FedEx: Your package is early, but we're not going to deliver it

[usagora]

I have an incoming FedEx Express Saver package that is coming from 1 state away. It shipped Monday and the whole time the tracking info said it was arriving early (originally est. was 4/21, expected early delivery was 4/20). Now it's 4/20 so I'm expecting delivery today, and but the tracking info changed this morning to say:

"At local FedEx Facility
Package not due for delivery"

And all of a sudden it's back to "on time" and 4/21 delivery date. So basically they're like, "Oh, we don't HAVE to deliver this one today, so we'll make him wait until tomorrow". So what was the point of telling me it was going to arrive early?! ? I would've been fine with 4/21, but don't tell me it's coming 4/20 and then switch back at the last minute to 4/21 as the package just sits there at the station when it could've been on the truck!

 

[eyoungren]

I have an incoming FedEx Express Saver package that is coming from 1 state away. It shipped Monday and the whole time the tracking info said it was arriving early (originally est. was 4/21, expected early delivery was 4/20). Now it's 4/20 so I'm expecting delivery today, and but the tracking info changed this morning to say:

"At local FedEx Facility
Package not due for delivery"

And all of a sudden it's back to "on time" and 4/21 delivery date. So basically they're like, "Oh, we don't HAVE to deliver this one today, so we'll make him wait until tomorrow". So what was the point of telling me it was going to arrive early?! ? I would've been fine with 4/21, but don't tell me it's coming 4/20 and then switch back at the last minute to 4/21 as the package just sits there at the station when it could've been on the truck!

Having worked for UPS (not FedEx) inside a Next Day Air major hub from 1992 to 1999 I can only offer speculation as to what happened.

I would say that your package was preceding through the system (per your tracking) but because it was early it was not a priority for whatever sort was dealing with the package. More of a 'process this if we have the time' type of thing. It got busy and because it was early the sort did not deal with it.

Now that it's 'on time' it is a priority and so will get dealt with, busy or not now.

General nightly package volume for my sort (back when I was working there) was around 32,000 packages a night. That was just our four hour sort (Intra, 9pm to 1am). There was also Twilight and M-Sort (Midnight) as well as Sunrise, all sorts that happened before, during and after the sort I was on. Just to give you a general idea. The volume is probably well beyond that now and with the pandemic and people quitting…well they were probably that busy.

Again, just speculation.

 

[usagora]

Having worked for UPS (not FedEx) inside a Next Day Air major hub from 1992 to 1999 I can only offer speculation as to what happened.

I would say that your package was preceding through the system (per your tracking) but because it was early it was not a priority for whatever sort was dealing with the package. More of a 'process this if we have the time' type of thing. It got busy and because it was early the sort did not deal with it.

Now that it's 'on time' it is a priority and so will get dealt with, busy or not now.

General nightly package volume for my sort (back when I was working there) was around 32,000 packages a night. That was just our four hour sort (Intra, 9pm to 1am). There was also Twilight and M-Sort (Midnight) as well as Sunrise, all sorts that happened before, during and after the sort I was on. Just to give you a general idea. The volume is probably well beyond that now and with the pandemic and people quitting…well they were probably that busy.

Again, just speculation.

That would be my guess too, but then they shouldn't be giving people false expectations, since they're pretty much always very busy (I'd assume) and therefore would rarely prioritize an early package. Tracking should just state on-time and not say it's going to be delivered early unless they actually put it on the truck for early delivery.

 

[PatrickCocoa]

That would be my guess too, but then shey shouldn't be giving people false expectations

Sure. But then on those times when they deliver a day early, we'll get a bunch of "WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME THE PACKAGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN EARLY??? I WENT TO MY GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE AND MISSED THE DELIVERY!!! THEY SHOULD TELL PEOPLE THAT A PACKAGE MIGHT BE EARLY!!!"

 

[usagora]

Sure. But then on those times when they deliver a day early, we'll get a bunch of "WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME THE PACKAGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN EARLY??? I WENT TO MY GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE AND MISSED THE DELIVERY!!! THEY SHOULD TELL PEOPLE THAT A PACKAGE MIGHT BE EARLY!!!"

That's why I said:

Tracking should just state on-time and not say it's going to be delivered early unless they actually put it on the truck for early delivery.

With text updates, you'd be notified and have time to make arrangements in the event of an early delivery (if it even requires a signature, which many don't).

 

[Macky-Mac]

.... Tracking should just state on-time and not say it's going to be delivered early unless they actually put it on the truck for early delivery.

I've had notifications saying something was "on the truck for delivery".......only to find out there's a difference between that description and "out for delivery"

And even when notified that something is "out for delivery", I remain in "I'll believe it when it arrives" mode

 

[usagora]

I've had notifications saying something was "on the truck for delivery".......only to find out there's a difference between that description and "out for delivery"

And even when notified that something is "out for delivery", I remain in "I'll believe it when it arrives" mode

Yes, anomalies happen, but they're just that - not the norm. Very rarely do I have a package show up as "out for delivery" that doesn't get delivered that day.