Most shippers ask for email address already but at most only send you the shipping status. It would not be that far of a jump to send you the option of changing the delivery options. Great idea!

You're absolutely right. Why couldn't others imitate Amazon that sends me(at least here in the UK) an e-mail every time they transfer the goods to the shipping company, incl. an estimated day of delivery.

I ship packages daily via Fedex and USPS for my business (www.RLT.com), and they already do this.

Fedex express and ground will send anemail with your tracking number and the deliveyr date. You can also log into the fedex.com website to get the info with your trackign number.

The post office shipping system (usps.com) sends a notice that the shipment is on it's way, but the post office is abysmal at service. I'd like to see Fedex and UPS get access to PO Boxes, so I don't have to use USPS anymore!

As the owner of a courier company I am very interested by your idea. The problems are that most courier companies try to reduce contact with clients as every point of contact is a very high cost (probably higher than a repeat delivery). A tracking request by phone can cost up to $2 for some of the large companies. Giving the client the option to re-route causes problems, especially via email, as it is not real time. People are not email wired continuously and until they are the idea will not work.

Default delivery to one location, but offer ability to change location to one of two or three pre-defined locations.

Send e-mail directing to web when package approaches decision point for addresses. If no response within X time, deliver to default address. Otherwise, deliver to alternative address indicated by web selection. This stops company from having to take it off truck A and put it on truck B.

As a receiving customer, you can set up a limited number of alternative addresses (home, work, neighbor), and agree to pay a $2 surcharge for alternative delivery (to fund website).

BigOldGeek has presented a workable system. I will experiment with it at my company. It will be interesting how many customers would be able to understand it and what the costs are in implimentation (changing the logistics system etc.) You would be surprised how little the average express courier client understands about the systems involved in getting a package from point A to point B.

very baked, they should do this by text message too (a few do already), as that's a bit more immediate

Here in England parcels are often delivered by an outfit called "ParcelForce" Except they don't actually deliver parcels. They just send you a little card saying that they called and you were out. You can then wait a week to ten days for them to deliver it to another address, or you can go and collect it yourself. You can't have it delivered on a Saturday as "we don't do Saturday deliveries". It's all a big con - they get paid to deliver but you have to collect it from their depot. How about if they just arranged a delivery time to suit the recipient? It ain't rocket science!

Good idea ! What about, instead of an e-mail, receive an SMS on your mobile phone ?

As the recipient is normally paying for the courier / delivery costs, why can't the customer say when he wants it delivered? And if the curier companies did evening deliveries, they find alot more people would be in.

A great idea. However, having in a previous job had some connection with this industry I believe the operators have been seeking hard for ways to address this problem, so if it was as easy as that I would have thought it would have been done. Whether this is the answer I am not sure. My solution (for all but the biggest consignments) would be that the courier deliver to the local taxi company (carefully vetted for trustworthiness). The taxi company would then ring, email, or text the customer before trying to deliver the package. As they would generally only try to deliver packages when a) they were going in the direction of the customer to pick up an fare and b) only when they knew you were in this would cut down the number of vehicle journeys as well. Plus has the little advantage that most of them operate 24 hours a day.

Me again, prompted by the comments about the UK's own dear Parcelforce. Another problem with consignments is that the buyer pays the vendor for the delivery - the dreaded "postage and packaging". The buyer therefore has no contract with the courier, therefore can only get redress from the vendor who generally could not give a toss so long as they can prove they delivered to the courier.

If the law required that the customer contracted with the courier I believe that customer service might improve. Some couriers perform in one delivery area better than others. Also it would be clear to the customer how much of the dreaded "P&P" went to the courier, and how much to the vendor. Hopefully they would not bother to charge seperately for packing as they would look silly especially if they inflated the charge. This would make price comparisons easier.

I live in a safe area and don't want to have to hustle home to meet the delivery company. Why not take the idea one step further and have the email give you an option to send an electronic signature authorizing the delivery company to leave the package at your house? This would be the electronic version of those little slips of paper UPS and the postman leave, giving you the option of signing the slip of paper for the delivery person to pick up on the second attempt.

Absolutely, should be obligatory and express mail companies should be required to use it on the penalty of having to deliver again within 6 hours at the agreed address.But please remember that even a fairly simple invention such as a phone seems to be beyond the capabilities of DHL (although they ask for your number at pick-up). This company seems to make a sport of delivering mail at the rare moments I am away from the delivery address, which adds at least one day, a lot of hassle and considerable cost to the operation.

This is a winner! Everyone gets something, and no new anything except a one-time effort is required. Way to go!

I submitted an idea Locking drop box that might be of interest, too. Not the same thing, but about the same subject -- saves having to dash home or recruit a neighbor.

The simplest and most realistic form I can see this working in, is simply to provide printable Driver Release forms on a courier's website. This would increase first-time deliveries without any costly human intervention. Next up the scale would be a database at the courier where recipients can store their delivery preferences. It wouldn't take a huge leap for the driver to be supplied with this data if a delivery address matches a stored profile.

Most the pro-active ideas suggested presume various channels of communication. I know several people who mail-order 'the old fashioned way', without the internet. I even know someone who doesn't have a phone (landline nor cellular) at all. And proactively contacting recipients is going to be costly, and possibly irritating (how many of us call-screen already?). Actions that take a simple step for the recipient, and very little effort/cost for the courier are likely to be the most viable.

Okay the simplest ideas are most probably the best...what about actually recruiting a neighbour. At any given time on my street...even during the middle of the day there are perhaps 20% of people at home. Housewifes, retired folk, self employed people etc.

Now if UPS, FEDEX etc. had a PREFERRED NEIGHBOUR scheme where each neighbourhood had a home which became the automatic default when a parcel could not be delivered then this question would be mute. the neighbour gets a small commision for each parcel they take in and the delivary company have a GUARENTEED drop off point within walking distance of the cutomers home.

To advertise this serrvice and get signups the parcels themselves contain a signup form which can be removed by just two people.

1. the person who was actually IN when the parcel was delivered and might want to earn an extra few bucks every month by taking in deliveries.

2. The nominated neighbour...who removes it because they already HAVE the delivary contract for that area.

This will not be a problem in the distant future when transporters are commonly used. In association with eBay and Paypal, Google Earth, Microsoft, and the U.S. Government, Fed Ex is already exploring a proposal to investigate the delivery solutions of tomorrow. Early beta testing has shown great potential, although personally, I am not in agreement with how it is being done. If you have experienced speedy deliveries, you may have been involved already.

Sending an e-mail is a nice convenience used by UPS and others to allow you to access the tracking information, but can cause expensive problems if you could re-route a package to work, a friend's house, or elsewhere just on the whim.

What you are asking for is to have Fed Ex know whether you are home so that deliveries can be made without incident. The problem is not with Fed Ex as much as it is with you. Fed Ex doesn't know whether you are home or not, at least for most folks.

The solution is quite simple. The early version of the transporter solution will be modified from what we have seen on Star Trek. Transporter Pads are currently too expensive to implement everywhere so some trucking will be necessary to transport goods to a transporter pad, which Fed Ex will have in its many shipping centers (the distribution center in Tennessee will no longer depend on planes or a large warehouse). Upon arrival at a shipping center, x-ray fingerprinting will be used to ensure the goods have arrived the same as they were initially shipped (before it is converted to digital data). Within hours and possible even minutes, you could be receiving your package. More on the transporter later.

As soon as we get the Personal Lojack chip implanted in the base of your skull, you can be tracked by the Federal Government to know where you are at all times. Fed Ex will not have the same privileges. When you are within your home perimeter, your "expecting delivery" signal data could be made available to Fed Ex at your decision, meaning that if you choose to take a nap, or retire for the evening, you could turn your "delivery availability" off. You may also choose to allow your signal to be radiated from any other suitable location that you are willing to take possession of an expected package. Likewise, if you desire to receive a package containing a gift for your significant other, you could choose to have the package delivered when you are alone (no other signals nearby) or in cases of marriage, your pre-arranged agreement to indicate the presence of a member of your family since permission is required beforehand.

Of course, the other half of the problem is that the Fed Ex trucks cannot haul every package that is being shipped so they will be converted to "Clean Room" transporter destinations. Each truck eventually will have the ability to receive a package nearly the size of the hauling area, however, the earliest implementations will be limited to 70 pounds due to transporter equipment size and the necessary gyro-dampening mounting pads. The trucks will be routed from central headquarters to drive along streets that have "expecting delivery" signals radiating. When an address is being arrived at, you will have a slight buzzing sensation in your neck, and you will hear (internally audible only) the Fed Ex delivery signal. Your desire to receive the package will be noted as you approach the front door. The package you are expecting will be transported electronically to the delivery truck as it comes to a stop. Your friendly Fed Ex delivery robot will carry the item to your front door. The signal from your arms that you have received a package that has the same weight and dimensions as the delivery robot just transferred confirms and completes the transaction. If you cannot handle a 70 pound load, you will need to "network" your "expecting delivery" signal with a good buddy for larger deliveries.

Since "material data" is extremely immense, Fed Ex will have one of the largest databases ever stored on Fault-Tolerant NonStop machines. Due to the large database necessary, packages will not be held for more than 48 hours before being returned at your expense, therefore, the ordering process will be initiated but will not actually start until the physical shipping process can be completed such that the data is stored for the shortest possible time. Most likely, the first trucking portion of the ordering process will be started while you are sleeping so that you can receive your package within a half-hour of waking up.

I apologize that I cannot give you more details on this project at this time. I give this much information because I do not feel that the beta testing was conducted in a truthful matter. Personally, I feel it is wrong to implant citizens without their knowledge. If you feel that you have been an early beta tester of this program against your will, you should visit your local hospital and request that the government implant be removed. If you do not have success on the first day, you should return each and every day and complain of the same problem until authorities take appropriate action.

I usually go online and put additional comments. Like, "Please leave package behind the front wall without requiring a signature."

The email would make it easier to just pop in and make it happen.

I travel for work and am only home on Fridays, this issue has burned me so many times... The question is how do you authenticate the recipient of the package on the phone and internet? I for one would actually be willing to pay for it, so i would envision a scheme that would force you to create an account and link it to a credit card. Then you would enter in your tracking number and online or on the phone set the delivery time. I woud play a few bucks for this service and it would actually SAVE fedex money

too late buddy ... it's done lone time ago

this already exists..

great idea!

fedex or aus post will leave a docket in your mail box if you arent home that way notifying u that we have your package. I do recieve items on my door step too these are items from ebay. You may possibly live in an unsecure area or something.

I used to live in an urban area in the shadow of a high school. UPS and FDX didn't feel comfortable leaving anything on the doorstep, so they always left a knocker, forcing me to go to their website, arrange for Will Call, then wait about two days for the the package to be removed from the truck and placed in the station office for me.

I now live on an acre on a quiet street. UPS and FDX now ding-dong-ditch packages on my doorstep, unless it's "Signature Required".