FedEx, FedEx Ground Do The Math: Misdelivery minus Accountability minus Basic Civility equals FedEx Las Cruces New Mexico

My girlfriend bought me an iPhone for an early Christmas present (great girlfriend!), through Amazon (spotty company!); Amazon for some unknowable reasons uses FedEx in my region for shipping. My GF listed my P.O. Box address - no notification from either Amazon or FedEx that they don't ship to P.O. Boxes, so first ball dropped.

After about two weeks of waiting (GF told me when to expect the gift) I got the tracking number from her to look into the lateness of delivery - the geniuses at the local FedEx shipping center, upon discovering the package was addressed to a P.O. Box, didn't notify anyone involved - ball two dropped. Their "solution"? They dug up an address I haven't lived at for four years (yes, I long ago had the address updated through the post office) and delivered it there. Ball three.

I'd gone through this about six months ago, only with UPS, and knew the woman who lived at the old address - she had graciously let me know about the UPS foul-up since my phone number was on the package (which is a bit strange, but oh well). So I contacted her; she called me back quickly and let me know that upon delivery, she looked at the shipping label and told the FedEx driver that I no longer lived there, so he took it back with him to the truck. Ball four, and this is where it gets slippery: On the FedEx tracking page, it stated thatthe delivery was signed for, by "A. Riter". Read that slowly: a writer. Fishy.

I opened a claim with FedEx, my GF reported it to Amazon, and weeks after the fact I call FedEx customer support to see where things stand. Their response? I should have a physical mailing address, so it's my & my GF's fault; the customer (dis)service rep was snide and dismissive, telling me to take it up with Amazon. Me? I think a FedEx driver has a shiny new iPhone for Christmas, and the sleaziness of FedEx - so glaring this holiday season - claims another victory in the war on competence and accountability. My best guess as to the ultimate outcome? My GF feels rotten, I'm angry with no real way of making FedEx do the right thing, and a crummy corporation keeps doing what it does well: mislead, disregard, and reap the profits.

Nice work, FedEx. You'll not be getting my business again, and that clearly doesn't affect you at all.