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Shop on, procrastinators!

The growth of e-commerce from bargain seeking consumers has meant that delivery companies like FedEx and UPS have to expand their infrastructure. There are spikes that test the system every now and then, such as the back-to-school period. However, none of those periods compare to the holiday shopping season, which begins in the United States on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day (known as Black Friday).

Consumers are still buying gifts, despite the recession. To deal with all of the demand, UPS has added 50,000 seasonal employees in the US alone. UPS calls the week before Christmas Day "Peak Week". The company has reported that yesterday was the busiest day of the year for all package deliveries. More than 22 million packages were delivered worldwide, with more than 250 deliveries every second.

UPS will still accept "Next Day Air" packages tomorrow for delivery on Christmas Eve, but there will be no Christmas Day deliveries. It is expected to be the busiest day for air express packages, with more than 6 million delivered by UPS.

UPS Airlines is the world's ninth largest airline with 263 aircraft in its regular fleet. The UPS subsidiary has chartered 37 additional aircraft for November and December. There are 2,049 flights scheduled to take off daily during Peak Week, 330 more flights than a typical day in November.

Inclement weather may affect delivery dates, especially in areas experiencing snowstorms. Anxious consumers can track their packages online via the UPS website. The company  expects online tracking requests to grow to more than 156 million during Peak Week. It expects 35 million tracking requests today, its busiest tracking day.

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U Piece of S#!t
By Ratinator on 12/22/2009 2:29:17 PM , Rating: 1
Wait till the last minute and they will still mess up your delivery. How do they expect to handle last minute holiday stuff when they are incapable of handling day to day operations. 7 times I have had to deal with UPS (not by my choosing) and 5 times they have messed up.




RE: U Piece of S#!t
By bighairycamel on 12/22/2009 3:06:46 PM , Rating: 2
Haha I was thinking the same thing. I avoid UPS like the plague because I have had terrible luck with them. If they don't totally muff up the order they'll smash your package to hell.

I worked at a sorting facility for about two months in college and let me tell you, no fragile label can be big or bold enough to stop them from violently heaving your package onto the sorting belts.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By ClownPuncher on 12/22/2009 3:36:56 PM , Rating: 3
I have had similar experiences, now I just tell myself the extra foot shaped hole in the side of my box is just a viewing window.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By Souka on 12/22/2009 3:52:33 PM , Rating: 2
Years ago I ordered a radiator for my car..shipped via UPS...received with a nice 2" hole right though it...looked like a pipe had gone through...no way to not see the damage.

Retail store wouldn't help because it was dammaged during shipping and to make a claim with UPS.

UPS wouldn't help because the desk at my dorm signed for the package and thus accepted the package as is.

Good thing I bought with a credit card...


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By Omega215D on 12/22/2009 3:09:57 PM , Rating: 2
The NYC area, namely the Queens Borough division is quite good with deliveries and usually arrive like clock work. Whenever I order something, be it from Newegg or a motorcycle shop, I get the packages delivered in the morning when I'm coming home from my shift... at UPS... no special treatment though, I've been getting packages like that since high school and the same delivery guy too.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By Mitch101 on 12/22/2009 3:26:01 PM , Rating: 2
USPS has been awesome this year for me. Items I didn't expect to arrive because of holiday shipping are showing up with no delays. Could be my neck of the woods but they have been excellent. Actually all the carriers have been good but USPS especially.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By jonmcc33 on 12/22/2009 4:08:41 PM , Rating: 3
I dealt with UPS for corporate shipping the past 3 years. I've used UPS for shipping thousands of dollars worth of PC hardware from NewEgg ever since UPS became the primary carrier for them in 2005.

Never once had a problem with UPS.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By Suntan on 12/23/2009 1:19:07 PM , Rating: 2
I would agree.

I probably get 2/3 of my stuff through UPS (the other 1/3 through Fedex and/or USPS) and I haven't had an issue with any of them.

I think some people just like to get on the band wagon and complain about the same thing they hear other people complain about. That or else they just act like little kids who can't be patient and wait for something they bought.

-Suntan


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By Devo2007 on 12/22/2009 8:49:16 PM , Rating: 2
Due to a screwup with an online retailer, I'm waiting for my package to get here from UPS (complete with brokerage fees I bet.. which I shall not rant about here).

Original delivery was scheduled for yesterday (the 21st). When I woke up yesterday morning, the last update said "Destination Scan" and the ship date changed to the 22nd (today). Late last night, I got the friendly note that "The package was missed at the UPS facility, UPS will deliver on the next business day."

Sure enough, I'm still waiting.... guess "next business day" means sometime in 2010.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By atlmann10 on 12/22/2009 11:35:27 PM , Rating: 2
That is quite funny I have had 7 deliveries from UPS this following week, with no issues. However I did have one from fedex and it was delivered to the wrong address. Oh and one more note anyone who uses the USPS I am sure you guys who are talking about ups being so bad need to know this, usps has a deal with ups for air freight. So a very large percentage of any mail or freight delivered with usps more than a state away and of course some within one are delivered by ups to the postal facilities. Either way I have never had an issue and have used them exclusively by choice for years now. I won't speak for others but I have never even had a late package in 5 years. The ups man always shows up between 3:15 and 4:00 every time.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By R3T4rd on 12/23/2009 4:46:03 AM , Rating: 2
What you guys don't get is, UPS is in the same analogy as a Windows vs Mac. UPS has about 40%(its around there..don't quote me though) of market share for ALL (Ground and Air/Express)delivery. So when you have to deal with that many packages daily, yes, there will be issues. Just like Windows vs Mac analogy. More Market share equals more issues. FedEx, Roadway, and various other shipping company knows this. And don't forget the last time UPS had a strike, USPS, FedEx, DHL, RPS(back then now FedEx Ground), and various other delivery comapnies could not even handle all the overflow from UPS alone? It overwhelmed the delivery industry to almost a stand still that Presiden Clinton had to step in the get negotiations to proceed with the union labor.

Example:
UPS - 10 of 1000 packages have issues to customers
Fedex - 6 of 500 packages...
USPS - 3 of 100 packages....

Get it? Granted UPS is the most expensive of the choices. There are pros and cons for all the delivery companies.

Plus one thing people don't understand is, USPS (Post office) is a government/federal controlled entity which they themselves set thier own prices and are not governed by some or most of the shipping regulations that UPS, FEDEX, DHL, and other various privately owned business do. Imagine a Government owned grocery store. USPS can set thier prices lower while UPS and FEDEX cannot or if UPS or FedEx does lower their prices to match, they have to compensate for that loss in other shipping aspects. Its been that way for decades.

Lastly, you'll be amazed and surprised as to what lengths it takes to get your one package from point "A" to point "B". Having the infrastructure in place is just half the battle. I know because I am an IT Tech for over 10yrs for one of the big two and also 7 yrs in the Business Operations end of things for the big two.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By R3T4rd on 12/23/2009 4:54:23 AM , Rating: 2
I am not being bias towards any one shipping company, nor do I care who you ship with, but rather I am educating you as someone who is on the inside as to what extent it takes your packages to get from one point to another. So next time don't be so quick to rate/talk sh!t about delivery methods of FedEx or UPS or DHL.


RE: U Piece of S#!t
By fox12789 on 12/30/2009 9:40:09 AM , Rating: 2
http://www.brand-bar.com
sneaker: airmax 90, 95 etc $35-42 free shiping.
boots: UGG etc $60 free shiping.
Jeans : polo etc $35-49 free shipping
T-shirts : A&f etc $12-18 free shipping.
hoodies: 5ive etc $28-40 free shipping
handbags: Ed hardy etc $35-68 free shipping
Sunglasses: LV etc $17 free shipping
Belts: BOSS etc $15 free shipping
Caps: red bull etc $12-15 free shipping
Watches:rolex etc $80 free shipping
http://www.brand-bar.com


Anyone here?
By formulav8 on 12/22/2009 2:22:30 PM , Rating: 2
I was wondering how many shoppers here are literally last day shoppers?




RE: Anyone here?
By jonmcc33 on 12/22/2009 4:09:29 PM , Rating: 3
I'm done but I had a small list. Divorce is such a good thing. Just had to worry about my parents and daughter.


RE: Anyone here?
By FITCamaro on 12/22/2009 5:53:24 PM , Rating: 2
Thats the holiday spirit....... >.>


RE: Anyone here?
By croc on 12/22/2009 8:31:29 PM , Rating: 2
Marraige is the largest single cause of divorce...
Divorce is one of the major causes of bankruptcy...
Bankruptcy is one of the largest causes of suicides...

I always cry at weddings, so now I just avoid them.
I always laugh at funerals, because now the poor sod is free of all that pain. Moral of this missive? Learn how to spell 'pre-nuptial'!


By qdemn7 on 12/22/2009 9:02:33 PM , Rating: 2
UPS is always much more prompt about my home deliveries than Fedx Ground. I had a 150 pound audio cabinet that the lazy Fedx Ground driver left at my apartment complex office. She did not even try to deliver it to my apartment, and I was at home at the time. But what really sucks about Fedx Ground is that they don't require a signature. Several times, drivers have just thrown the package onto my balcony and left.




By marvdmartian on 12/23/2009 8:12:48 AM , Rating: 2
Guess that depends on where you live, like with any other delivery company.
I shipped most of my packages fedex this year, and it took only 3 days for packages to get from TX to NY & GA. At half the price of USPS!

Postmaster General, are you paying attention to this??


Newegg + UPS FTW
By amanojaku on 12/22/2009 2:38:44 PM , Rating: 2
Sunday I bought a Samsung UN46B6000 and an HDMI cable, free ground shipping. Monday UPS gives me a tracking number for the HDMI cable and a delivery date of Tuesday morning (today). I'm about to go to work when I decide to check email and I see a tracking number for the TV. I skipped out on work because my baby came in around 12, almost 48 hours after I placed my order. To paraphrase "Pippa Passes" (and Nerv):

"amanojaku's in his heaven. All's right with the world."




They better
By FITCamaro on 12/22/2009 5:52:12 PM , Rating: 2
Get the Wii I bought for my mom here on time.




Press release
By crimson117 on 12/22/2009 4:37:32 PM , Rating: 1
If you're just going to shift a few words around, why not just link to the UPS press release directly?

http://www.ups.com/pressroom/us/press_releases/pre...

quote:
Busiest Shipping Week Underway for UPS

Atlanta, December 15, 2009

The Build-Up to 250 Deliveries A Second

UPS (NYSE:UPS) now has entered the busiest "peak week" of the year, culminating next Monday (Dec. 21) with a Peak Day that will see more than 22 million packages delivered worldwide on that one day alone.

That's more than 250 deliveries every second.

The nimbleness of the UPS global package delivery network enables the company to easily adapt to these annual spikes in package volume. Consider these facts and figures:

* While Monday, Dec. 21, will be the busiest day for all package deliveries (ground and air combined), Wednesday, Dec. 23, will be the busiest day for UPS air express packages. UPS will deliver more than 6 million air packages on that day globally.
* UPS expects online tracking requests to grow to more than 156 million during Peak Week, including 35 million on the busiest tracking day, Dec. 22.
* UPS once again is one of the holiday season's top employers of choice and is adding 50,000 seasonal employees around the U.S.
* UPS's ground fleet includes 95,000 package cars, vans and tractors globally.
* Green isn't just a holiday color at UPS, which is home to the transportation industry's largest private fleet of alternative fuel vehicles. That fleet - with 1,700+ vehicles using compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, fuel cell, electric and hybrid electric power - has collectively exceeded 144 million delivery miles since 2000.
* UPS Airlines, one of the 10 largest in the world, is adding 37 chartered aircraft to its year-round operating fleet to handle the influx of holiday packages. During Peak Week 2009, 2,049 UPS cargo flights will take off daily. That's about 330 more flights than a typical day in November.
* Attention procrastinators: UPS will accept Next Day Air packages on Wednesday, Dec. 23, for delivery on Thursday, Dec. 24. There are 4,700 The UPS Store locations to help with your packing and shipping.

-----

Reporters needing more information about UPS and the holiday season:

* Phone: 404-828-7123
* E-Mail: pr@ups.com
* Web: www.pressroom.ups.com/holiday
* UPS Blog: www.blog.ups.com




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