Modern Vespa

[Edit - Changing title for future shipping shitshows]

No dealer bashing... thems da rules, but bashing on corprate shipping giants? I didn't see anything in the fine print, so join me in my misery. Fed Ex is killing me!

WTAF?!?! Package was shipped on 12/28. Sat in Germany for 7 days and is now enjoying fine wines and cheeses in France. Box has been sitting in Charles De Gaulle airport since 01/04. Come on Fed-ex, get your ship together.
My ass is stuck in the mud until that package gets here. Gah!

/end rant

It's been going on for months, I think since Covid outbreak. My weekly Sunday evening order would get to me on Thursday. Now it sits in Germany, sits in Belgium, sits in France. 2-3 weeks now.

A little better here in the US, but still slow. I ordered a lowering kit for a client and the shop that machines the part is in Dallas. Once received at the post office, it sat in Dallas for 2 days. A day later it was shipped to Columbia (90 miles from me), 2 days later in Charlotte (Hooray, only 20 from me!). For some bizarre reason, it was then sent to Cincinnati for three days, then Nashville, 2 more days, then back to me. The shipping label was clear, address could be seen and the bar code was fine. Crazy - 10 days for a normal 3 day trip. And it was sent priority mail! Luckily, the client doesn't ride when it goes below 50 degrees so I escaped any complaints from her.

Been there, done that. I've seen backpackers' tours that hit fewer stops across Europe than some of my FedEx packages.

Of course, my current order has been stuck for two weeks because they declared one of my items out of stock (and not due for backfill) *after I'd already ordered it* and are now apparently holding the order indefinitely.

And their customer support Web form seems to be broken. grrrr....

I need to remember to deal with this early enough that someone is still answering the phone.

FedEx is the problem. UPS or DHL only. Keep it under $800 and you'll fly under the radar for customs and tariffs.

Tried FedEx and it got hung up for weeks. I noticed it was taking a while, and called them. Turns out my stuff was stuck in TN at their import facility and I had to fill out a wacky Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper and Theft Prevention Standards form. An email and a few calls later, my stuff finally left. Wasn't that difficult in hindsight, but FedEx was no help for weeks so I'd avoid using them

1000000000000000% agree! FedEx blows goats!

I just encountered this in connection with an Italian motorcycle helmet. Upon arrival in the US, FedEx's customs department sent me that same form, in my case requiring a declaration to the effect that the product meets US safety standards and has any required labeling to that effect. Well, the helmet far exceeds US safety standards (which are a joke), but labeling is another matter. I had no idea a form like that even existed, and I did not give the declaration. Nonetheless, the issue somehow resolved itself and a few hours later the helmet was on its way again.

FedEx shipping times from Italy have not been bad. For SIP, I order through Scooter Mercato. I guess there are some things Mercato won't deal with because they are too large or too expensive, but I haven't run into that.

Scooters Originali would often ship me the wrong part. Andrea would replace it with the correct part but I'd have to pay shipping over and over again during a PX engine overhaul. Circlips, piston rings, etc.

It sucks but I thought it'd be better not to raise a stink.

Looking back, they should have comped me the cost for their repeated mistakes.

It seems half of Europe is on strike at the moment so maybe that has something to do with it.

Never again on that place. I know there are new owners, but it's not worth experimenting.

Unfortunately it is fedex. The system they're using and the couriers on the ground are the weakest out of all the couriers (DHL, UPS, local post office and local international courier…) I end up using.

Their customer service is pretty good, friendly and clear. But out of the past 10 fedex deliveries, none of them have been delivered on time and without intervention. So if I hadn't called up, it would've been sent back.

Don't mind waiting, but don't say you had a failed delivery because you didn't have a phone number (in which it does, a waybill has to have a number to be created). Why does it leave the sorting office in the first place??

More to add to the FedEx hate.
I ordered a custom guitar amp and had it sent next day air as I was leaving for tour the day after it would arrive, giving me enough time to turn it on and make sure everything was working as it should. Got an update that it would arrive between 5-8pm.

Sat on my front stoop to wait. 3 FedEx trucks passed by. Around 745 I checked the tracking and see they claimed they attempted to deliver it but there was no answer so it was going back to the warehouse to be tried again the next day. I called so fucking mad. Told them I'd be down to pick it up and demanded I get my shipping money back. I sat there waiting for it, that lazy bastard just drove by and marked it that he tried to deliver it. Wtf.

Won't use them ever.

Sounds familiar, worked on the Vespa in front of my building whilst waiting, no way in hell they would miss me if they attempted to deliver. Received the same message it was heading back to the sorting office.

FedEx went downhill after Tom Hanks delivered the Angel Wings package and left the company

^^^^
Snork

It just tells you that the Paris leg of the tour is over. I'll bet your package is playing two nights in Munich, then a reprise club date or two at Tempelhof, plus a surprise appearance at a rally in Brussels.

Just added a show in Dansk and Brugge later this week…

Looks like they work better the other way around

Ordered some automotive connectors from mouser.com. And they did go through France too…

It's in Tennessee! Miracles do happen!

Take it from me...very few miracles actually happen in Tennessee.

IDK....Explosion clock is at 40 days.

Now in other Shipping Shit Show news...

I sent 2 packages out from my work on 01/04/24 via USPS.
One of which is a leg shield trim tool I was lending out to our good friend Friday.
As of today the tracking only shows as "label created", as if it hasn't been scanned again at the post office! SMH. Lady on the phone says I have to give it 30 days before filing a lost item claim. I think she was high, but who knows? Going to the local post office today to see if I can get better information.

That probably qualifies as a miracle, you're right.

Aaaand...I finally received the shipping confirmation for my long-delayed order today.

Maybe S-C was just that backed up, but...wowza.

Anyways, it's going by FedEx, so I may still have to posts to add to this thread.

Whadda'y'all think...will I get my package or reset the Disaster Counter first? Ham bets are open.

Well...my package is now in FOKKERPARK in the Netherlands. I've never been there, but it sounds like somewhere they make a lot of porn, so hopefully it will keep moving and not go straight to a happy ending.

^

My happy ending finally arrived this morning!
I Iike the new box art too!

A ton of small baggies inside, makes me feel like a meth dealer. The best bag has ET3 glovebox carpet inside. Woot!
(Need to sort a good adhesive.)

glovebox carpet? sounds like pure hedonism. is that really a thing?

It's a Houston Thing. Don't ask.

I just use random auto parts store spray contact adhesive for stuff like carpet, sound deadener, etc.

next thing you know you'll be putting a glove box light in there

He probably did that first. And a little disco ball. The lights pulse and change color to match his music, same as the under-scoot lights.

That beautiful carpet was standard kit on the ET3.
but you have given me an idea... I need to get a little speaker that activates when you open the glove box with a recording of our man Schnakenberg saying "Feed Me Seymor. Feed me."

this sounds good to me.

i have never had the luxury experience of a model with carpeted glove box.

here's your glove box light:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Powered-Wireless-Cordless-Cabinet/dp/B093T2617Q/ref=sr_1_9?crid=1BEPL1TLH5TYO&keywords=battery%2Boperated%2Bpush%2Blight&qid=1704999372&sprefix=battery%2Boperated%2Bpush%2Bligh%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-9&th=1

Carpeted box was a thing in the late 70's. Not so much anymore.

Did your package learn about that when it was in Fokkerpark?

Dooohhhhh

UPS too. If they mis-deliver a package to you, good luck getting them to take responsibility and get the package to the rightful addressee.

That was fast. The only faster was DHL Express when I ordered urgently a Malossi piston from SC. Left Germany at around 18:00 and next morning at 09:00 was in my hands…

Man…
This is shipping vent thread, not the shipping gloat thread.