Shipping with FedEx

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Barmoley

Rant specialist extraordinaire
KKF Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
4,015
Reaction score
7,545
Location
USA
So given that I've had some issues with USPS lately and them not honoring signature requirement, but still charging for it, I thought I had it all figured out. I started using FedEx ground. The cost seemed similar enough and it seemed that at least if you choose to pay for direct signature that it will actually be required. I've been shipping this way for the last couple of month. Today I receive an email that states that the rate was adjusted for one of the packages that was delivered a week ago and sent about 2 weeks ago. The rate went up from $21.50 to $34.50, no other explanation was provided. I called FedEx customer service to find out what happened, when I eventually got to the customer representative, she told me that she doesn't have my invoice yet, but that it is most likely due to fuel charges and other expenses. She told me that FedEx doesn't give you final price when you pay and that there is a disclaimer that the quote and the label are just an estimate. She said "we can't charge you for fuel unless we know how much the fuel costs". Now, for one this is a very bizarre way to run a business, my price went up by more than 50% from what I thought it would be. I shipped a knife from Los Angeles to Albuquerque by FedEx ground..... I am lucky it wasn't plane fuel that I had to pay for. She also said to call back when the invoice will be ready since she doesn't really know what the extra is for. So I asked, "how do I know when the invoice is ready, would I get another email?" Nope, just should call after Oct 5, since that's when they are usually ready....

To me this is insane, if every package I sent with them this month goes up 50%, I'll pay a crap load of money just on the shipping. So, maybe I am wrong, but to me this is almost bait and switch tactic, disclaimer or not. If it went up a little I would maybe understand, but 50% seems excessive.

I guess I need to start using USPS again and hope for the best. They don't honor signature requirement at the moment, so that is a waste of money. Insurance with them I heard is impossible to get, especially for knives. UPS office is too far from me and just using UPS stores is a little iffy as they don't really provide any service, just a drop off/pick up location. DHL is too expensive......
 
Last edited:
What a terrible business model. It's like they are actively trying to make their competition look good. Which with USPS, isn't very hard. At least USPS is consistent in this regard. It takes an act of Congress to change their prices. Meanwhile Fedex and UPS do whatever they want. And we all lose.
 
Nuts. I am fine with them charging whatever they feel like, but let me know in advance, so that I can make an informed decision. 50% increase over a relatively short shipping distance.... I guess someone has to pay for the driver's lunch, but was he just carrying my knife on that trip.....
 
Hope everything works out for you finding the right delivery service. Terrible to not know exactly how much you need to pay until after using the service.
 
Nuts. I am fine with them charging whatever they feel like, but let me know in advance, so that I can make an informed decision. 50% increase over a relatively short shipping distance.... I guess someone has to pay for the driver's lunch, but was he just carrying my knife on that trip.....
Don't worry, capitalism has a way of fixing things longterm. Your time will come when things return to normal and they see a large decrease in business.
 
So... I go to my hairdresser who cuts my hair, I look good (as good as it gets), I pay, and two weeks later he wants to charge me for the fuel/electricity/food/rent he needed?! Uhm... Sure! I mean, those prices have risen significantly in the past two weeks, crazy!!!










NOT !!! :mad:
 
I’ve been using UPS for a few years now, and they essentially operate the same way, but they’re at least negotiable when questioned about extreme variances. Is it possible that the dimensional weight was larger than the actual weight? I had one quote at 70 plus dollars that came back just south of 200- that’s the day I had to rethink international shipping for sure. I also go through a third party vendor that handles all the customer service interface, which means less time battling the giant.
 
That’s some bull. Typical America.

Also FYI to anyone interested, my USPS postmaster told me that (in normal times) every package insured over $500 technically requires a signature to deliver so adding sig confirmation over that limit was a waste of money. Can’t promise it’s 100% true, but he’s been a postmaster for 30+ years.
 
Yes, but marginally. It's so bad I preferred two iterations ago!

lso FYI to anyone interested, my USPS postmaster told me that (in normal times) every package insured over $500 technically requires a signature to deliver so adding sig confirmation over that limit was a waste of money.
It makes sense, for sure.
 
I won’t use fed ex. Had a very expensive knife shipped, signature required, got home to find it sitting at my door, thankfully. FedEx delivery person signed my name.
 
While I agree charging for signature and not getting one is wrong, everyone understands we are in a global pandemic, right? What was normal and expected before it, is not exactly the same. These are just the norms until the experts tell us we can return to normal. If you think this is a personal issue, what makes me wonder is all the lawsuits that may occur when things return to normal for delivering without a signature...or the workers signature. It's going to be a mess.

With that said, I really appreciate anyone here that's shipped me a knife during these trying times.
 
Kind of a similar story to OP with FedEx… I received a package from Japan via FedEx in early August. I had it held it for pickup at the depot (I’m working out of office where I usually ship to) and picked it up without issue. At the end of the month they mailed an invoice to my office (I go in only 1-2x a month or so) saying I had to pay tax/brokerage on a package with a declared value that was within the deminimis threshold⁉️ This amount is over 50% of the declared value.
I'm going to call and fight it, this is ridiculous.
 
While I agree charging for signature and not getting one is wrong, everyone understands we are in a global pandemic, right?
Sure, but forging a signature and just dumping the item rather than taking it back to base is a bit outside what's expected even these days, isn't it? The main point of the signature is so that it gets put in someone's hands, not just left unattended.
 
Kind of a similar story to OP with FedEx… I received a package from Japan via FedEx in early August. I had it held it for pickup at the depot (I’m working out of office where I usually ship to) and picked it up without issue. At the end of the month they mailed an invoice to my office (I go in only 1-2x a month or so) saying I had to pay tax/brokerage on a package with a declared value that was within the deminimis threshold⁉ This amount is over 50% of the declared value.
I'm going to call and fight it, this is ridiculous.
Its crap like that which is making me wait until EMS service returns for shipments from Japan.
 
Sure, but forging a signature and just dumping the item rather than taking it back to base is a bit outside what's expected even these days, isn't it? The main point of the signature is so that it gets put in someone's hands, not just left unattended.
Everyday something outside my expectations occurs, so that is an open question. Businesses are now sending texts and pushing for the option for the receiver to opt out of signatures...I've used it on DHL and USPS.
 
Everyday something outside my expectations occurs, so that is an open question. Businesses are now sending texts and pushing for the option for the receiver to opt out of signatures...I've used it on DHL and USPS.
Sure, AP is doing that down here too, but they give the option, which is significantly different to just dumping it. I'd have been super pissed if they just dumped the Kippington, and that's on the low end of the scale of stuff people ship around these days.
 
I am ok with them stopping the signature service due to pandemic. Then they shouldn't charge for it. If you charge for a service then you should provide it.

With usps packages over $500 insured value automatically require signature.

With the knife I shipped the package weight and size were specified. I don't yet know why they decided to charge me more. I sent a different knife to the same address the same way a week or two prior and so far didn't receive an increase in price. The month is technically not over yet?
 
I have been shipping with them for a couple years, this big jump is not common. But some stuff they charge you for that could have been different from your label are: the address is residential (that's 3-4 bucks surcharge), the dimensions or weight were adjusted from what your printed label said, fuel (typically a fairly small surcharge). I don't think I have had it go that far but I have had a couple times my bill came up to 7-8 cad higher than the estimate, DHL is more accurate with their estimate (within cents typically).
 
The signature, residential and insurance were already in the estimate thus the original price of $21.50. In any case I will call them again in a few days, but I don't think I want to use them. Few bucks I wouldn't complain about.
 
Sorry @Barmoley that’s TOTAL BS!!!!

Please ask FedEx how many times they’ve issued refunds when fuel prices declined.

Businesses should be experts about their costs. I’m fine with market price for lobster in restaurants and things like that. A huge international like FedEx should be able to reasonably estimate costs. And suck it up and adjust IN THE FUTURE when they’re wrong.
 
Fedex sucks, not as much as UPSP but still....that fuel surcharge thing is ridiculous but it is what they do, I do think they are big enough to buy fuel futures/bulk and well know what their cost are without relying on retrospective costing.

Sorry @Barmoley that’s TOTAL BS!!!!

Please ask FedEx how many times they’ve issued refunds when fuel prices declined.

Businesses should be experts about their costs. I’m fine with market price for lobster in restaurants and things like that. A huge international like FedEx should be able to reasonably estimate costs. And suck it up and adjust IN THE FUTURE when they’re wrong.

I think we all agree, but go tell Fedex that...until they change that crappy practice vote with your wallet and use another courier.
 
@Barmoley Also check out Parcel Monkey - I've used them a bit without issue (so far). I think having a middle man, even if you pay a little more up front, is starting to make more sense as a model given the challenges the pandemic has uncovered.

You beat me to it! I was just about to post about Parcel Monkey.

Here's an example of a quote for a 2 lb parcel from NYC to LA.

Screen Shot 2020-10-01 at 1.13.27 PM.png
 
Back
Top