Are you like millions of other customers who did not receive your shipment before Christmas day. It appears that FedEx and UPS both vastly underestimated the amount of packages that would be shipped before Santa visited. According to a spokesperson, FedEx handled roughly 275 million packages between Thanksgiving and December 22nd, while the US Postal Service said it saw a 19 percent increase in volume over last year, while the UPS declined to say how many packages they handled.
Amazon and Kohl’s, have been proactive in addressing the situation. Amazon is refunding associated shipping fees and even offering $20 gift cards to those who didn’t receive their packages by the 24th. Kohl’s is contacting customers whose deliveries were delayed and offering to fully cover the cost of items delivered late. Walmart also appears to have suffered at the hands of over-extended delivery companies and is offering customers gift cards as an apology. Additionally, 1-800-Flowers also saw a small percentage of its orders delayed and is offering $20 refunds, while Groupon is handing out $25 toward a future purchase.
It seems that the delivery service won’t be able to support an internet economy all shopping during the same time. Amazon hired over 70,000 seasonal employees to handle the influx of orders. Next year we’ll have to see if companies put a final date to order all their gifts which could be around the 17th. What do you think about all these shipping delays and do you think it will only get worse as more people order gifts online? Also tell us in the comments below if you were affected by these delays.