FedEx ground delays delivery to Trinidad, residents are left without orders
TRINIDAD, Colo. (KRDO) - Over the last month, multiple residents in Trinidad have been experiencing extreme delays to their packages shipped through FedEx Ground. Some say they never got their boxes at all, while others are forced to drive over 80 miles to pick them up themselves. FedEx says that the "localized service delays" have to do with a FedEx ground service provider that "previously provided services to that area."
According to FedEx, the delays only impact FedEx Ground service, which is different than FedEx Express.
According to their website, FedEx Express delivers packages more quickly than FedEx Ground, and is less cost-effective. They also do not subcontract delivery like FedEx Ground delivery does.
According to the company, packages shipped through FedEx Express should still be delivered to Trinidad. The company is seeking to solve the delivery problems.
"Contingency plans have been implemented, including the deployment of additional delivery resources to restore service levels as quickly as possible," they said in an email statement. "In order to minimize operational disruption, we ask that customers refrain from calling or visiting the station to inquire about their package status and instead check fedex.com for package tracking and customer service assistance."
But Trinidad residents will watch their packages bounce from one location to another on their tracking site while waiting weeks for crucial deliveries. It's gotten so bad for Adam Gaffen, a resident of Trinidad, that he's stopped buying from retailers that use FedEx as their delivery system. He is an independent author and relies on the timely delivery of his books before he goes to conventions to make money.
“I'm going to [a] convention without some of the books that I was counting on selling at the convention, which directly impacts my bottom line,” Gaffen said.
According to Trinidad resident Amanda Armstrong, the community is banding together to get each other needed supplies. The problem is that residents who order products that get shipped through FedEx then have to drive 60 to 80 miles to get the products that never showed up, were lost, or were delayed past when they needed them.
Armstrong runs a small business raising livestock in her backyard and uses special feed she doesn't have access to in her area. She hasn't had access to that feed in over a month, so she's spending extra money on gas to find it elsewhere.
"At this point, I don't need results," Armstrong said. "I need action, I need my food. Who's going to pay for my gas? Who's going to pay for my time? Who is going to make up for all of this?"
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story inadvertently used video and images of a FedEx express location in Pueblo. A FedEx spokesperson confirms service delays impacting Trinidad do not involve FedEx Express. The service issues only impact customers using FedEx Ground service. We deeply regret this error in our previous reporting.
