Lost FedEx Shipment May Force Small Business to Close

Millions of business owners rely on the major shipping carriers every day…but what happens when an important package goes missing? For one retail entrepreneur in Brooklyn, New York, a single lost FedEx shipment may lead to permanent closure of her small business.

Lost Shipments May Spell Disaster for Businesses that Rely on Major Carriers like FedEx

As more consumers shifted to eCommerce and online ordering during the Coronavirus pandemic, small business owners were forced to pivot. Wray Serna, the owner of the Brooklyn business with the missing FedEx shipment, also had to alter her marketing strategies when the pandemic hit. When asked how she adapted, she said the following:

“We perceived, did organic ads. We shot clothes on myself and friends because we couldn’t do photo shoots.”

Now, without the $80,000 worth of materials that FedEx lost, Serna may have no choice but to close her business. When shipments like this one get lost—which some packages inevitably do—it makes it nearly impossible for small businesses to recover, especially ones that have been running lean in the time of COVID-19.

“Having something lost or delayed is so detrimental to a business our size,” Serna said. “I’m going to have to start the process of possibly closing down the business.”

FedEx Insurance Isn’t Enough to Cover the Missing Materials

While Serna protected her shipment with insurance (like many shippers smartly do), the insurance that FedEx provides won’t be nearly enough to cover her materials. In addition, that insurance will only kick in when FedEx declares the package as lost. As recently as the day prior to publishing this article (11/30), the tracking info on the FedEx website still shows the package as “In Transit.” Aside from insurance, what Serna really needs is for the package to show up.

Serna has contacted FedEx several times to determine her package’s whereabouts. According to her, all attempts to reach out have been to no avail. FedEx sometimes told her that the package was out for delivery. Sometimes they told her the package had been delivered. Other times, FedEx told her they in fact had delivered the package to her business. Either way, Serna’s materials is still missing, and her business can’t function without them.

When local news outlets in Brooklyn reached out to FedEx, representatives from the delivery company said, “We regret any inconvenience and we will work directly with the customer to understand what happened.”