Worst Christmas ever' as UPS, FedEx don't deliver
10:04 PM, December 25, 2013
By Scott Mayerowitz and Bradley Klapper
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Santa’s sleigh didn’t make it everywhere in time for this Christmas 2013 year because of shipping problems at UPS and FedEx.
The delays were blamed on poor weather and overloaded systems. The holiday shopping period this year was also shorter than usual, and more buying was done online.
That doesn’t quell the frustration. Barry Tesh of Jacksonville, Fla., said: “A lot of these employees keep saying, ‘It’s the weather’ or ‘It’s some kind of a backlog.’ Well then why, all the way up until the 23rd, were they offering next-day delivery? That guaranteed delivery was 80% of my decision to buy the gift.”
Neither company said how many packages were delayed. But many gift-givers were left with little or no time to make alternative plans.
Jeff Cormier and his Dallas family were among those who ordered gifts that didn’t arrive. He had three separate UPS packages — including two for which he paid extra for expedited shipping — delayed.
“I’ve had to apologize to three different people when I thought I had everything wrapped up,” Cormier said.
He and his wife are celebrating their baby daughter’s first Christmas and flew in his grandmother from Ohio to join them. Her gift, a customized iPhone cover with a photo of her new great-granddaughter, didn’t come in time.
“My wife and I had our presents to open. Our daughter had her presents to open. And my grandma, she didn’t have anything,” Cormier said.
“We apologize that our customers did not receive their packages on Christmas,” said Natalie Godwin, a spokeswoman for United Parcel Service.
“This has been the worst Christmas ever,” said Larry Ledet, 55, of Houston, a UPS driver for 27 years. He made 337 stops and delivered 505 packages Monday. He and other UPS drivers have been pulling 60-hour weeks.
“I don’t know what happened,” Ledet said, “but this year it’s been crazy. ... They ran out of trucks UPS normally delivers 16.3 million packages and documents every day. Those numbers soar around the holidays.
UPS did not make pickups or deliveries Wednesday. Extra workers were being brought in Wednesday night to sort packages for delivery today and Friday, Godwin said.
Christopher Le of Moore, Okla., is OK with his wait. “People forget it’s not just a corporation — it’s people, too,” he said. “I am proud that they made the decision to let their employees ... spend Christmas with their families rather than make them come in because people were angry about their presents.”
Some FedEx customers were able to pick up packages Christmas Day at FedEx Express centers, said Scott Fiedler, a spokesman for FedEx, who apologized for delays. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, FedEx handled 275 million shipments, he said. Those not delivered in time, he said, “would be very few.”
On Sunday, Eric Swanson ordered a doll for his daughter and a sweater for his wife through Amazon.com and one of its affiliated sites.
As an Amazon Prime customer, there was a promise of two-day delivery, getting the gifts to his Carmichael, Calif., home just in time for Christmas. One was shipped via UPS, the other FedEx. Online tracking tools said the packages would arrive by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Neither did.
Amazon.com has been notifying some customers affected by the delays that it will refund any shipping charges and is giving them a $20 credit toward a purchase. While some customers may get money back, they might think twice about ordering online. “Next time, if I need to get a gift and cut it that close, I will just have to enter the fray and go to the mall,” Swanson said.
USA TODAY contributed.