I scheduled a prepaid/labeled Priority Mail package pickup, specifically a 3 lbs package at Front Door - about two weeks ago. According to Mrs Boomer, the normally diligent postman drives up, gets a tiny non-priority parcel of hers from the mail box and drives off. She lets me know and I return, grab the box and drive it to the PO, definitely getting a receipt. Get home, and get confirmation email of the successful pickup! My explanation to them that their confirmation doesn't mean chit didn't get me anywhere besides an acknowledged Oopsy... Had no UPS misses. 100% error rate is to be expected with OnTrack who seem to think dropping anywhere in the neighborhood is close enough.
Last year I bought a Miller Mig welder off Ebay. Just happened the day it was to be delivered there were some roof maintenance folks at our place whom signed for a package - much smaller and lighter than a welder! So I get home open it and there's nothing more than a plastic fricking broom head! A broom! A two-pound package at most! There's a FedEx shipping confirmation from Canada with the appropriate weight and now there's a receipt of the confirmation of same package at my place! Oh chitt! Try to explain that to the Ebay CSR in Manila who's on strict orders to read the script and never pass a call along to a supervisor.... Poor girl probably got fired for not being able to get me to shut up... I was persistent and eventually got transferred to an English first language guy whom understood this was not just a mistake or that I'd not simply return the item and await the seller's refund. They sold these welders to dozens of folks (more than 70 total) after building positive feedback for a bunch of similar deals over the past couple years. The price was darn good, okay, it was a couple few hundred less than "normal", but it coincided when the model was being closed-out everywhere. Still wish I had that Miller but settled for another bargain locally. But, in the case of the Welder, FedEx said - sorry nothing they can do on their end, they made the delivery... The tracking shows outbound and properly dropped off - they did their job... So - this package was 2 pounds and not 80 or whatever - that didn't seem to matter to them... I don't much like FedX.
Long story, short version, apparently confirmations don't mean chit.
