ALWAYS! check the box while the delivery guy is in front of you, then make a claim if it is empty and get the delivery guys name etc. This is not an Apple issue but a delivery issue.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Warning: Ordered iPod direct from Apple - got empty box
- Thread starter emptybox
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
Electro Funk said:
I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not sure of any business relationships between UPS and Fedex, but the USPS does, on occasion, deliver packages for UPS. If a delivery address is in a secluded area and UPS must attempt delivery more than once, occasionally UPS will release the package to the USPS for delivery, rather than waste resourses by attempting delivery multiple times without success. This doesn't occur often, but it does occur nonetheless.
Well, I just got a call from UPS. They are sending a driver out tomorrow to pick up the box. I wonder if they'll really do much with it. 
I was hoping they'd sent out an inspector or somesuch person. They said they were aware of the prolem and are trying to trace the location of the problem. It sounded to me like there has been other stuff that's gone missing but they didn't admit that on the phone.
UPS said that Apple will ship me a replacement, which is great...but what about the fact that I need to ship stuff out by UPS and what do I do about other stuff I want to order online???
I still don't know if this is an Apple problem or a UPS problem but I may be switching to FedEx at least for now...
I was hoping they'd sent out an inspector or somesuch person. They said they were aware of the prolem and are trying to trace the location of the problem. It sounded to me like there has been other stuff that's gone missing but they didn't admit that on the phone.
UPS said that Apple will ship me a replacement, which is great...but what about the fact that I need to ship stuff out by UPS and what do I do about other stuff I want to order online???
I still don't know if this is an Apple problem or a UPS problem but I may be switching to FedEx at least for now...
How is that possible?!freeny said:
All the deliveries I've received in the last two years... these people just dump the packaged on my driveway. They don't even knock or ring the doorbell. And on the rare (like, happened twice) occasion when someone attempted to knock; I swear they knocked with a 20ft pole. I ran to the door and they were already in their truck!
devilot said:
Yeah, I was shopping online for a nanny cam this morning. I was considering installing an all-weather cam above the front door to record footage of me receiving/shipping stuff. I seems a bit over-the-top but I don't know what else to do.
emptybox said:Yeah, I was shopping online for a nanny cam this morning. I was considering installing an all-weather cam above the front door to record footage of me receiving/shipping stuff. I seems a bit over-the-top but I don't know what else to do.
I thought you said you never had any troubles with your delivery guy?
Regardless, my own common sense tells me the problem lies sometime after the ipod left the factory and before it (the empty box, that is) arrived at your doorstep. Of course, my common sense has failed me before...
aquajet said:
The nanny cam would be to further document the shipments I receive as well as document shipments I send out. I'm extremely bummed about my $300 iPod but I send OUT more than $300 a month in stuff. Never had a loss in stuff I ship out but now I'm worried...
The article I posted a link to a couple of posts above says that some jewelers routinely use metal detectors to be sure they don't sign for empty boxes. I've considered that too. One solution I thought of was to simply buy a small scale and keep it near the front door. I would then weigh any delivery and compare that to the shipping weight of whatever I expected.
emptybox said:
...or you could dig a bomb shelter, stock up on condensed soup, and sneak the UPS man down there whenever he comes for finger printing and photographing.
Make sure to get a strand of his hair too, for DNA samples of course. You never know who he's working for.
emptybox said:I still don't know if this is an Apple problem or a UPS problem but I may be switching to FedEx at least for now...
Almost entirely likely its a UPS problem. I have known people who have worked for UPS and fraud is common. Very easy for you to get insurance on a package, then have it "mysteriously" dissappear if you know an insider. Split the insurance payout and repeat...
Funny, I was once at an UPS location and they lost a dude's monitor that was part of a computer shipment from Dell...After fussing, they finally offered to pursue it, but before they agreed on that - I'll never forget his comment..."Guess thats why you guys are called 'Ooops'"
That said, I usually use FedEx now since they require signature AND they are often cheaper for ground shipping + I like the fact I can drop by the FedEx Kinkos at any time and ship at my convenience.
I live in Manhattan so they NEVER, EVER leave a package without handing it directly to the reciever or someone else who lives in the same apt. You can always give instruction to the sender or pay the extra $3 for a confirmation of reciept. I guarentee you will never get an empty package again.devilot said:
99% of thefts are inside jobs within the delivery services and the delivery guys. If the guy delivering the package has to look you in the face, you will get your package. As with most delivery services, the guy handing you the package is responsible for its well being and NOT the delivery service, ie Fedex etc. If you file a complaint it goes toward the delivery guy and NOT the company.
These delivery people are in a way freelancers to the delivery service and are responsible for the package the entire time it is in their possession.
There is always a way. these things are created for the very reason this thread was started, theft!
Seriously.. with a user name like yours, how did you not see this coming?
(Sorry, couldn't resist! To be honest, I'd be gutted if the same happened to me, I ordered a lot of equipment lately so there was a lot of potential there..)
(Sorry, couldn't resist! To be honest, I'd be gutted if the same happened to me, I ordered a lot of equipment lately so there was a lot of potential there..)
aquajet said:
Hmmmmm... if you say so... maybe you know something I dont...
EVERY time i have ever shipped or received a package from either UPS or FedX i have always been told 3 delivery attempts and if unsuccessful after the 3rd it goes back to the shipper... i have never had UPS or FedX hand my package to USPS for delivery...
emptybox said:When I reported the first empty box to Apple their attitude was like "well, yes they are very popular", as if to confirm this happens all the time.
I can understand this hapening once but after today I think Apple has a real problem somewhere on their end. I can't be the only one affected and Apple should be doing something about this instead of just shrugging it off. I mean they didn't even ask for the box back (which could be checked for fingerprints).
When I reported it today the girl on the phone suggested I could order another one and get it sent out overnight. I almost replied: Another what? Another empty box?
A simple solution on Apple's part would be just to make the iPod boxes bigger again like the old cube sized boxes. They could even ship a free Apple cup holder with the iPod. Just an idea but at least they should do something!
Are you kidding me??? Finger prints??? First, its a cardboard box, good luck. Even so, do you know how many hands are on that package between picking, packing shipping and handling durning transit? There were probably no less than 20 people who had their mits on that package before it got to you.
The other thing to consider is that UPS destroyed the original package and tried to "repack" yours. Trust me this happens ALL the time. I work for a company who ships about 7000 packages UPS each day. Apple's normal contract with UPS may cover these things, but unless there is something specific, each package is automtically insured for $100. I am sure that at least covers Apple's cost on the ipod.
Bottom line is that this is not a conspiracy. UPS just f'ed up and you are seeing the end result.
emptybox said:
It is amusing to see them switch to ACI as the shipper. When I got my replacement iPod it had a nice Apple logo on it and also said Apple Computer Inc. It was in that squarish box that the iPod was famous for (amusingly enough, they sent it through FedEx that time). All in all, a horrible attempt to disguse the contents. Does the label still contain the Apple logo or have they removed that?
Also, its pretty interesting of the thief (assuming it was stolen), to rewrap the box and send it on its way. Retaping the box takes some time, and time is the enemy. Both missing iPods I mentioned, the boxes just vanished into thin air. I guess the thief is doing it to cover his tracks, since if it disappears, they can easily find where it last was.
In any case, I'd rather get my iPods from Amazon as at least they'll come in generic 8x10 boxes (no tax either). But I'd have to agree with all the above posters. While there is an outside chance that Apple did send you an empty box, its is many, many times more likely that an underpaid UPS employee helped himself to it.
You'd be surprised what shipping companies can track down if they choose to take situations seriously. Hopefully they find whoever stole your iPod. I guess I'll be buying mine from a local Apple retailer, with it in my hands from the cash register all the way to my iBook
Seriously though, sorry about your loss. It must be soo frustrating
Seriously though, sorry about your loss. It must be soo frustrating
Well, UPS cam by today to pick up the empty box. This time it was my usual UPS guy. He's had many years of experience and he admitted that they have stuff get stolen all the time. He said the thieves are very resourceful but that UPS has caught many of them over the years. The UPS rep I spoke to on the phone said they were aware of the problem (in general) and they were trying to trace it down.
What puzzles me though is that the first time this happened, the box showed no signs of tampering - which made me suspect someone in Apple's employ.
Apple still hasn't called me. I called last Friday afternoon and they promised someone would get back to me within 72 hours. I'll have to call them tomorow.
As of now I'm out the $300 bucks - as soon as I get a refund I'll purchase an iPod video locally.
Until and unless UPS comes up with a lead I may be forced to switch to FedEx.
He said the thieves are very resourceful but that UPS has caught many of them over the years. The UPS rep I spoke to on the phone said they were aware of the problem (in general) and they were trying to trace it down. What puzzles me though is that the first time this happened, the box showed no signs of tampering - which made me suspect someone in Apple's employ.
Apple still hasn't called me. I called last Friday afternoon and they promised someone would get back to me within 72 hours. I'll have to call them tomorow.
As of now I'm out the $300 bucks - as soon as I get a refund I'll purchase an iPod video locally.
Until and unless UPS comes up with a lead I may be forced to switch to FedEx.
Good news, I used to work at the Ontario, CA UPS distribution hub before. I worked there for one day and got fire the next day. Although I never recalled any packages get lost or stolen there, I do know that packages were being thrown like basketballs into the belt conveyor and, often, the box got torn and opened suddenly that the item just flew out from the box and disappeared. I'd seen it happening many times before. This distribution hub has a poor record of handling packages carefully.emptybox said:I know everyone here is an Apple fan but I still think it's a very good possibility that something is going wrong at some point in the distribution that has nothing to do with UPS. I did see from the shipping info that the iPod spent several hours in Ontario, CA. I have some limited information that Apple has a shipping depot in Ontario. If that is the case then if someone there is prone to theft then that could easily explain why I didn't get my iPod. Apple sending me a new iPod or refunding my money really doesn't solve the problem it just pushes it off for another day.
waltchan said:
That's very interesting. I saw Ontario listed as the origin when I tracked the package at UPS. I thought the Ontario hub may have been Apple owned but I guess it makes sense if Ontario refers to the UPS hub there.
I also noticed that my package spent about 5 hours in that hub. Plenty of time for something to go wrong.
Of course, I could be making this all up or maybe I've just been dreaming it.
Nope, just splashed some water on my face. It's all too real.
Or a really good thief that got ahold of it after it left Apple.emptybox said:What puzzles me though is that the first time this happened, the box showed no signs of tampering - which made me suspect someone in Apple's employ.
I'm wondering if UPS weighed it after receiving it from Apple. That'd make it pretty easy for them to figure out if an empty box was sent.
Dude you're paranoid! That's UPS's issue. Tell them your package has been tampered with, they'll report it to Apple and you'll get another iPod shipped out. In the meantime UPS will be tracing who had access to your package and track the person down. If you don't notify UPS this will continue to happen.emptybox said:Are the people working for Apple packing boxes more honest than people working for UPS? I read recently that a job at UPS is now considered one of the best blue collar jobs out there. They make bgood money adn have great benefits. I doubt a UPS guy/gal would risk losing all that.
I still say this smells like an inside job.
I work for UPS... here's my take...
The first thing you should have done was call UPS, the 1800pickups #.
filed a claim with them, then you should have called apple, and had them initiate a claim with them.
UPS is not a perfect company. there is loss all over. Be it from damaged boxes not being filled properly, or theft from them. Be it from people robbing things from them. We are not mail. We do have the right to go into most boxes and inspect the contents of that box. Some people don't inspect, they just tape.
a few years ago a driver was fired with his loader because the driver would take games out of gamestop cases, retape the box, and deliver to gamestop. the driver would give the games to his loader, who would resell the games to gamestop.
things like that happen at UPS, FEDEX and DHL. Loss prevention really needs to know there is a problem going on there, and the only way you can notify them is to call - it hurts everyone, shipping charges go up, package insurance goes up.... etc....
emptybox said:
The first thing you should have done was call UPS, the 1800pickups #.
filed a claim with them, then you should have called apple, and had them initiate a claim with them.
UPS is not a perfect company. there is loss all over. Be it from damaged boxes not being filled properly, or theft from them. Be it from people robbing things from them. We are not mail. We do have the right to go into most boxes and inspect the contents of that box. Some people don't inspect, they just tape.
a few years ago a driver was fired with his loader because the driver would take games out of gamestop cases, retape the box, and deliver to gamestop. the driver would give the games to his loader, who would resell the games to gamestop.
things like that happen at UPS, FEDEX and DHL. Loss prevention really needs to know there is a problem going on there, and the only way you can notify them is to call - it hurts everyone, shipping charges go up, package insurance goes up.... etc....
- Status