Surge of Packages Delays UPS Shipments

A high volume of packages overwhelmed shipping and logistics company UPS, the company said, delaying the arrival of packages around the globe and sending angry consumers to social media to vent.

Amazon.com responded with an email to affected customers offering shipping refunds and $20 gift cards to compensate.

A convergence of factors, including higher volume than expected and recent patches of bad weather, caused the delays, UPS spokeswoman Natalie Black said.

The company projected 132 million deliveries last week “and obviously we exceeded that,” Black said, without disclosing how many packages had been sent.

“For now, UPS is really focused on delivering the remaining packages,” Black said. “You might not see trucks, but people are working.”

Customers awaiting deliveries should expect packages on Thursday or Friday and those with delivery guarantees will get appropriate refunds, she said. Amazon.com’s email said credits were applied directly to user accounts.

Packages shipped via UPS for Amazon.com by Prime customers, who pay $79 a year for two-day shipping, may be eligible for additional refunds. Amazon’s stated policy for missed deliveries is to offer a free one-month extension of Prime.

This article appeared in print on page 2 of the December 27th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.