Scotweb may wish to seek discount from FedEx

[unixken]

Where Scotweb likely is charged a King's Ransom by FedEx, for International "Priority" Service, Scotweb may wish to argue for a lower rate.

I say this, to point out that there can, at times, be nothing "priority" about the speed at which FedEx handles shipments. Witness "Exhibit A"...

http://www.fedex.com/Tracking?tracknumbers=791618153432

As this thread may outlive the link, I will summarize here. Scotweb shipped the in-stock items that were part of a big order, on Friday, Feb 24th. (The made-to-order items are still in progress, and will be shipped in a few weeks.) The order arrived in Memphis on Sunday, the 26th. Being a Sunday, I expected no movement of the package that day.

On Monday, the 27th, I saw the notation that the package was delayed, in need of some paperwork from me to identify me as an individual "importer" (basically, Customs needed my Social Security Number), and they needed some details about 6 yards of tartan fabric that was part of that order, which I could not answer.) I provided my information, and called Scotweb to ask that they provide the information regarding the wool fabric. Stewart, Scotweb's retail manager, was Johnny-on-the-spot, providing FedEx with the needed info. Of note here, was that I had to call FedEx to find the reason for the delay. They did not call either myself, or Scotweb.

On Tuesday, the 28th, I noticed the package still had not moved. I called to find out what was happening, and was informed that because the shipment included a 6 ounce Sporran Flask, Customs needed to involve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as the flask is considered a "beverage container", and as such, they wanted to know that the material the flask was made of, would not potentially contaminate any beverage the flask might be called upon to contain. Customs wanted the address and contact information for the manufacturer of the flask... The Quaich Company (Scotland), Ltd. So, I googled the company, went to their web site, and clicked on the "Contact Us" link. I then read FedEx the address, telephone, and fax numbers for the manufacturer. Again, this was done only because I was monitoring the tracking page. No effort was made by FedEx (or Customs... or the FDA) to contact me to inform me of the delay or what was needed.

On Wednesday. the 29th... no surprise... the package STILL had not moved. I called FedEx (again), and they left several voice mails for the specific FedEx rep "on the dock", who was supposedly handling my shipment. Again, (and again, no surprise), FedEx had made no attempt to contact me, to advise that my package hadn't moved (or why.) I was the one initiating the dialogue.

Early Thursday morning (like 2AM early), I happened to wake up to answer nature's call, and curiosity got the better of me. So I checked the tracking page, and STILL no movement of the package. I called FedEx. I stated that as FedEx had lobbied the government to act as their own broker, specifically to speed the movement of packages... that it was my opinion they were failing to perform that task. I also referred them to their own call logs to point out that they had never once been the one to initiate a call to inform me of a delay, to advise and inform that something was needed, or to otherwise tell me why the shipment wasn't moving. I was the one to make all the calls, to them.

Throughout this, I'd exchanged a few emails and made a few calls to Scotweb, just to keep Stewart, their retail manager, informed of what was going on. Anyway, back to FedEx...

Low and behold, the tracking page showed that at 3:42am on Friday, March 2nd (about 20 minutes after my 2AM phone call ended... Memphis is Central time, I am Eastern), my package started moving again! 7 hours later, I was signing the delivery pad, and accepting my package from the FedEx driver!

So... the moral of the story, for retail buyers in the U.S. who buy from overseas... Watch FedEx like a hawk. Keep hounding them. Call when your shipments don't move.

And for vendors who pay for "Priority" delivery, PLEASE use actual cases such as this, to leverage refunds and lower rates on future shipments. There's a saying... "You get what you pay for." In this case, perhaps we should "Pay only for what we get."

To close this on a positive note, let me say that I am exquisitely delighted with the products from Scotweb, and with the support I received from Stewart specifically, and with the others at Scotweb with whom I've dealt, through the ordering and subsequent follow-up. For Scotweb's part, I will certainly give them first consideration in any future purchases.

As for FedEx, on the other hand... I have a few other choice thoughts. And they all begin with biting my tongue.