UPS Trumps NSA

What can BROWN do for you? 

We have all heard the slogan from the UPS ads trying to encourage us to use the shipping company for ALL our logistical needs. UPS seems to be the shipper of choice with most companies that have online services and thus have to deliver products nation wide or farther. As many others, I have had UPS knock on my door more times than I can count.

Ignored warnings:
A few years ago there was some bad press with statements and even videos about drivers with UPS (and FedX also) throwing packages over fences and other not so professional deliveries. It seemed that both companies cleaned up their act. That being said I can personally attest to the fact that customers are not their first priority, nor do they have 100% completion of their shipping promises. Couple Christmases ago we ordered a gift that we paid to be guaranteed delivered by Christmas Eve. The tracking site said that Christmas Eve morning the package was on the truck and 'out for delivery'..... yet the delivery NEVER came on Christmas Eve, it did however come the day after. No apologies, no excuses, nothing on how it got put on the truck yet never delivered.

Present day......

I recently ordered some shipments from companies online, I was not given a choice about shipping company, so the orders were shipped UPS. At this point I had NO issues with that arrangement. However, my hours can be some what irregular, so I decided that I would take old advice from UPS from the holiday to have a "MyUPS" profile and then could schedule drop offs or electronically sign for deliveries and give permission for package drop off if I'm not home.

Sounds like a great idea, right???? I thought so too. So, when I saw that packages were on their way and scheduled to arrive when I wasn't sure I would be home, I clicked to sign up for a profile. I provided my name and address and email and expected an email for verification. I got a 'Welcome to MyUPS' email but nothing about verifying my account, back to the site tab to see what it would say, it showed step 2, verification...cool, I'm almost set......WTF!!!!!

Complete and total shock!! Absolute disbelief!! How? Where? Are you kidding me?!?!?!

MyUPS verification is 3 'security' questions, doesn't sound that bad, does it, lots of sites let you chose security questions for verification if you lose your password, and on those sites you pick the questions and then TYPE in your answer. That is not how UPS works......

UPS has either compiled or paid for access to some database somewhere that claims to have information apparently on EVERY person in the USA! Comprehensive information, information that is vast and goes back decades into a person's life. Information that you have NOT given to them or given them permission to maintain on you!

There is absolutely NO sense of morality or presence of anything resembling ethics in the Board Room of UPS. Without any regard to a persons right to privacy or welfare, UPS randomly and without any conscious of damage they might do to their customers violates individuals' right to privacy by asking questions that names names of third persons that may or may not be related to you that you according to their data has or had some 'relationship' with you in the past.

Did their Legal Department even look at this policy/procedure before it was implemented? If their access and irresponsible use of basically what appears to be complete and comprehensive histories every 'American', maybe even every person on the planet, or at least in EVERY country that UPS does business, isn't illegal, it should be and at least is totally cruel and callous.

Let me give generic examples, ones that UPS' Legal team should have presented from the start;

Question 1: In what state did you and XXXX XXXXX last reside together
                         your are then provided with multiple choice answers
Question 2: In what city did you and XXXX XXXXX (same name as question 1) last reside together
                         again you are provided with multiple choice answers
Question 3: In what month was ZZZZZ ZZZZZ born
                       yes, more multiple choice answers

Now those of you who have never had any bad experiences or relationships and are lucky enough to have had a fairy tale rainbow life might think so what is the big deal.........

What if you were in the most perfect relationship and XXXXX was that person and some awful tragedy ended their life and you were devastated. You spent years in therapy and moved to a new place and have finally accepted the loss and moved forward....... Until you won't be home to receive a delivery from UPS!
SLAM, UPS wants you to relieve that loss just to get your package!

What if you were in an abusive relationship and XXXXX was that abuser and now 10+ years later when you finally don't wake up from nightmares, don't jump every time the phone rings or someone knocks at the door and you feel like a normal regular person.......But you need to schedule a delivery!
NOPE, UPS has just thrown that nightmare right back in your face!

What if your uncle/aunt, who is ZZZZZ, was the person that raised you after your parents death and was the most dear person in your life and they died last year and you are still grieving and you need UPS to leave a box on the porch.....
ONLY IF, you tell UPS when their birthday is!

What if you were molested by a family member, someone you never had any legal or credit interactions with EVER and that is ZZZZZ? Where is UPS' compassion that you spent years in therapy and moved 3000 miles away and started over again just to have them ask you when that jerk's birthday is?
SORRY, NOT! UPS doesn't care about that they have to verify for delivery!

ALL this just to know that package will be delivered between 2 and 5 instead of on Monday.
ALL this just to ask UPS to leave the package at the door.
ALL this to just electronically sign for a package.

And on top of the mental duress that UPS willingly and knowingly puts it customers under, their information in their data base is not 100% accurate, so if you actually 'man-up' to their abuse your answer about where you lived last might not be their 'right' answer and then what? Does UPS expect you to strip your life history bare just to receive a box???
Yet, UPS lets anyone who answers the door at an address take a package and or sign whatever name for package, WITHOUT verification!!!

Suffice it to say, I will NEVER willingly do business with UPS ever again. I might also change which online businesses I conduct other business with if they cannot offer me other options rather than UPS. Don't worry UPS, I will tell those companies that I drop that they were dropped cause they conduct business with YOU!

As of now, UPS is declared persona non grada in my business!