Adventures with Ontrac

[Andara Bledin]

So, it appears that a couple of years ago, just in time for the holiday season, Amazon started contracting with Ontrac for deliveries to the west coast region. This was primarily for expedited shipping for their Prime customers, so not something with which I was familiar.

Two days ago, I placed an order with Amazon. Yesterday, that order was shipped from Arizona via Ontrac and I was sent a tracking number. As of late last night, the tracking number continued to show that they didn't yet have the package. As of this morning, they had received it and it was at their Los Angeles distribution point.

As of ten minutes ago, they have no idea where my package is and have recommended that I file a claim with Amazon because they've lost it.

Reviews would suggest that this is a fairly common problem for them. Along with delivery issues such as drivers claiming such things as being unable to get into apartment complexes (that do not have locked gates) and being unable to deliver because the address in question is vacant or demolished.

I plan to give the package a couple more days to arrive, as it's not uncommon for them to lose packages and still deliver them, or deliver them several days after marking them delivered, or abandon them on business doorsteps because they've shown up at some random time like 7:30 in the morning or at night, or abandon them with the local post office... I'll let you guys know if they manage to pull their act together or not

Anyone else have any adventures with Ontrac?

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

"Ontrac"


What an ironic name, given that they lost your package...

[bainsidhe]

I'm surprised that Ontrac would suggest you file a claim without waiting a few days. Tells me they're not even interested in doing an investigation.

Gotta say that sucks for the shipper. Everything I've read about Amazon & Ebay protects the buyer, not the seller. Hope they insured it.

[Aethian]

or abandon them with the local post office...

Yup...seen this.

[Andara Bledin]

I know that DHL doesn't do last mile delivery; all of theirs go to the local PO.

Supposedly Ontrac delivers to the door. In practice, it seems not so much.

^-.-^

[dalesys]

Supposedly Ontrac delivers to the *a* door, any door.

They've curtated their true name: Wontrack so the curses/demons won't find them.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm surprised that Ontrac would suggest you file a claim without waiting a few days. Tells me they're not even interested in doing an investigation.

I'm wondering if something happened, and they know it, but they won't admit it. Like, say, their guy stole it. Or their guy stole the whole truck. But they don't want Amazon to know that they don't screen their people or something. The whole thing was rather surreal, really.

Gotta say that sucks for the shipper. Everything I've read about Amazon & Ebay protects the buyer, not the seller. Hope they insured it.

The FTC protects the buyer. Mail order houses are required, by law, to get the product to the buyer as described, and ship by the time they indicate they will.

Depressingly, and unsurprisingly, most shippers aren't really all that cognizant of their legal obligations.

^-.-^

[bainsidhe]

I'm wondering if something happened, and they know it, but they won't admit it. Like, say, their guy stole it. Or their guy stole the whole truck.

I once talked to an awesome CS rep at UPS who called to tell me their driver ran over the package. She was a real hoot, but she also didn't mince words. She made it clear the package was quite destroyed. Thankfully, the package was worth less than the 100 bucks they insure it for.

Every other time UPS has messed up, I get the runaround like is the package reeeeaaaallly missing? Two months after it was supposed to be delivered and UPS tracking even shows it MIA? Yes, that means it's missing. On a different rant, why oh why do customers wait so long before asking where there order is?

[Andara Bledin]

Update!

bwahahaha

These people are a riot.

So, I was reading the thread and thought I'd check the tracking to see if maybe they'd updated it to something better than just "scheduled for delivery."

Well, I guess their guy must have found it or something, because they attempted delivery. At 6:15 this evening.

For those who don't know, I have my packages delivered to my workplace because that way, there's someone there to accept them and I don't have to trust that it will be left at my doorstep and not stolen.

So, how sad is it that they couldn't tell that the address provided is for a business?

I'm going to give Amazon some interesting feedback about their shipping company. Not that they haven't already received quite a bit, if the online reviews are anything to go by.

^-.-^

[Andara Bledin]

New update:

So, long about 10:00 am today, a package is delivered.

The driver had a handheld unit for things like getting signatures, but he didn't even attempt to get a signature. Just handed the box through the window to the receptionist. He didn't appear to speak English at all; I tried to say something to him, but he just gave me a spooked sort of look, grunted something unintelligible, then made a hasty departure.

The tracking information has been updated. It says the package was signed for by "front desks."

^-.-^

[dragon_wings]

I don't know if this was the company that "tried" to deliver one of my ex's games. It disappeared and she was sent a new one from Amazon. Then the shipping company found it. And she ended up with two copies.
Well I think that's what happened. It's been a while and I've repressed as much of that time of my life as possible.