The original FedEx location I visited would not accept my shipment, so I went to another location the following day.
I was shipping a laptop and charger that were already packaged and secured with bubble wrap. The box and prepaid shipping label were provided by my employer.
When I entered the first store, an employee stopped me and asked what I was shipping. I told him it was a laptop and charger. He then told me that I could not use the box provided by my employer and that I needed to use a FedEx-branded box instead.
When I approached the counter, another employee asked for an account number. I explained that I did not have one because my employer had provided both the box and the shipping label. The laptop was securely packaged, and the employee never even scanned the shipping label to review it. Instead, I was told that without an account number, I would need to purchase a new shipping label and a new box. As a result, I left the store.
Assuming this might be company policy, I called FedEx Customer Service and asked whether a FedEx-branded box and an account number were required to ship a package with a prepaid label. I was told that neither was required. The representative explained that as long as the item was securely packaged, the shipment should have been accepted.
The next day, I visited a different FedEx location. They immediately accepted the package and told me everything was set. I also asked them whether a FedEx-branded box or account number was required. They confirmed that neither was necessary and said they were unsure why the other location refused the shipment. They also stated that since the laptop and charger were securely packaged with bubble wrap, there should have been no issue accepting the package.
Based on my experience and the information I received from both FedEx Customer Service and another FedEx location, the handling of my shipment at the Orland Park location was concerning and did not appear to follow standard procedures.