When do you give up on delivery of a UPS package>

May 22, 2020 7:04 AM

My Amazon order seems to be stuck in UPS limbo. Or maybe in Goodyear, AZ. Do I just reorder, or is there a way to tell if it's finally on the move?

Part of an May 5 Amazon order with two items was listed as having been shipped on 5/14 in Goodyear, Arizona. It got stuck there with this message:

"Your package has been delayed due to events beyond our control. We're adjusting delivery plans as quickly as possible. "

On May 20, two days ago, it was given an departure scan. No change since then. It's UPS ground, and I'm in Connecticut. They are saying scheduled delivery is now May 27. I have no confidence in that at all; I think it's just a computer estimate.

One of the items is a pound of yeast. If it's been sitting in a truck in the Arizona sunshine, it may no longer be viable anyway.

So, I'm feeling rather stuck. What's the best way forward?

posted by SemiSalt to Shopping (15 answers total)

Your yeast is very patient, by the way.
posted by rockindata at 7:58 AM on May 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

What was the original delivery estimate on Amazon? If it's past that, contact customer service to discuss your options. I've had them issue a free replacement with overnight shipping, and I've had them tell me to wait a couple days and contact them again if it doesn't show up.

In terms of shipping -- I've had some packages that were moving through the system and just not show up, and I've had some delayed in transit by a couple days. After talking to a couple different carriers (for important items) they basically told me scanning is off right now, but that doesn't really mean anything in terms of where the package is or how it's being handled.

I also seriously doubt it's just "sitting on a truck" somewhere. I've worked with/around logistics and an empty truck is wasting people money, so if it's loaded on a truck, that truck is on the move. And 7 days is about what it would take for the truck to travel across the country, ground -- I've shipped private courier from NJ to CA and it took 5-7 days.
posted by DoubleLune at 8:12 AM on May 22, 2020

In the business world, UPS is well-known for losing packages - I would follow up with Amazon.
posted by cardboard at 8:28 AM on May 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Are you using Amazon's tracking or the UPS website's tracking? (If Amazon gives you the UPS tracking number you can track on the UPS website and lately I've found their tracking very good, even as the USPS's has been...iffy.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:29 AM on May 22, 2020

I have noticed that UPS track appears to be unreliable lately. Packages appear to be stuck at a location for several days and then all of a sudden they start moving again.
posted by tman99 at 8:37 AM on May 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

I think the UPS tracking in that case is reflecting something real: packages are getting stuck in one place for a while and then only later starting to move again. I don't know why, but it seems to be a real phenomenon in these times, maybe it's people calling out of work unexpectedly, maybe it's just reduced workers / higher demand right now. We had some stuff delayed for a week, and some other stuff delayed almost two weeks.
posted by Lady Li at 8:57 AM on May 22, 2020

UPS has always been a complete nightmare for me before this, and I have definitely seen the notice you did on several packages I had to order for work in the last few months and have someone else receive. (But at least they showed up. A few months ago they shipped a package cross-country and then an hour away from me, inexplicably shipped it back East.) They are definitely having a harder time than usual these days, but I'm not sure what to suggest for you since they are the WORST for contacting them for assistance. I've had better luck having the person who shipped it to me contact UPS rather than me doing it, though, if that helps you anyway. They won't respond to me but may possibly do it to the person who actually "worked with" them?
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:39 AM on May 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

I would try to get a replacement from Amazon. This happened to me once with a rather expensive computer component and they replaced with without question. The missing order ended up showing up just a few days after I got the replacement, so I just sent it back and everything was hunky dorey.
posted by slogger at 9:51 AM on May 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have had packages delayed by UPS as well recently by at least a few days, things are slow. A lot of my packages start out with UPS Ground and then are transferred to the local USPS post office for final delivery and they don't update/move as quickly so your packages can sit for a bit. Today I am expecting a package that had been sitting in the system as status "Accepted" for several days and it finally says it's being delivered today, and originally it should have been here Tuesday.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 9:57 AM on May 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Amazon used to be very good with dealing with this. They would reship and deal with UPS themselves regarding the old package. However ,over the last year or so things are slipping there so you may or may not get good service
posted by rtimmel at 10:07 AM on May 22, 2020

I would contact Amazon about a replacement.

It's likely your package is stuck in UPS limbo due to this COVID-19 breakout in a UPS facility in Tucson.

I live in Tucson and have been waiting since May 5th for a package that is supposedly here, and UPS was obfuscating and stonewalling until the union broke this news yesterday.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 11:07 AM on May 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

There are items that Amazon says haven't been delivered that I received weeks ago. Things are wacky.
posted by amtho at 11:10 AM on May 22, 2020

I had a package randomly returned to Amazon for no discernable reason. It took almost a month to get the credit posted.
posted by Lame_username at 11:23 AM on May 22, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers. There is no change as of this morning, but I've decided to wait until Tuesday before taking any action.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:49 AM on May 23, 2020

Response by poster: For the record, UPS showed departure from Goodyear on Sunday, and it was delivered today, Wednesday. So 13 or 14 days in shipment, depending on how you count.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:54 PM on May 27, 2020