Vendors,

Please, for the love of your god(s), don't send me an email that says my purchase has been shipped if you've only gone so far as making a shipping label. If the shipper doesn't have it, it hasn't been shipped.

After receiving your email, the very next thing I'll do is go to the shipper's website and load in the tracking number to find out when it's going to arrive. When I see this message "When the shipment arrives at our facility the delivery date will be updated", I just get annoyed. When I check 12, 24, 36, 48 hours later and see the same message, I get angry.

IF THE SHIPPER DOESN'T HAVE IT, IT HASN'T BEEN SHIPPED.

Thanks,

 

Yeah if it's more than 12 hours after, it's kind of lame. Some systems will create the label and send the notification when you create the label, because they assume you are ready to ship as you've created the label, and this can't be configured. The UPS API system will NOT notify your system that the package has been picked up so you can email your customers. This means that your system must constantly ask UPS "Has this package been picked up?", at which point the UPS techs may ban your account until you stop spamming their system with requests. It's possible to do this once per day, at the end of the day, but it is ultimately easier to assume it has been shipped if the label is created.

I email customers with the tracking number once it has been issued, but at this point this means it goes out the same day and I'm literally just waiting for the UPS truck to pick it up.

 

This is common, with very big, very reputable vendors.

I know this because i make 50k in small purchases throughout any given month for work. I don't even bother checking for a day or two.

 

It's still annoying as all ****. Why can't the initial email say "Hey, we got your frickin' order and we made a label. That's all we're gonna do today. We'll email you again once we do some more work".

How hard could that be???

 

As a small time "vendor" I can relate to the opposite end. Through some systems you're automatically emailed the tracking number once the booking has been made. It's up for the vendor to update you the fine details but I can understand how that's not possible all the time when schedule is full and you have a lot of orders to prepare and ship out.
Me personally I try my best to update when collection is actually due.

 

Yeah... maybe I should have bitched at the shippers--it's their software--but it sure seems like the vendor could send a follow-up email indicating the head fake and not to get my hopes up for immediate delivery.

 

I recall that UPS once had a notification for when the package actually gets picked up/starts moving. Alas, not any more.

 

Rev, I'm hopeful you and yours are well. Be safe.

 

Thank you, we're all ok so far. I hope you are too.

 

IF THE SHIPPER DOESN'T HAVE IT, IT HASN'T BEEN SHIPPED.

+1

 

I'm not saying that vendors don't print a label, then ship it 3 days later, but....

Usps is notorious at not scanning in packages and skipping scanning them along the way.

Example: I just received a package CA to FL. it was supposedly shipped 4 days ago out of CA.
For 3 days tracking showed, "label created, usps awaiting item".
then on the 4th day, it magically says. Package arrived at FL sorting centered and out for delivery today".

What happened to all the CA scans?? Who knows....

 

My favorite is:

"Item in STOCK!"

"Free standard shipping!"

Ok, I but I need it sooner.
<pays extra to get expedited shipping>

"Thank you for our order!"

<Two weeks later>

"Your item has shipped!"

Mother%*@k...

 

I get what you're saying, but that's just how shipping works. The "shipped" is the end of what the vendor does. As far as the vendor is concerned, it's been shipped. Not really any other way to do it.

 

This is atrocious and I would probably ask the vendor for the shipping money back. I recall I wanted to buy a specialized tool about a year ago, the vendor was in Germany (a VERY reputable company), had the tool in stock in their store and I was desperate to get it in time. Other vendors had it cheaper but not in stock. Paid for it, no email confirmation. Emailed them again and again, I get an email confirmation ten days later, "expected delivery 4-6 weeks".

************.

PayPal claim filed immediately (thankfully I paid with PayPal and not with a direct money transfer as the vendor wanted) no questions asked and the tool was suddenly here within 3 days.

 

Another thing I hate is when a seller states USPS First Class shipping and hands it off to DHL or UPS who takes FOREVER to drop it at your closest USPS Post Office. That is NOT USPS shipping and cannot be tracked until it reaches USPS and gets scanned into the local office. You get a useless tracking number with no updates for days or a week and then BOOM, it's out for delivery or arrived too late that day and sits until tomorrow. Bull$#!t!

When I get an "Item shipped" email I take the tracking number and set up text alerts on USPS website. If I have multiple items coming I'll add a subject to the tracking # so I can tell them apart. USPS is my preferred shipper since UPS and FedEx have sucked far too many times, plus I work for USPS. With USPS it's easy to get text alerts whereas UPS and FedEx require you to create an account and sign in...NOPE!