Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Globe's Xmas Returns

"Consumers should not be surprised if they are also asked to show identification to complete a return. A growing number of stores use IDs in conjunction with receipts in an attempt to thwart fraud. Retailers expect to lose nearly $3.4 billion because of fradulent returns this holiday season, according to a National Retail Federation survey. That’s about 6 percent of all merchandise brought back to merchants."

Can't return something you never got:

"UPS, FedEx fail to deliver some packages before Christmas" by Scott Mayerowitz |  Associated Press, December 26, 2013 

Should have sent USPS!

NEW YORK — Santa’s sleigh didn’t make it in time for Christmas for some this year due to shipping problems at UPS and FedEx.

That's because he was at the beach in Florida.

The delays were blamed on poor weather earlier this week in parts of the country as well as overloaded systems. The holiday shopping period this year was shorter than usual, more buying was done online and Americans’ tendency to wait until the last possible second to shop probably didn’t help either. 

I'm tired of the ma$$ media and its lame-a$$ excuses and insults. Think I will go shopping instead of reading a Globe today.

Neither company said how many packages were delayed but noted it was a small share of overall holiday shipments. While the bulk of consumers’ holiday spending remains at physical stores, shopping online is increasingly popular and outstripping spending growth in stores at the mall.

The problems appear to have affected many parts of the country. The Associated Press spoke to people in Alabama, California, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia who didn’t receive presents in time for Christmas....

Natalie Godwin, a spokeswoman for United Parcel Service Inc., said snow and ice in the Midwest last week and an ice storm that hit Dallas two-and-a-half weeks ago were partially to blame. She also said the volume of packages shipped exceeded the capacity of UPS but would not share the number of packages shipped or what the company’s maximum capacity is.

Then this quarter will be booming in profit because their system is dominant and huge!

UPS did not make pickups or deliveries Wednesday. Extra workers were being brought in Wednesday night to the company’s hub in Louisville, Ky., to sort packages for Thursday and Friday delivery, according to Godwin....

Time to head to the mall!