UPS vs FedEX. I will tell you my experience with heavy audio equipment transported to my home by both businesses. I ordered a 15 in subwoofer from HSU, California to Oklahoma. I gave the official plat address to my residence. I have lived here for over 15 years and have received numerous packages in the past. It was shipped by Fed EX. It was tracked so I knew what day it was supposed to be delivered. I took off work to be at home during this day. It was to be delivered during “normal” working hours. After 6PM, I called Fedx to inquire what was the normal working hours. They said it had been attempted to be delivered and no one was home. This was a flat out lie. The door bell was operable; I checked. No notice was left and no door bell was rung nor knock on door. This scenario repeated itself for 2 more days. After calling every day and inquiring where it was, they said that it would be returned to sender. I raised holy hell and finally got the truth. The driver was a sub and did not know how to find us, GPS worked fine. He had never been to my house. We are in a residential suburb of a large metropolitan city. They sent a regular driver to deliver it and every part of the box was damaged from all of the taking off and putting on the trucks and mishandling of the heavy, 85 lb, box. I refused it and sent it back to HSU. All official notifications on website tracking said “attempted to deliver, no one home”. It was never corrected to the truth about the actual inept delivery actions. HSU did not believe me even after they spoke to the Fed X reps themselves. I sent them photos of the damaged package and after 2 weeks I received my money back. However, they said that in instances in the past FED X is very difficult to get money back for shipping or damage. The paper work is endless and they always say it is not their fault.
During the same month I ordered 3 fragile, expensive and heavy audio amplifiers. 2 Pass Labs from Reno HiFi in Nevada and 1 Emotiva in Tennessee. All 3 were delivered on expected tracking date to the same address listed above and in perfect, flawless exterior condition by UPS. I told the shippers to send by UPS, not Fed X, since Fed X were idiots and liars.
I will never have Fed X deliver anything of value to either my home or businesses in the future, if at all possible. And, of course, never ship anything by Fed X to anywhere else.