(The following isn't just a mild rant, but an example of all the pitfalls involved in UPS-related purchases that don't initiate on a Monday or Tuesday!)

... So Let's say that on Wednesday you negotiate with a company to buy something. It will usually take them until the next day to drop it off to UPS or for UPS to grab it (Thursday) and enter it into their system (This is an East Coast to West Coast example; Roanoke, VA where this particular distributor (even though the purchase was made from Utah) has an outlet, which you have to believe is near a flight to take it out of there..... and heading into Silicon Valley (San Jose Area)). So you now have a record that at 9 PM on Thursday, UPS sends you out a message that the delivery phase has started and grabbing of the package has ended.

So now you wait, getting a number of messages, saying the package finally made it to Sacramento (I presume the end of the "flying" phase because it's the second night of flying, but maybe not and one more hop to good, ole San Jose!). Nonetheless, your package arrives at 7 AM on Saturday for San Jose processing (at a location that isn't open on Saturdays, so forget about redirecting or picking it up, for all practical purposes) ... By the way, Saturday was considered a "Business Day" when I searched other people's experience, but it may not be, anymore ... Also note that apparently there is a check box when the seller orders the Second Day Service, to allow for Saturday Delivery, so refuse to make the Wednesday purchase with the buyer unless they check the box (if you really need the residential item/package)! They may get charged more for allowing it, but you saved them the embarrassment that they lied to you when your package will really arrive!

Let's summarize ... UPS processes your package on 3 business days, T-F-S (if indeed Saturday is still considered a business day to them) and your package is going to sit in their destination facility starting from 7AM Saturday, to be delivered sometime (possibly) Monday Afternoon, or 5 days. Why does it sit there on Saturday when UPS delivers to residential customers on Saturday? Most likely, the UPS Truck Delivery Person loaded up their truck at <=6 AM, to make their Saturday Deliveries!

How do I know all this to be roughly true? ... I'm here without my package on Saturday (about 2:30 PM local time) and there is no indication that the package is "out for delivery" and the estimate is still Monday Morning/Afternoon. I even caught the person that does the local route in my area on Friday, and asked them about 5 day delivery of second day air service (they handle the route Saturday, too!), with a dumfounded facial expression. I even told them I would like to see the 1lb package on Saturday if possible, knowing this would be the fate/outcome.

... If it really arrives Saturday, I will modify/append this post. Did I end up really needing the package on Saturday? No, but I wasn't sure of that until USPS didn't deliver something I really needed more!

... I hope this gives a number of you an idea when you'll receive something UPS Second Day Air! ;)

Someone explain the 2nd Day Air process to me please. Walk me through what a package may experience during this shipping method?

Shipping from Atlanta to Phoenix — temperature is important here, don’t want the package to be too hot for too long. I’ve timed it so it delivers on the coolest day Phoenix has to offer this week.

Paid for two day shipping, ups picked up the package on Friday. Still haven’t received it. It’s supposed to show up tomorrow (Wednesday). How do I get a refund?

So, I started to ship and receive next day and 2nd day air packages since November last year. As the package got delayed again today I figured I might want to do the math and see if I can find anything interesting, and here we are. 13 packages since November last year and 4 of them got delayed… That’s like 30% of my packages! Yes you may say it’s only 13 packages, but I’m doing all those stuff as an individual, and that’s my experience. Keep in mind all of them are air, not ground. Most of them went to OH and KS, and I’m receiving at Seattle. One of them only got delayed for a day after 3 hrs phone call with customer service and express critical. Two of them got delayed for about 4-5 days including weekend. And I’m sitting here writing this post as the last one was rescheduled to deliver tomorrow. Since when UPS became so unreliable? Should I just spend the extra money with FedEx to have my packages arrive on time?

I shipped a 2-Day Air package on Wednesday to arrive in time for Mother's Day, and now it's delayed until Monday. In looking at the tracking, it's clear that the package was not sent via air, despite what I chose (Seattle to San Jose. It has literally made every pit stop between here and there over the last three days).

Is this common? Am I naive to think that if I choose and pay for air service that's what I should receive?

Is there a chance it’s not accurate and I still receive it at latest this Saturday when I need it? Is Saturday even considered a working day for delivery? Pretty disappointing if I receive it Monday since I really needed it before then and it’s not delivered. I’m in California btw

Ups is a disaster. The amount of times I’ve received 2 day air packages days late is too many to count. I’ve never filed a claim for the guarantee. The one time I need my package on the actual delivery day, and plan to file a claim for once, they suspended the ability to do so? “The money back guarantee( also known as the ups service guarantee) is suspended for all packages either shipped from or delivered to the United States until further notice.” Whats this about and what’s the issue with UPS. Plane crash aside, ups has always been terrible in my opinion.

I've seen a bunch of posts here where people mis-understand "business days", however I'm not really understanding what qualifies as "Days" here. I shipped a package 2nd day air on Wednesday the 8th from central Virginia. It was picked up and accepted on the 8th. It is now the 10th and the package just shipped out of Chicago with estimated arrival Monday the 13th.

Am I wrong to think Thursday should have been day 1 and Friday is Day 2? When I printed the label it explicitly stated it would arrive by Friday the 10th.