Greyhound Package Express Disappointment

[onehundredoctane]

After seeing plenty of decent reviews online (mainly in state) regarding people shipping larger items like bumpers and body kits using Greyhound Package Express, I figured I would give it a try.



Well. . . I found an importer who had the Origin bumper in stock that I was looking for. Greyhound being cheaper, I decided I might like to save some money. The bumper departed Oakland, California on October 27th and made its way from California Arizona, to Texas, then to Atlanta, Georgia on November 9th. Updates on tracking didn't change for a couple of days... and only after I called customer service to ask what the hold up was. Customer service placed me on a brief delay the rep informed me "the package went out on November 10th, but an employee forgot to scan the package when it was loaded to head out. . ."

The next time I looked at online tracking there was an update showing "loaded outbound, November 10th", this update did not exist until after I contacted customer service. Leading me to believe it was manually entered and that the package was lost or stolen before I even called.

Over the last few weeks I've called every few days, asking for updates, and only been told "we have a tracer placed on the package so that if it turns up we will contact you and redirect the package".

Ok, no big deal, shit happens, I get it. But they really aren't that apologetic.

Then it gets interesting. . . I'm telling my friend about this ordeal, and he explains to me that not 3-4 years ago the same thing happened to him. He had a bumper and lip shipped together from California via Greyhound. The last update he received via online tracking was "Unloaded, Atlanta, Georgia". He never rec'd the parts, Greyhound never refunded for his loss. . .

Now I'm thinking this isn't a coincidence. . .

I'm in the process now of filing a claim with Greyhound, and if needed I will go through with legal action. It's not the fact that I've lost a $350 bumper, it's the principle of the matter.


Why am I posting here? Well, the community looks out for each other. At least that's how I feel, I always see people posting about stolen goods, and sometimes those stories end well. So if you or someone you know are located in Atlanta, Georgia or surrounding areas, please be on the look out for a Kouki S14 Origin Racing Line Bumper. It wasn't a full kit, just a front bumper, so it would stand out on it's own.


Pic included for reference, the bumper would be unpainted and likely still in white gel coat like most Origin pieces. IF you've read this far, thanks for much. If you have some info, please forward it along, if I get the bumper back I'll be happy to issue some reward money. I feel like finding this (if it was in fact stolen) would be easier than filing a claim and getting money back out of Greyhound :/

[theStig880]

Damn, I thought I was the only one who hated Greyhound's shipping. I will never have anything shipped by them again.

Earlier this year, I shipped a full body kit headed to Arizona from NC and it didn't arrive for nearly 5 months. They quoted me a week maximum. Several times, it would spend a month in Texas, move to the next city, and get shipped back to the station in Texas for no reason. I had to call them for hours a day to finally get them to find and deliver it. Each time I called, I got a different excuse and had to talk with their corporate center for any resolution. I'm not sure if it ever would have made it had I not called them daily. And good luck getting money back from them.

[jumpman2334]

ive never had to ship anything with them, but I did have to book a bus ticket for one of my employees that ended up needing to be refunded 3 to 4 days later.


the refund process was the dumbest i have ever seen. you couldn't do it online or over the phone. you had to write them a letter (what is this 1908?) to request a refund. their customer service was terrible, they couldn't tell me anything as the address the letter goes to is some other Department and they wouldn't give me a phone number for that dept. i called every day for approx. 8 days until they stated they got the letter and were processing it (how would they know, its a "different dept"?).


way too much work for a refund. hopefully you get your issue figured out.

[CamryOnBronze]

Man, this is really scary to read. I have sent and received dozens of things through Greyhound over the years- some of them including Bride seats purchased or sold for over $1,000 and my Hot Road aero kit. The experience was always incredibly sketchy, but everything always made it to its destination safely. The Hot Road was packaged with nothing more than a bit of bubble wrap over it so it was clear to see what it was.

It's always nerve racking because the tracking never works, items are routinely not scanned into the system at all, and I have had a couple items get delayed for a few days- but it's always made it there one way or another. Their systems are always incredibly archaic, the customer service is usually awful, and the stations always feel really unsafe. For some large items though there really isn't a cost effective alternative...

I will add that I have had items lost, stolen, or destroyed by UPS, FedEx, and DHL over the years- but never by Greyhound. However, at least UPS paid out on my claim for the full insured amount. The maximum insurance on Greyhound is very low and I am sure it would be a nightmare to try to get them to pay it.

Sorry to hear you got burned. Thanks for sharing the info.

[onehundredoctane]

Originally Posted by CamryOnBronze

It's always nerve racking because the tracking never works, items are routinely not scanned into the system at all, and I have had a couple items get delayed for a few days- but it's always made it there one way or another. Their systems are always incredibly archaic, the customer service is usually awful, and the stations always feel really unsafe. For some large items though there really isn't a cost effective alternative...

I will add that I have had items lost, stolen, or destroyed by UPS, FedEx, and DHL over the years- but never by Greyhound. However, at least UPS paid out on my claim for the full insured amount. The maximum insurance on Greyhound is very low and I am sure it would be a nightmare to try to get them to pay it.

Sorry to hear you got burned. Thanks for sharing the info.

Oddly USPS is the only carrier I've ever had lose a package, glad it was only $30 worth though.

But you hit the nail on the head. Greyhound still works via hand written mail to resolve claims. HAND WRITTEN MAIL. (read that again, yes you read it right). They are still operating in the year they were established apparently.

I had a good read on a R/C Plane forum regarding someone that sued Greyhound for loses and won, but it was very long and drawn out and involved going to small claims court over an $1,100 R/C plane that was lost. Why is it so hard for a company that big to update their system or get with the times? I mean, a $350 bumper isn't the most expensive car related purchase I've ever made, not even close. But I didn't plan to buy more than 1. . .

I guess all I can do is keep hitting refresh on the package tracking page

[jsu1012]

I've shipped a couple hoods, and even full aero through grey hound. Also grey hound is a good option to send automotive paint haha. I will say their phone customer service is terrible. Sorry you're going through that man, I hope you find it.

[RB25GUY]

Same i had my whole kit shipped via greyhound from fl tracking never works ever. i had some scuffs on the kit but nothing to cracking or splitting the fiberglass....

[OutlawLui]

Just got a hatch shipped from Washington down to Socal

Part was in perfect condition and got here in 3 days.

I guess its hit or miss...kinda scary

[TMW]

i've yet to use greyhound, is the pricing difference that significant to justify shipping with well.. greyhound

i've shipped full kits, seats, wheels, etc through normal shipping services and never paid anything that exorbitant

[jsu1012]

Originally Posted by TMW

i've shipped full kits, seats, wheels, etc through normal shipping services and never paid anything that exorbitant

I got quotes through fedex and ups to to ship a hood, they wanted $350-$400. I shipped it through grey hound (oklahoma to florida) for $85. Thats packaged and in the original box the hood came in. Just to give you an idea of the difference in cost.

[Almighty So]

I’ve had pretty sketchy experiences with greyhound because they really just seem to care less in general.
The first bumper I ever had shipped via greyhound:
Arrived in Chicago
I was NOT contacted to attempt pick up.
Greyhound depot manager decided the bumper box was taking up to much of his space and sent it back to Florida without telling anyone.
Lost for two or three weeks, had to rage via phone and in person.
Will usually try to opt for USPS or FedEx at this point.
The extra hassle isn’t worth it IMO.

[onehundredoctane]

Originally Posted by Almighty So

I’ve had pretty sketchy experiences with greyhound because they really just seem to care less in general.
The first bumper I ever had shipped via greyhound:
Arrived in Chicago
I was NOT contacted to attempt pick up.
Greyhound depot manager decided the bumper box was taking up to much of his space and sent it back to Florida without telling anyone.
Lost for two or three weeks, had to rage via phone and in person.
Will usually try to opt for USPS or FedEx at this point.
The extra hassle isn’t worth it IMO.

For fuck sake. . . these have to be some of the dumbest people on earth. I'll never use them again.

[Almighty So]

Yeah sorry to hear about that man :/
Check in with the depot it originally shipped from if you haven’t already. hopefully they sent it back in a similar case to mine.

[!Zar!]

Greyhound is to move people, not packages.

There is a reason why no real businesses use Greyhound as a delivery service.

[ixfxi]

Originally Posted by !Zar!

Greyhound is to move people, not packages.

There is a reason why no real businesses use Greyhound as a delivery service.

spoken like a true prodigy

fuckin broke asses, whats next... shipping via Metro?

there is a reason why fedex & UPS exist. and even they suck it up from time to time

[onehundredoctane]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

spoken like a true prodigy

fuckin broke asses, whats next... shipping via Metro?

there is a reason why fedex & UPS exist. and even they suck it up from time to time

So glad you could grace us with your presence, and thank you for your valuable input.

[nisileighty]

Greyhound is a hit or miss. I’ve had a few things shipped through them, that arrived in full, good condition.

The last (and final) time I’ll ever use them was when I sold an NSX Comptech supercharger and 3/5 packages were lost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1988montecarloss]

Have shipped a dozen or so items through greyhound and have never had anything lost or damaged, but for large items that aren't heavy usps is usually about the same for me so greyhound isn't worth the hassle especially considering the shitty hrs (stop taking shipments at 2pm here) and the guy that works the register always acting like I'm doing him a huge inconvenience by shipping through them lol

[white_is]

Hopefully whoever shipped it out put $300 insurance on it, that’s the max they offer.

My advice is to contact who you can in an attempt to get in contact with the Vice President of shipping (might see if a Dave Phillips is still involved). Keep your cool, stay professional, and be patient. I had a full kit lost on its way to me 4-5 years ago. I was refunded the insurance max they offer, cost of shipping, and also received other compensation.. This took around 6 months or more to resolve and required the shipper to be involved and cooperate but if you can manage it it might be worth it.

[onehundredoctane]

Originally Posted by white_is

Hopefully whoever shipped it out put $300 insurance on it, that’s the max they offer.

My advice is to contact who you can in an attempt to get in contact with the Vice President of shipping (might see if a Dave Phillips is still involved). Keep your cool, stay professional, and be patient. I had a full kit lost on its way to me 4-5 years ago. I was refunded the insurance max they offer, cost of shipping, and also received other compensation.. This took around 6 months or more to resolve and required the shipper to be involved and cooperate but if you can manage it it might be worth it.

This kind of input is valuable!

I spoke with the shipper yesterday and he assured me he has already filed a claim, which Greyhound requires be done by hand written forms and mailed to them, WOW, 2017 and people still use letter mail? He also stated what I had already read on other forums, which is that Greyhound will reply within 30-60 days. Talk about a joke!

He is also sourcing a second bumper for me and working with me on pricing.

Beyond happy to be dealing with a company that I've never used in the past, that has excellent customer service!

[R3b]

I work for fedex and honestly the prices are pretty crazy but if you pack whatever you need smart and use someone with a business account which get discounts. You can all day ship boxes fairly cheap. Not 80-100 bucks for a hood but 100-200 depending on weight/size.

I could do quotes at work if anyone is curious about real numbers. Just give me zip and box dimension/weight ballpark.

Its about 100ish to ship a hood from me (Florida) to Seattle WA with a size 48x48x4 15lbs which is a pretty extreme case and rough estimate on box size and how anal you want to be a packing it.

[onehundredoctane]

Well... as unhappy as this process has made me, I did atleast get a phone call Saturday night stating my bumper was at my local Greyhound station.

Picked it up, no damage (thank God).

[Almighty So]

Good news! Glad it was all resolved.
Definitely not worth the hassle though lol
USPS ftw

[Phlip]

Was there a note attached to it saying "keep your damned shit on"?

[turboshoebox]

That's what you get for living in North Carolina

[afishysilvia]

Originally Posted by turboshoebox

That's what you get for living in North Carolina

LMAO savage....I guess those of us on the west coast are usually blessed with having most of these companies in our backyard. Glad you finally got it. Just my 2 cents...I personally would even right a ghetto ass greyhound, yet alone ship something I paid good money for.

[turboshoebox]

Originally Posted by afishysilvia

LMAO savage....I guess those of us on the west coast are usually blessed with having most of these companies in our backyard. Glad you finally got it. Just my 2 cents...I personally would even right a ghetto ass greyhound, yet alone ship something I paid good money for.

We are blessed on west coast with all these companies in our back yard, weather, women, food, culture, events etc.

Can't beat it here

[onehundredoctane]

Originally Posted by turboshoebox

We are blessed on west coast with all these companies in our back yard, weather, women, food, culture, events etc.

Can't beat it here

Good luck with that "Freedom" stuff that you'll hear the rest of us talking about. . . gun, explosives, modified cars that don't have to pass SMOG. . .

But I'm sure if your unbiased opinion (which doesn't exist) that you all have it soooo much better.

[afishysilvia]

Originally Posted by onehundredoctane

Good luck with that "Freedom" stuff that you'll hear the rest of us talking about. . . gun, explosives, modified cars that don't have to pass SMOG. . .

But I'm sure if your unbiased opinion (which doesn't exist) that you all have it soooo much better.

Coming from someone who has lived both on east coast and west coast (and thank god no where in the middle states), its a matter of opinion as always. Those "issues" you stated are well worth the high cost of living, beautiful weather year round and having the ability to hit the beach during Christmas. To each is own

[CamryOnBronze]

Glad to hear they came through despite the hassle and confusion.