UPS sucks!!!!

So I don't normally need to rant, but my latest experience trying to get a package from UPS was egregiously bad...

I was waiting for a delivery of some GPS units for work, and because they were reasonably expensive, a signature was required. And I'm often in and out of the house, so of course I wasn't home when they tried to deliver.

After getting a notice of a second delivery attempt on Friday, I decided to help them out and pick the package up myself. I called UPS and was connected to an annoying automated voice system that told me someone would call me back. After wasting an hour waiting for the call, someone called and informed me that I could pick up the package between 7:00 and 7:15 that evening. Rather inconvenient, but I could do it, so no problem yet.

However, when I arrived, they could not find my package, and kept telling me to keep waiting. After waiting almost 2 hours outside in the dark with a grumpy 6-year-old, I was told that they could not find my package and could not give it to me. The woman who was helping me was very apologetic and promised me that they would deliver the package to my house on Monday, and leave it behind the gate without needing a signature.

Aside -- some other things I oberved while waiting outside in the dark:
1. The guy kept calling names and addresses of people who were not present in the gathering crowd of those waiting for packages, despite the fact that he had the very clear sign-in list of those present.
2. Several others were told their packages were missing, and then noticed that they could see their supposedly "missing" packages just inside the door. This included one guy with a box that was about 10 feet long, and another who was picking up a large black bike case. How does one miss multiple items that are that large???
3. Poor woman who was waiting for her package of medication, clearly not feeling well. I couldn't help but feel bad for her, as she clearly needed her stuff more than the rest of us did.
4. UPS employees badmouthing each other, within earshot of the customers and the other employees who they were dissing. Just added to the Friday night fun...

By Monday afternoon, I still had not seen the package, so I checked online, only to find that instead of being out for delivery as had been promised, it was still being held at the facility. I called again, got the stupid automated voice thingie, and eventually got a real voice on the end by pressing 0 repeatedly. She said she personally couldn’t tell me what was going on, but would send an “urgent” (ha ha) message to a supervisor at the Sunnyvale site and have them call me right back. Another downright lie, as no one ever called me back.

I drove back over to the UPS facility on Tuesday and finally was able to liberate the package. When I asked how to register a formal complaint, I was given the phone number that routes you into automated voice recognition hell. Oh joy.

I wasted several hours on multiple different days trying to receive this package that was to be delivered to my doorstep. I got to drive to the inconvenient UPS facility twice. I finally got my package 5 days after the expected delivery date. And they charge for the experience. Argh.