FedEx Lost/Stolen watch

pdxleaf

+1. I had a watch serviced in Canada, so the watch went through customs. The watchmaker returned it using FedEx, whereupon it disappeared. Weeks went by and we were notified that it was held in customs because forms were not completed, which of course they were. It took many, many phone calls, with each new phone call starting at the beginning, as if it was the first contact.

Eventually someone figured things out and the watch arrived. Soon after, I received a fee for duties, as if I had purchased the watch, as opposed to getting it serviced. What's more, they charged me storage fees for the month or so they had it. Several exchanges with customer service followed and the agent eventually agreed to drop the fees. A month later I received a delinquent invoice. After contacting the same agent he claimed there was a misunderstanding and he never agreed to drop the fees.

Fedex. Main they learn how quickly a reputation can be ruined.

Waltesefalcon

They had no problem insuring it for $400.

Porteroso

Where I live, FedEx customer service is incredible, and USPS is one of the jokes of the town for the past decade. You walk into a USPS and they glare at you, for starters. It doesn't end there. They are angry you are in their little kingdom. Mail arrives maybe 3, 4 days a week, the sorting center is infamous for stealing things from packages, packages get lost, they don't show up and claim the same mailbox that's always there was inaccessible.

Point is, service really depends on who you're talking to. I can totally believe that where you are, USPS is way better than FedEx, but it's not true across the country.

Walrus

It’s seems to be hard to get clear data as “lost/stolen” are hard to break down due to the way certain things are reported. But I inquired about world wide numbers maybe someone can find better analysis.
I had a nice vintage Seiko go “missing/lost” during shipment a year or two ago but the seller refunded me so quickly I didn’t get to ask him how insurance etc treated him. Nice darn seller.

Waltesefalcon

Unfortunately for my buyer I was slower on issuing a refund, having just done so this past week, when it became obvious that FedEx was never going to honor the contract they entered into with me. I placed my hope in FedEx quickly resolving the issue since it was obvious from the get go that they were at fault. That was just naivety on my part and in the future I will purchase third party insurance. No I will make myself a nuisance and see if that gets their attention.

Walrus

Just an FYI my post was not meant to reflect on your status as a seller. I just got curious of what the “official” number of lost packages are. As far as that particular seller I think he just automatically refunded me as soon as the package was marked “lost” I didn’t request it and was prepared to wait let him sort things out. I think he must have had third party insurance he knew would make him whole in the end as no company refunds that quick that I know of.

I was actually hoping the watch would show and I could send the dude his money back, I wanted the watch more than I did the money. However if FedEx loses 8.2% of packages that represents a big number. Seems that could include porch pirates which is a 12 billion dollar a year loss which in that case I imagine falls on the consumer in most cases. Fortunately I have not yet got hit by porch pirates but damn they are scum.

Waltesefalcon

Yeah.

Waltesefalcon

After a review of the additional documents I supplied, including the email from the FedEx rep in England stating that they lost the watch, FedEx has decided to pay out the $400 in insurance but not the $193 in shipping. They do not consider themselves in breach of contract on the shipping, despite not delivering the watch. A bit is better than nothing and I am going to stay on them about the shipping.

It will take them up to thirty days to mail me a check. I hope they use USPS and not their own services, because I'd hate for that to get lost as well.

Porteroso

They don't lose 8.2%, that would be insane. And that's AI telling you that 8.2% are not on time. Less than 1% are marked as lost or damaged, and of that less than 1%, the majority of that is damaged, not lost.

On time performance just varies. In December 2024, FedEx was on time 91.8%, but was 98.3% in December 2023. But again, on time/late is not delivered/lost.