FedEx website WTFs



  • So I just bought a laptop on eBay and the seller shipped it so that it requires a signature on pickup, which I'm okay with because I'd rather not have them just leave it on my front porch when no one's home. However, FedEx and UPS almost always deliver to my house while I'm at work, so I most likely won't be there to sign. According to FedEx's website, if that happens they'll hold the package at the nearest eligible holding station or whatever and I'll have to go pick it up myself. Again, not a problem. Except for this: according to FedEx's site, there is no eligible holding station in my area, because I live in a small town. So after poking around on their site I found you can schedule a shipment, meaning I should be able to tell them what time to deliver so I can be there to sign. Here's where the WFT-ery starts. I clicked for help on how to schedule a shipment and nothing happened, turns out AdBlock was blocking it (WTF #1). So I disable AdBlock and try again. The help page gives me an alert window saying I have to have Java installed to view it (WTF #2). I do have Java installed, in fact I have the full JDK installed. I found an alternate one that's in PDF form, hidden behind a "Print Instructions" link (semi-WTF #3). Personally I figured that would print the instructions, not open a PDF. The PDF is several megabytes despite only containing a few pages (WTF #4) and timed out on me five times in a row before actually opening (WTF #5). So I tried following the instructions. I couldn't just confirm my details to schedule a shipment, I had to make a full-blown account with the FedEx site (semi-WTF #6). While registering my account it asked me for my 9-digit account number. I assumed this was my 9-digit tracking number for the package so I entered that and it told me it was invalid. There were no instructions on what the account number is for (WTF #7), no instructions on where to get one (WTF #8) which is ridiculous because I was registering an account! How would I already have an account number? And if I somehow already have one why don't you tell me where to find it? Since I couldn't continue registration without the account number (WTF #9) I clicked cancel and after three or for popups/popunders opened and closed in rapid succession (WTF #10) I was redirected to a page where they informed me I could fill out a survey to let them know how I felt about the site. I decided to take the survey so I could tell them their website is broken, useless, and about as helpful as a brown bag full of dog crap, but when I clicked the "Take Survey" link it took me to a plain white unstyled page (WTF #11) with a single line of 14-point text informing me that the survey doesn't exist (WTF #12).

    In short, FedEx's website is 100% useless for anything outside of tracking a package. There appears to be additional functionality but good luck actually using any of it. If I'd been thinking I'd have just set my office as the shipping location.



  •  Oh boy, if you think all that is bad, I could tell you horror stories about working at a sorting facility.


  • I survived the hour long Uno hand



  • @yamikuronue said:

    https://www.fedex.com/fcl/web/jsp/contactInfo.jsp?appName=fclmfx&locale=us_en&step3URL=/myfedex/go/fclstep3%3Fcc%3DUS%26language%3Den&afterwardsURL=/myfedex/go/home%3Fcc%3DUS%26language%3Den&programIndicator=

    Doesn't reference an account number at all.

    Are you sure you were on the actual site?

    It comes up on a later step in the account registration wizard.



  • @mott555 said:

    The help page gives me an alert window saying I have to have Java installed to view it (WTF #2). I do have Java installed, in fact I have the full JDK installed.
     

    Nitpick: If you're running a 64-bit OS with a 64-bit JDK the 32-bit Java browser extension isn't installed.  That means 32-bit browsers won't detect Java.  Not sure if that's the case here or not, though... I just know that Firefox on my home machine has no Java plugin at the moment because there's no 64-bit version of Firefox and I have the 64-bit JDK installed.  I COULD install a 32-bit JRE as well, but I don't really want to... there are very few applets that I ever need to interact with.

Log in to reply