Tech Forum

I got the email confirming that my order has shipped. And it says "FedEx Tracking number: LNNN-NNNNLL". L's are letters, N's are numbers.

When I got the FedEx website it tells me that's an invalid tracking number. I live in an apartment building and delivery drivers like to just leave parcels in public areas so I like to know what day a shipment is out for delivery in my area. I can't do that if I'm given a bad tracking number.

It's possible the tracking number wasn't in the FedEx system yet. If that's the case, it will likely get fixed soon if it hasn't been already.

I thought that too. But with most shippers I've found that if it's not in the system they'll just say they don't have a record of the number. When the message is that it's invalid that means it would never be a format of number they would issue for tracking. That's why I posted how my tracking number looks, in terms of how many letters and numbers. It's been a while since I've received anything from Fedex. Is that how their tracking numbers are supposed to look?

I did a quick Google for tracking number formats. That didn't match anything I looked at, but that doesn't mean it's not a oddball format used by one of the shippers.

Well the package actually arrived today. A couple interesting things. Even though my email said it was FedEx it was actually delivered by UPS. And the shipping label contained nothing like the tracking number that was provided in my email.

My final thought in this is I understand that it may have been some kind of internal tracking number relevant to the store itself. But if it's not something the customer can use, why bother putting in a tracking number at all when it references the wrong shipper and isn't a real tracking number to begin with?

I'd check to see if the store has a feedback link. That's the best way to get the information to the people who can fix it.