FedEx Woes.... Looking for similar stories

[Lorelei_Welsh]

[QUOTE=Daventry;7102283]

I normally post this once a year in the spring on here, but forgot this year. I wish more Mare Owners and Stallion Owners knew about this. We do this with every shipment heading down to the States and we ALWAYS get phone calls from Fed-Ex along the way. Each office is alerted to the shipment and they have been so great about making sure it gets to its final destination!

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?184030-ATTENTION-Mare-Owners-and-Stallion-Owners-How-to-get-Fed-Ex-to-Deliver-on-Time![/QUOTE]

I tried this (Priority Trace) earlier this year on a semen delivery coming out of Oregon, but when I called FedEx, they were completely oblivious as to what a “Priority Trace” was. I talked to several (~5 total) different people who all had the same story, no matter how much I complained how perishable it was, the value, etc.

I don’t know if I was talking to people who had no idea how to do their job, or if they discontinued the service. Has anyone been able to successfully use a Priority Trace this year?

Also, if FedEx is late at all, they will 100% refund your shipping charges with hardly any hassle, even if the package still has not arrived to it’s destination. Good to know, and also easy to call and point out to FedEx representatives who give you an issue when you are trying to figure out where a lost package ended up.

[acottongim]

I’ve never used Priority Trace or tried it… but I do obsessively track my shipments until they are picked up by the MO on the other end. That has saved a few headaches over the years as I’ve noticed that a package was sitting on the truck going on the grand tour of the country side before going to the vet etc (quick call to FedEx and that was resolved quickly and the truck was rerouted immed to the vet’s office). Like I said this was my FIRST problem with them ever (as a MO and as a SO - since 2003!).

Also just to clarify - this particular claim had nothing to do with timeliness - the shipment made it on time, just empty! Which I’ve heard of a few others with this happening to… Ironically, I almost had a claim the same day (shipment to another mare) that was delayed but ultimately it ended up at the vet’s office only an hour or two late after a lot of calling to FedEx and moving it up the chain… Even more ironically (for the person that suggested it not go to an address… ) it was scheduled to go to the counter (an hour drive from the MO) at the local office not the vet’s or the Mare Owner’s address. There were mechanical issues on the plane, then they said we didn’t check Priority service (we had) and then they wanted the vet not the mare owner to pick semen up (even though both names were on the label). Like I said - it all worked out on that shipment.

[Lorelei_Welsh]

[QUOTE=acottongim;7102771]

Also just to clarify - this particular claim had nothing to do with timeliness - the shipment made it on time, just empty! Which I’ve heard of a few others with this happening to… Ironically, I almost had a claim the same day (shipment to another mare) that was delayed but ultimately it ended up at the vet’s office only an hour or two late after a lot of calling to FedEx and moving it up the chain… Even more ironically (for the person that suggested it not go to an address… ) it was scheduled to go to the counter (an hour drive from the MO) at the local office not the vet’s or the Mare Owner’s address. There were mechanical issues on the plane, then they said we didn’t check Priority service (we had) and then they wanted the vet not the mare owner to pick semen up (even though both names were on the label). Like I said - it all worked out on that shipment.[/QUOTE]

I would request for records of the package being weighed throughout the shipping route to see where the contents were emptied. They clearly can’t deny any wrongdoing if there is an obvious sign pointing to the package being opened and now weighing less! Back when iPads were first released, a company I worked for had one stolen out of the box before it arrived, and having records of the weight of the package helped immensely with collecting insurance on it.

[RunningwaterWBs]

I’ve certainly had FedEx “lose” packages for hours at a time, but this year they’ve impressed me. The guy on the regular weekday route in Hunterdon County can identify a semen shipper and does his best to get the package to me asap. I’ve been stunned to get deliveries by about 10am. Last week, though, I needed Saturday delivery. Different guy, new route for him. Semen didn’t arrive until 12:30. What we didn’t know until we started making phone calls was that “Fedex Express” shipments are supposed to be delivered by Noon or they’re free. It took three calls, but Jen Arnoldt should be getting the price of the Fedex charge refunded.

[acottongim]

[QUOTE=Lorelei Welsh;7102852]
I would request for records of the package being weighed throughout the shipping route to see where the contents were emptied. They clearly can’t deny any wrongdoing if there is an obvious sign pointing to the package being opened and now weighing less! Back when iPads were first released, a company I worked for had one stolen out of the box before it arrived, and having records of the weight of the package helped immensely with collecting insurance on it.[/QUOTE]

this is an awesome idea!! Thanks!!

[Neighland]

I had the exact thing happen to me in 08…I thought my husband and vet concocted this story, that the container was empty because I was at a horse show, but it was true… I called fed ex to start a claim, but again it was immediately denied, and wasn’t worth my time to go through the whole dance with them, and I hadn’t thought about getting the weight numbers from it, that is a fantastic idea, had I thought I that I may have pursued it more. My mare ended up holding till the next day and she caught so I wasn’t out a ton of $$$.

Good luck and I’ll be curious the outcome!!

[Daventry]

[QUOTE=Neighland;7107503]
… I called fed ex to start a claim, but again it was immediately denied, and wasn’t worth my time to go through the whole dance with them [/QUOTE]

…and that’s what they are hoping for. Most people just tend to forget it and cut their losses. But if you take a bit of time and keep complaining until you speak to the right person, you may get a refund. The last time we had to fight for a client, we ended up getting a $1,200 cheque issued from Fed-Ex.

[rideagoldenpony]

Unfortunately, I’ve had this happen a couple of times in years past. There’s never any question if the semen got into the container – I put it there myself, so I KNOW it was there.

I’ve started taping the CRAP out of the containers with Gorilla tape, and I haven’t had a problem with one being opened since. I also tape a big label to the front now… I’m attaching a photo that shows the label – though you can’t see how well it is taped from that photo. (I also roll up a piece of cardboard and tape it against the latch so it cannot fall open if the Equitainer is compressed from the top.)

[Neighland]

[QUOTE=Daventry;7107879]
…and that’s what they are hoping for. Most people just tend to forget it and cut their losses. But if you take a bit of time and keep complaining until you speak to the right person, you may get a refund. The last time we had to fight for a client, we ended up getting a $1,200 cheque issued from Fed-Ex. ;)[/QUOTE]

Oh I know Daventry, and had she not held till the next day and I lost a month, I may have worked a bit harder to get a claim, but it wasn’t worth my time to get the shipping fee back and SO was very kind and didn’t charge a collection on it… I’m really busy at work and in the barn so didn’t want to do the dance with them…I now just hope when the container is opened the swim team is there and ready!

[Lorelei_Welsh]

Well it looks like I am going to have to eat my words!

I just got off the phone with FedEx, making an attempt (yet again) to have a priority trace put on a package, which has previously been very unsuccessful for me. I have finally found the magic words that make them admit that it exists-- I had to tell them the package contained “GENETIC MATERIALS” and was “highly perishable”, and all of the sudden they were very accommodating to place a trace on the package.

Thank you Daventry for posting about this, if it weren’t for your insistence on the matter I would have given up already. I feel like I have finally found the magic words to make them listen!!!

[Daventry]

[QUOTE=Lorelei Welsh;7134372]

Thank you Daventry for posting about this, if it weren’t for your insistence on the matter I would have given up already. I feel like I have finally found the magic words to make them listen!!![/QUOTE]

You’re welcome. For me, the magic words are just getting really bitchy until someone listens. lol In all seriousness, I just tell them it’s perishable and ask to speak to a manager (if the agent doesn’t know what I’m talking about). To be honest, I think the Priority Trace is actually designed for high priority (perishable, etc.) packages that have been lost, but it was a Fed-Ex Agent that gave me the tip to use it regardless many years ago.