FEDEX...

It’s not often (if at all) that I post non- work-related stuff on here but I have to vent. Since October FedEx have been taking money from my account because of an ‘internal error’. The initial incident was an invoice (money already efficiently removed from my account through auto-pay) for £336 for import charges. A company in Birmingham that does things with concrete for some reason had my account billed for their import charges. After I chased FedEx up about it with repeated phone calls I was reimbursed after about 3 weeks, being assured it wouldn’t happen again.

It did, £64 this time, same company in Birmingham. One of the helpful, and equipped to do their job properly, staff on the customer support line got shirty with me and asked why I was questioning the invoice as I’d imported goods and had to therefore pay. His synapses eventually fired and he realised he was talking utter pap. We worked our way through it. Again, a few weeks later the money was returned and a note had been put on the concrete company’s account to stop me being billed.

On the 13th March I received another invoice, this time for £228. I went through the same process and was assured on the 21st that the problem had finally been resolved, I’d get the money back and all would be fine. This was the first time I’d spoken to someone who seemed to be able to do something. I was also able to forward an email to them (another invoice arrived that day) so they could add the new invoice (only £8 this time!) to the ongoing situation. I was pleasantly surprised by the interaction.

It was a relief to know it was all over, the £236 I was owed was on it’s way back to me, and I could now send some art to a client in the US using Fed-Ex.

I awoke two days later to an email to say that my account had been disassociated with the concrete firm’s and all was well. Excellent. And another invoice. The thing about the ‘you’ve successfully paid using FedEx autopay’ invoices is that they don’t tell you how much money they’ve fleeced from your account. Still, I figured it was all sorted, the email from FedEx had assured me that all would be well, no need to worry about the invoice. It’d be an error, surely.

I decided to call Fedex that afternoon as the invoice had weighed on my mind. Still, I figured it was probably, at worst, going to be £50 or something. I'd get it back, eventually.

The invoice was for £816…and the accounts dept were closed until Monday. The person I spoke to was embarrassed and dumbfounded at her company’s ineptitude. It was marked as a level 4 priority (they understood that my account had been drained and I now would struggle to exist until the money was returned) and I’d get a call on Monday morning. Again, I believed FedEx.

I called FedEx this morning and was assured I’d receive a call before midday. Obviously, I didn’t. In fact, FedEx have never once called me throughout the entire ridiculous and now financially crippling affair. I've wasted a fair amount of time waiting for them to answer the phone, being put through to different departments and left waiting again as people spoke with their supervisors. FedEx really put themselves out to help their customers.

So, I called them again this afternoon, eager to know how quickly I’d have my money back in my account, why no-one’s called me (I did receive an email reply this afternoon to an email I sent Friday telling me FedEx are at fault and I’ll be reimbursed, nice, but I knew that, folks). Apparently, I’ll have the money back within 5 to 7 working days. I explained to the man that I have no money left to do things like pay bills and exist. He was sorry but that’s just how long it takes. Well fantastic, stellar, in fact. FedEx, through no fault of mine, have taken over £1000 from my account and will do nothing to rectify their mistake with any semblance of alacrity. Fair play to them. After all, they spend a lot of time taking great care in assuring that people's packages arrive intact, on time and to the right address (I know, a generic dig, but I'm not in the best of moods). The £228 from March 13th has yet to be returned so I expect the other £824 to returned sometime in May, possibly.

I was assured that it takes 5-7 working days to perform a bank transfer. Except it doesn't, does it…FedEx use the same bank as I do, bank transfers are pretty quick. Surely someone with a functioning mind and a semblance of compassion or conscience could just put my money back in my account? After all, it takes them only moments to remove money from my account for no reason at all.

Occasionally I've been accused of being a tad trigger happy to boycott shops, companies, towns etc (Pound Bakery for not having a sign up to state that they don’t accept card payments. I queued, with kids, for ages only to be told the hard truth. Put some cardboard up in the window, it isn't difficult.), I also keep it to myself, not wanting to kick anything off online, but in this case, FedEx unquestioningly deserve it.

Over the years FedEx have almost bent an oil painting in half, leaving a permanent crease through the middle (JSA #58 cover), bent another in multiple places causing multiple fractures across the entire art (Hawkman #16 cover) and lost another completely (JSA Strange Adventures #3). I accepted that. Wasn't happy about it, but I accepted it. Now they've taken me down financially and just don't care. So I'll boycott them. And anyone associated with them, sponsored by them, or deep down thinks they're a fine company.

Will my boycott make a difference? Not really, but then it seems there’s absolutely nothing else I can do about it except rant ineffectually and take it.

Here are some sketchcovers to look at, a small apology for having to sit through the above!