by When I finally broke down and bought the camera I couldn’t really afford, (there will be lots of scrimping in my future) Canon sent it via UPS. Of course UPS tried to deliver it while I was at work and left a notice on my door. I called UPS to arrange to either pick it up or have them deliver it on a day I’d be home. “Canon has restricted your delivery options,” I was told. I couldn’t pick it up at UPS, and I couldn’t ask them to deliver it on a day when I was home.
The only option was for them to try to deliver it two more times, both of which would occur on days when I was at work, and then they would send it back to Canon. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
WTF?? I couldn’t think of a single reason why Canon would do this, so I called them. The first representative I spoke to couldn’t tell me. Her supervisor said it benefitted both Canon and the customer. “How, exactly?” How did it benefit me to wait while UPS continued to try to deliver my camera before returning it, only to have Canon ship it again, with no guarantee that the same thing wouldn’t happen again? She couldn’t tell me.
“I can’t be the only person to call up upset about this,” I said to the supervisor. “Every customer of yours with a job would have this problem.” It was just so maddening I insisted on an answer. It must save them money. It’s the only explanation. Someone at corporate would call me back, she said, and someone eventually did. I haven’t returned their call yet though. I will update with their answer.
How I got my camera: The next day, when I came home and found another failed delivery notice, I ran out and spent the next 45 minutes running around my neighborhood stopping every UPS truck I came across asking if my block was on their route.
Yes. I did that.
It was exhausting, especially after a very tiring day at work, and I was near tears toward the end. But I found my delivery guy! Who was already locked up and about to call it a day. He saw what a wreck I was however, and he opened the truck back up, found my camera, and handed it over. Thank you nice UPS man.
It was all for this. So you, blog visitor, could see Bodhi’s tongue. Totally worth it.
That’s just wack. But I think you’re right to look for a monetary answer.
It’s also amazing that you found the right UPS truck! OMG.
And you are right, little Bodhi’s tongue it worth it. 😀
I had a wrong delivery on my porch from UPS. I first tried to find the address on my street, take it to the right person. Finally realized it was a wrong address, didn’t exist in this neighborhood. Called UPS, they said to leave it on porch, they’d pick it up. Never did. But they did say it would be entered in their delivery system as “Undelivered” and would contact where the order originated and have them ship ANOTHER product. I was shocked. Finally took the package to UPS, have no idea where it ended up. Jeez.
I also was once in my backyard and heard the FedEx truck pull up, but before I could get to the front, he had taken off. It was a package that had to be signed for, and I could see the truck disappearing up the street. I was very tempted to chase him down!
Glad you finally got your camera! And the kitties are SO adorable!! Now we can see them more often, as well as your great street photos there in NYC, which I live vicariously through as one who has never visited your city but always wanted to.
Love this story and can see it written as a children’s book: Little 7 year old Pippi waits with such excitement to get her new camera delivered to her door when she keeps missing the UPS man’s ring! After the third missed delivery she decides to leave her house all by herself and find that UPS truck! She wants her camera!! Much to her own amazement the fourth UPS truck she hails down has her camera, miracles do happen and he was such a nice man, Mommy! Just let me take kit-kat’s picture and you will see it was all worth it – smile 🙂 meow.
Sorry I do get carried away. Please do let us know what the Canon head honcho says about this peculiar policy. Your photo is just gorgeous!
All undeliverable UPS packages eventually end up at North Brother Island.
Thank you all for reading through my mini-nightmare with Canon. It was just so enraging. I can’t believe they don’t get more blowback for this.
They get blowback but from the addressees, WHO AREN’T THE ONES THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY FROM. They don’t care about the people receiving packages. Neither does Canon.
UPS isn’t a “service” in the way the USPS is, who will let you pick up your packages at the local post office. The USPS isn’t a business in the traditional sense. They see the sender and the addressee as equally deserving parties.
Another difference between business and government is that profit isn’t the end-all be-all, and every relationship isn’t transactional. Humanity for humanity’s same really annoys business people. It’s seen as something that needs to be stamped out.
Yeah. Sigh.