Q: My wife and I shipped two suitcases from Iowa to Norway for a cruise using FedEx (via Luggage To Ship). The luggage arrived on time but was sent back to Oslo for customs verification. Despite daily calls to FedEx, agents provided conflicting updates and blamed Norwegian customs. For four days, FedEx offered no information on how I could get my luggage out of customs.
Finally, FedEx claimed that it couldn’t deliver the luggage until after our cruise departed, forcing us to pay $1,237 for the shipment of luggage that we didn’t receive when we needed it. We contacted FedEx executives using your site’s contacts but received no response. We also sent a letter. We’ve kept all emails and call transcripts.
Why did FedEx fail to communicate clearly or resolve this? Are we entitled to a full refund?
A: FedEx should have handled your customs clearance and provided accurate tracking updates. Its International Priority service guarantees a timely delivery, contingent on proper documentation — which you had.
You used a third party called Luggage To Ship, which promises “simple, reliable and affordable” luggage shipping, according to its site. But a closer look at the Luggage To Ship terms reveals that it is not responsible for shipment delays because of, among other things, “customs delay, customs or carrier inspection.”
This let Luggage To Ship off the hook. It would be able to send your luggage to Norway, have it sit in a warehouse, and return it without giving you a refund (at least, according to its terms).
But FedEx is another story. It promises “dependable service,” and at the time of your cruise, it offered a money-back guarantee. (At the time I’m writing this, this guarantee has since been revoked.)
In fairness, it looks like FedEx was responsive when you asked about the status of your bags, but then failed to update you regularly when your luggage got stuck in customs.
