Shipping Issues

[AllenMueller]

We ordered the new Sense fitness tracker THREE WEEKS ago, direct from the FitBit website, and we still have not received it.

No updates, zero explanation from FitBit - just a tracking number linked to a package that has not arrived. The expected delivery date has been moved back 1-2x per week since we ordered - and we know this only because we have USPS informed delivery. Not getting any updates from FitBit!   

This will be the fourth FitBit device we've bought in 5 years. We've never had shipping issues before, and we cannot find any explanation for this online other than seeing lots of folks complaining about shipping taking forever.

What is going on, and why isn't FitBit attempting to communicate with us about it? 

[Odyssey13]

Hi @AllenMueller  once the item has left Fitbit, it's in the hands of the USPS. Packages from several different places are running slower than usual for me. USPS is the one you'd need to ask, but with the informed tracking, you have all the information the postal service is willing to hand out.

This screenshot is from the USPS site.

[USAF-Larry]

@AllenMueller, if you have USPS Informed Delivery, does it not tell you where the package is currently located within their shipping channels?

[AllenMueller]

Of course I use informed tracking. I also use it for the dozens of other packages we've received in a timely manner in the past few months. Packages that are shipped by responsive businesses and fulfillment centers. All of them are packages that don't sit at "shipment info received" or "label created" status for a week or more. 

November 27: placed order

December 1: received tracking number. Status: "Shipment Info Received" with expected delivery date of December 11. So Fitbit fulfillment service created a label - and then nothing more happened for the following week. In other words: FitBit fulfillment sat on our order for a week. Keep in mind, we ordered the product from the FitBit website explicitly because it was listed as "in stock".

Since ordering from FitBit's website, we've seen the same exact product (new FitBit Sense) in local stores on at least two occasions. In stock, decent quantity. We should have picked it up, but figured "Well, it's just a slight delay. We'll just be patient."

December 9: Processed at a "USPS origin facility" in Indianapolis

-Expected delivery date was changed to December 17-

December 10: "Departed USPS Regional Facility" in Indianapolis

-Expected delivery date listed as December 17-

December 18: "Arrived at USPS Regional Facility" in Atlanta

-Expected delivery date was changed to December 18-

December 19: Informed Delivery notified that the package would be delivered that day.

- Status changed to "In Transit, Arriving Late"- 

December 20: "In Transit, Arriving Late"

- no location information, no other information - 

December 21: "In Transit, Arriving Late"

- no location information, no other information - 

December 22: "In Transit, Arriving Late"

- no location information, no other information - 

Seems a bit lax to say "oh the package is in USPS's hands", especially when you're buying a premium piece of electronics. Apple doesn't do this, neither do the smaller boutique entities we buy from for internet of things devices, etc. Of course, Amazon doesn't do this ever, and will do whatever it takes to resolve missing or extremely delayed packages. However, the fine print in FitBit's warranties, combined with the rapid failure of two of the FitBit devices we've bought in the past has encouraged me to always buy direct from FitBit.

We paid for this nearly four weeks ago, and we're not getting a single "we're sorry your order has not arrived" message from FitBit. Nothing. Not a word, not any attempt to remedy the situation, or even apologize for the delay. 

[SunsetRunner]

@AllenMueller - All I can recommend I’d patience. The USPS is seeing unprecedented volume due to people shopping online in order to follow covid restrictions. I’ve had issues with USPS deliveries from many different retailers. I’ve found that even informed tracking is not working well. I live in Michigan and placed an order from a small Michigan retailer on 12/2. Just got notice that my package has arrived at the Richmond VA facility!!  I’m also still waiting for gifts I purchased the day after Thanksgiving. As @USAF-Larry & @Odyssey13  mentioned, the problem is with the USPS, not Fitbit. 

The reason why Amazon, UPS and other delivery companies are doing better is because they can restrict how many packages they accept. The USPS cannot turn anyone down. It’s a rough holiday season all around. 

[AllenMueller]

Patience is where I started, and what I'm trying to maintain. I'm aware of the current situation, and was aware of it before reading the previous replies in this thread. "USPS" only accounts for a portion of this delinquency.

• Transparency of FitBit website: The item was listed as in stock on the FitBit official website, but took over a week to process. Was it really in stock?

• Fulfillment: No matter who you buy from, USPS / FedEX / UPS receive packages from someone - aka fulfillment. It's either an internal division of a company, or a third-party service the company pays for. Fulfillment is a key part of how e-commerce works, or doesn't. This is where the first 8 days of delay occurred. 

• Communication: If thousands of customers are experiencing extremely long delays to their shipments that were listed in stock with a delivery date of _X_, then wouldn't that company want to release a statement saying what you've said, rather than relying on fans of their products to speak for them? This isn't a kickstarter, it's an established, publicly traded entity. 

[HeyJudiO]

I have had the same exact experience, and even though I ordered mine 3 days later than you (11/30) should have received it at least 2 weeks ago. I received the email that it had shipping only 1 day after the order - I was pleasantly surprised, since it stated it would ship 2 days after ordering. So although we ordered 2 days apart, our orders started shipping process the same day. Even if there hadn't been a week where it sat in limbo in pre-shipping and then in Indianapolis for 8 days beyond that, we should have received our orders by now. I know we are not alone - others have posted the same question on these boards. I have seen excuses posted about the Indianapolis USPS center being an issue (sounds like a decision should have been made to ship UPS or Fedex with that knowledge). HOWEVER, I have received many other packages from all over the country via USPS, UPS, and Fedex that were ordered standard shipping AFTER 12/15 - the date it supposed finally left the regional distribution center in question.

Thank goodness for me that this was not meant to be a Christmas present for anyone but myself, but would be totally up in arms if I had ordered a gift item IN STOCK from a reputable company and not received it yet. 

In the meantime, ironically, this past week I have receive promotion emails from Fitbit 'Final days for free overnight shipping'. How on earth can they offer overnight shipping (in reality 2 days in the fine print) when they can't even provide 5-7 day standard shipping within 25 days?

There, I'm done venting! Merry Christmas, and stay active...even if we can't track it!

[Heavilyass]

I'm getting tired of all these shipping problems, so I always keep track of all my items. In the past, when I had issues with delivery, I mostly went to the seller or tech support.

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Heavilyass  you posted to an old thread, where the last post was nearly a year ago. Shipping times have gotten bad across the board. First class mail can take two weeks from a town that is a ten minute drive for me. I was told Fed Ex would bring a package a few days ago, but only now does it say it is "pending", so it's hard to predict shipping times with any certainty. Last month, a UPS van was struck by a train, so those packages were scattered all over the ground. I'm not sure what is done in those cases. Did you currently have an issue with shipping?

[martiscore]

From what I know, once the item has left Fitbit, it's in the hands of the USPS. Packages from several different places are running slower than usual for me. USPS is the one you'd need to ask, but with the informed tracking, you have all the information the postal service is willing to hand out. Usually, USPS forgets to add additional information. That's why I'm not a big fan of it. Usually, I use a tracking number epacket for all my packages. They make daily updates for standard delivery and hourly for next-day delivery.