FedEx dropped Iphone 4S on front door & was gone!!!

[loeber]

Customer of AT&T (Cingular) for 12 years & this is what I get?

Tracked my shipment Friday & to my surprise it showed:

LEFT AT FRONT DOOR.  PACKAGE DELIVERED TO RECIPIENT ADDRESS- RELEASE AUTHORIZED

Obviously I did not approve for FedEx to leave it at my front door, since I live in an apartment complex!  I called them as soon as I got home (3:00 PM, FedEx shows delivery made at 11:45) AT&T Premiere CS told me that they would place a ticket for the escalation team & someone would call me back within 48 hours.  FedEx CS said I had to wait for them to talk to the driver on Monday.  I waited until Monday & when I didn't get a call back I called them back. 

This is the FRUSTRATING part, FedEx said I had to sort it with AT&T and that AT&T would send me a replacement & file the claim with them.  AT&T CS rep told me that I would have to wait another 48 hours since the first escalation ticket was lost.  I waited another 48 hours, called back & rep is telling me that the escalation team is still working on it, but that I would have to file the claim directly with FedEx!  She then told me that she couldn't see the resolution the the escalation ticket since "someone was working on it" & they would call me back shortly once they were done.  it has been 3 hrs since & nothing. 

Does anyone have a similar story?  What do I do from here?  Who can I escalate this to?

Your comments are greatly appreciated.

[MoopMeep]

seems like it shouldn't be your problem. AT&T shipped it and Fed ex was supposed to bring it but left it outside somewhere, so it seems like they are responsible but AT&T should be dealing with them, you never received it, AT&T should have used a more responsible carrier.

[trlyka]

FedEx is the WORST! At least by me they are. UPS is so courteous and they try the neighbors places to see if it's ok to leave packages. I love them!

Anyway, I assume a signature is required for the iPhones? I'd hope so anyway. Did you sign and leave a release form on your door authorizing them to leave it without a signature? If so, then it was likely stolen. If not, I'm not 100% sure, but I would think AT&T needs to deal with FedEx and find out where it was left and who signed for it.

Here's a link for FedEx. I looked under 'Proof of Delivery' and 'Signature Releases'. There's some interesting info there. There are a lot of categories, but I figured those 2 pertained to your situation.

http://www.fedex.com/us/service-guide/terms/express-ground/index.html

~Good luck

[dwill05]

My experience has been that Apple requires a signature for anything ordered from them (including something as relatively inexpensive as an iPhone bumper I ordered) while AT&T doesn't require a signature.

[graphite07]

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loeber wrote:

Customer of AT&T (Cingular) for 12 years & this is what I get?

Tracked my shipment Friday & to my surprise it showed:

LEFT AT FRONT DOOR.  PACKAGE DELIVERED TO RECIPIENT ADDRESS- RELEASE AUTHORIZED

Obviously I did not approve for FedEx to leave it at my front door, since I live in an apartment complex!  I called them as soon as I got home (3:00 PM, FedEx shows delivery made at 11:45) AT&T Premiere CS told me that they would place a ticket for the escalation team & someone would call me back within 48 hours.  FedEx CS said I had to wait for them to talk to the driver on Monday.  I waited until Monday & when I didn't get a call back I called them back. 

This is the FRUSTRATING part, FedEx said I had to sort it with AT&T and that AT&T would send me a replacement & file the claim with them.  AT&T CS rep told me that I would have to wait another 48 hours since the first escalation ticket was lost.  I waited another 48 hours, called back & rep is telling me that the escalation team is still working on it, but that I would have to file the claim directly with FedEx!  She then told me that she couldn't see the resolution the the escalation ticket since "someone was working on it" & they would call me back shortly once they were done.  it has been 3 hrs since & nothing. 

Does anyone have a similar story?  What do I do from here?  Who can I escalate this to?

Your comments are greatly appreciated.

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so you got home and the package was missing?   that's not good i hope they replace your Iphone 4S! 

[loeber]

Thanks all, I will push some more tomorrow.

[GeekBoy]

Regretfully, the issue here is that AT&T didn't pay FedEx for the service to require a signature (theoreticaly to make a little more profit).  I guess they figured that if they ship a couple million iPhones and have to replace about 0.1% of them then they saved enough money on shipping costs to pay for the replacement phones and stil came out ahead.

As someone else said, in general, if you order anythnig from Apple & they ship FedEx, it requires a signature.  If you order anything from AT&T it generally doesn't require a signature.

During the iPhone 4 launch, there were reports of cars driving down the road following the FedEx truck and when the truck stopped at a house, someone would jump out of the car and grab the package at the door when the truck got a block away.  That's why I always try to be home when I expect a delivery, and when I lived in an appartment, I tried to have packages shipped to a friends house rather than my appartment.

[WhiteTiger686]

the bad thing is not that you lost your phone, as it WILL be replaced... but you may have to wait another month or so to get it.

I feel your pain, good luck with your adventure of long phone waits and all the headache to get your product. make AT&T credit you some$$ for your trouble.

[EosBlue]

This seems to happen occasionally every time a new IP comes out.  Makes one wonder if someone just follows along on the route and picks up packages that are left on at the door.

[iPhone 4]

I'm not 100% sure but I'd say it's going to be you and fedex going at it on this one. Should be fedex insurance claim. I hope it works out soon. I'd call Apple too.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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dwill05 wrote:
My experience has been that Apple requires a signature for anything ordered from them (including something as relatively inexpensive as an iPhone bumper I ordered) while AT&T doesn't require a signature.

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My expierence with FedEx is that even if it does state signature required it dropped off, same with UPS, although worse

[stella617]

This happened to me to!!!  My correspondence with customer care reps has been a nightmare.  I've been promised that I would get this resolved and that I would receive my phones (I ordered two) at no cost, funny thing is that they took my credit card number to "validate" my first purchase...and they charged me for another phone!!!  So here I am paid for 3 phones and haven't received a thing.  I would really like to know what they are doing for you.  This has been a nightmare.  I've been with ATT for nearly 7 years and I've been given the total runaround!  

[stella617]

Any updates, the exact same thing happened to me, but I bought two phones.

[jazzpicker]

Has anyone had to sign for their phone when delivered or were all the phones dropped off?

[HelloKitty007]

This is a true story not just for the iPhone itself, but for any package dropped off by UPS, FedEx, or other delivery services.

There was a story on this featured on one of those 20/20 or Dateline programs. I believe it was Dateline that followed UPS  for the report. A car would follow UPS and soon after UPS leaves the package at a residence, the thief would retrieve the package to keep or sell.

Dateline also did a report titled, To Catch an i-Jacker, featuring iPod thieves.

Apple users take note... when you purchase an iPhone, for example, especially from the Apple Store Online, you are given the products part number on the receipt in the email you receive. You will also notice this before confirming your purchase. For example, Part Number: MC918LL/A. This may help you to find your stolen item and locate it, especially when the stolen product is connected to iTunes.

Hope this helps

From Apple.com... Reporting A Lost or Stolen Apple Product

Other Related Articles...

How To Recover Lost Or Stolen Apple Products

How to Recover Lost or Stolen Gadgets

[dwill05]

All MC918LL/A means is Apple iPhone 4S 16BG Black AT&T. There are at least a hundred thousand phones out there with that model number. To find your phone, you need either it's unique serial number or IMEI number.

[graphite07]

to the Original poster any lick in getting a claim filed or a replacement iphone 4S shipped to you? please keep us posted thanks.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I remember reading a situation just like this back when the iPhone 4 was just being released last year. So, OP and others who have chimed in, you are not alone.

Good luck to you all and I wish you the best.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Mine was delivered via FedEx (Apple) and did state a signature would be required, or to leave a pre-signed authorization.  I printed the authorization and left it, but was home.  FedEx guy had my printed page in his hand, but rang the doorbell and waited for me to answer.

And no doubt if you tell other people when you're expecting to get your new phone, not that a friend would steal it, but your friends tell their friends, and down the line until someone gets an idea.  Not to mention if you post publicly on social media networks or blogs.   Sort of like burglars who read the obits for service times, then rob while the family is gone.

IIRC, ATT was using UPS for their shipments, and Apple was using FedEx; did this changed after all the backordered pre-orders?

[archermoo]

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spd2demun wrote:

Mine was delivered via FedEx (Apple) and did state a signature would be required, or to leave a pre-signed authorization.  I printed the authorization and left it, but was home.  FedEx guy had my printed page in his hand, but rang the doorbell and waited for me to answer.

And no doubt if you tell other people when you're expecting to get your new phone, not that a friend would steal it, but your friends tell their friends, and down the line until someone gets an idea.  Not to mention if you post publicly on social media networks or blogs.   Sort of like burglars who read the obits for service times, then rob while the family is gone.

IIRC, ATT was using UPS for their shipments, and Apple was using FedEx; did this changed after all the backordered pre-orders?

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My Apple pre-order was shipped via UPS, and was delivered on release day.  Sounds like they spread it around this year instead of contracting with just a single shipper.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

I guess so, and probably had to!

[dh098017]

same exact thing happened to me. same fedex message 'delivered, authorization released'. i got home and no package. i called fedex first and opened a missing package dispute but they just said they'd call back in 24 hours after they talk to the driver (no call back yet but it hasn't been 24 hours).

i then called att and they were great. i explained the situation and they got me over to a sales person who put in an order for two new phones (original shipment was for 2) with over night shipping. the whole call took about 45 mins. they never asked for a CC number for 'validation' either. this happened last night (monday) and they claim i should have the new phones by friday. im not giving them an A+ just yet, but if the phones arrive as promised then kudos to att. 

(only thing that sucks for me is i timed selling my old phone on ebay to have the auction end the day the new phones arrived. so now i have my old phones sold and paid for, but no new phones to replace them with).

they just said if the other (stolen) phones show up to send em back. the whole process was rather painless but im reserving final judgement until i have the phones in hand

i dont quite understand what the point of stealing iphones is anyways. att has the IMEI numbers and can disable them remotely. maybe the thiefs ship them over seas?

[stevy26]

Whoa.. .that fedex dude is gunna be in trouble...

[graphite07]

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stevy26 wrote:
Whoa.. .that fedex dude is gunna be in trouble...

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I doubt it.  i had a phone delivered to my house  a while back DHL, guy walked up to my front porch just threw the box about 4 feet. had my daughter upgrade in it. and he walked off, i was looking out the side window time i got out side he ran back to his van sped off. open the box phone was damaged. called DHLto file a complaint and AT&T. replacement phone sent 2 days later. this was on a monday. friday afternoon i seen that delivery driver  across the street walk up to the front door and throw another package and walk off.     

[Dan203]

Package delivery companies are rough on packages. The phone should have been packaged well enough to survive the toss. In fact I think there is an industry standard that all electronics are suposed to be packaged well enough to survive a 6 foot dead drop. Even heavy, expensive, things like TVs.

If your phone was damaged it was probably from being crushed under other boxes in the truck or at a sort facility, the 4ft toss shouldn't have done any damage.

Dan

[archermoo]

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Dan203 wrote:

Package delivery companies are rough on packages. The phone should have been packaged well enough to survive the toss. In fact I think there is an industry standard that all electronics are suposed to be packaged well enough to survive a 6 foot dead drop. Even heavy, expensive, things like TVs.

If your phone was damaged it was probably from being crushed under other boxes in the truck or at a sort facility, the 4ft toss shouldn't have done any damage.

Dan

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Sorters for the package delivery companies will throw packages at least that far several times during its transit.  And marking a package "fragile" doesn't really help.  As noted by Dan, packages need to be packed with the expectation that they will be tossed around.

[Kerry78]

Thats bad service that I hope your able to get another iPhone sorted of this company

past experiences with Fedex are pretty good ive bought a iPod mini yrs ago from America and it arrived within 2 days very good service consering USPS sucks lemons 3 weeks delivery to the UK from US

by all means though Royalmail have left parcels on my neighbours bin and left a card thru my door too

although they have always been there what if