Oh, UPS, you so wacky.

[katallison]

My Christmas present to myself this year (aided significantly by a gift certificate from a lovely and wonderful friend [she knows who she is *smoootch*]) was to DEAR GOD AT LAST throw some more memory into my computer, which has been gimping along with 512 MB for the past few years. I put in the order to Amazon (on account of that was where the gift cert. was from), and in the fullness of time saw that my delivery was on its way, with an arrival date of 1/8. I was thrilled, of course, when I checked the tracking this morning to discover an entry of "Status: Delivered; Location: Front Door." Thrilled, that is, until I went to the front door, threw it open, and saw . . . nothing.

Normally I don't freak about stuff like this, but the friends with whom I'm staying had some UPS-delivered packages stolen off their porch last Christmas, so I immediately began stomping around and yelling about the BASTARDS who take other people's stuff, and even more about the STINKING INEPT BRAINDEAD BASTARDS of UPS who do not even KNOCK OR RING THE DOORBELL (I knew they hadn't because M. was sitting in the living room the entire morning, including at 10:35 when UPS alleged that the delivery had occurred).

After I cooled down a bit I got on the horn to UPS, while also madly Googling for "UPS stolen package" and posting a query on AskMetafilter for what to do in such situations. UPS said they'd have someone call me back (Yeah, sure, right, I thought)--and then much to my surprise not only did someone call me back, but it was (a) a live human being, who was (b) right here in town, and (c) in telephonic communication with the driver. He said he'd check with the driver and get back to me, which ended up with my getting some ambiguous message along the lines of "Yeah, well, he's gonna check the houses around there, maybe he left it at the wrong place." Meanwhile, I did my deep breathing and prepared to phone Amazon about getting a replacement (the advice I got from people at AskMe was that Amazon is very good about just replacing items in such circumstances, which is good to know).

And then around 4 there was a banging at the door; I went over and opened it to see (a) my package, sitting on the doormat; and (b) the driver, sprinting back toward his van. Cue the trombone wah-waahhhh of irony...

So, happy ending, although god damn UPS for being such knuckleheads anyway. Now all I have to do is get the new RAM successfully inserted into my machine, which I haven't done before but I gather is not a huge hassle. (Of course, having said that, I've probably guaranteed you'll see a post here tomorrow with the wailing and gnashing of teeth.)

Comments

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD! That happened to me once, too! When I was waiting for my MP3 player to arrive! I looked it up and it said, "Delivered; left at front door." Now, I live in a neighborhood where you just don't do that. There was nothing on the porch, and I had the hardest time getting through to UPS at ALL, because they are ASSHOLES. I also walked around the neighborhood, asking my neighbors if they'd seen a package at our stoop. Which was no help at all.

Finally, the next day, it arrived. My mom had opened the door and asked the driver about what happened. He was very shocked to hear that it said "left at door" because he, apparently, would NOT do that, because DUH.

So, in conclusion? I'm VERY happy to see you got your package and UPS can go and hang itself. (Just don't ask me about DHL. I'm still bitter.)

[brooklinegirl.livejournal.com]

UPS also stole my Hugh Dillon tickets. They went from first try to THIRD try, and then just never came back, and wouldn't re-deliver, and I had to BORROW A CAR and go to GET them from the EVIL UPS place.

...so, you know, both liz and I understand your pain. I do so dearly love that the guy was RUNNING AWAY from you. Like a KID. hee!

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

UPS also stole my Hugh Dillon tickets.

Oh, that is fucking EVIL. DUDE.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Yay!

*smootch*

[popfantastic.livejournal.com]

We once had a stranger show up at our door with a UPS package of ours that he found on the side of the road five miles away, where it apparently had fallen out of the UPS truck. (One of those times I'm very grateful to live in a small town where someone will not only pick up junk from the roads but also deliver it out of the goodness of his heart.) We called UPS to let them know and the very chastened UPS driver came that evening to get us to fill out the paperwork to confirm delivery, because without scanning the thing in I think he would have been in deep trouble.

US Postal Service: a font of surprising relative competence.

[drlense.livejournal.com]

Whew! I know of your pain. I'm glad you finally got it- and good luck getting it installed!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Amazon is totally cool about replacing things in this circumstance; if you tell them it didn't make it, they send you a new one with no fuss at all. (And then, AFTER you get the replacement, your neighbor sheepishly appears on your doorstep one evening holding your (opened) original shipment, saying, "I had something coming so I thought this was it until I got my box today." And you thank him sincerely, but at the same time wonder if he routinely leaves Amazon boxes unopened for more than a week or what.)

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

oh my god, I kind of wish you'd thrown something at the UPS guy. But I am so glad for your new memory (512 MB? ohmygod. Seriously, it will be like having a new computer), and I'm sure it will be easy to put in. Enjoy!

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

The other day I came home to my NY apartment to find a large package at the desk addressed to my mother at my address. WTF? say I. When I opened it, it was air conditioner filters for her Florida home. I called my mother to ask her if she's lost her mind. The next day she spent hours on the phone and called me with the result, at which we both started laughing our heads off. Apparently they were ordered for her by a company in Florida from a supplier in Alabama. UPS brought them to Florida, but did not write down her apartment number (she lives in a four-apartment town house, with different apartment numbers and one building number) nor did they try calling her phone number when they couldn't figure out which apartment it went to. They also didn't ring a single buzzer to ask.

So back the package went to UPS, where they apparently Googled my mother and came up with the fact that she and I were co-owners of my previous apartment, which is in the same building in which I currently reside. Did they try to call her here, to verify the address? That would be a no. So they took the package from outside the actual destination, readdressed it, and shipped it to New York.

[kristiinthedark.livejournal.com]

Ah, and here I was complaining about the boneheadedness of the post office this Christmas (a package arrived for us and it sat on the floor of the post office, undelivered for 10 days. *boggles*). Apparently, there was much ineptness this holiday season!

I'm so glad to hear you got it, though. Thank goodness.

Oh, UPS, you so wacky.

[maxinemayer.livejournal.com]

So glad to learn you got your additional memory for your computer! Nothing is so anxiety-causing as waiting for a package that doesn't arrive or getting that stupid notification that a package was "attempted delivery" and is now half-way across the earth hiding in the post office for you to make your way to retrieve it!

Hope your installation efforts are successful!

Love ya, max

[blacksquirrel.livejournal.com]

Oh dear - how horribly anxiety inducing!

(And you've reminded me just how badly I want more RAM as my laptop is also of the 512 persuasion at the moment)