BikeFlights.com switches from FedEx to UPS

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

it's not the UPS depot...rather the UPS "store". the problem is that going to the depot is a PITA and of course the store is closer to my residence

Understand, my depot is a bit away as well, but the good thing is I can go by around 8pm and pick my stuff up no fuss.

Ray

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by WNC rider

Yup, pretty much sums it up for me, too. I do not give UPS my money, directly or indirectly. Sorry Bikeflights, you just lost another customer.

so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?

Originally Posted by NYCfixie

This is not unlike Amazon using private individuals and/or private commercial contractors to deliver its packages and calling it "Amazon Delivery Services". The issue is that most private individuals and commercial contractors get paid by the number of packages they deliver so they are more concerned about volume than care for the individual boxes getting to the destination in one piece.

are you saying this is true for FedEx or Amazon? my main gripe with FedEx is that they frequently will mark items "out for delivery" and then at about 6pm or so, decide they've had enough for the day and push delivery to the next one. which would be strange if the employees are paid per package...

I've had stuff damaged by all three major carriers so I can't say I'm on either side of the fence on this BF change-up. so for the moment, my main viewpoint is price; I'll shop around next time I ship bike parts, just to verify that it's a decent price.

[Lewis Moon]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?

I actually will switch sellers if the price is within the ballpark and I see they ship UPS. For me, it really has been that bad.
As for FedEx, I ship tissue samples all the time via their overnight service. Not. One. Error. I'm not saying they're infallible, I'm just saying UPS is a LOT worse.
Also, too: If there's a slower method of shipping than UPS ground, I have not seen it.

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

...are you saying this is true for FedEx or Amazon? my main gripe with FedEx is that they frequently will mark items "out for delivery" and then at about 6pm or so, decide they've had enough for the day and push delivery to the next one. which would be strange if the employees are paid per package...

FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home Delivery are in-essence separate companies with FedEx Ground and Home Delivery using contractor services. And, just because someone gets paid per package, does not mean they do not have a family to get home to so at 6pm they may say they have had enough for the day.

[bcroslin]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

My only real grip is the driver that swiped an IWatch outta the box..

This. Years ago my mother bought a Tiffany bracelet for my daughter. The clasp broke and Tiffany's sent it off to be fixed and the bracelet was shipped back via UPS. We tracked the bracelet to the point where it was out for delivery and it never arrived. It just up and disappeared when it was on the truck. Imagine that.

Of course we reported to UPS that it was never delivered and went through their insurance process and eventually received a check for a new bracelet but then UPS flagged our address that they wouldn't deliver packages to our address without a signature. This went on for years and during that time period they delivered a MTB fork to an address on the other side of town which I had to go pick up from the homeowner.

Sorry, but no UPS for me.

[WNC rider]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?

Yeah, sorta saying that. I don't buy on amazon, the stuff I buy on ebay doesn't ship UPS, and I can count on one hand (and still have several fingers left over) the number of times in the last year that UPS showed up with something that I paid for.
If my customers want to pay for supplies and parts and they show up via UPS, that's fine, but that's not on my dime.
I have has nothing but awful service through UPS for longer than I care to remember. Showing up at my house (where I work) at 9pm with work/business related/necessary deliveries, ridiculous "brokerage fees" for overseas shipping (yes, I stopped buying from that overseas seller, which hurt my business a bit, but I got over it), damaged packages, packages clearly marked "Fragile" dropped (yes, DROPPED) on my cement sidewalk/porch while I watched the driver do it, etc.
Fedex is here by 11:30am. USPS is here typically by 11am (it's now 10:29am as I type this, and the USPS guy just showed up). Haven't had any major gripes, complaints, or issues with these carriers in, well, I can't even remember.

[papa bless]

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

[redir]

My experience in shipping guitars has been bad for both FedEx and UPS so I don't use anything but the good old USPS anymore. Plus they used to sponsor a cycling team

So that begs the question... Why don't you just box up and ship the bike on your own?

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by papa bless

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

Agreed. However I just received a bike on time and undamaged from Bikeflights via Fedex as usual. UPS quality on other items has declined rather dramatically in the past year or so. Clouds on the horizon?

[papa bless]

No doubt. This switch is going to kill BikeFlights. If Paceline is upset about this, there are millions of other people too.

Originally Posted by simplemind

Agreed. However I just received a bike on time and undamaged from Bikeflights via Fedex as usual. UPS quality on other items has declined rather dramatically in the past year or so. Clouds on the horizon?

[radsmd]

How I wish this was an April Fool’s day prank.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by papa bless

No doubt. This switch is going to kill BikeFlights. If Paceline is upset about this, there are millions of other people too.

I get your reasoning/sentiment, but...millions...? I'm actually doubtful they've done a million total transactions since they started...

Originally Posted by NYCfixie

just because someone gets paid per package, does not mean they do not have a family to get home to so at 6pm they may say they have had enough for the day.

totally. it's just a regular trend I see, and them getting paid that way makes it strange. I do see it from Amazon delivery as well, so you're likely 100% correct about why. never seen it from UPS, for what it's worth. if it says "out for delivery" they attempt to deliver. could 100% just be my driver though (as I suspect a lot of the horror stories here are, for any carrier).

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by papa bless

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

Been using BF for a long time and have seen no ‘decline’. The only exposure is via the website to input addresses and get a label..seems the same to me.
How ‘declining’?

[NHAero]

Here on MV both suck, but the fact that Fedex Ground is an independent contractor means they are worse. They could care less about customer satisfaction and complaining to the "real" Fedex isn't an option.
I like Bike Flights because they deal with the issues if there are any, they're between you and the shipping company.

[papa bless]

Prices have been increasing lately, to the point where it's sometimes cheaper to skip BikeFlights altogether and just use USPS or FedEx. Maybe when BikeFlights first started, they made shipping prices low just to bust into the market, and now that they have a userbase they're increasing prices.

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Been using BF for a long time and have seen no ‘decline’. The only exposure is via the website to input addresses and get a label..seems the same to me.
How ‘declining’?