B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

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prof_fate
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p.1 #1 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Arrgh.
B&H's website says if you get an order in before 11 it ships the same day (that's what it said on Monday).
B&H via UPS is usually 2 days away from me (i'm in PA), so I don't bother to double my shipping cost to not get it any sooner.
I get an email saying it's shipped! But...UPS has no tracking data on that..never a good sign.
I check yesterday and UPS says B&H shipped Wednesday (a day later than they said) and i'd see it Friday. I was hoping for Thrusday, so I'm disappointed it's a day late.

Then this morning I check just because, and the package is delayed somewhere...in NY. Now it's coming Monday.

A full week after I ordered it. Doesn't help me for this weekend at all.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:14 PM

bobgossen
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p.1 #2 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

I ran into the same problem. I checked the UPS web site and found out UPS was "closed" for the holidays on Dec 31 & Jan 1.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:20 PM

Jman13
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p.1 #3 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

You always take a chance on delayed orders when shipping ground. It's 3-5 (business) day service. You're going to get it in 4 business days. Well within what they promise.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:33 PM

Tom RC
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p.1 #4 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

I placed a UPS overnight order on Monday with B&H in expectation of it arriving on Wednesday due to New Years. Something happened and I'm not getting it until today......oh my god. Let us consider the time of year and folks we are talking about camera equipment here not organs heading for a transplant and over the years I have placed an untold # of orders with B&H and through a business I own I have sipped I'm guesstimating somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 shipments with UPS and all in all have had less than a handful of incidents. I know it doesn't help your situation at all because when it happens to you it just plain sucks...but I give B&H and especially UPS kudos for what they do based on years of experience. Hope you get your package soon but its not fair to use terms like "marriage headed for hell" to describe two companies that are truly tops in their industry, Also contact UPS about a refund for your shipping since an error was made. In a couple of weeks I'll get a check to credit me my overnight fees from UPS which is about all I can ask. The "goof ups" are few and far between.

Tom

Edited on Jan 03, 2008 at 02:37 PM

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:35 PM

formula4speed
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p.1 #5 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

When you get the email saying it was shipped it just means the vendor processed your shipment and closed out the days shipping with their UPS software, whether or not UPS has picked up the package or not. Sometimes you won't see your tracking info in their system until the day after it has been picked up. UPS was also closed on Tuesday so that might explain it shipping on Wednesday. As far as the delay goes, that's just bad luck but it happens with any carrier occasionally. It's frustrating, I've been there, but I wouldn't give up on them just yet.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:38 PM

prof_fate
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p.1 #6 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

I've had similar issues in teh past, so I suppose it's my own fault for letting them set my expectations.
They are better than the other place I used that just didn't ship anything until 3 phone calls got them moving, then they told me a story about this that and the other thing, and in teh box with the stuff was a handwritten note on the invoice that made their song and dance a bit lie. I tried to contact them for prices on the stuff i ordered from B&H, but 3 emails went unanswered over a 3 week period. (btw, that was Midwest Photo Exchange - nice folks, but they really let me down on my last order).
Perhaps it's jsut my luck? But this order is over $1000 so I would think they'd treat it with more care than perhaps a $50 order.
I've got $1900 more to spend this month. It's getting harder to get good service - or should I more accurately say - it's getting harder to find places that can at least live up to what they put on their own websites.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:44 PM

xrayvision
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p.1 #7 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

During the last two weeks of Dec. and the first week of Jan. the whole system is in a terrible state due to MILLIONS of people doing last minute shopping via internet orders and expecting overnight/next day shipment the same as if it was the middle of Sept.
Ain't gonna happen.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:48 PM

Chrono1081
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p.1 #8 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Perhaps it's jsut my luck? But this order is over $1000 so I would think they'd treat it with more care than perhaps a $50 order.

Honest truth from someone who spent YEARS in retail....(this isnt directed in a mean way

Noone cares what amount you spend. Ever. Period. Unless you spend $15,000 and up theyre prob not gonna treat you any different.

Jan 03, 2008 at 02:50 PM

srene
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p.1 #9 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

I always do 3-5 day ground shipping from b&h. I live in the nyc! guess what, I get it in 3-4 days

Jan 03, 2008 at 03:10 PM

marty bober
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p.1 #10 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Srene, UPS overworks their guys (I know that first hand) this is not an excuse of course but a sad reality of our times. If you want your package not to be left at the door (this driver should have not done that because it is not a driver release area, NYC that is) than when you order something, request that the package be sent (signature required). That means someone, you, doorman, neighbor, etc., must sign for that package..... Hope this helps someone....

Jan 03, 2008 at 03:47 PM

tivs31
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p.1 #11 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Jman13 wrote:
You always take a chance on delayed orders when shipping ground. It's 3-5 (business) day service. You're going to get it in 4 business days. Well within what they promise.

qft

just because you think your 2 business days away doesn't mean you always are, sometimes due to traffic at ups and the time of the year it takes longer, if you really needed the item you could have spent the extra 10-20 bills to garuntee it will be there in 2 days.

I love ups above any other service, I don't really get why people give it such a bad rap

Jan 03, 2008 at 03:51 PM

Mattbtn
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p.1 #12 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

The delays have little to do with the volume of items being shipped right now.

I spoke with UPS about a similar issue from a package I was expecting from another retailer, and was told that all "GROUND-BASED" operations were closed from Saturday Dec 29th to Wednesday January 2nd. They also had a similar shutdown in the days surrounding Christmas, even though they did work Christmas Eve.

In other words, B&H probably did everything they could have to get your item shipped on Monday, but if the truck doesn't come to get it, can you really put the blame on B&H?

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:06 PM

gerov
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p.1 #13 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

srene wrote:
I always do 3-5 day ground shipping from b&h. I live in the nyc! guess what, I get it in 3-4 days

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:26 PM

tivs31
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p.1 #14 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

gerov wrote:
srene wrote:

Rene

Rene,
if you live in NYC and are already paying the tax, why don't you just go to B&H and buy in store, rather than having it shipped to your place?

depends on where he lives, and his work scheduele, sometimes it can take prolly 2-3 hours round trip to get around in a busy city and sometimes paying 5-10 bucks for shipping is alot cheaper than wasting that time

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:33 PM

Scott Sewell
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p.1 #15 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

What does a thread like this have to do with Canon gear?

Please take this over to Forum & Misc.

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:44 PM

paccots
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p.1 #16 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Need marriage counseling? Contact Oprah, not FMers!

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:51 PM

stanj
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p.1 #17 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

The BH web site says that RUSH orders (overnight and 2-days) ship the same day. If you didn't use either rush service, you may wait (and will in most cases). It says so pretty clearly.

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:51 PM

gfiksel
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p.1 #18 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Let me see, you have an important shoot coming, you order on the night of the busiest holiday when UPS is closed for two days and you are too cheap to pay for overnight. Hmm... of course it's their fault, who's else

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:57 PM

prof_fate
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p.1 #19 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

It has to do with Canon gear 'cause that's what I ordered!

Not sure what the deal is, but now the package is on time again...should arrive tomorrow.

THE PACKAGE IS DELAYED AT THE ORIGIN HUB / FORWARDED TO THE FACILITY IN THE DESTINATION CITY

Was the message on UPS site.

As to FedEx, around here they're a joke. UPS is never later than 11:40 am, and I can usually set my watch by him - 11:25 am. Except at Christmas time when he's here before 10 AM.

FedEx...well, 2 or 3 pm or sometimes later and more than once their site says 'on truck, out for delivery' for 4 or 5 days straight.
None of them get a sig on a regular basis, except at christmas time.

Jan 03, 2008 at 04:57 PM

Tom Kelley
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p.1 #20 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

You know what? In a perfect world, B & H and any other reputable dealer would have had your item on your doorstep the next morning so you could have your picture taken while you eat your breakfast in your perfect kitchen drinking your perfect coffee in your perfect glass house.

Look, i'm not trying to be unsympathetic here, just realistic! I too, have been in retail for 22 years and probably can't name you one day that's passed without some complication. I'm not saying you shouldn't be a little disappointed, but my friend, LIFE itself is full of it. All i'm saying is, lighten up and try to look at the positive side of things instead of finding some minor fault with a company that is arguably the foremost in their industry.

Just trying to be of help my friend, not being critical.

Tom Kelley

Jan 03, 2008 at 05:19 PM

Patrick Cox
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p.1 #21 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

Scott Sewell wrote:
What does a thread like this have to do with Canon gear?

Please take this over to Forum & Misc.

For once I agree with you Scott!

Also, I thought I would use one of the new icons for the OP....

Just having fun all!

Pat

Jan 03, 2008 at 05:37 PM

mlavander
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p.1 #22 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

The only time I tried to order from B&H they were a total pain in the ass. In-stock items were going to take 2-3 days to prepare (no, not ship, to simply package), and this was not even in some hot holiday time of the year.

I could have driven from Detroit to Manhattan to pick the stuff up quicker than they can pull it from the warehouse? WTF?

www.onecall.com

Edited on Jan 03, 2008 at 05:43 PM

Jan 03, 2008 at 05:42 PM

cineski
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p.1 #23 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

BH is hands down one of the best. It's clearly stated that your order will not ship the same day if you choose anything less than a rush order. Non-rush orders do not specify how long your order will take to actually ship, but I've found it takes 2-3 days. With me, if I have an important or expensive item (and a $1k order is piddle in the grand scheme of BH) I'll ship it overnight. You know what? Every order I've done that way arrives overnight! I had a non-photo gear shipment for Priority 3 day USPS on December 12th. I received the item, with much fretting, on Dec. 27th. Tis the season for slow shipping. And yes, if you really had an important thing that you needed the gear for, buck it up and do a rush order.

Jan 03, 2008 at 06:11 PM

srene
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p.1 #24 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

gerov wrote:
srene wrote:
I always do 3-5 day ground shipping from b&h. I live in the nyc! guess what, I get it in 3-4 days

UPS is and always been a joke. I have had several very expensive packages just left at my door step. In NYC that is a no no. leave it with the doorman or leave a door tag. The driver doesnt care. I definitely prefer fedex.

Rene

Rene,
if you live in NYC and are already paying the tax, why don't you just go to B&H and buy in store, rather than having it shipped to your place?

because it is located very near madison square garden, the main post office, jacob javits center, macys herald square, parking around there is almost 30 bucks anyway, and they close at 1 on fridays and all day Saturday. It is easier to just ship it. Plus ever tried taking a Manfrotto boom with weights on the nyc subway. that is over 50lbs!

Jan 03, 2008 at 06:17 PM

cgardner
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p.1 #25 · B&H and UPS - A marrieage headed for hell!

I live the Washington, D.C. area and learned with my first order from B&H not to waste money on 2-day or 1-day air UPS shipping because no matter what mode you pick the package "flies" about 3 ft. off the ground on a truck down I-95 and shows up in 3 days.

Conversely, UPS also seems to take some sense of perverse pride in delivering the more economical modes of shipment exactly as scheduled. I've seen stuff ordered from the west coast with 5-7 day shipping arrive at a hub in the midwest in one day, then sit there until the day before its due to be delivered.

Sometimes the routing makes very little sense. I've had stuff I ordered from Alien Bees in Nashville go to UPS hubs in Indiana, West Virginia then to Richmond before finally arriving at the local distribution center. But this time of year odd-ball routing is usually due to road conditions.

I rarely need things by a deadline so this is more amusing than frustrating for me. If I do need anything in a hurry from B&H I'll have it shipped FexEx. I've gotten stuff I order the previous day by 11 AM the next morning. The tracking seems to be more in sync with were the package actually is.

Edited on Jan 03, 2008 at 06:18 PM

Jan 03, 2008 at 06:18 PM


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