Has anyone used the UPS my choice options to either a) delay shipment or b) have the package held at a local hub? These options sound great in theory, but I’m curious how they really play out in practice.
We’re supposed to allow a 6 week window after receiving the magic email, which has the potential to overlap with travel plans. Rather than refuse the email or cancel a trip, I’d like an option B if needed. I see that UPS My Choice offers the options to “Hold at Will Call” or “Deliver my Package on Another Day”, but after hearing some of the delivery horror stories, I’m a tad wary.
Have you used either of these options? How did it work out?
At no additional charge, UPS can hold your package up to five days at their local center awaiting a will call pick-up. If your vacation will be for more than a week, it’s possible that this won’t work for you.
Right, I see that they offer these options - but based on too many years of shipping fiascos (with every major shipper) I’m not very trusting of the sales pitch. Have you used either of these services, and were they as described?
I’m just afraid of accepting the email, setting up a “hold for pick up” with UPS, and then learning that the package was tossed on my rainy doorstep anyway. Don’t want our house sitter to have to miss work waiting for the delivery (especially given how poor UPS have been about correct dates) or to have to singlehandedly lug that thing up our awkward stairs.
Okay here’s my experience: My GF was going to be delivered on a Thursday that I absolutely could not take off work, and there is no way I can pick up my Glowforge from UPS given my tiny car and my physical injuries, so I went and signed up for UPS My Choice as the ship notification e-mail suggested.
It was not free. Sign up for the My Choice thing was free, but it cost me $5 per package (so $10 total, since I already got the PG materials) to delay delivery until the next Monday. When I went to change the delivery date it gave me a calendar with a bunch of choices, and if I remember correctly it went out at least a week, if not more. They may charge more for a longer hold.
I actually wanted to change the delivery to Friday (just the next day) but they didn’t give me that as an option.
Once I changed my delivery date they gave me a new delivery window of 9AM to 1PM on the day indicated. I could pay additional money to narrow it down to a 2 hour window ($8 per package) but I decided not to. The packages showed up at the new time as expected.
There’s a premium tier My Choice account which costs $20 or something and maybe that offers more features? I’m not sure because I didn’t care enough to investigate.
One important note is that they can only delay delivery if you request it within a certain time window, probably before they pack the trucks early morning or something. I had a day to do that. Some people on the forums said they got the notification of tracking number right before getting the thing delivered. I would suggest signing up for the free My Choice account ASAP because then UPS will send you a message whenever any package going to your address enters their system so you don’t miss that window.
I had mine held for pickup. I did it to avoid that last riding around in the truck on its end and getting moved around out of the way all day. So I picked it up on the same day that it arrived at the hub, so I don’t have any experience with them holding it longer. They checked my ID and I signed for it and I was on my way. Also they let me borrow a cart to wheel it out to the car. My wife and I had no trouble lifting it into the car.
Hold at Hub will be my choice also, for the same reason.
I imagine it is all sort of bulk until in the local hub where it breaks down, so damage is probably on that last leg, dragging and kicked around in a one man truck.
Me too. I had mine held for the same reason and I picked it up the same day. I’ve had other non-GF items held in the past and I’ve never had any trouble at all.
The UPS employees even offered to help get my GF into my car, although I declined. I don’t think that’s standard practice for UPS, but the people at my local UPS Customer Center are always very helpful, particularly if I go there at at time when they’re not too busy. (10 AM on a weekday is usually pretty good.)
Unsure if this will work but: Possible Life Hack.
All packages ought to be on the same truck so if you pay the $8 for one box, they’ll deliver all of them at the same time. …or should if it’s on the same truck. It just wouldn’t make good sense to deliver twice.
My second GF(that UPS gladly sent back from the hub as damaged-didn’t even get on the truck to get it to me) I paid for the 2 hour window. Amazon packages showed up during that window.(The paypal charge never finished being charged as the GF box didn’t make it.)
My Pro is waiting for me right now at the UPS hub because I am out of town. I got the alert from UPS before I got the shipment notice from and had it held. Both came the day before expected delivery.
I will be back in time but the short notice and 5 day pickup window would have been a problem with slightly worse timing.
It seems to vary quite a bit, depending on where you’re located and which model you ordered. I think it seems to averaging about 3 weeks right now (and if I’m wrong on that, someone will be sure to correct me quickly) .
I haven’t used My Choice (just signed up today as I might be in the same boat as you). I have, however, called UPS on many occasions after a missed delivery and asked them to hold it at the hub for pickup. Except for one instance I was able to pick the package up that night. The one time I couldn’t is because the truck did not get back to the yard before the office closed for the night. It may have been during the holidays, I don’t recall.
I have never had any trouble with them holding the package.
I called our local UPS dropoff location, who said they hold packages for a week, then UPS picks them up again and attempts to contact the shipee, then they return it to the dropoff location again for up to another week before returning to shipper. That may just be a local policy though.
Has anyone else had difficulty installing the UPS (UPS Mobile) app on their iPhone? I’ve tried downloading it a few times, and it just spins after I authenticate with touch ID.
I’ve had other large and heavy (though not as heavy as the glowforge) packages held at UPS through the My Choice app. It’s always worked out and been convenient if my husband or I couldn’t wait at home for an expensive item to show up. I plan to use it for the glowforge as well if one of us can’t stay home - and as a bonus I’ll be pleased to have it on one less delivery truck. And as has been mentioned, they need some advance notice to make any change in your delivery scheduling.
Signed up for My Choice so I could have the Glowforge held at the hub. I couldn’t (as in My Choice told me that choice was unavailable) change the delivery to be picked up at the hub, so I called and spoke to customer service to have it held at the hub. It half worked… the smaller accessories box got held but the big box with the machine got put on the truck and sent out for delivery. So, make you verify that BOTH boxes are to be held at the hub.
UPS My Choice delivery was scheduled for the first day of a 21 day business trip I was sent on. Wait 2 years for the GF and they ship it when I’m supposed to be out of the country (my luck). I used UPS My Choice to ship it to my girlfriends Mothers house. Shipping to another address is one of the options that are available (for a cost of $5 per package - so it cost me $10). It worked flawlessly.
Pro is waiting for me right now at the UPS hub because I am out of town. I got the alert from UPS before I got the shipment notice from 
So, make you verify that BOTH boxes are to be held at the hub.