sigh... I seriously don't understand how FedEx is still in business since they somehow get worse every year for over 10 years now. I've heard the theory a few times that they're horrible on purpose to steer people into picking up packages so they don't have to employ as many delivery people, and from my experiences with FedEx I believe it.
I've lived in Denver for six months now and have had seven shipments to me via FedEx. There's one delivery person who's decent (two of the seven packages), but the other five were problematic. One required a signature and on the first delivery attempt I kept checking the map for the truck and when it was a few blocks away I went out in front of the building to wait to make it easier for them. I waited 20 minutes before going back inside and seeing that they "attempted delivery" at a time when I was standing in front of the building. No FedEx truck even came close to the building during that time. [This happened multiple times in Chicago and LA, so they must train their drivers that if they're behind schedule to claim they made a delivery attempt when they don't go anywhere near the delivery address] The photo proving the delivery attempt was just a grey blob like the driver put his hand over the camera. Fine, I'd just do the same thing the next day, but over the next three days the same thing happened, the package was tracked as delivery attempted when the (same) driver never came anywhere near my address every time and the same blank photo as "proof". Like most buildings in this neighborhood, there's a Butterfly callbox right by the front door and the driver never once used it (since he didn't even come to the address). After several calls to the completely useless call center in the Philippines they finally gave me the direct phone number to the Denver hub. When I called the person who answered was nice but she acted surprised when I told her about the fake delivery attempts (when it's their MO) and said I should've called that number right away to get it sorted - how am I supposed to call a number that they fight tooth and nail to keep from customers? I don't have a car so I had that package returned to the sender. She told me if I ever have issues to call that number again and they'll help (hold that thought...)
After that package, for the next FedEx delivery the driver didn't use the Butterfly callbox and just left the package outside the building. Package thefts are rampant in this area even when they're delivered inside a locked front building door, so purposefully leaving a package outside where anyone can walk by and take it is unacceptable.
I have two packages on the way to me this week. I tried to enter the delivery passcode for Butterfly for both packages online through the Delivery Manager, but their site always glitches out and I can't actually give any delivery instructions [coincidentally the only thing the website doesn't malfunction for is changing a delivery to picking up a package yourself...] So I called the direct local number and the person that answered was aggressive from the get-go before I even said anything, she put me on hold for ten minutes, and then hung up on me. I called back and they said to call a different local number, and when I did they told me to call the 800 number. I called the 800 number and the person sounded like it was their first day and didn't understand anything, and eventually she told me that they don't accept delivery codes. I explained that all carriers use the codes, and a FedEx driver said he uses them but the one he had for my building expired and needed a new one. I called the 800 number again and got someone in the Philippines so I tried to get him to note the delivery passcode and he also said they don't use them so he transferred me to the escalation supervisor who turned out to be the same clueless woman I had just talked to the first 800 number call.
I had a signature-required package delivered today by UPS that was flawless so I know it can be done, FedEx just isn't the one...