If you are thinking of using UPS 2nd Day Air to get items to customers or friends/family on time, you might be wondering whether this service will actually do the job. Will the item get there in 2 days, and what happens if it doesn’t? UPS 2nd Day Air is an expedited shipping service that is guaranteed to get packages to their intended destination by the second business day. It is a guaranteed service, but it is not available for residential deliveries – only businesses. It is guaranteed to arrive by the end of the day.
Is UPS 2nd Day Air Guaranteed?
UPS 2nd Day Air is one of UPS’s guaranteed services, which means that they guarantee that they will deliver the item by the end of the second day after mailing. There is no other guarantee relating to time (although you can choose UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. if you need the package to arrive in the morning). As long as you are happy for your package to arrive at any time on the second business day, this is a great option for getting items to businesses quickly and reasonably cheaply, and many senders utilize it. UPS guarantees that they will meet this delivery goal, so it is an ideal option if you need to get an item to a business quickly and reliably.
What Day Will My Package Actually Arrive?
With any delivery estimate, it can be tricky to understand how the package will end up arriving at its destination. Does the day that you dispatch it count as a shipping day, or not? Does the delivery day count?
In general, the best way to work this out is to skip the day that you mailed it on, and count the delivery day. If you send an item on a Monday, it should arrive on Wednesday. If you send an item on Wednesday, it should arrive on Friday. This is the easiest way of calculating, and it’s important to bear in mind that it can arrive at any time up to the end of the day. If you need it to be there early, you will need to choose a different shipping option. You can also ask for a delivery estimate when you mail your package, or look for this estimate when you choose from the online services. It should provide you with a date that the package will arrive by. This makes it easy to figure out whether the service will suit your needs.
Can You Ship To Residential Addresses With UPS 2nd Day Air?
No, you cannot ship to residential addresses using this service, unfortunately. This service is only aimed at people that are shipping mail to businesses, and it will only deliver mail to business addresses. There is no equivalent service for residential addresses, so you will have to choose an alternative service or another courier if you wish to ship to a residence.
What Happens If UPS 2nd Day Air Doesn’t Arrive?
If UPS fails to meet its commitment for the UPS 2nd Day Air delivery window, you will be able to claim a refund for the full mailing costs. The whole shipment will be free, not counting any surcharges you may have paid. You need to make this request within 15 days of the day originally scheduled for delivery (not the date that you sent the item).
The item must be counted as late before you can claim a refund; you cannot apply just because you suspect the item will not arrive in time. Remember that this shipping service can take up until the end of the day to arrive unless you have paid for the A.M. service. If it fails to arrive, you can then make a claim. To do this, you must be the sender, since you paid for the item. You can claim a refund either by calling the UPS service or through the UPS Billing Center.
To call UPS, dial 1-800-742-5877, and follow the automated system’s prompts. Make sure you have the tracking number to hand before you start, and repeat this when asked. The system will confirm the refund or deny it straight away, and will (usually) explain why a refund is not going to be issued if it isn’t. The UPS Billing Center is available to customers who have payment accounts, and you can navigate to “Request a Refund” and enter the details, and then you will be given a confirmation or a denial. If UPS agrees to credit you for the missed delivery, you will see the credit on your next invoice from UPS.
Why Might A Refund By Denied?
UPS reserves the right to deny refunds in certain situations, including when the weather is bad. If a natural disaster or major storm occurs in the area in question, UPS will not issue refunds for items not delivered on time. Equally, if they are unable to deliver the package because nobody is there or the building is inaccessible, they will not take responsibility for this delay. Make sure someone will be available or access will be available. Anything outside of UPS’s control that causes a delay will likely result in a refund being denied.
However, if the delay is due to errors or inefficiencies in UPS’s system, they will issue refunds for the mailing costs. You will not be compensated for the inconvenience of the delayed delivery. If you want to know more about this, it’s worth talking to UPS’s customer service team about what is and isn’t covered and how they deal with delays or missed deliveries.
Does UPS 2nd Day Air Deliver On Saturdays?
UPS 2nd Day Air does deliver on Saturdays in most cases, but it is worth noting that this is mostly available in metropolitan areas, and some more rural areas may be excluded. If you are sending the package to a big city, it will almost certainly be delivered on a Saturday, but not in other areas.
If you send a package to a big city location on a Thursday, it should therefore arrive on the Saturday, or the following Monday. UPS will not count Monday as a late delivery if they don’t deliver to the area on Saturdays – although you should be informed of this at the time of sending, so you know not to expect delivery on the Saturday.
There is no Sunday delivery in any area, so if you send the item on a Friday, it will not arrive until Monday. This can be confusing because Monday is 3 days away, not 2. However, the service delivers within 2 business days (Saturday and Monday), so UPS has still fulfilled its promised delivery.
If you aren’t sure when your package will be delivered, you can create a shipment on UPS’s website to see delivery estimates and get a quote. Some of the locations that enjoy Saturday delivery include:
- Detroit, Michigan
- Washington DC
- Austin, Texas
- Los Angeles, California
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Portland, Oregon
This list isn’t definitive, so do check UPS’s website for delivery options, as they are constantly expanding their range and may offer Saturday delivery even in areas you don’t expect.
How Much Does UPS 2nd Day Air Cost?
UPS 2nd Day Air prices will vary depending on the weight of the item and its destination. The flat rate for an extra small package is $16.75, so you can see that it isn’t a cheap shipping option – but that’s because it’s fast. Sending an extra large package via the flat rate 2nd Day Air service would cost around $59.
This service represents a good middle ground option; it isn’t as cheap as standard shipping, but it is cheaper than overnight shipping by quite a bit. The UPS Next Day Air Saver (which operates Monday to Friday and will deliver by the end of the day) starts at $104.28 – so the 2nd Day Air service is almost half as expensive.
You may therefore want to use this service for time-sensitive but non-urgent business deliveries, even though it is expensive. If you are sending items that do not need to arrive quickly, standard shipping will always be cheaper and you should opt for this where you can.
Is UPS 2nd Day Air Tracked?
Yes, you will get a tracking number when you use UPS’s 2nd Day Air service. This can be entered into the UPS website to see where your package has got to, and you can share it with the recipient if they would like to be able to watch the package’s progress too. You will need this tracking number to claim a refund if the delivery guarantee is not met.
Is UPS 2nd Day Air Insured?
No, the UPS 2nd Day Air service is not insured, and you cannot add insurance to this service at present. If you are sending a valuable item, you may wish to look into third-party insurers that will cover the value for you.
The risk of a package going missing is generally fairly low when dealing with tracked packages, but you may find that you get more peace of mind if you take out insurance on valuable items.
Does UPS 2nd Day Air Operate In Hawaii And Alaska?
This service does operate in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, but it should be noted that the 2-day delivery time is not guaranteed in all areas. It is considered a goal for some parts of Hawaii and Alaska, rather than a guarantee. You may have to wait longer for items sent to these places to arrive.
This does not break the UPS guarantee, because you will be informed of it in advance. You should be able to see the estimate on the website when you order your shipping labels, or you can call the customer service team for advice.
How Does This Service Work?
The 2nd Day Air service, as the name suggests, uses flight to ensure that packages are delivered in a timely manner. The plane will transport it to the destination facility in the correct area. The way this usually works is that you will drop your package off at a UPS facility (or arrange for it to be collected). The package will then be transported to a UPS sorting facility, and sorted into the right place, with other 2nd Day Air packages that are bound for the same destination.
These packages will be loaded onto the appropriate plane, and flown to the destination area. From here, they will be unloaded from the plane and put into another sorting facility, which will further sort the packages according to their intended location. They will then be loaded onto trucks for delivery, and sent out to the businesses that are waiting for them. The driver will be making multiple deliveries in the day, so the time of delivery may vary, but this should all happen within 2 business days in most cases. Delivery usually starts at 10:30 a.m.
Does UPS 2nd Day Air Ship Internationally?
No, this service is intended for domestic shipping only. It is available in Puerto Rico and the 50 states of America, but you cannot use this service to ship to Canada, China, Europe, or other international locations. For international shipping, you’ll need to choose one of UPS’s other options.
Is There A Weight Limit?
You cannot send items that weigh over 150 lb. using UPS’s 2nd Day Air service. You must also make sure that your packages are less than 119 inches long and less than 165 inches in the combined length and girth. The service is therefore not suitable for heavy or very large items, and you’ll have to choose another shipping option.
Conclusion
If you ship and receive a lot of packages, you might want to check out a Virtual Mailbox from US Global Mail. This service lets you receive your mail securely even when you aren’t at home, and will store packages and letters for you. The mail will be scanned and pictures uploaded to your email, and you can then have packages forwarded to you at your convenience.
