Atlanta woman says delivery service lost her insulin, thousand dollar sneakers
By Harry Samler
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ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — Fetch Delivery, based in Austin, Texas, started in 2016 and introduced itself as “Your personal delivery experts providing direct-to-your-door delivery to your entire apartment community. We make sure your packages get to you safe and sound.”
Fetch said it delivers to 300 communities in metro Atlanta, and operates in 25 markets across the U.S., delivering more than 35,000 packages daily.
But apartment tenants across the U.S. are online complaining about lost packages, and one Atlanta resident said her problems started with Fetch after the delivery service allegedly lost the bed her husband ordered on Amazon.
“I’m tired of them,” Scherrelle Crocker said. “At first, I thought it was great. I don’t have to worry about packages being stolen. I can have them delivered when I want to. I can pick them up if I want to.”
But the missing bed — which she said Amazon eventually replaced — was one of seven lost or missing items totaling $2,500. Her lost items include a $200 fire pit from Walmart, a pair of Nike shoes, and a $1,600 pair of Alexander McQueen tennis shoes she bought in April for her daughter’s 21st birthday.
“How do you lose a package that’s coming to you, that you are physically signing for,” Crocker said.
She shipped the shoes through the U.S. Post Office and obtained a copy of the pickup signature that was simply signed “Fetch.”
The Better Business Bureau took in 472 verified complaints in the last three years. Of Yelp’s 501 reviews, 437 are negative, and out of 300 Google reviews, only 15 are positive.
“Apartment renters want convenience and the highest service level possible,” said Michael Patton, founder and CEO of Fetch. “We believe Fetch is the package management amenity that meets both of these renter expectations. We enable residents to receive their packages directly at their door at a time that is most convenient for them. Our latest Atlanta-area CSAT service levels are 96% with nearly 3,000 positive resident reviews in the last week.”
Said Patton: “We understand that Ms. Crocker had a negative experience and we do not take that lightly. We will continue to monitor her deliveries closely with her regarding any issues she may have. If for some reason we are not able to find a package, we will work with Ms. Crocker directly about a replacement or reimbursement per our terms and conditions.”
Crocker and other tenants at The Sorelle Luxury Apartments in Buckhead are required to use Fetch and pay the leasing office $18 a month for the service. There is no opting out.
Patton said Fetch currently services 100 communities in the metro Atlanta market.
When asked if she would consider setting up a post office box or picking up deliveries in person, Crocker said, “I don’t feel that I should have to do that when I have an address, a residence, and a mailbox that I pay for.”
Fetch answers questions from Better Call Harry:
What is Fetch doing to safeguard and track customers’ packages?
Customer service is our top priority and we are always looking for ways to improve our package handling and safety protocols to optimize our services.
Our warehouses are staffed to align with inbound delivery times. We work with all major carriers to ensure that large drop-offs occur early in the day to allow time to process resident packages and dispatch for same-day delivery. We leverage scanning technologies that allow our teams to process and track hundreds of packages within minutes.
Apartment renters want convenience and the highest service level possible. We believe Fetch is the package management amenity that meets both of these renter expectations. We enable residents to receive their packages directly to their door at a time that is most convenient for them. Our latest Atlanta-area CSAT service levels are 96% with nearly 3,000 positive resident reviews in the last week.
What is the process for pick up at the post office? Do Fetch employees sign their names?
One Fetch Atlanta warehouse does pick up from the post office. However, USPS carriers drop off at our other market warehouse locations. Whether Fetch picks up or USPS drops off, the inbound package process is the same. Packages are scanned into our facilities and dispatched to our Fetch drivers for resident delivery.
Who delivers the packages? Are they employees or contractors, and how do they safeguard the packages?
Fetch has a mix of W2 drivers and independent contractors to deliver resident packages. Through our technology, we are able to track driver locations and they are required to update the system when a package is delivered and do so with either a signature or a photo of the package delivered to the resident’s door.
We work closely with each resident to rectify any delivery issues or delays. In the event that Fetch does not fulfill our service correctly, we work with residents to process a reimbursement pursuant to our terms and conditions.
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