Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Since being in the US I reckon we've had about a dozen deliveries - but three of those have gone astray, whether being nicked, delivered to the wrong house, or sent back to the depot. 25% is a bit high for my liking!

Is there a way to force UPS, Fedex, and whoever else to ask for signature upon delivery? I can't find any such information unless I set up a delivery myself, as if I were the sender. There's nothing on Amazon, for example, to select a signed-for delivery. I know it may cost more but if it saves me faffing around trying to do UPS's detective work for them, then so much the better. Although I might be able to ask senders to add the signature option on, I'd rather it was a recipient option, maybe flagged in their system or something.

If you're interested...
1. Two parcels sent by Amazon for the same order, one arrived; the other didn't. Amazon sent a replacement for free by overnight delivery. UPS claimed it had been left by the pillar by the front door - there is no pillar.
2. Verizon sent a parcel; UPS didn't even deliver it as the driver saw a "for sale" sign and decided we'd already moved. We were moving in, not out. Had to go to the delivery depot to pick it up.
3. Mum sent our DSLR camera from Vegas which we'd left in her hotel room, again by UPS, no insurance apart from $100 as standard. They delivered to 999 Somewhere Way instead of 999 Elsewhere Way. Occupant of that property called UPS twice to redeliver; they didn't; I had to find adjacent streets with the same house number and struck lucky on house number #2. Lucky the houseowner was honest.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Unfortunately not. I dislike "signature required" from UPS since they return the package after three attempts where as USPS will only make one attempt and then leave a notice in your mailbox to pick up the package at the local post office which they will hold for 15 days. I'd prefer it to be the other way around since USPS always delivers at the same time each day (within an hour) so it is easy to be available at home but UPS can deliver at anytime depending on the most efficient rout meaning you should be home during the entire day for UPS delivery.

However I have never lost a single package from any service without "signature required" so I find it a pain when signature is required but have had a problem in my current condo with FedEx with or without "signature required" since some of the drivers don't seem to know how to push the buzzer to obtain entry to the secure building.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

I work from home so am actually there most of the time. If it did get sent back to the depot that's fine - I'd rather that than have to walk around the neighborhood trying to locate a misdelivered package!

I did wonder whether my small sample did have a higher failure rate than most.

More coincidence that it's always been UPS.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

My Ups man used to drop and run
until I put up the camera ...

http://www.amazon.com/OUTDOOR-SECURI...6138237&sr=1-3

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

I've had the worst experiences with Amazon and UPS deliveries combined. Like you, I wish there was a forced signature requirement through Amazon, but there is not.

My husband works in LA and has an odd address (###-1/2 N. Whatever Blvd). It's in a small area, behind a store on a very busy main street. There is a gate (which is left unlocked during daytime hours) you have to go through, then go up a narrow set of stairs, and then down a narrow hallway to get to his apartment. Yes, it's hard to find. But he has a cell phone, landline phone, and it's a valid physical address (he receives mail there). The stupid UPS drivers NEVER tries to find the place....they either leave the package outside someone else's apartment on the ground floor, or even worse, they left a huge Dell computer box right outside that main gate, which is the public sidewalk where EVERYONE walks by! On a very busy main street! Yes, of course someone walked off with it!

One such delivery, when my husband said it didn't arrive, and I called UPS, their notes said that the package was left "at the front desk" and signed by "Jose" or something. Huh?? There is no front desk, it's an apartment. There is no one named Jose at that address. The UPS driver probably just left it any old place, and probably signed some bogus name on it himself. Ugh.

The good news is that Amazon is always very good about giving a refund or sending a replacement....but that doesn't solve the main problem of getting things delivered directly to my husband!

Rene

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

There does seem to be a higher level of cock-up here. I am forever putting mis-delivered post in the next door neighbours box.

I got my art portfolio sent over the other week, not cheap, but no point in insuring it, as it is close to worthless to anyone but me and to me it is not replaceable. They claimed they had delivered it, but obviously not as it was not there, plus the description did not match our house. I had to trawl the streets till I saw it outside of someone else's house.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

I've thought about putting up a surveillance camera. We've never had a problem with packages being left... but then again, the State Police HQ is on the next block and down the road is a federal prison. It's a pretty safe neighborhood.

Ian

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

One problem with signed for is that if they deliver it to the wrong address and have somebody sign, chances are they won't even look at the address label until the delivery guy is long gone. Its been signed for but you still don't have it.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Usually when I receive a "signature required" package (usually schedule II drugs) from UPS, the delivery guy looks at my signature and even says my name. I have no idea what would happen if someone else accepted the package. It could be that only the person receiving schedule II drugs can sign for the package.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Not much good if they deliver to the wrong house in the first place! I guess you could eventually prove they never turned up - but by omission rather than by existence which is always harder to prove to the local bloke in the depot.

True, but at least you have a signature that's not yours.

To be fair, Royal Mail were pretty crap at delivering parcels for us too. Often we'd have to go to the sorting office to join the long queue of people picking up their things, and far too many people claim they were at home at the time. And yes, I've chased the delivery bloke down the street when a "sorry, you weren't home" card was slipped through the letterbox on more than one occasion.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Have you thought about Amazon Locker. Appreciate it isn't what you are asking about but in might be a solution, especially for high value items.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

For Amazon and other online shopping sites. No there is isn't and most of them factor in a failed/lost delivery rate. They all carry some sort of insurance for such loss.

The other option is Amazon locker (which can be used for other shopping sites).

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Never heard of it, but looks like the nearest is half an hour away. Not a bad idea for Amazon stuff though.

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

.....and it gets worse:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Changed...&cdSort=oldest

Re: Forcing signed-for deliveries
 

Luckily Ontrac doesn't deliver around here. When Amazon shifted some of their stuff to local courier companies we got shafted with Prestige who were a bag of bollocks. The first three orders we placed arrived at least a couple of days late and on of them was delivered around 9pm by a guy who didn't have any sort of uniform on driving an old beat up car. However, they have improved a lot, online tracking is available and everything has been delivered on time. Still, can't beat UPS since they always deliver here in 1 day regardless of if you pay for 1 day or not.