Surface shipping nightmare

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
This is really just meant more as an alert to people but I thought it was still worth posting. Early today I called Microsoft to cancel my Surface order since it was obvious that it would not be received on time. No one disputed my position that it would be impossible for them to deliver by 10/26 and they promptly cancelled the order, gave me a cancellation number, etc.. No big deal - it happens and you move on. This all changed about an hour ago when I learned that there was a FedEx tracking number issued in China for the shipment. Upon looking it up, sure enough, they shipped it anyway AFTER the FedEx cutoff today for delivery next week, not 10/26. In saying it was shipped that should be taken very loosely though since it was still at the Microsoft facility due to the package missing the FedEx pickup cutoff.

Being very annoyed about this, I called customer service who insisted at first that it was cancelled and (after pressing them) that they really didn't know. I then pointed again that I was in possession of a tracking number and scheduled delivery date so it was hardly the case that the status was unknown. After being put on hold while the case was escalated, customer service then repeated that they did not know if it was shipped but that if it had been, I would need to accept it and then ship it back unopened; then they would process a refund within 3 to 5 days after they received it. Upon hearing this, I informed them that I would not accept the package under any circumstances and as soon as the charge shifts from pending to real, my bank was going to place a hold on it as a disputed charge. I also informed them I would file complaints with the appropriate consumer protection agencies. They then reiterated that there was no way that they could stop the shipment etc., etc..

After I got off the phone with customer service I immediately called FedEx to see if there was anything that they could do to intercept the shipment and return to the sender before it left China. Again, the joke is that it is still sitting at the Microsoft facility in China because they missed the cutoff for the day. That, of course, means it would not only not arrive this week but the date listed for next week is also not valid. FedEx confirmed that, contrary to Microsoft's statements, as soon as the package shifts to being in transit tomorrow, I can call FedEx and they will immediately issue a declined delivery notification; intercept it before it gets on a plane; and send it back to the Microsoft facility.

This ranks up there with Nikon shipping me (and charging me) for two DSLRs earlier this year after an order was cancelled (an insurance claim gone wrong). That BTW, also involved Digital River as the intermediate agent. The long and short of it is don't believe the information on status unless it is backed up by a tracking notice; check that tracking notice very carefully; and in speaking to customer service don't just accept scripted answers, ask for details. Even in cancelling an order, the person was reading a script and providing appropriate reference numbers without ever actually issuing the cancellation back to the facility in China. In addition, for those who are hoping for that Friday delivery for a Chinese shipment, if it did not physically ship before the late afternoon Chinese FedEx cutoff, you will not receive it this week. That is not an assumption or inference - it is just physically impossible.
 

inteller

Banned
Mar 31, 2012
2,528
2
0
Visit site
FedEx can and will get you a Surface from China to your doorstep in one day. Seems impossible but I had this happen with a laptop back in 2004. HP built it and it was at my door the next day. It is a modern miracle.
 

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
FirstWorldProblems x10

I really would not be so annoyed if they simply said it shipped in error, apologized, asked me to call FedEx to decline delivery, and said they would issue a refund if the accounting system pulls the money tonight before they can stop it. There is no harm and not very much foul. Instead I have to do a 30+ minute song and dance spanning from it was cancelled to they didn't really know to it might have shipped to I needed to ship it back when it arrived. BTW, what I didn't add before was I also did do the useless chat with them as well. These are the concluding lines regarding an order that was cancelled:

Jonathan: Microsoft has put lots of technology and features on the Surface I know you won't regret it.

What part of I cancelled the order and want this fixed was not understood, aside from the obvious part that English was not his first language?
 

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
Just throwing this out there... FedEx has next day service to the US from China, so it can still be here Friday.

Sources - me, I work there and helped launch this page and led the development of the video. Overnight imports - Believe it. Rely on it.

To restate, anything that went out today has technically already left with its shipping documents and was not being shipped overnight, and anything that missed the cutoff will not arrive until next week. That is straight from FedEx - it is not my interpretation.
 
Last edited:

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
FedEx can and will get you a Surface from China to your doorstep in one day. Seems impossible but I had this happen with a laptop back in 2004. HP built it and it was at my door the next day. It is a modern miracle.

They can but they will not for any of the orders shipped today because they already went out as two day or three day delivery. If it did not meet the cutoff, it will not leave until tomorrow and will not arrive until Monday at the earliest. As was acknowledged by FedEx, this was slated for Monday delivery and it did not meet the cutoff. I really don't think it is very likely that the one I cancelled was the only one left sitting at the facility.
 

RTS2

New member
Oct 19, 2012
55
0
0
Visit site
You might want to wait till Friday before jumping to the conclusion that your not going to get your tablet on time.

Yep, I agree as it happened to me with a laptop from HP. Everything looked as though it would arrive on a Monday and next thing I knew it was updated to and delivered on Friday.

I think the time zones throw off the FedEx computers
 

RTS2

New member
Oct 19, 2012
55
0
0
Visit site
I really would not be so annoyed if they simply said it shipped in error, apologized, asked me to call FedEx to decline delivery, and said they would issue a refund if the accounting system pulls the money tonight before they can stop it. There is no harm and not very much foul. Instead I have to do a 30+ minute song and dance spanning from it was cancelled to they didn't really know to it might have shipped to I needed to ship it back when it arrived. BTW, what I didn't add before was I also did do the useless chat with them as well. These are the concluding lines regarding an order that was cancelled:

Jonathan: Microsoft has put lots of technology and features on the Surface I know you won't regret it.

What part of I cancelled the order and want this fixed was not understood, aside from the obvious part that English was not his first language?

Geeze, wonderful customer service they got...definitely could have been handled by them. However, in fairness they are probably a lot of temps that received minimal training and were hired to take the influx of calls that are bound to happen. Generally in this kind of situation it can be helpful to ask for a manager or supervisor who should, in theory, be better prepared to help.
 

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
FirstWorldProblems x10

BTW, the firstworldproblem BS is just that. If you pay for a product, you expect that standards be upheld on the part of the retailer and shipper. I bet you wouldn't like it very much if someone told you that you needed to ship a product back to China and then wait for them to get around to refunding money. Firstworldproblem BS is just the latest effort on the part of people to turn everything in a PC handwringing festival. Oh, as an archaeologist on the far left of the political spectrum (the real left, not the chest thumping stuff you find on TV) I am usually far more liberal in practice than most those who feign concern for people in the third world.
 

VagrantWade

New member
Aug 27, 2012
1,400
1
0
Visit site
BTW, the firstworldproblem BS is just that. If you pay for a product, you expect that standards be upheld on the part of the retailer and shipper. I bet you wouldn't like it very much if someone told you that you needed to ship a product back to China and then wait for them to get around to refunding money. Firstworldproblem BS is just the latest effort on the part of people to turn everything in a PC handwringing festival. Oh, as an archaeologist on the far left of the political spectrum (the real left, not the chest thumping stuff you find on TV) I am usually far more liberal in practice than most those who feign concern for people in the third world.

So...why did you even cancel it? When were you told you would not receive it by the 26th?
 

stephen_az

Banned
Aug 2, 2012
1,267
0
0
Visit site
You might want to wait till Friday before jumping to the conclusion that your not going to get your tablet on time.

First, this is cancelled order and the only reason I care about delivery is because it should have never happened in the first place. Second, it is not my interpretation that the package will arrive next week. It is expressly scheduled for Monday delivery and they missed the cutoff to assure delivery. I have also been on the phone with FedEx international shipping who confirmed it really is still sitting in China with a shipping label/bill of lading, will not even reach their transit depot until tomorrow, and really is scheduled to be delivered next week. If people receive a late tracking number and don't want to follow-up with FedEx about where international shipments are, or if you have not received any tracking number, believe what you want.
 
Apr 11, 2011
905
0
0
Visit site
Guys don't trust the initial tracking information available.

Do you know how many of these companies I've worked for or with? Generally if the retailer has given you a date it will be there by that date.

Heck even some stuff that Amazon ships as 2-day will say 'Ground' and give a wrong delivery date at first...but it arrives on time.

So trust the delivery info you were given by MS for the shipment...not what FedEx thinks is happening in the call center or on the initial package info.
 

kittengirl

New member
Oct 25, 2012
205
0
0
Visit site
Yep, I agree as it happened to me with a laptop from HP. Everything looked as though it would arrive on a Monday and next thing I knew it was updated to and delivered on Friday.

I think the time zones throw off the FedEx computers
Yes - this has happened to me on multiple occasions. In fact, if I remember correctly, it happened with my ZUNE HD and possibly also an HP Computer. I believe part of the issue is that until things clear customs in AK, they can't give an accurate delivery time, and at the time they clear, they adjust it appropriately. I'm sure the whole time zone issue is part of it too.
 

deezus

New member
Oct 12, 2011
172
0
0
Visit site
This is really just meant more as an alert to people but I thought it was still worth posting. Early today I called Microsoft to cancel my Surface order since it was obvious that it would not be received on time. No one disputed my position that it would be impossible for them to deliver by 10/26 and they promptly cancelled the order, gave me a cancellation number, etc.. No big deal - it happens and you move on. This all changed about an hour ago when I learned that there was a FedEx tracking number issued in China for the shipment. Upon looking it up, sure enough, they shipped it anyway AFTER the FedEx cutoff today for delivery next week, not 10/26. In saying it was shipped that should be taken very loosely though since it was still at the Microsoft facility due to the package missing the FedEx pickup cutoff.

Being very annoyed about this, I called customer service who insisted at first that it was cancelled and (after pressing them) that they really didn't know. I then pointed again that I was in possession of a tracking number and scheduled delivery date so it was hardly the case that the status was unknown. After being put on hold while the case was escalated, customer service then repeated that they did not know if it was shipped but that if it had been, I would need to accept it and then ship it back unopened; then they would process a refund within 3 to 5 days after they received it. Upon hearing this, I informed them that I would not accept the package under any circumstances and as soon as the charge shifts from pending to real, my bank was going to place a hold on it as a disputed charge. I also informed them I would file complaints with the appropriate consumer protection agencies. They then reiterated that there was no way that they could stop the shipment etc., etc..

After I got off the phone with customer service I immediately called FedEx to see if there was anything that they could do to intercept the shipment and return to the sender before it left China. Again, the joke is that it is still sitting at the Microsoft facility in China because they missed the cutoff for the day. That, of course, means it would not only not arrive this week but the date listed for next week is also not valid. FedEx confirmed that, contrary to Microsoft's statements, as soon as the package shifts to being in transit tomorrow, I can call FedEx and they will immediately issue a declined delivery notification; intercept it before it gets on a plane; and send it back to the Microsoft facility.

This ranks up there with Nikon shipping me (and charging me) for two DSLRs earlier this year after an order was cancelled (an insurance claim gone wrong). That BTW, also involved Digital River as the intermediate agent. The long and short of it is don't believe the information on status unless it is backed up by a tracking notice; check that tracking notice very carefully; and in speaking to customer service don't just accept scripted answers, ask for details. Even in cancelling an order, the person was reading a script and providing appropriate reference numbers without ever actually issuing the cancellation back to the facility in China. In addition, for those who are hoping for that Friday delivery for a Chinese shipment, if it did not physically ship before the late afternoon Chinese FedEx cutoff, you will not receive it this week. That is not an assumption or inference - it is just physically impossible.


Same thing here. I ordered a 32gb day one and then cancelled it on the 18th because I wanted a 64gb. So I cancelled the 32gb ordered the 64gb, all over the phone. I called back 2 days later because I had received no cancellation email but MSCS said they did cancel order. Then I went to track 64gb that was supposed to be here on the 26th and guess what it wont be here, according to fedex tracking until the 29th. in addition they are still shipping the 32gb and according to fedex tracking will be here on the 26th!! bassackwards . So now, im waiting on level 3 tech support to clear all this up so they don't charge my credit card for both surfaces!!
 
Last edited:

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
322,916
Messages
2,242,890
Members
428,005
Latest member
rogertewarte