BALTIMORE — Customers have reported thousands of dollars in missing merchandise from a Maryland FedEx facility.
In December, WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii reported on several PlayStation 5s that hadn’t been delivered.
“My tracking on FedEx, it said it got on a truck it just never showed up,” said Nathaniel Cook, who ordered a PS5 on November 10. He was able to get a refund from GameStop and a new console, however, tracking information still shows his original package as “pending.”
Following the WMAR-2 News report, dozens of people emailed Sofastaii about a similar experience. Customers' tracking information indicated their packages made it to the FedEx Sparrows Point distribution center, but the items were either delayed or never arrived.
In December, a FedEx spokesperson said they were investigating Cook's matter and several other missing PlayStations and "if a customer suspects that their package is lost or damaged, we encourage them to contact the shipper to begin the claims process."
Customers report receiving empty packages
“Two days before Christmas I was going to wrap the present and open up the box and the box was completely empty,” said Stephanie David.
David has had issues with three packages in the last year, most recently in December with an Apple Watch she ordered as a gift for her daughter.
“It was opened, re-taped, closed, and was left with the plastic foam in the center like the square foam where the box would be and delivered,” David said.
Kevin Keier recently ordered an iPhone.
“And this came. Nothing in it!” said Keier. “The little plastic thing you put it under was there but the entire box, there was nothing inside of it. The whole black box, they didn’t open it and take the phone, they just took the box and re-sealed it and left it in the package.”
Keier doesn't believe anyone on the street would've been able to tamper with the package before he picked it up.
“As soon as I got the delivery notification, I went straight there. There was like a minute in between, if that,” Keier said.
Tracking information shows the phone passed through three FedEx facilities, including Middletown, Pa., Hagerstown Md., and Sparrows Point, Md. before it was delivered.
He doesn't know when the phone went missing just that status updates indicate it was last at the Sparrows Point facility.
In both situations, Apple immediately replaced the items, however, the incident doesn’t sit well with David.
“It’s a big company, they’ll just reimburse you, well, a lot of them aren’t. A lot of these companies are small companies that we’re all trying to support and are going out of business,” said David.
Nearly 30 reports of missing packages
WMAR-2 News has received 29 complaints of missing packages. Tracking information shows the items passed through the FedEx Sparrows Point facility, and the status for shipments, some dating back to September, are still pending.
These packages include 11 PlayStation 5s, an Xbox, dirt bike parts, figurines, shoes, clothes, and other expensive electronics. The value of the missing merchandise exceeds more than $9,000.
“My stuff, between everything, was over a thousand dollars. No one is doing anything,” said David.
We emailed FedEx about David’s deliveries and a representative reached out to her.
Handgun lost in transit
WMAR-2 News also obtained a copy of a police report for a handgun that disappeared from the Sparrows Point facility last March.
According to the report, the weapon was loaded onto the delivery vehicle, a Budget rental truck, on March 16.
On March 17, the driver marked the item as not being on the vehicle even though it had been scanned. Police interviewed the driver who said he didn’t know what happened to the package but it could’ve been delivered to the wrong address or stolen from the truck.
As of last week, the Baltimore County Police Firearms Interdiction Team hadn’t yet located the handgun.
A FedEx spokesperson said they're unable to offer an interview, and “regarding the PS5 shipments, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this situation and have been in direct contact with the customers to resolve this matter."
WMAR-2 News asked FedEx if they’re investigating the Sparrows Point facility and this pattern of complaints, a spokesperson wrote:
“FedEx Ground does not tolerate illegal activity of any kind within its network. We take these concerns seriously and will investigate as appropriate.”