Anyone here work for UPS?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:53 am

So my very expensive, made-to-order, Sandtrooper armor that I ordered from RS Propmasters shipped on Friday. Scheduled delivery today. Everything was going well until UPS got a hold of it. It started traveling through England and then BAM -- Delayed. Incorrectly Sorted.

I was patient over the weekend because I know things stop for UPS on Saturdays and Sundays. Mistakes happen. I assumed it would get sorted out and start moving again Monday morning while I slept and the UPS wheels started turning again in England. Now the entire Monday business day has gone by in England with ZERO movement on these incorrectly sorted packages. No scan. Nothing.

I have tried every contact information I can find for UPS and I'm funneled to the exact same carbon copy automated status information. I can only assume this generic status means that my packages have either been lost or stolen.

If these things are lost, the turnaround time on getting replacements from RS Propmasters will be ANOTHER goddamn two months. I will miss Momocon that my family is traveling to go to. The most infuriating thing is the complete lack of ability to 1) reach a real person at UPS and 2) get ANY information on packages from this company. You are at their complete and utter mercy.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:04 pm

Here's the contact number for UPS (International) according to GetHuman.com:

GetHuman.com wrote:UPS (International) Phone Number
Calling UPS (International) customer service faster by GetHuman
800-782-7892
Customer service

Current Wait: 5 mins (4m avg)
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days; best time to call: 10:45am
Get to a live person fastest: Say "Agent" at prompt.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:27 pm

Last time I had a problem with UPS I contacted the shipper (Amazon) and they took care of the problem.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:32 pm

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:27 pm Last time I had a problem with UPS I contacted the shipper (Amazon) and they took care of the problem.

I've contacted them. They can only make inquiries on their side. The items were a measured and custom made armor suit that took 2 months to fulfill. Unfortunately they can't just send a replacement out. It will literally cost me 2 months if it's lost or stolen.

Drazzil · Post by **Drazzil** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 1:56 pm

msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:32 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:27 pm Last time I had a problem with UPS I contacted the shipper (Amazon) and they took care of the problem.
I've contacted them. They can only make inquiries on their side. The items were a measured and custom made armor suit that took 2 months to fulfill. Unfortunately they can't just send a replacement out. It will literally cost me 2 months if it's lost or stolen.

I've had a lot of issues with UPS. I did a lot of cigar smoking for years and I lost a few packages, and had a few tampered with as well.

FINALLY I got to the point where I use USPS unless its an international package, in which case its FedEx or Swiss post.

Drazzil · Post by **Drazzil** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:04 pm

msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:32 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:27 pm Last time I had a problem with UPS I contacted the shipper (Amazon) and they took care of the problem.
I've contacted them. They can only make inquiries on their side. The items were a measured and custom made armor suit that took 2 months to fulfill. Unfortunately they can't just send a replacement out. It will literally cost me 2 months if it's lost or stolen.

I assume this is a mega super high dollar package as well. I hope you got insurance on this. Sometimes places like this have very unfriendly FOB terms.

From my experience with UPS the first step you neef to take is have a supervisor open up a trace on your package.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:11 pm

Drazzil wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:04 pm
msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:32 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:27 pm Last time I had a problem with UPS I contacted the shipper (Amazon) and they took care of the problem.
I've contacted them. They can only make inquiries on their side. The items were a measured and custom made armor suit that took 2 months to fulfill. Unfortunately they can't just send a replacement out. It will literally cost me 2 months if it's lost or stolen.
I assume this is a mega super high dollar package as well. I hope you got insurance on this. Sometimes places like this have very unfriendly FOB terms.

From my experience with UPS the first step you neef to take is have a supervisor open up a trace on your package.

Well the shop that made it is very reputable. One of the best in the business. They will make it right if it's lost, but I'll be waiting another 2 months.

Edit to add: Finally got an actual person on the line thanks to the tip above. They said I have to wait until tomorrow to start a trace. It's like a flipping missing person were you have to wait a certain amount of time before it's considered missing.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:46 pm

Stormtrooper armor isn't small. How in Gods name as a shipping company do you lose one that large unless its on purpose?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:50 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:46 pm Stormtrooper armor isn't small. How in Gods name as a shipping company do you lose one that large unless its on purpose?

All someone has to do is scan it as being in one place but put it someplace else accidentally. In the size of their centers, that would make it a needle in a haystack.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:19 pm

Have you the local UPS driver lately and was he wearing Storm Trooper Armor?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:27 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:46 pm Stormtrooper armor isn't small. How in Gods name as a shipping company do you lose one that large unless its on purpose?

Exactly my question. This is nearly 40 lbs total in 3 boxes. There are two options here since there have been no scans: either it's sitting at a distribution center and they aren't doing anything with it, or it's lost.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:29 pm

Honestly I don't care if it shows up in China and is scanned coming back this way. I just want it to be scanned. Right now NOBODY has a clue where it is and it's maddening.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:47 pm

3 boxes!? Thats even worse. Man I hope someone didn't know what it was and take it.

Ive had my bag of crap from WOOT arrive opened and taped. With that I have no idea what was missing.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:56 pm

msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:29 pm I just want it to be scanned.

One would think UPS scans everything every single day as stuff moves from hub to hub and their own red alerts would pop up.

Luck to you.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:03 pm

Usually the shipper has better luck starting a trace, but once it enters the parcel stream it's nearly impossible to find one specific package out of billions in motion, especially if it's on a truck or a plane.

UPS generally contracts with local carriers for international shipping, so they in turn are at relying on someone else. They won't take possession and bring it into the US system until it clears Customs. Customs delays can be brief or lengthy. The more valuable the shipment, the longer it is likely to take as they are going to assess tariffs on it. It's possible that UPS won't take possession until the tariff is paid, in which case they'll contact you for additional money. I think the tariff trigger in the US is $2500. A suit of armor is classified as a weapon and will get extra scrutiny.

IDK the specific arrangement that UPS has in Britain, but I'd bet that your item is stuck in Customs.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:40 pm

Armor is a weapon? Is a weapon spam sandwiches?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:52 pm

It could be lost. I've also had packages from UPS get those cryptic statuses, stall for a few days, the suddenly start tracking again. Hell, I've even sent out a complaint, got a replacement underway, then had the missing one show up but still show the cryptic status.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:54 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:40 pm Armor is a weapon? Is a weapon spam sandwiches?

Armor (as a category) is combat equipment. A sudden influx of kevlar body armor, for instance, would be something customs might want to be aware of.

The question is whether this is classified as armor or as a costume.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:05 pm

Being plastic I dont see how it could be armor in any ways.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:28 pm

It's ABS plastic, so I'm not sure how they could snag that in customs. However, it's possible that the resin blasters caught someone's attention?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:29 pm

BTW the Statuses just went from *delay to *In Transit. However, no scanning of any of them has taken place.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:57 pm

I think I know what happened to your shipment:

Damn rebels!

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:01 pm

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:15 pm

msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:29 pm BTW the Statuses just went from *delay to *In Transit. However, no scanning of any of them has taken place.

These aren't the packages you're looking for.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:18 pm

msduncan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:28 pm It's ABS plastic, so I'm not sure how they could snag that in customs. However, it's possible that the resin blasters caught someone's attention?

It will depend on how the shipper classified it and whether the Customs agent agrees. The codes are comparable to medical insurance codes in their specificity, and it can be hard to find the one that's appropriate. Go ahead, see if you can find the right one in their search engine.

Anything containing lithium batteries falls under Dangerous Goods instead of Merchandise, btw.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:24 pm

They are all now scanned 'departure'. So they are moving again. It's amazing how out of reach these packages are once they go into the massive shipping system.

No batteries to worry about. I have to equip my bucket (helmet) with electronics once I receive it.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:54 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:46 pm Stormtrooper armor isn't small. How in Gods name as a shipping company do you lose one that large unless its on purpose?

But sandtrooper armor is just codpiece and a pair of nipple rings.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:56 pm

Make of it what you will but it allowed me to classify alien body parts.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 7:59 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:46 pm Stormtrooper armor isn't small. How in Gods name as a shipping company do you lose one that large unless its on purpose?

Not necessarily.. He may be a little short to be a Stormtrooper..

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:05 pm Being plastic I dont see how it could be armor in any ways.

Plus, as we all know it's not really affective armor anyway..

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 9:47 pm

Scans aren't always 100%. It's in the ether, you need to sit back and wait.

Unless/until is shows delivered, you shouldn't worry about it.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:07 am

And........ . after about 3 hours of moving it flagged another exception and now it's delayed again. "waiting for address verification by the clearing agency". Delayed. At least I think they know where they are now, I just don't know if they know where they are going.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:46 am

Sounds like it's in customs now.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:51 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:46 am Sounds like it's in customs now.

Yeah I think you are right. I get this part. In fact I don't mind it as much because at least I know the packages are in a known location. It's the lost massively expensive Stormtrooper armor that had me stressed.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:24 am

My god.

So this morning I got issued an 'alternate tracking number' that was the same as one of my other packages. I looked up alternate tracking numbers and it says:

Under some circumstances (such as when the service level for a package changes, a package crosses an international border as a return shipment, or a package cannot be delivered to the receiver and must be returned to the shipper) UPS will generate an alternate tracking number. This new tracking number can be used to provide more detailed information on the shipment as it is en route.

But it's not a new tracking number, it's one of my three tracking numbers I already had.

So I call the INTERNATIONAL line. I give the automated system my tracking number and it IMMEDIATELY routes me to an agent rather than giving me an automated status. The agent takes my tracking number and says 'I'm sorry you need to call the international number and proceeds to give me the number I just called, and then transfers me to an endless wait. I hang up, thinking maybe I called the wrong number. I call the international number back again and the same thing happens -- a guy telling me I need to call the international number. He says 'for future reference, here is the international number...." I interrupt him and read the international number back to him that he's about to quote to me. I tell him once again that I just called that number and got him.

WHAT IN THE HELL!?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:28 am

Finally got to the right place and they can't figure out what's going on. They submitted a request to Great Britain UPS to find out what's going on, and the guy is going to call me back no later than noon tomorrow.

I've *never* had this much trouble with a package. Ever. I've ordered stuff from all over the planet, and I've NEVER had anywhere close to this much trouble. What is going on over there with UPS?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:30 am

I'm confused - Have they missed their delivery date yet?

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:43 am

The OP said that it shipped on Friday and was supposed to arrive Monday.

Methinks msd is freaking out over what appears to be a customs delay.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:02 am

stessier wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:30 am I'm confused - Have they missed their delivery date yet?

Twice.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:05 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:43 am The OP said that it shipped on Friday and was supposed to arrive Monday.

Methinks msd is freaking out over what appears to be a customs delay.

It does appear to be a custom's delay, but I called because I was issued a "new tracking number" which they say means the address is wrong and it will be returned to sender. But that's not exactly what is going on because the address is fine, and the "new" tracking number they issued me is just one of my other tracking numbers from the same shipment. They are as confused as I am.

The only reason I called this time was due to the "new" tracking number. Also the second missed delivery date. This is supposed to be worldwide express mail that gets there within a couple days. It's not. It's lurching, stopping, getting lost, getting hung up in customs because of the address, etc. I could have flown to England and brought it back with me faster than this is going.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:08 am

Probably wouldn't have cost you much more, either. UPS Worldwide Expedited is expensive.