Let’s face it: collectively we’re all a lot more dependent on UPS, FedEx, and the US Mail (for Netflix at least) than we had been in the past. It’s as if catalog ordering just exploded! And those catalogs were on the internets!
Therefore package tracking has become a lot more important, too, even for non-critical things. I want to know when I’m going to get my new branding iron, and I want to know now. And thus far, whenever something has been shipped via UPS I haven’t complained. Much.
But this time, I’m a little concerned. I ordered something back on Sunday and it shipped Monday. Since then, all I know is that it left California three days ago. Is it on a boat? Is someone driving it to Chicago? I don’t know and, worse, UPS’s system doesn’t either. It’s just “on its way.” That’s nice and all – really! – but I miss the nearly-excruciating level of detail UPS had provided me in the past.
I expect everything to get magically updated before the package arrives tomorrow (including “OUT FOR DELIVERY,” perhaps one of the best new phrases in the English language) but, truly, I’ve expected more from UPS. If I want shipping non-updates… that’s covered.
Posted in Everyday Life
Paul August 20, 2009, 11:54 pm
My UPS package status was updated: “MECHANICAL FAILURE ON RAILROAD FLATCAR.”
Oh no!
Len November 2, 2010, 10:35 am
Not only is the site info inaccurate, they know nothing if you call them. What you see is what they see.
For a week a package was in California, status “Billing Information Received”, a week later it was “Out For Delivery”, nothing in between, I guess it got ‘beamed up’
International shipping is much the same. Sometimes it shows it is in customs brokerage for days after the customer confirms receipt. GIGO (Garbage in-Garbage out)!