FedEx Mobile 4+

It’s like the developers are going through a checklist of things undesirable in an app. So; I’ll do a list of my own from the short time since installing:
- Bloat. Does a parcel tracker really need to be almost 150MB?
- Stability. Already crashed twice and I’ve only tracked one item…
- Insane licence agreements. Oh yeah. That’s probably a portion of the bloat.
- Interface design. It’s not what’s tappable, while the arrangement can lead to mis-selection, and then just throws in something completely different to what would logically be expected anyway.
- Sometimes interface elements forget to work. Probably just buggy, but who knows.
- The registration process. It ended up saying ‘cannot perform that action’, and then I find it’s sent a retest ration email anyway.
- So; I log in. But it can’t do that either. Web works though, so I fiddle around there and somehow get the app to like me.
- Links and pages don’t work. For example; press info/help, and you get a ‘page not found’.

Remind me why I downloaded this, rather than just open the website of these technophobes?

I ordered several items from a retailer for next day delivery. Received an email telling me my 2 packages were shipped on Friday for delivery on Monday by 6 pm. The Fedex app confirmed the packages in transit. No helpful updates provided throughout Monday. No real time tracking or updates.

On Monday evening, one hour before the final due date and only 1 package arrived. The driver didn’t know where the other package is. His depot manager doesn’t answer his phone. Fedex online chat agent doesn’t know where the second package is. I’m asked to contact the retailer and get them to file a missing item claim. In my view Fedex have a contract and obligation with the retailer so why should I be the one to contact the retailer? I later receive notification that my two items have been delivered at noon!

Next day I contact the retailer and they advise the second package is showing as out for delivery today. No notification received from Fedex. The app and website tracking are updated suggesting the same. Again the app provides no real time tracking or updates and in fact I don’t see any indication of a delivery time.

I’ve used many many courier/delivery apps with no problems and found them to be useful and informative bits of kit that help me plan my day around deliveries. HOWEVER, the FedEx app must be the worst app ever to have been launched - I resist saying ‘invented’ because it’s been thrown together and is woefully incomplete; my IT students could do better. You have to load the tracking details EVERY time you want to check your parcel. The app frequently freezes, links can’t be followed because 9 times out of 10, the page is not found or the app just switched itself off. I have never sent anything by FedEx and I don’t intend to because it is impossible to track goods using the app (research shows that approx 85% of UK teenagers and 20+ use their phones as their key resource, not a laptop or desktop machine so good mobile apps are essential).

It is just awful. I suggest the app developers take a look at the DPD app, which is just so much better art providing customer support whether sending or receiving goods.