When you‘re trying to get an important package delivered safely and on time, whether it‘s essential medications or expensive electronics, you need a shipping carrier you can count on. Unfortunately for many customers, FedEx is no longer making the cut.
A quick search online reveals countless horror stories from frustrated FedEx customers dealing with issues like damaged items, lost packages, and deliveries delayed by weeks. As a veteran of the shipping industry who has worked with all the major carriers, I‘ve seen FedEx‘s service quality steadily decline in recent years. Let‘s take a deeper look at the biggest reasons behind FedEx‘s deteriorating performance and reputation.
1. Package tracking is unreliable and not updated frequently enough.
One of the most persistent complaints about FedEx is regarding their package tracking system. Customers report that tracking information is regularly not updated for days at a time after the initial "label created" status. Some never see their package tracking progress beyond that point at all until the item is suddenly delivered.
FedEx‘s inability to consistently scan packages throughout the shipping journey leaves customers in the dark about their package‘s status and expected delivery date. Without this visibility, it‘s impossible to plan for deliveries or know if your package has gone missing. In my experience, FedEx‘s tracking is the least reliable of all the major carriers.
2. An unacceptable number of packages are delayed or delivered late.
Another major strike against FedEx is their propensity for late deliveries. Even before the pandemic, FedEx struggled to get packages to their destinations on the initial promised delivery date. Now in 2024, the problem has only worsened.
Based on a recent analysis of millions of packages, FedEx now has an on-time delivery rate of only 82.5%, compared to 95.1% for UPS and 93.4% for the USPS. This means that nearly 1 in 5 FedEx packages do not arrive on time as promised to the customer. When you‘re paying a premium for expedited shipping, these kind of delays are unacceptable.
3. Too many packages are being damaged or lost by FedEx.
Possibly even worse than a late delivery is when your package finally arrives damaged, or doesn‘t arrive at all. Sadly, damaged and lost packages have become all too common when shipping with FedEx.
Online forums are filled with photos customers have shared of crumpled boxes and broken items that were supposedly handled by FedEx with care. Even more concerning, some customers report that their packages appear to have been opened and pilfered, with expensive items removed from the boxes before delivery.
While some amount of damage and loss is to be expected with any carrier, FedEx seems to be having a harder time keeping packages safe than their competitors. Shipping experts estimate that up to 2% of FedEx packages never make it to their destination intact and undamaged.
4. FedEx drivers mishandle packages and leave them in unsecured locations.
It‘s reasonable to expect that FedEx would instruct their drivers to take utmost care when handling packages and always leave them in a safe location at the destination, such as a covered porch or with a receptionist. However, many customers have caught their FedEx delivery drivers on camera treating packages roughly and leaving them out in the open where they could be damaged by weather or stolen.
FedEx drivers have been seen throwing boxes over fences, leaving them in the middle of driveways exposed to rain and snow, and balancing packages precariously on outdoor railings. Customers have even found their packages left at the completely wrong address or out on the sidewalk. This carelessness leads to damaged goods and missing deliveries that could have been easily avoided with proper handling protocols.
5. Delivery attempts are not being made, but drivers are marking them as attempted.
Another recurring issue is FedEx drivers claiming that they attempted delivery when they never actually did. Customers who have been home all day waiting for an important package will suddenly get a notification that delivery was attempted but no one was there to receive it. In reality, the driver never came to the door and immediately left a failed attempt notice.
This behavior seems to stem from drivers being under immense pressure to complete their route quickly. It‘s often easier for them to just say they tried to deliver a package than to actually ring the doorbell and wait for someone to answer. Regardless of the reason, it‘s a huge inconvenience for customers and leads to further delays.
6. FedEx is overusing "weather delays" as an excuse for late shipments.
Bad weather can certainly cause unavoidable interruptions to deliveries. But many customers suspect that FedEx leans on weather delays as an excuse to cover up failures in their own logistics network.
Despite investing heavily in a weather monitoring team and technology to reroute around storms, FedEx consistently has the most weather-related delays of the three major carriers. In 2023, 9% of late FedEx shipments were attributed to weather, compared to just 4% at UPS. Customers find it hard to believe the weather impacts FedEx so much more than their competitors.
7. FedEx‘s services are getting more expensive but not improving.
With the service issues FedEx is having, one would hope they would at least be more affordable than other shipping options. Unfortunately, that‘s not the case. FedEx‘s prices tend to be higher than or comparable to UPS and USPS across the board.
To add insult to injury, FedEx keeps hiking up their prices and adding on new surcharges. In 2022, they raised prices on FedEx Ground by 5.9%. Then in 2023, they instituted a new 6% "peak" surcharge during their busiest shipping season. With charges like a $4 "delivery area surcharge" and $40 fee for packages that are slightly too large, the final price to ship with FedEx is often much higher than the base rates.
8. The use of subcontractors for FedEx Ground leads to inconsistent service.
Unlike the FedEx Express network which is run directly by FedEx, FedEx Ground heavily utilizes subcontractors for last-mile delivery. Under this model, independent local operators purchase routes from FedEx and then hire their own drivers to service them. While some of these subcontractors do an excellent job, many are incentivized to cut corners in order to maximize their profits.
The result is an inconsistent experience for customers. The FedEx Ground driver and level of service you get is entirely dependent on who owns the route in your area. Lack of oversight from FedEx corporate means that these subcontractors are often not held accountable for following proper delivery procedures. This causes many of the issues like mishandling packages and not attempting deliveries.
9. FedEx doesn‘t deliver everywhere, especially in rural areas.
Another downside of FedEx is that their delivery network simply does not cover the entire country. Many customers in rural areas are frustrated to find that FedEx considers their location too remote to service. Even in some suburban areas, FedEx will refuse to deliver to certain addresses or charge a steep "remote area surcharge".
This spotty coverage is because as a private company, FedEx can choose where it‘s most profitable for them to deliver. They are not obligated to serve every community like the USPS is. In many cases, the only option for FedEx delivery in these underserved areas is using their Ground Economy service, where packages get transferred to the USPS for final delivery, adding several days to the transit time.
10. Incorrect address labels lead to delivery failures and delays.
Another frustrating problem unique to FedEx is their tendency to mark packages with the wrong address label. This most often occurs when a package requires multiple labels, such as for international shipping. The correct label will be covered up by an incorrect one, causing the package to bounce around from facility to facility as FedEx tries to sort out where it should actually be delivered.
Customers waiting for these misaddressed packages face long delays as they wait for FedEx to correct the mistake. In some cases, FedEx never figures out the right address and the package is eventually returned to sender. This is a fundamental failure in FedEx‘s sorting and labeling processes that adds an unacceptable level of uncertainty to deliveries.
11. FedEx‘s customer service is consistently unhelpful and difficult to reach.
You would think that with all of these recurring service failures, FedEx would at least offer top-notch customer support to make things right. Sadly, that does not seem to be the case. FedEx‘s customer service is notoriously difficult to get in touch with and often unhelpful even when you do eventually reach a representative.
Many customers report calling FedEx‘s support line only to be placed on hold indefinitely or have their call disconnected. FedEx‘s online chat bot is also incapable of handling anything beyond the most basic queries. When customers do finally get through to a human agent, they are often met with scripted non-answers and an unwillingness to truly solve the problem at hand.
This lack of responsive and empowered customer service leaves customers feeling even more frustrated and powerless when FedEx makes a mistake. Waiting hours to speak to an agent only to be told there is nothing they can do is a sure-fire way to lose customers.
12. There are no easy solutions to FedEx‘s underlying issues.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of FedEx‘s decline is that there are no quick fixes for the root causes dragging down their service. FedEx‘s issues appear to be fundamental problems with their logistics network and business model.
The company‘s over-reliance on subcontractors, lack of investment in customer service, and unwillingness to update their tracking systems signal that meaningful improvements are not on the way anytime soon. FedEx seems caught in a negative feedback loop, where cutting costs leads to reduced service quality, which leads customers to seek alternatives, further reducing revenues and necessitating more cost cutting.
Competitors like UPS and USPS are not struggling with these issues to nearly the same degree, suggesting that FedEx‘s problems are internal and self-inflicted. Until FedEx takes a long hard look in the mirror and commits to overhauling their fundamental way of doing business, customers can expect more of the same spotty service.
The Bottom Line: Think Twice Before Shipping with FedEx
Based on all the evidence, it‘s hard to recommend FedEx as a shipping carrier for anything important or time-sensitive. The company‘s persistent issues with late deliveries, damaged packages, and poor customer service make them the least reliable of the major carriers.
While FedEx‘s prices may sometimes look attractive on the surface, the hidden surcharges and high likelihood of something going wrong cancel out any potential savings. Paying a few extra dollars to ship with a more dependable carrier like UPS or USPS is worth the peace of mind that your package will actually arrive on time and in one piece.
For customers who have been burned one too many times by FedEx, the best path forward is to vote with their wallet and take their business elsewhere. Retailers should also consider removing FedEx as a shipping option until the company gets its act together. Only by holding FedEx accountable and refusing to settle for subpar service can consumers hope to see real change.
Have you had issues with FedEx deliveries? Share your horror stories in the comments below so we can shed further light on this topic! And be sure to pass this article along to friends and family so they can avoid FedEx headaches as well.
