Complaint Review: FedEx - Select State/Province

I shipped a package from Bethesda, MD 20814 to Buffalo NY 14215, using the FedEx 2Day AM Delivery service.  My package was shipped on 12/18, and was guaranteed to be delivered on 12/20 before 10:30 am. The package was not delivered on time.

On 12/20 at 8:21 pm I tracked my package.  The last posted event was that it had arrived at Newark, NJ at 9:01 am on 12/19. There is no estimated delivery date.

I called FedEx regarding this late shipment.  The first customer service representative that I spoke with told me that my package was not delivered on time due to weather delays, specifically, he told me that [sic] “There was a lot of snow in Buffalo, NY and the planes could not land.” He told me that since this was a weather related delay I would not be eligible for a refund.

I checked the weather in Buffalo, NY on 12/19 and found that there had been no precipitation. (I also checked the weather in Newark, NJ on 12/19, there was no precipitation there either.)

Frustrated that the FedEx customer service representative had lied to me about severe weather in Buffalo, NY, I called FedEx again.  This time I spoke to a customer service representative who told me that the weather delay had actually taken place in Rockville, MD and/or Dulles, VA prior to the package arriving in Newark, NJ.  I checked the weather in Rockville, MD and Dulles, VA between 12/18-12/19. There was no precipitation during this time and visibility was clear.

(*Side note*  even if weather had impacted the shipment of my package from MD to NJ, FedEx had a full 25.5 hours to transport the package from Newark, NJ to Buffalo, NY and to still get it there on time! ..you'd think this would be an easy feat for a company specializing in express deliveries?)

Rant aside, I called and spoke with one more customer service representative. I informed him that I would be lodging a complaint if I did not receive accurate information regarding the weather delay impacting my shipment.  He informed me that there had been two inches of snow in Memphis Tennessee (The FedEx Hub) and that this storm had affected all express shipments, because all express packages fly through this central hub. I asked him specifically when this snow had fallen and he told me Thursday, and I verified that he meant yesterday, Thursday 12/19.  ...so I checked the weather in Memphis, TN on 12/19.  There was no precipitation!  (There was no precipitation in Memphis, TN on 12/18 either...or 12/17, 12/16, 12/15 or 12/14.  It did rain on 12/13.)

FedEx told me that I wasn't eligible for a refund of my shipping costs as my shipment was delayed by weather which is out of their control.  While I understand, that FedEx has no control over the weather, at this point in time I haven't received any valid information documenting that weather actually affected my shipment.  In fact I have been outright lied to by at least 2 FedEx customer service representatives, who told me that winter storms had occurred in Buffalo, NY and Memphis, TN on 12/19...

It is unclear what weather has trapped my package in Newark, NJ for the last 36+ hours, but hopefully FedEx will enlighten us all soon, as it's possible that these invisible storms might also affect Holiday traveling! ;)