shipping

Don't you just hate it when you get a notice from a shipper saying a package has shipped and find out from the tracking number that the only thing that has been done was a shipping label has been printed LOL

Yes, hate it as well.

I hate that too. Even worse though is that stupid "smart post" shipping. My post office will sit on a smart post package for 5 freekin days before bringing it 1 mile to my house!

As a vendor who has a real day job, I never create a label until it's ready to ship. Now, sometimes the post office won't record it... for example, last Saturday night I packed about a dozen orders, but the post office didn't open until Tuesday am because of the MLK holiday, so nothing showed any activity until then, even though I dropped them in the post office bin the same night. I know that sometimes it looks like we're sitting on the packages, but generally that's not the case... I don't know a single vendor that isn't happy to get orders out the door.

jazzviper1 said:

I hate that too. Even worse though is that stupid "smart post" shipping. My post office will sit on a smart post package for 5 freekin days before bringing it 1 mile to my house!

Click to expand...

I think I would have walked to the post office instead of waiting 5 freakin days!

try loving international shipping..

I bought some stuff during the last black Friday sale; 40% off!! They marked the "retail price" on the customs invoice, not what I bought it for... guess what I paid in duties.
I've bought stuff, and have had the shipper charge me 'duties & brokerage fees'. Ended up with an additional $40 on top of the 'international shipping' fee. So, I will never use UPS shipping (if UPS is your only shipping method.. sorry, you've lost my business. Other carriers are bad, but not that bad.. I will always ask for USPS) A friend bought a part, and saw he could get "rush shipping" so he paid the little more for it and was assured it would be there "the next day". Well, it got stuck at the border, sat for a few days.. Wasn't worth it in the end, bad /wrong info from the seller..

Unless you live near the border, and / or have dealt with intentional shipping, (US) suppliers seem to be clueless as to what happens when their shipment crosses an international boundary. (I say "US" as they are the ones I mainly deal with..)

A lot of us have a "US address" to ship to, thru a 'mail holding service'. for us in Montreal, QC, it's cheaper to spend the 2 hrs (round trip) to go to the border and pick it up. It's shipped to a US address, a warehouse at the border. When we cross back to Canada, the customs agent may or may not deem it worthwhile to have us declare it & pay the duties (Generally, if its under $50 we'll waved thru..)

I Have run into this on both sides of the fence.
It used to be the favorite trick with the one who shall not be named "here is your tracking number now send the money" .
But have also had UPS pick up and the package not scan until it is put on an out bound truck at the facility . Now we make him scan the pick up ticket everyday.
Right now we have 6-10 packages that were packed yesterday after the pick up for both UPS and USPS, they will show label created.

As noted above, the tracking info is not always up-to-date. I've had packages show up on my doorstep before the tracking info showed anything.

Also, it is good to remember, despite the sometimes frustrating inconsistencies of the package delivery network, how incredibly fast we get most stuff these days, and the hidden costs of that, both human and financial. I'm as impatient as anyone when waiting for stuff I've ordered, but some perspective is in order.

cerving said:

As a vendor who has a real day job, I never create a label until it's ready to ship. Now, sometimes the post office won't record it... for example, last Saturday night I packed about a dozen orders, but the post office didn't open until Tuesday am because of the MLK holiday, so nothing showed any activity until then, even though I dropped them in the post office bin the same night. I know that sometimes it looks like we're sitting on the packages, but generally that's not the case... I don't know a single vendor that isn't happy to get orders out the door.

Click to expand...

This! If you get a tracking number from me it means that the label has been printed which required me to pack your shipment and weigh it in advance. Within 5 min of you getting that email the label goes on the box. It gets dropped at the PO the next morning between 6:30 and 8 am. Now, sometimes the tracking never updates until days into the package's journey. I've had things not show tracking until they were out for delivery. I've even figured out which post offices appear to get things out the door faster to the distribution center, and try to favor the most efficient ones. I'm willing to bet that most vendors do similar to what I do, but I can't control what happens after I let go of the box.

neil_w said:

As noted above, the tracking info is not always up-to-date. I've had packages show up on my doorstep before the tracking info showed anything.

Also, it is good to remember, despite the sometimes frustrating inconsistencies of the package delivery network, how incredibly fast we get most stuff these days, and the hidden costs of that, both human and financial. I'm as impatient as anyone when waiting for stuff I've ordered, but some perspective is in order.

Click to expand...

This is true too. In the last few years I've sent many hundreds of packages through USPS, and all have eventually arrived (probably >90% within 4 days). I've actually developed a pretty healthy respect for USPS over that time. Most of the stuff I ship is small and pretty robust though, people who ship large cardboard tubes probably have a different perspective.

Here's a current example from an eRockets order I made last week. Went to check tracking and got this:


Pretty impressive: Order is being prepared and out for delivery at the same time.

When we owned Top Flight Recovery I would print out orders that came in and shipping label at the same time. Than take paper work to packing area. Some times by the time orders were packed the Post Office would be closed so order would go the next day. Untill USPS has scanned package it should not say shipped.

neil_w said:

Here's a current example from an eRockets order I made last week. Went to check tracking and got this:
Pretty impressive: Order is being prepared and out for delivery at the same time.

Click to expand...

I get those kind all the time. Two days after order, I have an "out for delivery" notification, while all that has happened is "label created". The rest of the delivery path and duration seem to be entirely computer generated. When I wait two MORE days and ask Amazon WTH, they say "there may be a problem with your order, do you want to cancel"?

Answer: Yes. (and I put a little asterisk by the company that has no inventory).

Donnager said:

I get those kind all the time. Two days after order, I have an "out for delivery" notification, while all that has happened is "label created". The rest of the delivery path and duration seem to be entirely computer generated. When I wait two MORE days and ask Amazon WTH, they say "there may be a problem with your order, do you want to cancel"?

Answer: Yes. (and I put a little asterisk by the company that has no inventory).

Click to expand...

That's not what's happening in Neil's post. The lower left section is a direct pull of the tracking data from USPS. It looks like the upper one is an internally generated thing that hasn't updated based on the USPS data. The item definitely appears to have been shipped and is being tracked correctly.

CalebJ said:

That's not what's happening in Neil's post. The lower left section is a direct pull of the tracking data from USPS. It looks like the upper one is an internally generated thing that hasn't updated based on the USPS data. The item definitely appears to have been shipped and is being tracked correctly.

Click to expand...

I get that. I also get A LOT of shipping labels for products that aren't actually shipped, and have no date for when they might. I can confirm this by calling the supplier and they can't give me a ship date. They usually say that their system updates that automatically, and they have no control over that. I have received some things that were not picked up (data entry error), but that is the extreme exception. USPS delivery notifications also leave much to be desired, as tracking doesn't seem to apply, except at origin and delivery.

I am NOT trying to bad mouth ANY rocket/hobby shippers, as that has not happened to me with rocket stuff (yet), I am simply stating that "pretending to ship" by providing a shipping label is a delay tactic by those without inventory or knowledge about when it might actually ship. It can be used to hold a ticket "open" to show the shipper is doing something, and muddies the waters when it comes time to claim you didn't receive the product. I have actually had a disputed charge on an item that was not delivered, but the seller could provide a receipt for a "shipping label" that they were trying to use as proof of shipment and delivery, knowing full well the item had NOT been shipped, much less delivered.

I am sure the shippers are wise to this. Be careful.

cerving said:

As a vendor who has a real day job, I never create a label until it's ready to ship. Now, sometimes the post office won't record it... for example, last Saturday night I packed about a dozen orders, but the post office didn't open until Tuesday am because of the MLK holiday, so nothing showed any activity until then, even though I dropped them in the post office bin the same night. I know that sometimes it looks like we're sitting on the packages, but generally that's not the case... I don't know a single vendor that isn't happy to get orders out the door.

Click to expand...

Yep,
Me too..
I like nothing better then to get the orders out the door and off my head..
I've got enough to think about..

Cl(VII) said:

This! If you get a tracking number from me it means that the label has been printed which required me to pack your shipment and weigh it in advance. Within 5 min of you getting that email the label goes on the box. It gets dropped at the PO the next morning between 6:30 and 8 am. Now, sometimes the tracking never updates until days into the package's journey. I've had things not show tracking until they were out for delivery. I've even figured out which post offices appear to get things out the door faster to the distribution center, and try to favor the most efficient ones. I'm willing to bet that most vendors do similar to what I do, but I can't control what happens after I let go of the box.

Click to expand...

Ha,
is this ever true..
I track items that I've shipped all the time for different reasons..
Sometimes they don't show shipped ( in transit ) until they're 1/2 way or 3/4 of the way to their destination..
And you get familiar with which post offices scan and which don't bother ( I think they feel scanning just slows them down )..
There are two particular post offices that immediately come to mind,
My local post office, they don't scan most of the outgoing packages, when I ship the first scan is the items second stop at the hub in Edison NJ..
And the post office thats local to Mark H of Stickershock.. I don't think they scan outgoing either..[/QUOTE]


Teddy

The worse scan you can see is City of Industry, CA. I've had a few packages just disappear into there (one for 3 weeks...that person ended up getting twice the goods they paid for as I sent a replacement when I gave up hope, the replacement arrived first) before suddenly just getting back on their way.

Yep,
Me too..
Twice I reshipped and the package turned up later.
Once the only thing in the package was a 3/16" stainless eye..
The other time it was a whole order of stuff..
Eeehhhhh,,
It doesn't happen often and it makes for a very happy customer, lol...

Teddy

Cl(VII) said:

The worse scan you can see is City of Industry, CA. I've had a few packages just disappear into there (one for 3 weeks...that person ended up getting twice the goods they paid for as I sent a replacement when I gave up hope, the replacement arrived first) before suddenly just getting back on their way.

Click to expand...

LOL, unfortunately that's where a lot of stuff from SoCal vendors goes before distribution. Even worse is Los Angeles Airport customs... I had a package going to AUSTRALIA get routed to AUSTRIA and get stuck there for a week before being re-routed... check out the tracking below.

December 23, 2019, 10:58 am
Delivered
AUSTRALIA
Your item was delivered in AUSTRALIA at 10:58 am on December 23, 2019.
December 17, 2019, 6:34 pm
Processed Through Facility
AUSTRALIA
December 17, 2019, 4:37 pm
Departed
PERTH, AUSTRALIA
December 17, 2019, 10:43 am
Departed
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
December 14, 2019, 11:50 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 8:53 pm
Departed
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 7:16 pm
Departed
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 8:25 am
Arrived
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
December 11, 2019, 9:45 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 11, 2019, 8:53 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 11, 2019, 8:53 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 10, 2019, 2:33 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 10, 2019
In Transit to Next Facility
December 9, 2019, 12:09 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NASHUA NH DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 8, 2019, 3:24 am
Processed Through Facility
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
December 1, 2019, 5:17 pm
Arrival at Transit Office From Exchange
AUSTRIA
November 30, 2019, 8:01 am
Departed
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
November 30, 2019, 7:54 am
Departed
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
November 28, 2019, 7:10 am
Departed
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
November 26, 2019, 7:20 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
November 26, 2019, 5:18 pm
Arrived
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
November 26, 2019, 10:25 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 26, 2019, 7:50 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 26, 2019, 7:50 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 25, 2019, 11:28 am
USPS in possession of item
LA VERNE, CA 91750
November 25, 2019
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS

You win. That is "fantastic" in its own way.

Yeah,,
I give,,
You win Cris..
It was in the US and left again..

You da man, lol..

Teddy

Kind of a double edged sword:

on one hand: I want my stuff shipped out as early as possible. Nice to know it's on the truck!! (But, in reality, is still on the counter either at the supplier, or in the post office. But the customer "thinks its on the truck", and the supplier is great at same-day deliveries, it's the post or courier who's late!!)

on the other: I want my stuff, and can see that the supplier still hasn't sent it out yet, So I know it'll be another day (or two) (It is, truthfully, still on the counter either at the supplier or at the post office..)

So, it's either the supplier or the courier who's to blame. But in all seriousness, it's the customer who's expecting the package to be prepped & put on the truck within an hour of them making said order.. regardless of time, day, reason, weather, etc.. I think that's a little too much to expect from a mom & pop operation..

When it positively has to get there next month!

cerving said:

LOL, unfortunately that's where a lot of stuff from SoCal vendors goes before distribution. Even worse is Los Angeles Airport customs... I had a package going to AUSTRALIA get routed to AUSTRIA and get stuck there for a week before being re-routed... check out the tracking below.

December 23, 2019, 10:58 am
Delivered
AUSTRALIA
Your item was delivered in AUSTRALIA at 10:58 am on December 23, 2019.
December 17, 2019, 6:34 pm
Processed Through Facility
AUSTRALIA
December 17, 2019, 4:37 pm
Departed
PERTH, AUSTRALIA
December 17, 2019, 10:43 am
Departed
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
December 14, 2019, 11:50 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 8:53 pm
Departed
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 7:16 pm
Departed
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
December 14, 2019, 8:25 am
Arrived
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
December 11, 2019, 9:45 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 11, 2019, 8:53 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 11, 2019, 8:53 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 10, 2019, 2:33 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 10, 2019
In Transit to Next Facility
December 9, 2019, 12:09 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NASHUA NH DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 8, 2019, 3:24 am
Processed Through Facility
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
December 1, 2019, 5:17 pm
Arrival at Transit Office From Exchange
AUSTRIA
November 30, 2019, 8:01 am
Departed
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
November 30, 2019, 7:54 am
Departed
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
November 28, 2019, 7:10 am
Departed
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
November 26, 2019, 7:20 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
November 26, 2019, 5:18 pm
Arrived
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
November 26, 2019, 10:25 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 26, 2019, 7:50 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 26, 2019, 7:50 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
November 25, 2019, 11:28 am
USPS in possession of item
LA VERNE, CA 91750
November 25, 2019
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS

Click to expand...

Zeus-cat said:

When it positively has to get there next month!

Click to expand...

I was on the receiving end of Chris's wayward package to Australia and I must admit my biggest worry was that it would end up in a dead mail office somewhere.
Chris was great,emailing me and following the progress all along.I still can't believe it was sent back to the U.S.A from Austria instead of simply forwarding it to
Western Australia.LOL shame I can't collect the frequent flyer points!.