UPS sucks some more

I already dislike UPS: I've done a lot of shipping, and UPS is the only company that has damaged or lost my packages. UPS drivers as individuals are cool, but somehow things get screwy in the long line of people handling your package.

I ordered my new camera (Sony alpha-300) from Crutchfield of other day, and they had it shipped UPS.

It was supposed to be delivered Tuesday, but they attempted to deliver it during the 1 hour I was away from
me (picking up a friend from the airport)

I noted that it would not be delivered again until Friday, due to the holiday. So I called to see if I could pick it up. The automated teller told me that I could pick up my package that night, and that a UPS representative would call me within the hour to tell me where the customer service center was located. Cool.

I waited two hours, and finally called them myself. The UPS rep was confused: no one called me? My package had been pulled 20 minutes after I called and I should have been called then. Now it was too late, as the Customer Center was closed, and closed for two days due to the holiday. If only I had called an hour earlier, I could have gotten it, he said. I would have to wait until Friday, but they opened at 8:00 am, so I could get it early. Fine.

On Friday, I slept in and snuggled around in bed until 10am, then left to go get my camera. Upon presenting the little tracking slip to the attendant, I got a confused look. It wasn't in will-call. In fact, no one pulled it from the truck. Oh yes, they saw that I had called, they saw where it had been registered as pulled from the truck, but it was still on the truck. I would have to wait until it got delivered or pick it up that evening if they managed to get it in will-call this time. Gr.

I drove home to find another tracking sticker on my door - the UPS driver, who normally comes around 4:30-5pm, had come at 10:20am, while I was at the UPS customer center trying to pick up my box. The sticker said they would attempt another delivery Tuesday. Shit.

I called the UPS number (it's a 1-800 number) out of frustration at this. They told me they would call me back within the hour. I told them that they already told me that once and didn't call, so I hoped they actually would this time.

They called back and gave me three options: 1. Have the driver re-deliver it at the end of his shift (like 5:30) 2. pull it from the truck and put it in will-call and have me pick it up between 7-8pm (because that worked so well the first time) or 3. meet the driver wherever he happens to be and get it then. I decided to meet the driver: why not? I could get my camera a few hours earlier and use it this evening.

The UPS rep told me she would call me back with an address to meet the UPS driver at. She did so about 20 minutes later, and I left immediately. I got there in 3 minutes.

No driver.

I drove up and down the streets, looking for  the big brown truck, but only saw two Fedex trucks, two USPS vans, and 2 police cars. I tried to call back, but got a signal indicating that the phone line I had been called from was for outgoing calls only. So I called the 1-800 number, where the UPS rep told me, "they made a delivery attempts at 10:20 am..." Yes, I am aware of that. Thanks. UPS rep guy told me that they would contact the Customer Center in St. Louis and let them know that their driver was not where he said he would be. I asked them to give me the direct number so I could tell them myself. He said he couldn't, he could only "send messages". I asked him if he was seriously telling me a UPS center had no phone numbers by which to reach them. He said yes, and he would have them call me within the hour. Fuck.

On the way back home, I spotted a UPS driver! I flagged him down, only to discover he was the wrong truck. But thankfully he was willing to actually give me the real phone number to the center.

I called, and no one answered. I called again. Someone answered, and asked me if I wanted to put the package in will call. At this point this had become freaking personal - I wanted to eat someone's face for lunch. So I said no, I want to find the driver. She said she would call me back in a few minutes with a new location. For the Love of Kitty Jesus, give me a break.

20 minutes go by, and I call her. She tells me she spoke to the driver, and he said he was at out meeting point for awhile. I ask her why she didn't bother to call me back. She says she will try to get a new location and call me back. I tell her that she already told me she would call me back, and did not do so, which makes this time #3 that I was promised a call and received no call. I tell her that she needs to actually call me back if she says she is going to call me back, so is she, or is she not going to call? She says she will.

25 minutes go by and OMG she calls! She tells me the driver is either on California, Ohio, Tennesee, Chippewa, Meramec, or possibly Wyoming. Gee, thanks. Pissed, I drive around for 20 minutes looking for him. Why? I don't know. Revenge maybe. Stubbornness probably.

I find him! He gives me my package, and tells me that no one ever told him to wait for me, they merely asked him where he was at. I didn't eat his face, because he's a nice guy.

On top of that, I did get to see some cool St. Louis architecture, what with all the driving down streets I had never driven before in search of the elusive brown toaster.