FedEx is launching a new e-commerce platform as it competes with Amazon

ooli@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.world – 99 points –
FedEx is launching a new e-commerce platform as it competes with Amazon
theverge.com
20

Why on earth would I want to shop somewhere that I can guarantee will ship with FedEx? I'll actively avoid places that only offer FedEx shipping as it is.

I feel like everyone has had a bad experience with one of the major delivery services and just decides to shit on them. I've had packages busted by FedEx, usps, ups, that guy that drops off packages from his unmarked van. Like I get 97% of stuff okay, but 3% comes broken from them all.

Only UPS tries to ninja a "sorry we missed you" ticket into the door I'm sitting directly behind.

I've had bad experiences with all of them, it's just the most consistent with FedEx. Out of the major services, I prefer USPS and DHL, by far, but even they still fumble things from time to time. FedEx has just been a consistent pain to deal with, across 3 addresses at this point. Plus, I happen to get off work and get home right around when FedEx comes through my neighborhood, so I've had the pleasure of seeing the lady that handles this area literally hurl every package small enough for her to be physically capable of doing so the 8 feet from the sidewalk to peoples' front porches. I buy a lot of small, delicate things. Do other couriers toss stuff around? Probably at some point. But I know it's a 100% guarantee it'll happen with this lady, so I'll take the "probably, at some point," over a sure thing.

If they don't deliver something to me and determine I need to go pick it up, their delivery hubs are also the least convenient to reach. One is across my county, the other halfway across the neighboring county, Both are at least 90 minute trips each way on public transportation, with a healthy walk between the last stop and their location. At least UPS drops things off a 15 minute walk away, and the post office is probably a 10 minute walk.

2 of 3 packages I got from FedEx recently arrived with the box torn open. They did the thing where they take a picture of the package and text it to you, and that clear as a somewhat low res picture showed the box smashed up. Most of the stuff inside was damaged. I got a refund from the seller but it sucked.

The third one was fine. Guy brought it to the door and knocked and it was fine.

I always had decent experiences with OnTrac shipping through NewEgg (though I don't buy from them anymore), packages would arrive 1-2 days earlier than expected and would be in perfect condition. But then I got on Reddit and saw people constantly shitting on them and didn't understand it.

I've had issues with FedEx, Amazon, DHL, USPS, UPS, Ontrac. I personally can't just avoid them all unless I just want to avoid any kind of shipment. I've actually had the least issues with FedEx & DHL. It's all on a person-by-person basis.

USPS is one of the most annoying ones. In many places I've lived, I somehow keep getting couriers that marks a package delivered but it isn't there. And when I call USPS, they said I have to wait a couple days to report it missing. I know that doesn't happen to everyone; I am just unlucky.

A friend of mine used to work at fedex and based on the uhhh lets call it work flow, I'd be shocked to see this work out for them. Maybe im too skeptical and they changed a loooot. Doubt it though.

Until they can make their drivers as reliable as Amazon drivers, they will lose. (I know Amazon delivery has a lot of problems, I'm not going to be talking about those in this post)

While it sucks that Amazon drivers are endlessly surveilled, it's a huge boon to people recieving packages to know when their package is coming and to not miss it.

To my knowledge, FedEx and UPS still just give you a delivery window of a whole ass day, and then if they just decide delivering to you is too hard, they just won't.

Seriously just the other day, we were home all day, even had a note on the door to call us, saying we're home, and we'll be out in a moment to sign for it. Nobody rang the bell or called and no note that they ever even came to our doorstep was left. Nope, just got an email notification that they missed us and that now we can pick up our package four days later at an Access Point. Kinda had hoped to get that package on the day it was meant to be delivered for a reason, you know. Kind of fucks up plans when they pull that shit.

They're only just beginning to roll out a competing system. It will be a joke for a long time yet.

Until UPS/FedEx/whoever else fix that aspect of their delivery services, no one will want to fucking use them. The inconvenience factor with those companies is way higher than with Amazon deliveries.

I sure hope FedEx reads your post. I would love to see someone take down Amazon. I work from home, and the UPS guy knows, and thus does not attempt the typical fuckery.

Since Amazon has moved into shipping, FedEx wants to move into shopping.

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The platform will integrate with ShopRunner, an online e-commerce store the company bought in 2020.

The company writes that sellers using fdx can ShopRunner platform can use it to “see shipments in near real time,” choose supply chain resources based on carbon impact, and to handle returns.

FedEx says when fdx launches in the fall, it will give sellers “more efficient, cost-effective deliveries” using its data.

The move appears aimed at competing with Amazon, a company FedEx has seen as a threat to its business for years.

That’s just a few years after the online retail giant built up a logistics operation that largely uses tightly controlled third-party contractors that Amazon insists aren’t its employees.

At the same time, Amazon was continuing to build up its own logistics operation that uses a fleet of mostly tightly controlled third-party contractors that it insists aren’t employees.


The original article contains 296 words, the summary contains 144 words. Saved 51%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

What's the ecommerce equivalent of dismissively throwing fragile packages over fences. Because I'm wondering what to expect if I every order something via FedEx's ecommerce system.

I'll believe it when FedEx isn't a dumpster fire of a delivery service. Every time there's been some bizarre issue getting my delivery, it's been FedEx. One time, we ordered some furniture. One box on one truck came, we signed, opened it, and found half the components missing with instructions talking about a second box. We call FedEx, and "nope, says here just the one box, and we delivered it, idk, contact the seller". While we're trying to reach out to the seller, a second FedEx truck shows up thirty minutes after the first and delivers the second box. Like, wtf? Also, we had a fruit tree we order just fucking get stuck for a whole ass month in one of their distribution centers. It'd go out for shipment each day, and each day be returned. Finally, after a month, they just said "it's not coming lol".

I'm willing to bet the vendor sent those two boxes as two separate "1 of 1" shipments. No idea what the deal with the tree would be.

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If the quality of their deliveries, especially Fedex Ground, remain the same, they will never be able to compete.

That would require not stressing their drivers to the absolute limit, which is terrible for their bottom line.

fedex ground is still like the old rps, a poorly-managed collection of contractors and sub-contractors. only the air freight ('express') is really 'fedex'.

They still have a responsibility to ensure their drivers aren't overworked, even if they try and pass the buck to contractor companies.

they want the same access to enshittification funds as their anti-Union cohort Bezos has created.