A Cordial Hatred for UPS

I like wine, and have been a member of a wine club for years. I recently moved to an apartment. This apartment has a leasing office on-site that is staffed from 10am through 6pm by a living, breathing and more importantly, package receiving adult.

I got home from work last Friday to see a note taped to my door. Apparently UPS had come by and discovered that I wasn't home. They had a package that needed a signature and left a note to that effect. I signed the little card and noted that while I wasn't home, the leasing office is right next door and would be happy to receive the package, the same way the receive all kinds of other packages for me. Problem solved, or at least that's what I thought.

Monday, I get an email at work from UPS saying they had again failed to deliver the package. I called their customer service center. They assured me that they'd deliver the package to the leasing office. I told them the hours of the office and got home to discover 2 new notes on my door. Apparently they'd tried to come around a second time that day at 6:20pm. The leasing office closes at 6pm.

I figured they'd try again on Tuesday and the leasing office would almost certainly be open. Imagine my surprise when I get another failed attempt email at work. I called their customer service office and, after 20 minutes of trying to understand the broken english of one of their service agents discovered that I'd have to drive out to their shipping office and pick it up myself. Apparently the guy I talked to yesterday didn't know what he was talking about. UPS can't deliver a package that requires a signature to a leasing office. Fortunately, although they're unwilling to commit to a delivery window any smaller than a day, they're happy to require me to commit to a 15 minute window to come pick up the package.

I had plans for the evening, but apparently they needed me to come pick it up that night or they were going to ship it back to the sender.


I guess I've had worse customer service, but nothing comes to mind. I have cancelled my wine club membership since it appears that there is no reasonable way to actually get wine delivered if you live in an apartment.