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Archive 2013 · B&H shipping

  
 
Methodical
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · B&H shipping


Has anyone noticed that B&H shipping takes longer now since they started using Fedex even though it's coming from the same place? I'm in the DC area and my shipments only took 2 days with UPS. Now, it takes about 5 or more days with Fedex. When I check the status, it seems that they are just sitting on the shipment (i.e. holding it). Just curious?

Al



Nov 22, 2013 at 10:04 AM
Deezie
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · B&H shipping


Hmmm. I got a package yesterday from BH and UPS was the courier.


Nov 22, 2013 at 10:08 AM
kodakeos
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · B&H shipping


Depends on the service. One of the guys said in CS told me they 'essentially' wait a day to pack/ship items that are free shipping. UPS (3-5 day) is processed and shipped same day. Free shipping takes a back seat and usually takes a day or more to ship out (like if you order thursday, theres no way free is making it out on the 1/2 day Friday...)
Living in NJ, I can confirm that almost all of my free shipping takes 2-3 days depending on when its ordered, compared to next day with UPS (3-5 day). Like I order it Monday, it arrives Tuesday AM. Makes that extra 5$ for shipping harder to pass.



Nov 22, 2013 at 10:13 AM
Methodical
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · B&H shipping


kodakeos wrote:
Depends on the service. One of the guys said in CS told me they 'essentially' wait a day to pack/ship items that are free shipping. UPS (3-5 day) is processed and shipped same day. Free shipping takes a back seat and usually takes a day or more to ship out (like if you order thursday, theres no way free is making it out on the 1/2 day Friday...)
Living in NJ, I can confirm that almost all of my free shipping takes 2-3 days depending on when its ordered, compared to next day with UPS (3-5 day). Like I order it
...Show more

My order ship the same day as long as I order before the shipping cut off time. This last order shipped the same day and I was provided with a tracking number. When I track the package, it's just idling. FedEx is just holding the package and waiting until that the due specified. With UPS, stuff just moved and you see the movement via tracking.

In the past when they used UPS, if I ordered on Friday and it shipped Friday, it would arrive no later than Tuesday. If I ordered on Monday and it ship the same day, it would arrive no later than Wednesday and sometimes I'd get these packages a day earlier. I'm only just down the highway from NY.

Funny you mention the $5 upcharge. When I've talk to sales rep in the past, they said it was not necessary and that it would arrive within 2 days since I am just down the road and they were on point.

Shipping times have definitely changed since they started using FedEx. I will have to time my orders now or point my peepers over to Adorama when I need something faster. Ahhh, it's good to have choices.





Nov 22, 2013 at 10:26 AM
mitesh
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · B&H shipping


This related thread may provide an answer:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1227226/0



Nov 22, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Methodical
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · B&H shipping


mitesh wrote:
This related thread may provide an answer:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1227226/0



Thanks, so it's something others have taken notice of, too. This makes me look more to Adorama for things I need now. It's great we have choices.

Al



Nov 22, 2013 at 11:22 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · B&H shipping


Methodical wrote:
Has anyone noticed that B&H shipping takes longer now since they started using Fedex...


No.



Nov 22, 2013 at 12:08 PM
Methodical
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · B&H shipping


gdanmitchell wrote:
No.


How do they ship to you?



Nov 22, 2013 at 12:39 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · B&H shipping


Methodical wrote:
How do they ship to you?


I use various modes depending on the item and how soon I need it, ranging from their "free shipping" to 2 day shipping. Frankly I don't pay attention to which service transmits it, and I've never noticed any divergence from the indicated shipping times, including with a product that I received via some two-day option a couple of weeks ago.

By the way, the Allentown distribution/transmission point has been part of their process for some time. Nothing new there that I can see.



Nov 22, 2013 at 01:02 PM
mitesh
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · B&H shipping


gdanmitchell wrote:
By the way, the Allentown distribution/transmission point has been part of their process for some time. Nothing new there that I can see.


Perhaps that's true for those that are west of NY, but for those who are in the NE region, you can't fault someone for finding it curious that a package must travel from NY to PA before crossing back over and heading to NJ (or thereabouts).



Nov 22, 2013 at 02:47 PM
John P Mulgrew
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · B&H shipping


FedEx = USPS that's why and it's happened to me twice recently


Nov 22, 2013 at 02:56 PM
Bernie
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · B&H shipping


Lost a day when my wife picked up mail from our USPS PO box early in the afternoon and then FedEx delivered an hour afterwards....


Nov 22, 2013 at 03:23 PM
dsjtecserv
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · B&H shipping


Interesting; I'm in the DC area too. I placed an order a couple weekends ago, with free shipping, and it was shipped by UPS; it took the usual 2 days to get here. This became a problem when it arrived for delivery Wednesday (for a Sunday order; no complaints there), when I was still out of town on a business trip. The UPS driver left a slip saying I could sign the back and have it delivered the next day (Box A). Turned out that was wrong; it needed the in-person signature (Box B), but the wasted day meant I couldn't be there for delivery. I contacted UPS and because of the initial mistake they agreed to deliver it Saturday. But instead they let it sit all day Friday, and then shipped it to Kentucky, where it spent the weekend. I finally got it on Monday; after making a pest of myself they found a neighbor at home and got the darn signature. So what might have been 2 day delivery became a week (sixth business day) and involved much more hassle than should have been needed.

I've had issues with B&H's use of UPS in the past (much fewer problems with FedEx), and their insistence on unpredictably requiring an in-person signature. They require this for some shipments, but not all; it depends on how expensive the merchandise is, but they can't or won't say what is the threshold for the requirement. At the time of ordering you have no way of knowing, and because you can't be sure the precise day that it will be delivered, it is difficult to arrange to work from home on that day. I have suggested that they provide the customer an option at the time of checkout to waive the signature requirement and accept the risk of it being left in an appropriate place (as FedEx does routinely from other vendors), but so far that hasn't happened.

B&H is by far my preferred source for electronics and photo equipment, but this signature requirement increase the hassle of purchasing from them and in some cases the actual cost, depending on what needs to be done to have presence coincide with delivery.

Dave

Edited on Nov 22, 2013 at 04:06 PM · View previous versions



Nov 22, 2013 at 03:35 PM
bobsofpa
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · B&H shipping


My wife and I placed separate orders with B&H the same day and both with free shipping. We live in eastern PA and her order came by UPS and took 1 day. My order went by FedEx and took 3 days.


Nov 22, 2013 at 04:05 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · B&H shipping


Don't sweat the small stuff, eh? Shipping to Canada is way less satisfactory.

Hosers.



Nov 22, 2013 at 04:12 PM
stanj
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · B&H shipping


People complaining about free shipping? Oy. They do have options for guaranteed delivery dates...


Nov 22, 2013 at 04:36 PM
timbop
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · B&H shipping


yes; I live in NJ and UPS ground was always next day delivery from the day they shipped it. Fedex does seem to sit on the package now, especially the fedex ground shipping. I get my albums made in pennsylvania, and UPS ground would be next day but fedex ground takes an extra day.


Nov 22, 2013 at 04:39 PM
popinvasion
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · B&H shipping


B&H shipping now sucks. I choose my shipping option and still my item sits idle for 2-3 days before leaving the warehouse. I just don't get the point of choosing an upgraded ship option when it takes days to process. I once waited two weeks and had to call to get them to resolve the issue.


Nov 22, 2013 at 04:58 PM
henryp
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · B&H shipping


Thanks for your feedback. B&H endeavors to ship most orders the same day we receive them (excepting Friday afternoons and Sundays, of course). Our site lists cut-off times for various shipping options here. The possibility any order would sit "idle for 2-3 days before leaving the warehouse" is so remote I'd like an email with your recent order numbers so i can check into this uncharacteristic possibility.

John P Mulgrew wrote, "FedEx = USPS." That is incorrect. FedEx offers a shipping option called SmartPost, similar to UPS's Mail Innovations. For both the shipment begins with UPS or FedEx and ends with the final delivery leg executed by USPS. For both, it's a relatively inexpensive option, permits Saturday delivery, and delivery to PO Box addresses and is but one option in their menus.

B&H offers a menu of shipping options ranging from "Super Saver," which might be FedEx SmartPost, to speedy and pricier overnight delivery options. We offer shipping via UPS, FedEx or USPS and frankly don't really care which you choose as long as you understand the differences and use whichever option is appropriate for each individual transaction. When you do order online our site provides either an estimated transit time ("up to eight business days") or an ETA date for every shipping option before you choose whichever you prefer.

One of the guys said in CS told me they 'essentially' wait a day to pack/ship items that are free shipping.

More accurately our free "super saver" shipping option is prioritized after paid shipping methods and may in fact ship the day after an order is placed, not the same day, but it depends on circumstances, is not a hard-and-fast rule and we certainly don't sit around waiting to pack and ship transactions with free shipping once the others are done if there's time in the workday.

In a nutshell, the time it takes for your order to arrive on your doorstep is determined almost entirely by the shipping method you select when you're placing an order.

dsjtecserv wrote:
I've had issues with B&H's use of UPS in the past (much fewer problems with FedEx), and their insistence on unpredictably requiring an in-person signature. They require this for some shipments, but not all; it depends on how expensive the merchandise is, but they can't or won't say what is the threshold for the requirement.


Most orders leave here coded signature-required and we don't reveal the threshold to avoid telling pirates information which would make their jobs easier. You can choose an alternate ship-to address if that's more convenient. And for some orders UPS may, on their own, designate your neighborhood or address as "safe" and take it upon themselves to waive the signature requirement. So, some orders go without the requirement, some go with a non-waivable signature requirement and for some, UPS has discretion.

WCBS-AM radio reported just last week on an enterprising gang which followed UPS trucks around on bicycle, stole packages left on porches and absconded with anything in the packages that caught their fancy. The only packages they had access to were those left without a signature.

Teens Arrested for Stealing UPS Packages on Long Island


Henry Posner
[email protected]
B&H Photo-Video



Nov 25, 2013 at 11:16 AM
MDJAK
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · B&H shipping


Henry, thank you for both your invaluable participation and clearly and concisely setting the record straight.
Mark



Nov 25, 2013 at 05:53 PM





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