On What Planet Does This Make Sense?

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Downton Abbey Season 3 DVDs which I ordered last fall. I was notified that they shipped on Saturday, so I checked this morning on the status. And I had to shake my head at what I found. The DVDs were shipped out of Seattle. But instead of coming directly to Boise (505 miles from Seattle), they went first to Louisville, KY (2,439 miles from Seattle) and then will travel back to Boise (1,875 miles from Louisville) for delivery tomorrow.

Instead of 505 total miles to get here, the DVDs will have traveled 4,314 to get here. On what planet does that make sense?

THIS?

 

Complete trip: Seattle to Boise, 505 miles

 

OR THIS?

 

Leg #1: Seattle to Louisville, 2439 miles

Leg #2: Louisville to Boise, 1875 miles

 

Just sayin'.

~robin

 

Comments

[Myra]

Actually, this is almost as crazy as what happened to me. Twice recently, I've ordered replacement water and A/C filters from an online company I've done business with for a few years now. Even after updating all my account info with them after we moved nearly two years ago, they still shipped these last two orders to our old address!

Then, after this last fiasco, I discovered the company is located only about 15 miles from where I live now! So an order that should have arrived in a couple of days ended up taking over two weeks!

[Robin Lee Hatcher]

15 miles!! Oh, that is funny, Myra.

[Leslie]

It makes sense on the planet of United Parcel Service, otherwise known as UPS. It obviously shipped by next day air or second day air - and that's the way it works. Louisville is UPS's hub. (Memphis, Tennessee is FedEx's.) Had it shipped via ground (a truck), it would have come a much straighter and shorter route, with no guarantee of getting to you on the day it did. But it still might have, seeing as how Seattle and Boise are relatively close and most likely Boise is a ground hub. But it's usually up to the company to decide how they want their merchandise shipped.

*My husband used to work for UPS. ;-)

[Sandie]

I have had this happen many times. I don't know what the criteria is or how they figure these things out, but it certainly is not the shortest distance. Thanks, Leslie, for the inside scoop.

[Robin Lee Hatcher]

Leslie, I figured it had to do with 2 day delivery. But still...

[Susan Mason]

No wonder shipping costs have sky-rocketed lately!

Geesh!!

[Cecilia Marie Pulliam]

I so agree it doesn't make much sense. I do a lot of shipping at work, and I am amazed that sometimes FedEx 2nd day air is cheaper than ground. I know it all depends on regularly scheduled flights and services, but still. So it does pay to check out the estimated delivery dates as well as cost when looking at choosing a ship method. Logic has nothing to do with it.