emptybox said:
This is an example of why things don't get fixed at Apple - Apple has an invisible shield of fanatics who protect the company from anyone who might say a disparaging word.
UPS, on the other hand, just has guys in brown shirts.
I'm not saying it can't be UPS but it could be someone who works for Apple at a distribution point along the way.
Look at it like this. iPods are made in a factory in China, put into boxes by local workers, sent to the shipping office in the factory, where they are picked up a local shipping company that's unaffiliated to Apple or UPS.
The shipment is delivered to a local collection center, where it is unloaded from the truck and placed in the queue for international shipping. From there it is placed on another truck and delivered to the airport, unloaded from the truck and probably remains in the local shipping company's airport offices for a couple of days, until it's its turn to be shipped.
It's transferred to the aircraft, and flies to the Phillipines, where it's unloaded and stored locally for at least several hours, then placed on another aircraft for delivery to the US. The aircraft lands in Alaska, where it is once again unloaded, and transferred to the UPS collection center.
There, it is stored for several hours until the next flight to the nearest main UPS hub to you, where it is loaded unto another truck and delivered to your local UPS center, unloaded from the truck and transferred to another truck for delivery to you.
From the time it leaves Apple's facilities in China, it isn't actually in Apple's possession at all, and successful delivery depends on the honesty of at least twelve different handlers and probably two or three different shipping companies.
Yes, Apple are responsible for getting the package to you, but saying Apple are stealing your money is a bit of a stretch.
