Are you tracking your package on Fedex, and see a message that states ‘Delivery exception’, and then ‘future delivery requested?’
This can be frustrating to see, especially if you were hoping that the package would arrive today, and this wasn’t something you actually requested.
So, what does this message mean, and why does it happen?
In this article, I’ll be answering all of these questions, as well as what you should do next to ensure your package arrives as quickly as possible.
What Does It Mean When Fedex States ‘Future Delivery Requested?’
If Fedex states that there’s been a delivery exception and then cites ‘future delivery requested’ as the reason, it means that they originally planned to deliver today, but chose to deliver on another day instead.
Typically, this will be the next business day, as long as you haven’t specifically requested that they deliver some time after that.
This message can actually appear for several different reasons, and not all of them are obvious.
So, let’s look over each reason why Fedex may show a future delivery requested message!
1. You Specifically Requested They Deliver On Another Day
This is one of the most common reasons.
Fedex allows you to take control over your shipment, by using Fedex Delivery Manager.
With Fedex Delivery Manager, you can leave instructions for the delivery driver, change the location you want the package to be dropped off at, and even delay delivery of the package should you wish to do so.
This is common if you’re planning on having packages delivered while you’re on vacation for example, and won’t be able to safely retrieve them.
So, if you’ve done anything to specifically request that the delivery be moved to a different day (even if was originally eligible to be delivered earlier), Fedex may show a message on the tracking page that says ‘future delivery requested’ in order to reflect this.
Of course, many people that get this message are confused specifically because they did not request the delivery date be moved.
So, let’s continue looking over some of the other reasons why Fedex may move the delivery date as well.
Note: In some cases, it may also be possible for the shipper to make changes to the package’s delivery. However, this is extremely rare unless you request they do this on your behalf.
2. The Package Arrived To Your Local Fedex Facility Early
It helps to understand a little bit about how Fedex’s tracking system works.
Believe it or not, a package will first show as being ‘out for delivery’ before ever being loaded onto a truck. Instead, Fedex tracking updates as ‘out for delivery’ as soon as it’s assigned to a specific Fedex truck, not when it actually gets on there, or when the Fedex truck actually heads out on the road.
This is why you may see your package updating to ‘out for delivery’ well before the driver actually starts making any real deliveries.
Unfortunately, it also means that there’s time for the package to not even make it on the truck on the first place.
Because Fedex is so complex, they may move the priority of packages around in real time. They must also work with any anomalies or strange, unexpected situations that pop up.
If your package arrives at your local Fedex facility before it is planned to, it will get scanned as having arrived there. However, if Fedex has other packages that need to go out first, it will opt to prioritize those to ensure they remain on time, rather than delivering packages that ultimately ended up arriving early.
This is done to ensure they are able to hit their promised delivery window for as many people as possible.
Not to mention, some people actually dislike it when their package ends up getting delivered early.
People rely on their estimated delivery date to make plans, and decide on arrangements to receive their package. For example, if someone planned to stay home from work to sign for a package arriving on Wednesday, but delivery was attempted on Tuesday instead, this could be frustrating.
So, it’s not uncommon for Fedex to mark ‘future delivery requested’ on any packages that show up at their local facilities early.
3. The Driver Ran Out Of Time / Space
Finally, ‘delivery exception, future delivery requested’ may be used if the Fedex driver simply was unable to deliver your package on time.
It could be that they legally couldn’t make any more deliveries due to labor laws, or perhaps there simply wasn’t enough room on their truck to fit your package.
Unfortunately, this becomes more common around peak shipping times, such as the holiday season, or common gift holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day.
During these periods, a much larger volume of shipments occur than normal, which can cause additional delays as workers struggle to keep up.
Because it can be difficult to know what the exact reason was, I recommend following the steps below to ensure delivery can be attempted as quickly as possible!
What To Do When Fedex States There’s Been A Delivery Exception
So, what should you do when Fedex shows ‘future delivery requested’ on your tracking?
Your first option is to simply just wait.
Unless you’ve specifically chosen a day that’s further out, Fedex will usually attempt to deliver the package the following business day. In the vast majority of cases, this is all that happens – the package is delayed for an additional day.
It’s frustrating, but it happens.
If you are the shipper, you may be able to get a refund for late delivery if you purchased shipping using a service with a guaranteed delivery date. You can learn more about Fedex’s money back guarantee policies by clicking here.
As mentioned earlier, it can be frustrating if you expected the package to arrive on a certain day, and now that date has been moved.
If you will no longer be home to receive the delivery, you can always pick it up from Fedex directly.
Or, have it redirected to a Fedex OnSite location, such as your local Walgreens or Safeway store. Using the Fedex Mobile app, all you’ll need to do is request it be delivered there, then go and pick it up whenever it’s convenient for you.
This way, you can ensure that you’re still able to receive it safely!
Conclusion
Contrary to what may seem intuitive, ‘future delivery requested’ is not necessarily due to a request by the shipper, or the receiver of the package.
It can also happen when Fedex may have been able to deliver early, but instead decided to push back delivery to a future date instead.
I hope that this article has answered all of your questions, and you’ll manage to receive your Fedex shipment soon.
If you have any other questions about Fedex, please ask them using the comment form below and I’ll be happy to get back to you.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister