B&H and UPS... a sad & sorry saga

[vanessa_faulder]

oh dear....i read your post with dismay. I have just ordered from KEH and B+H. While following the UPS tracking i noticed that it was being shipped to Annandale, GB. Concerned, because i live in Australia, I contacted KEH who advised they had posted the parcel to the address I had given them and they had no idea what 'GB' meant. After checking in with UPS tracking later on, I discovered that the parcel has landed at East Midlands Airport, GB!!!!!! Trying to contact UPS service centres in Australia, I got a permanent engaged signal and a wrong number. I have emailed UPS and (sadly) wait for a response. Who can say what will happen to the package from B+H :(

[digitmstr]

>>I have emailed UPS and (sadly) wait for a response. Who can say what will happen to the package from B+H<<

 

Again, if the stores correctly shipped the items it is UPS that has to make good on the delivery. They are in posession of the item. If they lose it what usually happens is: the store gets a refund from the insured parcel and you can either get a replacement item shipped or get a refund from the store.

 

It seems that many problems arise when shipping from USA to overseas. Ironically, I have had better 'luck' using the USPS for overseas shipments...if you can believe it!

[ShunCheung]

I hate to say this, but the fact of the matter is that if you must have some equipment from B&H by a certain day because you need it for a job that day or need it before leaving for a trip, etc., you are simply asking for trouble if don't order sufficiently in advance such that the deliver date in within one day or so before your deadline.

 

Any great company can goof up once in a while. If you have a short deadline, you are much better off paying extra for one-day shipping such that even though there is a mistake, you still have a bit of time to recover.

[marcin harla]

<i>B&H is great, UPS well....</i>

<p>Ditto. UPS sucks. I've had so many problems with UPS it's not even worth mentioning, and their customer service...what customer service?

<br>Next time use FedEx instead.

<br>I feel sorry for your loss, but as I see it the only one to blame is UPS. Why would BH send the package free of charge to England if the one who screwed up was UPS?

<p><i>It's here they said- has been since the 5th Jan and what's more, we've issued you a credit note.(Thoughtfully deducting the $53 shipping)</i>

<p>They offered to credit your CC. Expalin to them that you need a full refund (shipping included) because the goods weren't delivered in expected time. They should understand.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Here we have been a UPS shipper since the late 1960's. We have just a few losses since then; when shipping in the USA. They lost 1 box since 1997 in the USA; with many many thousands being sent.<BR><BR> Sending to Canada seems to be a pickle; Canadians provide more bad addresses; and dont like to pay bogus duties. Sending by USPS is quicker to Canada; but has a radical increase in loss rate; and no tracking; but usually no bogus duties.<BR><BR>Here the USPS wont pickup a box weighing over 1 Lb; so a Canadian box shipment costs a trip to the postoffice; with a line wait.<BR><BR> FedEx has many different sub companies; the ground rates are cheaper than UPS; but highly variable in delivery times. A split delivery of items by several days is what we see alot. Their ground rates are cheaper because the drivers are many times not employees; there is no health care costs; many are not Unionized too. <BR><BR>FedEx air is excellent. We have had excellent UPS next day service forever too.

[chris_leck]

I very recently had a similar problem. B&H took my money. UPS missed the two-day delivery by a wide margin. B&H said, "Contact UPS". UPS was missing in action.

 

Morals: Order well in advance of deadline. Don't expect UPS to deliver within the contracted timeframe. Don't expect help from B&H when UPS fails.

 

I've had excellent experience with FedEx and USPS Priority Mail. I never use UPS to ship, and I probably will use them in the future only on unimportant purchases. UPS sucks.

[digitmstr]

Sorry to hear about all you guys having trouble with UPS! I think they better when delivering to a business address.

 

Some areas are better served than others, I have noticed.

[matthew_shaw]

Many thanks for all the feedback.

 

As per Eric Bogaerts suggestion above, I have e-mailed Henry Posner at B&H.

 

Will let you know (if) any developments.

[henryp]

B&H regrets this customer's dissatisfaction and particularly regrets any miscommunication which arose. We are also sorry for any role UPS played in this customer's disappointment. <p>

 

The order in question was received here on Wed 12/15 after 4:00pm, which is too late for next-day shipping. Our site is specific and says:<br>

<b><i>Cut off time for RUSH delivery</b><br>

All rush orders (1-day and 2-day shipping) are normally shipped on the same day* if placed before 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday before 10:30 am (Eastern Standard Time), and 11:30 am (Daylight Savings Time). Saturday and Sunday are not considered business days.</i><p>

In addition the order was paid with a non-US credit card, requiring additional verification for the protection of our customers from credit card fraud and identity theft. <p>

The order was shipped Friday, 12/17, via UPS next-day service. Because UPS does not include Sat & Sun, this meant Monday delivery (to a ship-to address within the USA).<p>From there, the problem seems to lay in UPS's lap. Their delivery attempt on Jan 5, 2005 was (understandably) refused and the parcel returned to us. At some point, according to the customer, UPS said they'd pay for overseas shipping from B&H to England. Unfortunately UPS told us this was not the case and they declined to pay this. No one from B&H would have promised that we'd absorb the cost for international shipping under these circumstances. This isn't merely unlikely, it's impossible. If UPS had agreed to pay the freight, we'd have shipped in a minute. If the error had been our, likewise. But, it wasn't. While we regret not being able to comply with the customer's request, we cannot. We <b>did</b> offer to halve the cost of internat'l UPS shipping on our dime as a courtesy, but the customer apparently declined.<p>At this point, the merchandise has been returned to B&H and we have issued a refund to the customer's Visa account. We are following up with UPS and would be happy to reconstitute this order and ship it to the customer in Europe with the same UPS internat'l shipping discount pereviously offered.<p>Henry Posner<br><b>B&H Photo-Video, Inc.</b>

[larry_menzin]

Henry,

 

Up until a couple of years ago, B&H's default shipper used to be Fedex and then you switched to UPS. How about switching back? I've had several B&H orders arrive late because of UPS. Fedex goes the extra mile for its customers, while UPS is indifferent at best.

[Mike D]

I ordered a background from B&H a year ago which I never received and it took 2 months to resolve the issue and receive a replacement. UPS blamed it on B&H; B&H blamed it on UPS. Now I pay a little bit extra and use FedEx. It's definitely worth it.

[henryp]

<i>Up until a couple of years ago, B&H's default shipper used to be Fedex and then you switched to UPS. How about switching back? I've had several B&H orders arrive late because of UPS. Fedex goes the extra mile for its customers, while UPS is indifferent at best.</i><p>We appreciate your feedback. Since we changed, customer complaints have declined, lost and late parcels have declined, and UPS has bent over backwards to demonstrate to us that while they're not perfect they're trying. I communicate with their management liaisons more than once a week and they understand that our tolerance for their errors is ZERO. <p>I will share your sentiments with our other managers here, but I not not anticipate our changing.<p>Henry Posner<br><b>B&H Photo-Video, Inc.</b>

[r._j.]

".... He would then slap the yellow and brown sticker on my door and run back to the truck in record time. If there isn't a UPS Olympic running team, there should be...."

 

---- Yeah, perhaps! But I wouldn't bet on the slowness of most couriers to make much of an Olympic team. Olympians are people who have to do things quickly!

[erick_kyogoku]

I have to agree that UPS is horrible. I've learned through painful experience that UPS is not

reliable nor does it care about its customers. Don't even bother buying insurance with

them either, they will not pay more than $100 as a token gesture. UPS caused several

thousand dollars in damage to my brother's shipments, all of which was well packed and

insured, but UPS offered to pay a total of $100 -- blaming improper packaging (this is

their standard BS excuse, they simply won't pay for lost or damaged goods. Rather UPS

only offers the service to pocket a few extra dollars on each package). I was there when

the delivery was made, watching in awe from my window as the UPS brute threw my bro's

packages -- computers, etc. -- out of the brown van onto the street below, flipping them

over from side to side rather than picking them up. I've had similar stories from friends

and personally have had UPS lose my packages. Their tracking information is inaccurate, I

had a shipment from Austria sent to me, and while the tracking info said that the package

had reached America, according to UPS the package never arrived in America, it was just

"customs information" that was reported in the tracking report. UPS is simply unreliable

and never accountable for its mistakes: the way they deal with complaints is: they simply

say "no" until the wronged client loses energy and motivation to fight, and eventually gives

up. If you're ordering a CD or book, UPS is fine. Otherwise, use FedEx. I've bought

thousands of dollars worth of photo gear from B&H, and never have had problems: I

attribute this to the fact that I use only FedEx, even if it costs more than UPS. Even with

FedEx saver it takes only 2-3 days from B&H in NY to reach me in California. I sympathize

for you Matthew. May I advise that in future, for important shipments, use FedEx rather

than UPS.

[kelly_flanigan1]

In shipping UPS packages in the USA; our loss rate with UPS is just a handfull; since the late 1960's. In recent EBay sales; UPS lost about 1 out of 2000 boxes. We have had to make 3 claims in the last decade. Maybe folks should invest in a better shipping crew; better tape; and better labels. IF the box is weird shape; the bar code label can be scuffed off in the "UPS Disneyland wild mouse" sorting centers. ALL of our packages that got delayed were due to poor or missing addresses; mostly due to customers ignorance. A common goofup is having one address for PayPal; and another in the main contact Ebay email dialog. Folks move; and change their address; but not their PayPal address. This causes confusion and delays; and packages lost in the UPS shipping system for awhile. The "dead package pile" in UPS is filled with packages that have scuffed off barcodes and address labels. Those businesses that skimp on labels; and dont apply them well cause most of these losses. Weird shaped boxes; tires; has get lost the most. If you have about zero losses like our business; UPS gives you a better rate; and lower insurance rates too.

[kelly_flanigan1]

The same "lower loss rate or burden" for low losses works with credit card fees too. A business with a consistant low level of credit card problems can cut a better rate..

[Colin O]

Just wanted to make a comment on the 'UPS Olympic team'...in the 2004 Athens Olympics, UPS had more employees competing in the Games than any other company! They had a TV commercial about it at the time