SALT LAKE CITY-- People across Utah are frustrated that shipping company FedEx isn't meeting delivery deadlines, with delays up to several weeks. The customers say they're not satisfied with the company's response when they call to complain.
For most of the customers, the shipments appear to sit at a warehouse near their home for days or weeks, without being delivered. Now, they want answers-- and their packages.
Justin Belknap is one of the frustrated customers. He explained he relies on FedEx for items he can't buy locally for his small business, K&B Customs. Not many people do what Justin does-- he crafts homes for exotic creatures.
As he worked on a small black structure Wednesday evening, he explained how he outfits it to house reptiles. "These hold tubs for the snakes," he said, pointing to empty shelves.
Christmas orders have kept him busy, but Justin has also been busy checking his phone as he waits on five packages to arrive. He said he's waiting for heating tape, tubs, thermostats and lights.
"These don't do good for my clients without the tubs, without all the parts," he said.
A week or so ago, Justin explained, FedEx notified him that his stuff arrived in Salt Lake City. It showed that the packages made it to the North Salt Lake warehouse, but Justin said they were never delivered after that.
When he called, he said they told him something different each time.
"The contractor for this area quit. I got told that they had a walkout," he said, of the reasons FedEx gave that his packages weren't delivered. "That's what I hated, was just getting excuses and nobody saying, 'Hey! Here's your package.'"
Casie Meisenheimer knows those apparent excuses well. She said her $400 Cricut machine's been sitting somewhere in a FedEx Salt Lake City facility for nearly four weeks.
"I've now called about six/seven times and I just get the same thing over and over," she said.
She said she's even offered to go pick her package up, but the employees told her she can't do that.
FOX 13 spoke with a number of other people online through social media and text about similar problems. Many sent screenshots showing that their shipments made it to Salt Lake, then sat for days without being delivered.
FedEx sent a statement Wednesday evening addressing the delivery delays:
“FedEx continues to experience high package volumes as holiday shipping deadlines are upon us. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work closely with our local service providers to implement contingencies, such as securing additional resources, to ensure holiday deliveries are made as soon as possible.”
Casie wonders if her package was just lost. However, she said FedEx refuses to mark her package as "lost." So she has to continue waiting.
"Send me a new one or give me my refund, because they can't even do that right now," she said.
Justin said the delays are now affecting his business because he isn't able to complete orders on time. He worries his clients won't get their reptile enclosures in time for Christmas.
"I've had a couple of people that have actually canceled orders on me," he said. "This has cost me money."
He said he paid to overnight some of the supplies he's missing, which means Justin is paying more for shipping and is having to buy the same products twice.
Only this time, he said he made sure FedEx didn't handle his deliveries.
