Federal Express is Useless in Japan
NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

I made the mistake of having something shipped from The States to myself in Japan via Federal Express. FedEx has very un-Japanese (and hence horrible) service in Japan. My package cleared Japanese customs at about noon on Friday, and had I shipped with any other carrier I would have the package in my hands on Saturday. Yet here it is two days later and FedEx's tracking hasn't even updated. I called FedEx Japan, and they're closed!. “Call Back Monday”.

I paid through the nose for the fastest shipment possible, only to find that I chose a lazy, clueless company. Sigh.

I should have known to expect this... this is a company that won't leave packages in the secure package boxes that modern condos have to hold deliveries for residents who aren't home at the time. Every other express delivery service uses them, and I've gotten bitten in the past by FedEx not using them, having to contort my schedule to match theirs. What a hassle.

Never again. FedEx, you are worthless in Japan.


All 5 comments so far, oldest first...

Fedex isn’t much better in the U.S. I’ve caught a driver sticking the “sorry we missed you” tag on my door without ever even ringing the door bell. Or knocking in any sort of detectable way. That driver was caught by dint of his heavy tread upon the stairs. And more than once I’ve somehow manage to “miss” them despite the fact that I was home…

It seems like warehouse-to-warehouse shipping (I inevitably have to go pick the packages up) ought to be cheaper…

— comment by Ken on October 31st, 2010 at 2:22pm JST (13 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

That’s a bummer, because (as you well know) in the US they’re pretty much the cream of the crop for level of service in an express package service. I routinely “pay more for service” by using them instead of Brown or (shudder) the USPS.

— comment by Derek on October 31st, 2010 at 2:30pm JST (13 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

I once had to FedEx something from Japan, and this involved going to their office down in Osaka.

There basically IS no FedEx in Japan. Just like four losers running around in purple shirts who get paid minimum wage. Since Kuroneko rocks so much, though, who cares?

— comment by Zak on October 31st, 2010 at 6:35pm JST (13 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Yup, FedEx, DHL, etc – steer well clear in Japan. Their other nice trick is to pay any import duty (usually the maximum possible) for you, and then bill you for it separately.

I one had my DHL customs declaration sent back to my house by a kindly member of the public, after the DHL guy left it blowing round the street in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Japan Post EMS on the other hand – as fast as Fedex – and a fraction the cost!

— comment by Gavin on October 31st, 2010 at 8:28pm JST (13 years, 6 months ago) comment permalink

Fedex is a rubbish service in UK. More than 60% of their deliveries are not getting result. No messages left -cards nothing, plenty of loose because of their lack of customer care. Completely useless , one of the worst couriers i’ve ever had . For me they’re just losers and their time is counted, looking forward their bankruptcy.

Unhappy customer

— comment by Marek Olszewski on March 14th, 2014 at 8:57pm JST (10 years, 1 month ago) comment permalink
Leave a comment...


All comments are invisible to others until Jeffrey approves them.

Please mention what part of the world you're writing from, if you don't mind. It's always interesting to see where people are visiting from.

IMPORTANT:I'm mostly retired, so I don't check comments often anymore, sorry.


You can use basic HTML; be sure to close tags properly.

Subscribe without commenting