# Where is My Kay?



## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

Someone please interpret this for me. 

On January 9th and 10th the *Estimated Delivery* was *Jan 10,2008

*So, on Jan 10th I set the alarm for 3:00 AM Got up and drove the 250 miles from my home in Tallahassee to my office in Clanton Alabama. I arrived the the office at 7:30 and hung out there all day until 11:00 PM
My office in on the second  floor of the radio station with a view of the front parking lot.
All radio station employees were alerted to look out for the package and were either to alert me or simply sign for the package.
I never saw the Fed Ex truck, neither did any of the radio station employees who are here from 5:AM  till 10/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gifM
I can hear every car and truck that goes by. I can certainly hear any car or truck the enters the parking lot. I'm absolutely positive that NO FEDEX truck stopped here or even drove past here.

Today, the 11th, the same thing happened. No FedEx truck!

 just tracked this for the umpteenth time Below is a copy from the FedEx site.

Now, Why would a package be loaded on a truck in Birmingham, just an hour away "for Delivery" end up in the next state over where it was two days ago? Why would the estimated delivery be changed on the 11th from the 10th to the 14th?


*Tracking number*   703760530087659   *Ship date*   Jan 7, 2008   *Estimated delivery*   Jan 14, 2008  




























*Purchase order number*   000000000 - edit BG   *Destination*   Clanton, AL   *Service type*   Ground-Adult Signature Required-Domestic   *Weight*   27.9 lbs.  



































*Status*   Arrived at FedEx location  














Picked up         HORSEHEADS, NY              
OH!  Yesterday the Status box contained *"Loaded on truck for delivery in Clanton."*


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2008)

If anyone ever tries to convince me to pre order, I'll just say Bob...................didn't know you were in the Radio Biz......Me too, I MD for a Local CHR here in the Upstate of SC, www.thez.com


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## slug (Jan 5, 2008)

Ahh at least your FedEx package got sent to the right country! We had one sent to Perth in the UK, not to Perth in Australia. Then it was delivered to a house 600km north of here. 

Sam


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob....did you call them?


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

Don't feel too bad, Bob. I pre-ordered my K in November. Paid a deposit. The idea was to RESERVE the one I wanted. Was told this would not be a problem, as the only one not available was the 453 with Doghouse, and that's not the one I wanted. Confirmed order several times as rumors and price fluctuations abounded. Finally on Friday it was supposed to have shipped. A week later, it arrives..... 

They sent me the wrong 6%$#@!! locomotive! 

Even better, when I called, no one seemed to know what the problem was. So, I got a green, Pre Wreck 455 ... not a black Post Wreck 455 ... the owner's response was "so, you got the wrong choo choo?" Yeah. For $745.00 I got the wrong "choo choo." And the best was yet to come. They only had four K-27's left in the store, none were the one I'd reserved. Wonder who they sold it to? And.... not only are they not getting any more from Bachmann, because there are no more... the store's closing. Would I like my money back, or one of the ones they did have? 

I opted to have my money back. I'll be interested to see, once they return it (I'm assuming they'll hold it until they get the unit back) if my early reservation deposit is included, or whether they keep it, banking on the "non-refundable" bit. 

So, I spent ANOTHER 745 dollars, plus another 54, plus shipping whatever that is, to get my locomotive from somewhere else, where at least they had one they could sell me. 

I expected this week to be riveted by my K-27. Instead I got another kind of fastener... not sure whether it was phillips or standard. 

I'll report back in a week or so; the new place can't ship till TUESDAY (Missed the truck today, and Monday's a holiday) so it'll probably be a week from Tuesday now before we know. 

I know lots of folks have had a lot of great experiences with this place. My trip was not-a-so-good, and I'm really not thrilled with how it happened, or how I was treated. I guess it's kind of moot to say I won't be going back ... and I'm not even sure what I expect to accomplish by posting this, as I guess it really doesn't matter how this place treats me, or anyone else at this point ... but at the very least Bob isn't the only one with a problematic K-27 purchase. 

Yeah, I got the wrong choo choo. Shame on someone, not for making a mistake (anyone could have shipped the wrong box,) but for compounding it by treating me that way. 

Matthew (OV)


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I once ordered some stuff to be sent from a supplier in Alexandria Bay NY to be delivered to a show I was attending in Canandaigua NY....we watched the tracking. The package GOT to Rochester, then somehow got loaded on the wrong truck and ended up in Buffalo. It FINALLY showed up in Canandaigua 3 DAYS after the show was over. 

Then they had the nerve to call and ask if I wanted to pay extra for them to redirect it to me in at home Pa..... Won't say exactly what my response was, but the supplier wasn't real happy to get the box back, and damaged too.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

It is really unfortunate the those "tracking" web sites do not list where the shipment is GOING TO when it says it has "Departed" a place. I have tracked many shipments and I dont find the tracking system to be of value except after the fact when it went the wrong way. The parcel may have "departed" Chicago, but there is no indication that it is headed my way or the other way, until it is already in the wrong place (and probably "departed" there, too).


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Well....continuing on with Bob's saga...his experience in mail ordering stuff is continuing. Apparently the delivery guy decided the box was too damaged to deliver...so he returned it to his Birmingham depot...and it was sent to GA for inspection by a claims guy. This saga is just beginning................


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I do my best to avoid Fedex and UPS services. Here in AK they are far too expensive and USPS often arrives at about the same time anyway-usually at about half the cost. Fedex shipments to here from stateside go to Anchorage, and then are MAILED to me here in CC. So what is the point? My comment does not address stateside delivery, where I understand these two services work much better and far more economically. 

Sorry to learn about this particular failed delivery. That has to be really frustrating.


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is what it says now. 

 







Picked up         HORSEHEADS, NY              
 
 
 Found out that Thursday, when my Kay was loaded on a truck that morning in Birmingham Alabama for delivery to Clanton Alabama, the truck driver delivered a package to the the Community college, less than a quarter mile from the Radio station but returned to town instead of continuing to the station. That was at 3:30 PM. Station deliveries are usually around 4:00 PM.

I suspect that is the closest I have been to having my loco.

My office is in the top floor of the only radio station in Clanton Alabama. WKLF.

The Radio station is just  1/4 mile past the Community college. One mile out of town on Highway 22, which is one of the two main streets in town. 
I've used my office for shipping train parts for several years. There is always someone here 7 days a week. Everyone here knows me. One of the things I do is computer automation systems. All of the sounds from the station are played entirely by software I wrote on hardware I built. Everyone at the station knew I was expecting a loco via FedEx on Thursday.

So why is my Kay in a truck loaded in Tallahassee Florida?

I called FedEx (SIX TIMES) to find out where my Kay is.
I'm convinced those idiots in India and Mexico have no other info besides the exact same thing I see on the tracking site. They just guess at a possible scenario. One said the package was in an undeliverable condition. Two of them said it went to the wrong local distribution center (Birmingham 30 miles away) and had to be rerouted to get to the right Distribution center (Tallahassee 250 miles away).  I'm guessing there are at least three local distribution centers closer to Clanton.

Several insisted that the package will be delivered Monday.

I suspect that the FedEx driver was used to delivering tapes and Cd's too the station, Suspicious of the 37 pound box, he somehow got hold of Trainworld and asked for a verification, Trainworld may have given them my billing address, Tallahassee. Since there is nobody to receive the package at home, it will get left somewhere within 5 or 6 blocks of my house. Been there, done that, which is why I never have anything sent to Tallahassee.

I called Trainworld. They can take orders on Saturdays, but they can not trace them till Monday. No help there.
Did I see ads on TV that you could stop a delivery or re-route a package mid shipment? HOW?

Oh! Here i a picture off  my new Kay ready to be lubed up and Kadees installed


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By bobgrosh on 01/12/2008 1:21 PM


So why is my Kay in a truck loaded in Tallahassee Florida?  . . . I called FedEx (SIX TIMES) to find out where my Kay is. . . Several insisted that the package will be delivered Monday. . .it will get left somewhere within 5 or 6 blocks of my house. Been there, done that, which is why I never have anything sent to Tallahassee. . . 

I called Trainworld. They can take orders on Saturdays, but they can not trace them till Monday. No help there.
Did I see ads on TV that you could stop a delivery or re-route a package mid shipment? HOW?

Oh! Here i a picture off  my new Kay ready to be lubed up and Kadees installed
Do I detect a _slight_ note of _frustration_ amidst your account of this rather long series of FedEx missteps ?


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## hap (Jan 3, 2008)

* bob have them ship it to me i will hold it up for u to see as i drive by u while u r mooning me ha ha*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Bob, it showed up at my place, want me to send it back? 

After Christmas, everything is slower. 

Regards, Greg


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## cephius (Jan 10, 2008)

Bob, 

I saw the same kind of tracking entries on a FedEx package I was expecting for Christmas. It seemed to indicate that the driver had attempted to deliver it two days before it reached my town. I'm not sure FedEx uses the same English as the rest of us. 

I think the only thing the tracking report really tells us is that it is in FedEx hands.

I did get the package. It arrived three days after the "Second Try" entry posted for the wrong town. 

Dave


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
Now you've got ME really confused! LOL! Trainworld in the NYC area is NO where near Horseheads NY, about 6 hours difference by car or truck! 

Yeah it sounds like a royal screw up anyway you look at it though! 

Hope it works out for you though! 

Chas


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob,

I know we chatted about this last night, but something doesn't seem right about this.  I really think that you should be able to get this resolved satisfactorily.  If nothing else, you can and should file a complaint with the BBB.  I didn't think the FedEx guys that drove the trucks actually had strict working hours, just numbers of packages to drop off.  I know I have gotten packages as late as 8 pm, and that's not during December.  

Mark


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

If you are going to buy mail order you should expect this to happen from time to time./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif The local UPS and FedEx guys I have talked to over the years are all I.C.'s.  So being efficient is what makes them MONEY./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif  The driver says to him self.. I 'm behind schedule and I can make 4 other stops in the time it takes to make this one delivery, I'll get this one tomorrow.  And down the road your package goes/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gif  And one can not rule out theft.  Thats why we pay for *insurance.*


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Jeff - Having followed Bob's saga, it seems that this happens like 50% of the time he mail orders.

Bob - I think I am beginning to understand why you are having such problems.  You billing address and shipping addresses are different. Probably the person taking your order is not the person who packs and ships your order.  I have had problems with this in the past where I wanted to have something shipped to my office, but instead, it got shipped to my house.  I even had one time where the shipper had my exact right ship to address with the wrong zip code.  It ended up in a strange state of limbo.  I was able to catch that in time since I was tracking online.  At the time, the UPS  or FEDEX call center was in North America so we were able to get it sorted out. It did take me a little longer to get my shipment, and that was frustrating. 

Hope it turns out OK.

Mark


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Mark, at first I thought the same thing

Posted By markoles on 01/15/2008 6:15 AM
Jeff - Having followed Bob's saga, it seems that this happens like 50% of the time he mail orders.

Bob - I think I am beginning to understand why you are having such problems.  You billing address and shipping addresses are different. Probably the person taking your order is not the person who packs and ships your order.  I have had problems with this in the past where I wanted to have something shipped to my office, but instead, it got shipped to my house.  I even had one time where the shipper had my exact right ship to address with the wrong zip code.  It ended up in a strange state of limbo.  I was able to catch that in time since I was tracking online.  At the time, the UPS  or FEDEX call center was in North America so we were able to get it sorted out. It did take me a little longer to get my shipment, and that was frustrating. 

Hope it turns out OK.

Mark

When I first got into this hobby, I tried mail order. I lost Three locos and four Aristo Heavyweights to the shippers (5 different shipments, all to my home in Tallahassee.

For the last ten years It has been my personal policy to only order items $100.00 or LESS.

As a test I placed several small orders with Wholesale trains and two other dealers using the Clanton address. All the orders, (after the first two) were delivered via UPS with no problem. For the first two orders, the UPS guy looked at the name, knew there as no Bob Grosh working at the radio station, and the package, not being a tape, or CD sized box, got sent backs. He didn't know I had rented an office at the station. Now, of course, I know him well. I see him at McDonald's and he says "Hi Bob" over his Eggs McMuffin. Now he knows that my office is upstairs in the Radio Station. 

My Shay arrived a Few weeks back, Delivered by UPS. I saw the UPS guy in the checkout line at Wall-mart, He asked if I liked my new garden RR engine.

Of course, the problem is, all those small shipment tests came UPS. I didn't know that the Kay would go FedEx Ground. 

I checked the Wholesale trains "My Account" daily. Then I tracked the FedEx shipment and came up to Canton Thursday, even though I did not need to be here till Monday.

I know from someone who works here that when he drove by the trades school the FedEx guy was making a delivery there. He let me know my engine should have been here in 5 or 10  Minutes.

I Know, from the lady who sells me coffee, sausage biscuits an' gravy every morning, that the FedEx guy pulled out of the Trade School, and into her parking lot about 4:00PM where he sat in the pouring rain for 10 minutes and then did a U turn and went back to town. He never went on out to the Station.

I Know, from calling FedEx, that the zip code in the FedEx computer system changed Thursday from 35045 (Clanton Alabama) to 3230*8* (the zip code for the cell phone company on the south side of Tallahassee, not my zip code which is 3230*9* on the north side of Tallahassee. The rest of the address and cell number remains the same.I suspect, someone at FedEx in Birmingham got the zip code from my cell phones area code and exchange, as that was the number listed on the package.

I know they did not get the zip code with "8" from Wholesale trains, because the only zip Wholesale Trains has for me ends in "9".

I know, from calling Wholesale trains and talking to both of the nice ladies there, that they did not get a call from FedEx on Thursday about my package. And would not or cold not release the billing information (that is apparently only available to someone in the book keeping department, not the girls in shipping.

I did get one English speaking person at FedEx Monday who changed the the zip back to 35045 and put an alert on the shipment which was supposed to prevent Tallahassee from attempting another deliver in Tallahassee Tuesday

I know, from the tracking site, that FedEx attempted to deliver it in Tallahassee again Tuesday anyway, but whoever they attempted to give the Kay too refused delivery. 

I know it was not to my house because I do not live on Hy-way 22 in Tallahassee and no one was at home anyway.

At this point, I suspect the tracking site should show the Kay arriving back in Georgia for the third time probably between 1 and 4 AM tomorrow morning.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Bob,

Just an idea, do you, and if not, then does someone you know own stock in FedEx.

If so you have them make a call to the company's stockholders department and express their/your concern as a stockholder over the manner in which your current transaction is being handled.

It would by-pass all of the customer no-service bureaucracy, and get to somebody that has some pull.

Most companies that I've had experience with, while they may not pay all that much attention to normal customer complaints, take a whole different attitude when it's a stockholder expressing a concern to the department that is responsible for getting people to invest and keeping people who have invested happy.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

Any word yet?


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## Mark Thomas (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob,
Hopefully your doesn't arrive damaged like mine did. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif   Looks like someone was a little overjealous with a screw driver and while attaching the tender shell to the tender body...they over tightened the srews and tore all 3 mounting posts out of the tender floor.  When I unpacked the tender and went to pick it up out of the packaging ...the tender shell came right up and left the tender floor still in the packaging.  A call to Bachmann confirmed that it's going to be a bit while they recover from the Christmas season and try to get pieces and parts in stock.
-Mark


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## bryanj (Jan 2, 2008)

I've had UPS send me notices in the past stating that my address did not exist on my street and I had to contact there office. I live in a 40 yr. old naeighborhood. Streets have not changed in that time. This is getting very frustrating watching Bob's delivery getting moved around !


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## jlyans (Jan 2, 2008)

My K-27 arrived with the posts broken also. I posted the fix in the reviews section.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

i had an experience with a shipper fed ex ordered an engine. Was to arrive Friday according to tracking ordered an item from farther away in Florida shipped usps two days later. Got the usps item on Saturday engine never came on Friday they changed the shipping or tracking form my engine sat in a truck 8 miles from me over the weekend. Tracking now said would arrive Monday!  Monday came to 7pm no engine, finally at 8:30pm showed up driver said confirmation slip was in truck would bring back later??? Showed up with that tuesday night around 7pm with that.  We wonder why these guys are expensive to ship with and paid at a high rate??????????????? Real efficeint right !!!!!!!!!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sick.gif
http://www.fedex.com/Tracking?ascend_header=1&clienttype=dotcom&cntry_code=us&language=english&tracknumbers=703760530087659


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2008)

Bob, you coulda road tripped to NY by now....and I see that it's in GA....Bad News for Fed Ex!

cale


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

After looking at the tracking info, did you order a locomotive, or a ping pong ball?

Wow, just unbelievable.

Regards, Greg


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

It says you refused shipment? Why?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

If you look carefully, it was sent to the wrong address (for sure, since it was the wrong state!), and the person at the wrong address refused it.

Also, this was mentioned earlier in the thread.

Regards, Greg


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Absolutely appaling service is what I would call it, if a bureaucratic behemoth like the USPS can do this relativley smoothly on a daily basis, how can a private company be this incompetent, and still be in business? 

FedEx is by far the WORST shipper I've delt with. We bought some paintings on vacation, the seller would ship them to us, they sent it via FedEx, well we work for a living so no ones home daytime, the driver left a notice saying they would attempt delivery again next day, that afternoon I called and said we could pick it up in couple days and to hold it there at the shippers, they said they couldnt do that, that the driver had to make 2 more attempts to deliver it or it would be sent back! I said no ones going to be home though why make the effort if you know no ones there and why would you ship it back when I'm telling you we can go there and pick it up at theire distribution hub? The person said they dont make up the rules and the package was on the truck and they dont empty the truck each night, after several phone calls ended up persuading them to hold the shipment their at the distributing hub after the 3rd (!) delivery attempt, we went on our day off, to pick them up, even them they had to look for them. We finally got them but sheesh!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/doze.gif


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## bryanj (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd be calling them up and giving them what for ! Bunch of &%$#@


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## Guilford Guy (Jan 14, 2008)

Posted By bobgrosh on 01/11/2008 7:18 PM
Someone please interpret this for me. 

On January 9th and 10th the *Estimated Delivery* was *Jan 10,2008


*Sorry but I believe the correct date is 13/17/07*
*
*
*


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

OK...the delivery time/date pool has started (on chat)....I've got 1620 Bob's time...on 18 Jan 2008


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## Chillicharlie (Jan 2, 2008)

!502 Jan18 200?


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

I pick 1530 BT, 23Jan08.
JimC.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd say some time this year  Later RJD


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW

Now it is on a truck in Birmingham!
I was worried that it would show up in New York again.

So now the local FedEx guy will have to make his second attempt to find the radio station on Alabama Highway 22

He usually delivers  in this area around three to four PM, I think I'll go in toward town about then and catch him at the filling station where he stops for a coke and fried chicken.

B0B


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh man....the truck left EARLY....


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

It Arrived
Well, sort of,  ...Mostly *B/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gifB*


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Why do I sense that there's more to come ????


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