I think this really all depends on the carrier. I have shipped food several times directly to a shelter across D/FW from me, and FedEx *ALWAYS*, without exception, screws up the delivery. When the intended recipient called the local FedEx office with the tracking number I supplied her they have told her everything from "it was signed for at X time" (a time she was still at work, and she lives alone) to "we have it, come get it" (then can't find it when she walks in a couple of hours later), to "what package, where?" It can take 2-3 extra weeks to get something delivered there by FedEx. UPS, on the other hand, delivers to her without a hitch. At my home, the UPS delivery person has done things like leave boxes of printed material which were split completely open outside in the rain (it was raining at the time of delivery, I was home, no doorbell ring), put a package on the porch next door without even *attempting* delivery at my house (saw them from the window), etc. I receive my FedEx delivered FerretStore stuff without a hitch so far. It's all the local office management and the individual delivery person. Debra in Fort Worth [Posted in FML issue 3508]