Delayed FedEx Packages Frustrating, Concerning Utahns

NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah – Several Utahns reached out to KSL saying they were frustrated and concerned over delayed FedEx packages – some of which contain important medical devices.

West Haven resident MaryBeth Balzer said she has now been without her insulin pump for nearly a week because of FedEx’s delivery issues.

Balzer relies on a pump attachment to have insulin automatically released in her body and the attachment is regularly shipped to her home.

“I have a part that connects to me and that’s the part that I’m missing,” Balzer said. “I replace it every three days so that’s why this is important because after this one’s gone, I don’t’ have that many more.”

She said she has called FedEx every day since the package failed to arrive on Monday.

“I have explained to everyone that their medical supplies, that I’m Type 1 diabetic. I need these,” Balzer said.

KSL also reached out to FedEx several times on Saturday and the following statement was given on Sunday:

“Our networks are flexing as designed to accommodate the holiday surge of packages in addition to weather challenges throughout the United States. Where packages may not have met our service commitments in the Salt Lake City area, we appreciate our customers’ patience as we work closely with our local service providers to implement contingencies, such as securing additional delivery resources. For information on important holiday shipping deadlines, please visit Fedex.com/holidays. Customers with questions about their shipments can track their packages on http://fedex.com.”

Balzar said customer service representatives repeatedly told her the package would be labeled as an urgent delivery and would be expedited.

“She said they should be there within the next three days,” Balzer said. “I said ‘OK’, but then they weren’t there. So I called again and found out they’re at the North Salt Lake facility.”

Realizing her package was close to her West Haven home, Balzer said she asked if she could pick it up in person.

“(Customer service) said, ‘that’s perfect,”’ she said.

But when Balzer got to the shipping hub on Thursday, she said she was turned away empty-handed.

“He said, they’re locked on a truck, I don’t have access to them, I’m sorry.’ I said ‘I’m a Type 1 diabetic, I really need this (and) he said ‘we’ve unfortunately lost drivers, I don’t have access to this truck’ and he wouldn’t do anything else for me,” Balzer said.

It was a story repeated by several Utahns who contacted KSL with similar complaints concerned about packages stuck at the North Salt Lake hub. FedEx workers reportedly told customers that drivers had walked off the job.

Grantsville resident Maria Lynn Isom, who was also waiting for a package to arrive, echoed Balzer’s frustrations.

“It’s very frustrating… especially when you call them they don’t really answer your question,” she said. “They just keep repeating themselves with the same answer and it feels like they are just giving you the runaround.”

In the meantime, Balzer set up treats for delivery drivers and was hoping the next time she closes the door, it would be with her package in hand.

“It’s not the driver’s fault that this happened,” she said.