Weird AirTags shipping experience

[Canyda]

Was talking with a co-worker on Monday about all the air travel issues happening and she mentioned she's checking bags for an upcoming trip and is terrified of losing her luggage. I asked if she had looked into AirTags.

Long story short, we both decided that we should order ourselves AirTags for upcoming travel.

We both bought a pack of 4, both from the Apple Canada website. We live in the same city. She ordered about 30 minutes before I did. Neither one of us picked the "express shipping" option or paid for faster shipping. It was all default shipping settings.

Her's were supposed to come on Tuesday (i.e., the next day), but actually arrived Wednesday. Even though I only ordered a half-hour later, mine were originally set to arrive today (Friday), but by Monday afternoon, my delivery got bumped to Monday, July 18.

So weird.

 

[Canyda]

In what can only be described as an Alanis Morrissette level of irony....

FedEx lost my AirTags package.

 

[Howard2k]

In what can only be described as an Alanis Morrissette level of irony....

FedEx lost my AirTags package.

Sorry, but that IS funny. I hope they turn up soon.

 

[darngooddesign]

Is it bad that I read this as Weird Al?

 

[Canyda]

Is it bad that I read this as Weird Al?

View attachment 2031953

It is not as Weird Al is awesome.

I called Apple today and they are refunding me. I bought new AirTags online and picked them up in store.

If FedEx finds the package I just bring the mislaid AirTags to the Apple store.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Fedex is about to become a word like futz.

Two items shipped to me via Fedex were 'late'. One, Saturday delivery, went to the local hub, then back to their east coast hub in Memphis, and then back to the local hub. Arrived Monday. So much for paying for Saturday delivery.

Amazon third party vendor, shipped from Chicago. Originally quoted as arriving Wednesday. 'Left' the Chicago area hub with plenty of time to get to the local hub this morning. NOPE... It's on the road somewhere between here and there.

HOWEVER, something really bizarre happened. I have UPS snagging things going through their 'SmartMail' service and upgrading them to UPS delivery instead of rerouting through the local PS. Well, the shipper sent my order in two separate packages, and (you can guess, right?) UPS only 'upgraded' one of them. The USPS routed one arrived yesterday. The UPS one is due tomorrow. How's that for weird. I did the UPS upgrade because the USPS 'delayed' a shipment for nearly a week that should have been here, via UPS, the next day. Some days you're the dog, and some days you're the fire hydrant, I guess...

 

[darngooddesign]

Fedex is about to become a word like futz.

Two items shipped to me via Fedex were 'late'. One, Saturday delivery, went to the local hub, then back to their east coast hub in Memphis, and then back to the local hub. Arrived Monday. So much for paying for Saturday delivery.

Hey now, you actually received it before (the next) Saturday.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Hey now, you actually received it before (the next) Saturday.

Well, yeah, but...

Damn! You might be right! *sigh*

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Fedex is about to become a word like futz.

Two items shipped to me via Fedex were 'late'. One, Saturday delivery, went to the local hub, then back to their east coast hub in Memphis, and then back to the local hub. Arrived Monday. So much for paying for Saturday delivery.

Amazon third party vendor, shipped from Chicago. Originally quoted as arriving Wednesday. 'Left' the Chicago area hub with plenty of time to get to the local hub this morning. NOPE... It's on the road somewhere between here and there.

HOWEVER, something really bizarre happened. I have UPS snagging things going through their 'SmartMail' service and upgrading them to UPS delivery instead of rerouting through the local PS. Well, the shipper sent my order in two separate packages, and (you can guess, right?) UPS only 'upgraded' one of them. The USPS routed one arrived yesterday. The UPS one is due tomorrow. How's that for weird. I did the UPS upgrade because the USPS 'delayed' a shipment for nearly a week that should have been here, via UPS, the next day. Some days you're the dog, and some days you're the fire hydrant, I guess...

It showed up this evening. The UPS upgraded package. No fanfare, no nothing. I saw it on the front porch. After opening it, and already washing the thing, I got the email from UPS. Rather late for a delivery, but it's here. No idea where that one from Chicago is. Oh well...

UPDATE: That Chicago package just showed up in a different hub! It might be here tomorrow, but I'm betting on Thursday. Wow... At least it's not going back to Memphis, so points for Fedex I guess... Especially considering it didn't go through Memphis (yet)...

Another USPS story, package from the west side of the state, ships on Saturday. I expect it Monday, as usual. Shows up FRIDAY, all drunk, disheveled, bruised, delirious and totally unaware where it has been all that time.

 

[Canyda]

FedEx popped up a notification overnight that my original AirTags are at the Edmonton airport and scheduled to be delivered today. Only a week after the original delivery date.

Guess I'll be making another trip to the Apple Store to return them.

 

[aqareegypt]

thanks

 

[FHoff]

I really don’t understand what the purpose of putting AirTags in your luggage serves.
If the airline loses your bags what are the AirTags gonna do for you?

 

[Canyda]

I really don’t understand what the purpose of putting AirTags in your luggage serves.
If the airline loses your bags what are the AirTags gonna do for you?

Tell the airline where to find it.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I really don’t understand what the purpose of putting AirTags in your luggage serves.
If the airline loses your bags what are the AirTags gonna do for you?

If they were lost in Times Square, let's say. You will get a location. Getting there is another problem, but at least you will know where they are (were).

I had disagreements a few times. The luggage carts are great Faraday cages, and block the signal from those AirTags. DOH!

Once Delta skipped a bag. Never got the 'Your bag is on the plane' message but Find My showed they were at least at the tarmac location the plane was at. A good sign. But another connection, Delta showed the bags were on the plane, but Find My showed they were at the main baggage sorting system at the airport, like at the other end of the airport. You win some, and then you just have to hope...

 

[AsherN]

I really don’t understand what the purpose of putting AirTags in your luggage serves.
If the airline loses your bags what are the AirTags gonna do for you?

When I travelled to Germany last summer, it allowed me to immediately go report my luggage didn't make the flight instead of waiting by the carousel. And being able to show that the bag was indeed still home speeded things up.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

When I traveled to Germany last summer, it allowed me to immediately go report my luggage didn't make the flight instead of waiting by the carousel. And being able to show that the bag was indeed still home sped things up.

You left your bag home?

I had 'Find My' show my one bag still at the last airport I flew from and Delta missed the scan too. Nothing to do but hope. I mean, honestly sometimes more information is not helpful at all. I sat there for over 5 hours wishing I was flying in that state of ignorance just believing that my one bag *was* on the plane. Now it was like Schrodinger's cat: both here and not.

Turned out it was, and it ended well, but the flight I was on was the only flight each day, and who knows how long they might take to find it, and it was, of course, the one containing all of my clothes. I could have lost the other one easier.

 

[AsherN]

You left your bag home?

I had 'Find My' show my one bag still at the last airport I flew from and Delta missed the scan too. Nothing to do but hope. I mean, honestly sometimes more information is not helpful at all. I sat there for over 5 hours wishing I was flying in that state of ignorance just believing that my one bag *was* on the plane. Now it was like Schrodinger's cat: both here and not.

Turned out it was, and it ended well, but the flight I was on was the only flight each day, and who knows how long they might take to find it, and it was, of course, the one containing all of my clothes. I could have lost the other one easier.

Home meaning my home airport.

 

[msackey]

I had 'Find My' show my one bag still at the last airport I flew from and Delta missed the scan too. Nothing to do but hope. I mean, honestly sometimes more information is not helpful at all. I sat there for over 5 hours wishing I was flying in that state of ignorance just believing that my one bag *was* on the plane. Now it was like Schrodinger's cat: both here and not.

Turned out it was, and it ended well, but the flight I was on was the only flight each day, and who knows how long they might take to find it, and it was, of course, the one containing all of my clothes. I could have lost the other one easier.

Referencing the highlighted red text above:

I absolutely agree with that statement. On other threads, I have expressed curiosity what having AirTags would really do for lost luggage. I don’t deny there can be some utility with the information that AirTags could provide, but also consider the problem of having too much information or even any information at all. Sometimes, you may have additional information that you can’t act on, doesn’t add to your emotional health, or maybe worse it increases your anxiety. Having additional information may sometimes lead one down to a frantic level of trying to take back control of a situation when you could have just left that problem to some other entity and let it be.

This is not a direct analogy but there is some similar line of thought with Malcolm Gladwell’s notion in the paradox of choice in which having too many choices can often lead to poor judgement, paralysis, or being overwhelmed. It’s an American general belief that individuals should have all choices available and all information available to them, but the fallacy in that is can the individual process all that information and make sense/make use of it? Short answer often is NO.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Home meaning my home airport.

I know. Sorry. I was on vaca and said I was heading 'home', and people were shocked. 'Don't go home!' I'm just going back to the hotel,my home away from home.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Referencing the highlighted red text above:

I absolutely agree with that statement. On other threads, I have expressed curiosity what having AirTags would really do for lost luggage. I don’t deny there can be some utility with the information that AirTags could provide, but also consider the problem of having too much information or even any information at all. Sometimes, you may have additional information that you can’t act on, doesn’t add to your emotional health, or maybe worse it increases your anxiety. Having additional information may sometimes lead one down to a frantic level of trying to take back control of a situation when you could have just left that problem to some other entity and let it be.

This is not a direct analogy but there is some similar line of thought with Malcolm Gladwell’s notion in the paradox of choice in which having too many choices can often lead to poor judgement, paralysis, or being overwhelmed. It’s an American general belief that individuals should have all choices available and all information available to them, but the fallacy in that is can the individual process all that information and make sense/make use of it? Short answer often is NO.

Yeah, my sphincter was tight when I saw that my bags weren't with me. I was stressed enough to want to flag down a flight attendant to get this figured out. What was I wanting them to do? After sitting back down, what would I want them to do? Strip search the planes hold to find my bag? At the time, yes, probably. 5 hours away is not a good place for my bag to be, if they left it. And who knows where a wondering toddler, I mean 'bag' could end up. Abu Dabi? Portland? Gatwick? YIKES...

On your Gladwell reference, I and my wife tend to way overthink decisions. I have been at a favorite restaurant and had the server come back three times before we, or I, make decide. And often when the overthinking has reached stratospheric heights, the decision is almost always regretted and so much time is spent wondering what would have happened if the decision had gone the other way. At times just make a decision and agree with myself that I will like it. That has gotten easier, thank Ford...

Too much information is too much information. Holding up a plane because MY tech says the bag is missing is insane on one level, but a valid reaction to the mess of too much information, and a condemnation on the people loading planes who I'm positive do that, not scan some bags, just to mess with us. When a plane IS held because a passenger demands to know if their bag is on the plane, they will likely just stop scanning bags.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Someone was 'stealing' political signs in a neighborhood. One person had an AirTag on one of their signs that was 'stolen'. Police were able to track that AirTag and found nearly 120 signs in a dumpster.

First, stealing' political signs? Isn't that rather childish? But second, police can track AirTags? How? Any AirTag?

Um, WHAT?!?!

 

[AsherN]

I disagree. It comes down to attitude. Mt last flight, I knew with very high confidence that my suitcase did not make the flight. My attitude was, crap that'll suck. When we got to Frankfurt, I could see my wife's in Frankfurt and mine still in Toronto. That allowed me to immediately start a claim without waiting at the carousel. It also gave me data to push Air Canada to move it out of Germany after our trip, and to track it to my door.

 

[AsherN]

Someone was 'stealing' political signs in a neighborhood. One person had an AirTag on one of their signs that was 'stolen'. Police were able to track that AirTag and found nearly 120 signs in a dumpster.

First, stealing' political signs? Isn't that rather childish? But second, police can track AirTags? How? Any AirTag?

Um, WHAT?!?!

Most likely, the AirTag owner told them where it was.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Most likely, the AirTag owner told them where it was.

The article said that the police 'were able to track the AirTag'. Granted, articles are often wrong (or totally correct), but how could they, the owner, transfer the AirTag to police, or share the identity of it. Did they drive around with the owner in the backseat? It just sounds weird.

Can a third party track an AirTag? People figured out how to track those Nike+ shoe pods years ago. Those things did not broadcast a large signal but I don't know the particulars of them and their capability, even though I had several. (I actually found a new one in the sealed Apple/Nike box. DOH!!

Tracking AirTags? Would a Bluetooth sniffer really be able to track one? I guess I'll have to experiment...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I disagree. It comes down to attitude. Mt last flight, I knew with very high confidence that my suitcase did not make the flight. My attitude was, crap that'll suck. When we got to Frankfurt, I could see my wife's in Frankfurt and mine still in Toronto. That allowed me to immediately start a claim without waiting at the carousel. It also gave me data to push Air Canada to move it out of Germany after our trip, and to track it to my door.

Sure, in your case it worked. I guess it does help but you would have to wait for all of the baggage to be unloaded and then open a case and see if they can find your bag and actually get it to you.

Back, years ago, a friend of a friend detailed a trip they did where their bag was lost early on their outgoing itinerary and the airline forwarded the bag back to their actual home! They even delivered it to their door. They were obviously happy their bag was found but understandably pissed that it ended up AT THEIR HOUSE, and not forwarded to their destination. They had a neighbor go retrieve it and deliver it to the local airport where they refused to accept it because 'we don't carry unaccompanied baggage'. They were furious! Then they got the 'generous' stipend for 'lost luggage' after arguing with the carrier, which barely paid for underwear! It was a business trip so all of their suits were in that bag. The airline finally agreed to get that bag to them, but it had to be delivered to one of their hubs for some bizarre reason. Sure, a neighbor is going to drive HOURS to get someones luggage to the hub airport just to get it back to their neighbor. What a disaster. And a very expensive trip!