Places like Amazon and eBay have made this a lot easier, but there are still delivery drivers to deal with. For the record, most delivery people do a great job, but there are some that need a few pointers. Here are a few examples. As a bonus, there are some good examples, too.
One Size Fits All
Apparently, when the logistics company Star Track delivers something, it gets delivered in one size of packaging, and there are no exceptions. Sure, maybe you could be reasonable and say that there was no kind of packaging that would fit something that was long and skinny and wide like whatever is being delivered here.
But there has to be some kind of box that will accommodate that kind of package – refrigerators sometimes get delivered in boxes, for Pete's sake. And even if there wasn't something that would be perfect, surely there's something that would at least work a little better.
It's Like it Knew
A gal sees some darling kitchenware that she'd love to have in her home in Australia, but shipping it down under can be pricey. Instead, a friend finds some pieces and has them shipped as a gift, and you see the result. Lots of things can settle and shift around during transportation, and things like ceramic mugs (or bowls, or whatever this item might be) have a tendency to take damage.
Still, it looks like this problem can be corrected with a steady hand and some glue, and the big, unmissable cracks in the ceramic really drive home the point.
Fits Like a Glove
When it comes to getting packages delivered, USPS – the United States Postal Service – is usually the option that you're hoping to not see pop up on the shipping details. They tend to take a little longer, and they're supposed to deliver the packages with the rest of the mail.
As you can see here, this can sometimes result in things getting a little complicated. It's simple to see how this package was introduced to the opening, but we're not really sure how someone is supposed to get this out. Melted butter, maybe. Or petroleum jelly.
Flipping the Script
We know that this article is supposed to be about delivery failures, but we had to include at least one big success by your friendly neighborhood delivery person. The picture here shows a regular “we tried to deliver this but you weren't home” slip that we've all seen a couple of times.
However, the delivery guy was pulling a sneaky – the package was actually delivered, hidden in what appears to be the rafters of the porch. There are some areas where delivered packages can be snagged by ruffians, which makes this a good way to deliver the package and keep it safe from sticky fingers.
Worth Two in the Hand
Another example of a delivery guy doing his or her best to make sure that the package does actually get delivered properly. This person says that where he lives isn't in the best neighborhood, so the USPS person decided the best option was to squirrel away the package inside a bush.
Hopefully, it was something small and not, like, a washing machine. Then again, we don't think many washing machines are getting stolen off of porches. Honestly, if that happens, the thief has earned it.
Honey, The Police are Here About Your Package
Well now. This raises some eyebrows. Is this place near the red sea, and was there a big waterspout recently? Maybe it was shipped from a place that has lots of paint fights? Or maybe this is the kind of thing that will eventually be labeled “Evidence A.” We don't know the answer, but we know which one would make the best story.
Also, and maybe most worrying, that moisture looks rather fresh. However, it also doesn't look all that much like any bodily substance. Maybe it's saliva, and someone's been eating a lot of red Skittles.
Oh Good, My Step Ladder Got Delivered
Sometimes there aren't just any good places to put a package, so the FedEx guy or gal has to get a little creative. Sure, you could hide it in a bush like some people, but this example is one that probably took a little bit of work. Sure, you could just put it on the welcome mat like all the other delivery drivers, but why not take the chance to be a little extra?
There are lots of neighborhoods that have rashes of thefts off of front porches, so no doubt certain drivers have figured out that hiding the packages is the best way to do it.
Just Tell the Whole World
We're all adults here mostly, and we all know that sometimes you have to get something a little...well, a little something delivered. You know the stuff. Stuff like what this package claims to be. Thanks to the person that allowed his or her shame to be broadcast to the entire world. We're all having a nice laugh.
Here's the strangest thing – what OTHER packages have the contents described on the outside? The best you can usually get is what shop it was sent from. Why would this be done? We smell some shenanigans on this one, but the scent isn't strong enough to make a stink.
Not What You Want to See
Finding that a package has been damaged during transport is one of the most infuriating things that can occur to most people. If you paid good money for something, you want to know that it's going to arrive in pristine condition. Just look at this – not only is the package bent, but it looks like the mailbox has taken a hit, too.
Even worse is what is purportedly inside the package – a vinyl music disc! There goes listening to the latest Barry White or whatever, because as far as we can tell there's no way that disc survived
Like It's Not Even There
A lot of delivery drivers take a little bit of extra time to make sure a package is hidden and secure before they drive off. It looks like this driver had the same kind of thought, but didn't exactly think it through all the way. The box is, from a very technical standpoint, obscured – however, anybody who is looking to nab some packages won't really have an issue with this kind of camouflage.
Still, maybe there just wasn't any other way to obscure it from sight – at least there was a token attempt at hiding it.
Mission Accomplished
If you get something larger delivered, then a lot of the normal plans for delivery go right out the window. You can't hide something under a doormat if it's one foot by one foot by four feet, which looks to be the size of the package in this image.
We think that the message “please put under doormat” is a regular delivery instruction that this house gives to all online vendors, but for a hefty delivery like this one, that sort of option isn't really going to fly. Still, points to the delivery driver for following the instructions in the letter.
Making the Whole Street Mad
Yeah, we know that delivery drivers have a busy day a lot of the time – it can be tiring work hauling all those packages in and out of your truck. But this is just negligent. Apparently, the driver for an entire block has been putting packages in plastic bags and hanging them on the corner of the street.
Not only is this quite a distance for some of the homes, everybody has to stop and see if it's their package that has been delivered – finally, anybody could come up and snag something that isn't theirs, and nobody would ever know.
Personally Put Against the Fence
Lots of books get delivered, and while they are thankfully one of the more durable pieces of entertainment, you still want them delivered in good condition. This package was, according to the attached story, personally handed off to a recipient, but we have some photos that show otherwise.
The box is covered in snow and ice, and it's even been bent a little bit. Hopefully, the precious, precious books inside didn't receive any damage. At the very least it's a little hidden.
I Was Hired to Drive, Not to Read
If you have a couple of options for where your packages are delivered, there's almost always a place you prefer they go. You might even, oh, we don't know, make a little sign and put it at the other place, so that the delivery drivers for FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and all the other companies know that you want it in a certain place.
Of course, then the driver will ignore the sign and put the package in the wrong place anyway. Because they don't care about you or your packages. We don't know if this package was repositioned after the fact, but its position right in front of the sign is a bit suspicious.
Fits Just Right
Leaving a package that is a weird size at a strange place is always going to present some unexpected difficulties – just ask your mom. However, sometimes it just works out perfectly, such as in this case. The delivery driver probably felt so proud after dropping this package (not something we usually say), but all in all, it doesn't actually do much.
Yeah, it fits right into the little window, as if it was made for it, but it's super noticeable to everybody inside or outside the building. There's little reason to put the package there other than to say “hey, check it out. It fits.”
It Will Arrive With No Damage, We Say
A lot of companies try to package with the bare minimum – doing so will probably save them a couple of pennies per package, and that can add up in a big way if they're shipping enough. Maybe they move the savings onto you, maybe they don't, that's their prerogative.
There are some companies, however, that go in the other direction, and add way, way too much protective packaging. Like in this example. That's quite a lot of bubble wrap – what was the package? A big book? A couch? None of those. It was a candle. A single candle.
Oh Good, My Cow Feces Came
Yes, much to our surprise, apparently some people will get cow feces delivered. We assume – and hope – that this is for very important cow research. Maybe farmers use it to fertilize all that delicious food we like to eat. Those are the only two good options. And, unfortunately, those cow feces can sometimes get onto other packages during delivery.
At least the delivery driver or the company had the good sense to give it a plastic covering and write a note about why it might look a little bit messy. And of course, this would happen in Minnesota.
Did an Ocelot Get Loose or Something?
Well, it says it's important information, so we should probably send it anyway, but it looks like it DID get caught inside the auto-shredder that we have attached to all of our trucks. Maybe we should get rid of those. We are honestly kind of aghast that the USPS could possibly do so much destruction to a simple letter.
We guess it has to happen at some point – so much mail goes through the system that a horrible accident like this one is bound to come up eventually. Well, hopefully, the important information was still readable.
At Least Wipe it Off
The backstory to this package is that a guy bought a backup motherboard for his computer. If you aren't aware what a motherboard is, it's kind of like the thing that everything in your computer is attached to on the inside – the processor is right in the middle, the RAM slots into it, the graphics card attaches to it, all of your components attach to it.
As you might be able to guess, it's pretty important and it can be pretty fragile. All that to say, if you're delivering it, don't step on the box that it's being shipped in. Please.
Better Than Nothing
Well, if you have to have a package hidden in a dirt hole, we guess it's best that the Fedex guy lets you know that it's hidden there. And this is certainly a lot better than not leaving a note at all, even if the hiding place is pretty easy to find for everybody but the most sight-blind. If the driver had better hiding spots at his or her disposal, then we bet the specificity would be much more appreciated.
We guess this hiding spot does give it a little bit of protection, but honestly not that much more than leaving it by the door, which is a few feet away.
Irony as She is Delivered
Even businesses have to have things delivered. Even delivery companies have to have things delivered. And, by that bit of logic, we have to assume that even delivery companies will miss their deliveries. In this case, it was a FedEx store that missed a delivery from FedEx. That is assuming, of course, that it isn't just a delivery sticker that someone left on the door because they didn't know where else to throw it away.
Still, the irony (and we believe that is actually irony) is quite tasty. Yeah, it's annoying when you miss your package, isn't it?
Special Treat for the Cat
Packaging and shipping companies sometimes have to work pretty fast to make sure they keep up with demand, and that can mean tape, cardboard, and packages are being moved at the speed of thought. Not even creepy crawlies like spiders can escape the furious skills of someone who has plenty of packages coming down the line.
As we can see here, sometimes tape doesn't just keep you from your new toy – it can be the end of an eight-legged friend. Spiders are usually pretty good at getting away from stuff like this. Maybe this guy was just having a bad day.
They Can Learn About Angles, Too
The United States Postal Service seems to have a big problem with putting long, flat stuff inside mailboxes. It's a pretty sad thing to see if you've been looking forward to a book for your kid, but there are ways to deal with it. You can contact the local post office and lodge a complaint, but who knows if they'll even care?
If that doesn't work, go straight to the top – contact the postmaster general in Washington D.C., who takes this kind of thing very seriously. There are stories of people getting calls to apologize.
Masking Tape Can't Touch
Everybody knows that if two rolls of masking tape come into contact, they will get all kinds of tangled up and knotted. If you need your tape quickly, you have to avoid this. While this isn't the delivery driver's fault, it's still kind of ridiculous to see – it looks like you could have used half that many boxes and gotten everything to its destination without much issue.
Heck, you could have fit what looks like three or four rolls in the bag just on its own. Maybe there's a good reason for this, but it doesn't look like it.
Yeah, Whatever, Here's Your Package
Some places might be a little harder to deliver to, but that doesn't mean a delivery driver can just neglect the central rules of his or her job. They're supposed to deliver the packages properly and safely, not just huck them over the fence like in his example. And that looks like it could be kind of heavy, too!
If that thing lands the wrong way, it could easily get damaged, to say nothing of the fence, the Christmas lights, the plants, and even the ground. There's some bad stuff on this list, but this is one of the more negligent and annoying things we've seen.
Hey, Look. It Fits
Since Amazon started being one of the first places people go for all kinds of fun or useful stuff, package thieves have been making themselves a big nuisance. Thus, proper delivery drivers will do their best to hide that a package has been delivered, as we can see a few times on this list. Some of them, however, will do less than the bare minimum, and leave the package jammed into the front of the mailbox.
We'd even go so far as to say it's not even inside the mailbox. Any sir or madam could have walked by and basically just pocketed that package.
Yes, Technically it Was Delivered
In case you can't tell, that's an entirely empty package. According to our sources, the envelope was delivered that way. Why even deliver it if it's clearly been ripped open and there's nothing inside? Well, the simple fact of the matter is now you can file a missing items claim and talk to the post office (FedEx, in this case) to find out what happened.
The story says that the weight of the package changed from three pounds to zero pounds at one point. Yeah, we can see that. That's because somebody in your company might have stolen it.
Still in One Piece
What appears to be a microwave has gotten the brunt of a neglectful delivery driver from FedEx, and we hope that somebody is going to get a mark on his or her year-end review for this. It's fair to say that the microwave won't work as promised if that's all the damage, and it might not function at all if there's more that we don't see.
Of course, it might not have been the driver's fault – there are plenty of people and machines that packages go through before they reach their intended destinations. We're not sure whose fault it was, but somebody messed up.
A New Kind of Front Door
Amazon has done a lot to change the game when it comes to delivering packages, with an up-to-the-minute location tracker, a way to update your delivery instructions, and more. On the other hand, they still rely on people to deliver the packages themselves for the most part, which is how we get images like this one.
The Amazon driver listed this package as delivered to the front door, but it doesn't really look like it. It looks like it's been put on the ground in the dark hidden by a bunch of bushes.
It's Ready to Hit the Lake
There are probably millions of stories about delivery drivers leaving packages where they aren't supposed to be, but this one is a cut above. Instead of putting it at the house – or even anywhere near the house – UPS has decided the proper place for this package is inside a boat.
It was left totally exposed to the elements, and the story attached to the picture says that it was going to rain that day. The house was twenty-five feet away, which is an incredible distance to leave a package, and also a very short distance to walk.
Maybe it Was the Dogs?
We're not super sure what's going on here, but it looks like the delivery driver decided that just dumping all the packages on the back porch was good enough. Maybe the dogs got at them, or maybe they were ripped open before they even got to the home, but those packages look like they've seen better days.
Honestly, we're not even sure if something has gone wrong here, but the attached story evidenced a displeasure with UPS, so surely something must have gone wrong.
Well, Thanks, I Guess
There are lots of ways to reduce waste and make your life a little more sustainable. This person was trying to do the right thing and get some reusable straws, and he or she was a little dismayed by the amount of plastic packaging that was included with something that was supposed to use LESS plastic.
This wasn't the fault of the delivery driver, but it's still a strange thing to see. That small collection of straws in the bottom left was what the person actually wanted, while the rest of it is stuff that will have to be thrown away.
A Top Heavy Collection
When you're getting a bunch of boxes delivered, it usually isn't a very difficult thing to arrange them properly on the front step. Sure, maybe you have to put the smaller items on top of the bigger items, but even toddlers can usually manage something like that. However, if the smaller boxes still manage to be heavier, then something like the picture here will occur.
If there are five or more boxes that are heavier than the larger box, you might end up with some destroyed goods. There are a lot of packages to deliver, but it can't be done this way.
Good Thing I Can't Read
Sorry, can't stop to read any signs, I have a lot of packages to leave in the wrong spots. If you're this delivery driver, you should be ashamed. Maybe it wasn't super clear where you were supposed to leave them, but that's what delivery instructions are for.
The reason this person put the sign up is that she's had a package stolen from off her front step before, and she wants to make sure it doesn't happen again – this picture is also the second package left there in as many days. UPS really seems to be dropping the ball.
Yeah, That's the Best We Can Do
During the holiday season, a lot of packages get sent all over the place, and eventually, a delivery driver can get a little fed up. Like here. This is about sixteen hundred pounds of packages that are blocking the entrance and the stairs. Twenty-eight packages in total, and we bet that the person who had to deliver all of these was pretty tired of having to haul these things around.
Thankfully the person who got these deliveries had a lot of help bringing everything inside, but if it was just one person, this would be a lot of hard work.
Your Accordion is Here
Ah yes, another fine job by the men and women that work at UPS. What can brown do for you? Apparently, it's messing up the stuff that you want to be delivered. There could be anything inside that box, but we're told it's actually a piano – even though it looks a little bit more like another instrument.
Sure, there's a little bit of extra material on the box (that's how it looks, anyway) but that still doesn't look like the proper kind of handling. Hopefully everything inside still works the way it's supposed to.
Everybody is at Fault
Ever ordered a step stool to have it delivered to your place? If so, this kind of picture might be familiar to you. The lady decided to unpack the stool upending the big box to dump the smaller box out of it, and that came with a whole lot of extra stuff, that wonderful, wonderful substance called packing peanuts. Don't eat them! They aren't real peanuts.
We're sure that they aren't. Why was it packaged this way? Why are there so many packing peanuts? Why did she decide to unpack it that way? Nobody did things perfectly when it comes to this picture.
Weird. There's a Little Sticker on the Corner
Maybe you went to a public university, or maybe you went to a private university, but one way or another you probably paid a lot of money for a little piece of paper that says you have a degree. It might be the most expensive thing that you own, in a way. That makes it way, way worse when you finally get it in the mail and it's all bent up like in this picture.
It's too bad that the person delivering the mail or the package can't read like you obviously can, otherwise he or she might have seen the sticker in the corner.
It Could Just be in an Envelope
As far as we can tell, the person delivering this package didn't make any mistakes – the problem comes from the people that actually created the packaging. A little, tiny battery for a little tiny thing like a watch is going to get to its destination without much issue – something that small, and so uniform, has a good time traveling since it will deflect any impacts.
Of course, the people shipping it had to pack it in a huge box and pack it with a bunch of...air pockets. You know the things.
Chew on This
The company Chewy has been a godsend for a lot of pet owners. You can get food, medicine, toys, and other supplies delivered right to your house. If you have a pet that eats a lot, this is especially helpful. You will, of course, upset your delivery driver, who has to haul box after box to your front step, and he or she might even go so far as to stack all of those heavy boxes right in front of your screen door.
If there isn't any other way out, you'll have to crawl out a window, but at least you'll have pet food.
Oh, Cool, My Pen Came
Some of these examples might not be egregious to you or me, but what if you have a bad back? What if you are of advanced maturity? What if you've recently suffered an injury? This example is pretty bad – we get that the package is big and bulky, but to put it in the way of the front door like that?
If you don't have the strength to lift something like that out of the way, you're sunk unless you can call the neighborhood strongmen over for a favor. This thing is huge, and it looks like it weighs a ton.
Passive Aggressive Packaging
A pair of parcels have been perilously perched to make a little part of Pisa against the wall of this person's home, and we feel as if some discussion needs to happen to make sure there are no hurt feelings between these two parties.
This FedEx fail shows us that a driver that is having a bad enough day will do whatever it takes to let the recipient of the packages be aware of his or her displeasure. Well, we've seen a lot worse in this collection. At least the packages are at the house.
My Bad
We've seen a couple of crazy deliveries from this collection. We had a few laughs, groaned a few times, and wondered what some of these delivery drivers were thinking. This one takes the cake – it did actual, real damage to something that the homeowners already had. Just look at that – that's not “an accident,” that's property damage.
We hope somebody got a little more than an apology. At least the written apology looks to come with legitimate regret. Still, it's the kind of thing that turns you off from a company.
Just Leave the Dang Package!
Look at that hastily scribbled, drawn-on scrap of paper. Multiple messages, cross-out words, and different kinds of writing utensils. And it was all for naught. The FedEx driver decided that it just couldn't be left, not even with the other person at 5E. Nope, it doesn't matter how much you ask the delivery driver sometimes, you are never going to get your package.
Beg, cry, plead – do anything you want, but you'd better be there to accept your package during the split second that the FedEx driver is at your door. Otherwise, it's another white slip of paper on your door.
Shipping Cakes Usually Doesn't Work Out
If you've ever tried to transport a cake to someplace that isn't exactly where you baked the cake, you know that this kind of thing is one of the most difficult tasks you can undertake. A single wrong movement and your cake is kaput, but there are some tools you can use to make it a little easier.
Of course, if you're shipping a cake in a box and have to rely on a company like FedEx, that cake is out of your hands and into the hands of someone who might not care that there are fragile things inside.
Excuse Me?
When we sat down to tell you all about these silly, sometimes stupid deliveries, we really didn't expect to get something like this. The fact that the package was sent through the window as the delivery method is something enough – having to put a package through the window isn't what you want to see written on any mailing slip.
And then we find out that the parcel might have accidentally gone in the toilet. This is like something out of a “Fawlty Towers” episode. How did it do that? Go on, tell us. We want to know.
A Sticky Situation (Sorry)
Maybe you've sent some brownies or something through the post, but we bet you've never sent barley malt syrup, which is what we're looking at here. FedEx decided the best way to do it was to send it upside-down, so everything is now covered in barley malt syrup.
We've never handled it ourselves, but we bet that's tough to clean up. It's the kind of mess that will require a hose and a bucket of soapy water to get everything even the littlest bit clean. Might have been nice if it had actually been sealed correctly, too.
Lion Down on the Job
This one really seems like it could have been avoided. Was there really no other way to place the package on the porch without having to disrupt the guardian lions on either side of the steps?
However, a bit of thinking reveals what really happened here: the package was leaned up against the window alongside the door, and it tipped over, not only striking the statue, but it might have done damage to the package as well. If the delivery driver was trying to cause damage, this is maybe the best way to do it.
Much Too Far to Go
We've all had those long, long, long days when going the extra mile seems like it's an impossible task. Maybe we've also had those days when even going the normal amount of miles seems impossible. We see an example of this happening here.
A FedEx guy must have been in a big hurry to get home and watch some “Wheel of Fortune,” because the six or seven extra steps it would have taken to put the box on the front step seems to have been a task that he or she just couldn't take on.
No, We Swear We Delivered It
The story attached to this picture says that the Canada Post had lost a number of packages that it says it had delivered, and it looks like this picture has all the evidence we need as to the reason why. As it turns out, just laying a package next to a collection of approximately a hundred mailboxes means that there are a lot of people that might just decide to grab your new present and walk away with it.
As long as nobody is watching, it's the perfect crime. Now, however, the news is out, and the Canada Post is going to get a very apologetic talking-to from a few members of this community.