Scan
08/19/2021
6:10 P.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt. / We'll contact the sender or receiver about this delivery.
08/19/2021
12:42 P.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt.
08/19/2021
2:48 A.M. Processing at UPS Facility
08/18/2021
2:44 P.M. We tried to deliver your package, but we were unable to collect funds. We'll try again on the next business day.
08/18/2021
7:30 A.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt.
08/17/2021
10:01 P.M. Processing at UPS Facility
08/17/2021
7:58 P.M. The address has been updated as the receiver requested.
08/17/2021
10:13 A.M. A delivery change for this package is in progress. / Your package will be delivered to an alternate address.
08/17/2021
7:31 A.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt.
08/16/2021
1:28 P.M. The driver was unable to collect funds on the final delivery attempt.
08/13/2021
8:11 P.M. Processing at UPS Facility
08/13/2021
1:39 P.M. We tried to deliver the package, but were unable to receive payment. A second attempt will be made the next business day
08/13/2021
6:10 A.M. Arrived at Facility
08/13/2021
5:39 A.M. Departed from Facility
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
08/13/2021
3:38 A.M. Import Scan
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
08/13/2021
3:01 A.M. Arrived at Facility
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
08/13/2021
3:00 A.M. Departed from Facility
Koeln, Germany

[matjk]

Yeap , had exactly this , it’s only because we desperately needed to the item and started tracking it we found our.
We had the “driver came to your building as was unable to collect funds” lie 8 times in a row .
Ours was at “final delivery has been attempted return to sender is in progress “
2 people at work has been trying to deal with it , spending hours on hold an not able to do anything.
Eventually I googled to customer complaints number and called the number (think is just their customer service number).
I ignored all the “press button # for blah blah blah” options and just waited about 2mins and I got an actual person . He said the parcel was in the process of being sent back, but he had now stopped this and would get it sent to us . Incidentally we had already paid the customs chargers via the UPS website .
The parcel actually arrived yesterday, but it’s been an absolute nightmare.
We have now requested all our shipments are send to us via DHL only from our suppliers (all Chinese) as we have zero issues with them.
All you can do is hang in there , keep trying and eventually your parcel should arrive .

[Nickyboy]

This is a fundamental flaw with UPS, the packages come into the depots with no paperwork on them with regards to the customs charges, this is due to the company deciding to get rid of the people who would process the packages at the hubs and put invoices on them in order for the drivers to collect the funds from the customers. The drivers now have no idea whether a package has funds to collect until they scan it at the delivery point, drivers are refusing to ask customers for money with no paperwork (fair enough) and put an exception of against the package. It is now up to the driver to take the package back and request an invoice, only problem is that there is no "one" person who does this as it's not technically anyones job, if the request isn't met then the same thing happens day after day. With Brexit the problem has increased 10 fold, it's a frankly ridiculous situation that has been going on for over 2 years, the drivers are infuriated by it and in some depots refuse to even take the packages out for delivery until the charges are paid.

That said, when you track your package on ups.com you can click the link where it says you have charges to pay and pay it online. For another stupid reason that link isn't available on the app, only via a PC etc.

Oh, and another issue at the moment is that the call center who manage the payments don't inform the depots when they have received payment for the shipments so they sit there until a customer chases it and the depot itself looks up the shipment. It's truly exasperating sometimes the failures of what should be a fairly simple system.

Edited by Nickyboy on Sunday 29th August 17:14

[FWIW]

Thanks Mat and Nicky for your insight.

It’s beyond astonishing that a global company can behave in this way.

(Still not got my consignment!)

[JayRidesBikes]

matjk said:

Yeap , had exactly this , it’s only because we desperately needed to the item and started tracking it we found our.
We had the “driver came to your building as was unable to collect funds” lie 8 times in a row .
Ours was at “final delivery has been attempted return to sender is in progress “
2 people at work has been trying to deal with it , spending hours on hold an not able to do anything.
Eventually I googled to customer complaints number and called the number (think is just their customer service number).
I ignored all the “press button # for blah blah blah” options and just waited about 2mins and I got an actual person . He said the parcel was in the process of being sent back, but he had now stopped this and would get it sent to us . Incidentally we had already paid the customs chargers via the UPS website .
The parcel actually arrived yesterday, but it’s been an absolute nightmare.
We have now requested all our shipments are send to us via DHL only from our suppliers (all Chinese) as we have zero issues with them.
All you can do is hang in there , keep trying and eventually your parcel should arrive .

Had more or less the same experience when importing from the USA with them, I just pay the customs duty on their online portal thing now as it just saves the hassle.

The twitter help was more useful than calling up, I found.

[agent006]

Had no end of issues lately with UPS from a dispatch point of view as well. We're just sending things to our own staff within the UK, but UPS have an over 50% failure rate, and that's with us paying close to £70 a delivery for pre-10am 'guaranteed'.
The main problem is there's no communication. DHL will tell me (automated) if they're not going to deliver on time, so I can at least try and make other arrangements. UPS, nowt. Then I found out from our security chap that the local UPS driver is banned from our office neighbours upstairs for being aggressive to their receptionists and that was the final straw and we ditched them completely.
It's a shame as they used to be head and shoulders above the rest.

[Ean218]

That's weird as we are finding UPS one of the more relianble couriers, especially for stuff from the far east.

It may help that they have our duty deferment info so there is no problem with duties etc.

[Rick101]

Nickyboy said:

this is due to the company deciding to get rid of the people who would process the packages at the hubs and put invoices on them in order for the drivers to collect the funds from the customers.

Always the way.

[Tyre Smoke]

Every time I import from NZ I use DHL. Never ever a problem and only takes about 4/5 days on their standard service.

[skwdenyer]

matjk said:

Yeap , had exactly this , it’s only because we desperately needed to the item and started tracking it we found our.
We had the “driver came to your building as was unable to collect funds” lie 8 times in a row .
Ours was at “final delivery has been attempted return to sender is in progress “
2 people at work has been trying to deal with it , spending hours on hold an not able to do anything.
Eventually I googled to customer complaints number and called the number (think is just their customer service number).
I ignored all the “press button # for blah blah blah” options and just waited about 2mins and I got an actual person . He said the parcel was in the process of being sent back, but he had now stopped this and would get it sent to us . Incidentally we had already paid the customs chargers via the UPS website .
The parcel actually arrived yesterday, but it’s been an absolute nightmare.
We have now requested all our shipments are send to us via DHL only from our suppliers (all Chinese) as we have zero issues with them.
All you can do is hang in there , keep trying and eventually your parcel should arrive .

Conversely, I've been having very similar problems with packages sent to the US from the UK via DHL. We send DDP, so no charges to collect, but still DHL decide they want some info from the recipient, make a half-hearted attempt to contact them, don't contact us, then send the parcel back.

Are UPS better for the USA?

[FWIW]

WE HAVE A DELIVERY!!

The regular driver had been on hols for a couple of weeks - although we don’t use UPS routinely, he does know me, so I wonder if that made a difference.


Anyway, what a fking shower of st.

[FWIW]

skwdenyer said:

Conversely, I've been having very similar problems with packages sent to the US from the UK via DHL. We send DDP, so no charges to collect, but still DHL decide they want some info from the recipient, make a half-hearted attempt to contact them, don't contact us, then send the parcel back.

Are UPS better for the USA?

God, that sounds equally frustrating.

[skwdenyer]

FWIW said:

skwdenyer said:

Conversely, I've been having very similar problems with packages sent to the US from the UK via DHL. We send DDP, so no charges to collect, but still DHL decide they want some info from the recipient, make a half-hearted attempt to contact them, don't contact us, then send the parcel back.

Are UPS better for the USA?

God, that sounds equally frustrating.

Yup. Just had the 4th call with a DHL UK rep over the latest consignment.

DHL in the US attempted to contact the recipient to ask them (a) for a tax ID (which we'd already provided), and (b) for the full manufacturer details (which the recipient wouldn't know). They didn't ask us. Our customer (who received a 2nd package from us via DHL days later with no problem) claims they were never contacted. DHL's tracking system does not show these issues to us, or notify us of them - it is all conducted outside of the tracking system by people sending emails and making phone calls. Apparently, if DHL US needs to ask us anything they have to raise a ticket with DHL UK who in turn will ask us.

Absolutely maddening. The only workaround we can find is to monitor all shipments and if they're held in customs for more than 2/3 days, proactively call DHL UK and ask them to ask DHL US if we can help....

...or find another carrier with a more joined-up way of working, of course!

[FWIW]

skwdenyer said:

...or find another carrier with a more joined-up way of working, of course!

Good luck with that!

[The Moose]

You wanna know infuriating?

Them holding up an envelope with about 10 pages of documents as there’s a paper clip and that makes it not a documents only package…

[FWIW]

The Moose said:

You wanna know infuriating?

Them holding up an envelope with about 10 pages of documents as there’s a paper clip and that makes it not a documents only package…

Jesus!

What planet are these people on?!

[Vixpy1]

UPS are terrible, a couple of suppliers insist on using them, missing paperwork, refusing to send invocies, sending invoices months after a package is received...

[agent006]

Vixpy1 said:

refusing to send invoices, sending invoices months after a package is received...

Oh, yeah, that too. UPS quote and invoice as one figure, but then charge your card for each item and addon individually. So a £60 shipment ends up being one £45 delivery fee, one £5 collection payment, one £5 signature payment and so on. I think our finance team were about to come round here and hurt me after a few of those.

[The Moose]

FWIW said:

The Moose said:

You wanna know infuriating?

Them holding up an envelope with about 10 pages of documents as there’s a paper clip and that makes it not a documents only package…

Jesus!

What planet are these people on?!

Just sent another. Fortunately, I didn't sent the 2 paper clips to separate the 2 individual multi-page documents and it arrived on time. YAY

[FWIW]

The Moose said:

Just sent another. Fortunately, I didn't sent the 2 paper clips to separate the 2 individual multi-page documents and it arrived on time. YAY

I wonder if staples are allowed?